05/19/2009 (Transfers Tomorrow)

Hello from warm Walla Walla ..... but not for long though.

I received a call from President Belnap on Saturday and he informed me that I am going to be transferred to Toppenish, Washington on Wednesday. It is a small town about 25 minutes south of Yakima. The majority of what I have heard about Toppenish is it is about 50% Mexican 30% Indian and 20% white. Sounds like heaven yeah?

I didn't realize how much I began to love the people in Walla Walla until I was told I was leaving. That night at dinner I said good-bye to the Rodriquez family who are in the Spanish branch and I pretty much bawled. The branch president asked me to bare my testimony in church and I could make it through that. Then saying good-bye to people after church made me tear up. Then yesterday I told a less active lady that I was leaving and I asked her to pray afterward. She gave the most spiritual prayer I have ever heard her give as she was thanking the Lord for letting me go to Walla Walla to help her. The last half of her prayer was crying and that got me going again. Then last night we had a lesson with Natividad and he spent about a minute in his prayer thanking the Lord for me and wishing me luck. That was awesome for someone who had never prayed in front of someone before. I hope I don’t sound like I am boasting; it just made me feel like I left an impression. Maybe I didn't witness a baptism, I still touched people’s hearts. Maybe not as much as they have touched mine but I tried my best.

Friday we had a fireside with the mission president for investigators and recent converts. It was really nice and spiritual. I enjoyed it.

I got the memory card you sent but I am going to wait to send the old one home so I can get the rest of the pictures here in Walla Walla and a couple in Toppenish.

Not much more I can think of. I hope you have a great week.