"I Will Come To You"
TRANSFER #3! I am leaving Mica Peak. I will be sweeping (she explained in an email that the term "sweeping" means the old missionaries are leaving the area and new missionaries are "sweeping" in) into Cheney 1st Ward
with Sister Tritt! She and I were roommates in Post Falls (her first area)! My dream has been to
be companions with her and I'm so crazy excited to work with her!
Transfer week is always hard for me. I never know what to say to people
when they ask if I'm leaving. I wish I had more than one day to say good-bye.
That one day just doesn't do it justice. So many people here have changed my
life. Literally. I will never be the same person I was before I came here. I
have learned the true meaning and feeling of love.
I have had the
experience of helping a woman who's daughter recently passed away. A member in
our ward teaches junior high with this woman. We had an appointment with the
member this week and she informed us of what has been going on. She asked us for
help on what to say. Sister Pope and I went to the library looking for Mormon
Messages to show her. Having had this experience, it makes me so grateful to
know that we can be with our families forever. Because Heavenly Father loves us,
he wants to provide hope and everlasting peace to us when we need it the most.
Sister Pope and I decided to tell the member about the Mormon Message "Mountains
to Climb." As I watched it the first time, I tried to put myself into the shoes
of this grieving mother who misses her 16 year old daughter. My heart broke and
for a moment, I could literally feel the pains and broken heart of this mother.
But, as I watched and listened, I could feel the love that Heavenly Father has
for that family and the peace that he will give to her as she watches that
message. I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who will help us through
every situation we have on earth. From a stubbed toe to the death of a loved
one, He assures us " I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to
you."
Last week I had the opportunity of going to the temple! I realize how lucky
I am to have a temple IN MY MISSION. I know there's a ton of missionaries who
never get to go back to the temple until they get home. This was perhaps my
favorite temple experience so far. In my last area, I grew to be very close with
one of the young women in the ward. Her name is Camille and she is lovely. She
has received her mission call to go to Jamaica and reports in March. As "luck" would have it, she was at the same temple session that I was. When I saw her in
the temple we hugged and cried. In that moment, I felt a fraction of the
happiness and pure joy that we will feel when we see loved ones on the other
side. I also know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will have joy beyond
measure when they see us after we have completed our life here on earth. We
embrace and cry, being so glad to reunite after being separated for such a long
time. I also went to the temple with personal questions and a desire to feel peace. I have found that
peace that I've been needing and the answers I have been searching
for.
This week I also went on exchanges with Sister Tea! This is my miracle of
the week. Hands down. Heavenly Father looks out for his missionaries and takes
care of them no matter what. We had an appointment with a member who lives way
up on the mountain and it's a dirt road all the way up. With no guard rails. Long
story short, a family who was going up with us said they would follow us since
they didn't know where to go and because they didn't think my car would make it
up. So we were driving and there was a super icy and steep switchback and my car
started sliding towards the cliff. I hit the e brake so we wouldn't die. I tried
gunning it and I couldn't get any traction. So, Jeremy (the member driving behind us) came up
to my window and told me to back down the road. As I was doing that, our tires
were on the edge and we were totally slipping. Scariest moment of my life.
Jeremy knocked on my window and told me to get out because I was scaring him
and he wanted to do it. Hahahaha. Our little 2 wheel drive car couldn't make it
up. But we hopped in with Jeremy and his wife and went the rest of the way. I'm
so grateful that the Lord prompted Jeremy to follow us up that mountain, because if we were
alone, we would have been stuck because our phone doesn't have service. Jeremy's quick thinking practically saved our lives.
I love you all and I'm so grateful for you. :)
Sister Gardanier
P.S. I forgot to tell you! Elder Neil L. Andersen of the 12 Apostles came to
speak to our mission on Saturday! I even got to meet him! Its was crazy awesome.
He is such a great guy and I was so blessed to be able to meet him. He
definitely is a General Authority called by God.
It was so much fun to see all the
missionaries at one time! :)
Saying goodbye to the Stewart's...I love this family!
These are some of her companions from her mission. From left to
right it is Sis. Burgoyne, Sis. Gardanier, Sis. Pope, Sis. Harper,
Sis. Johnson, and Sis. Johnson's current companion Sis. Fuller.
Look at the name tags...Sister Gardanier and Sister Gardiner.
They even look alot alike!! You can also notice she has
cut some bangs...something she hasn't had since elementary school.
She looks super cute!!
This picture was texted to me from a family in the Mica Peak Ward
This amazing ward member got lunch for Sister Gardanier
on her last day at her favorite place, Cafe Rio!
Thank you...Love you fellow Mom!!
cut some bangs...something she hasn't had since elementary school.
She looks super cute!!
This amazing ward member got lunch for Sister Gardanier
on her last day at her favorite place, Cafe Rio!
Thank you...Love you fellow Mom!!
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