I'm Transferring outta Here!!!

So it is definitely bittersweet to have just had my last full day in Laramie, Wyoming yesterday.

I knew in the middle of this transfer that there wouldn't be any missionaries serving in the ward that I just finished serving in anymore due to summer. There were 3 YSA wards, but they will only have one meeting time over summer and 2 sets of missionaries instead of the 3 right now. So I wasn't sad at all - actually quite happy when I found out I was being transferred.

I guess I'll start with everything I know about next transfer -
I am going to be serving in the Bison Ridge Ward in Loveland, Colorado. That is the ward that my mission president is in. My companion will be Elder Hendrix. He is waiting for his Visa for Brazil. We will be driving in a Dodge Caravan. And that is literally everything I know about my new area and companion right now. I'll obviously learn a lot more when I'm sent down there in an hour or two. One of my current zone leaders, Elder Jones, is also going down there and my district leader is going to Loveland as well. So Elder Jones will be the only missionary who has been in my zone my whole mission. I have lived with him for the last 12 weeks. Overall, he is definitely awesome.

I definitely know that it is time for me to be outta Laramie. I have gotten fairly complacent and relaxed in the last few weeks and am excited for a change of pace. My companion Elder Nash and I have gotten along really well for the last 6-9 weeks. And we have been having an amazing time out here with the Zone Leaders we have lived with and the two Elders - Elder Sardoni and Elder Sanders - that we share the car with. I have tried journaling as much as possible about all the miracles and all the exciting times here.

But it is definitely bittersweet to not be able to talk to any of these members or investigators I have worked with for the last 3 months. It felt really good though! It is great to transfer and not be able to talk to them because it forces people to be more honest! What I mean by that is that multiple multiple members have told Elder Nash and me how much the will miss us and how awesome we are. That definitely does not get old. I think one of the biggest things we ended up doing - which I may have mentioned before - is sent out nightly personal texts to 11 people inviting them to continue reading their scriptures and tell them how awesome they are in a different way every day. That is not easy to do after 2 months!! Haha. A few members had competitions with us to see if they could read their scriptures before we texted them between 9 and 10pm every night. That was fun.

Hearing things like, "You two have done more for me than you will ever know." Or "You are the best two missionaries I have ever known."  Or "I have never had the opportunity to know missionaries and work with them as much as I have with you two." And much more. I feel like the difference is that we have been seriously trying to genuinely care about each member. It was hard for some - some people seriously just continually do dumb things that is quite frustrating. But I definitely still love those people who haven't changed yet. It is an amazing feeling get to sit down with so many people this week who I genuinely care about and love.

I have definitely been learning a lot abot forgiving people quickly and just getting over stuff. Stake Conference was this weekend and a lot of it was about accepting and loving people who have gone astray. That is sooooo important. Time and time again I hear stories about people who have left the church because they were offended and couldn't get over it. Two lessons: 1: GET OVER IT! 2: STOP OFFENDING PEOPLE! Both of those things are huge problems with people everywhere. It is soooooo easy to get riled up emotionally and just get mad at people. I have done it multiple times even out here. Other missionaries and people do it all the time too. The trick is to always do your best to see the other person as a person! To remember that they have trials and family issues and feelings and everything just like you. I remember a quote that I believe is attributed to Abraham Lincoln that went something like: "I don't like that person. I need to get to know them better."

It is amazing what happens when we start to actually get interested in another person and start to see them as a person! I find it much easier to love someone who does lots of dumb things that I know well than to love a person I don't know who has offended me once (and probably does less dumb things than that friend of mine!) That happened in these 3 months here. A Bishop offended me and my companion (we got over it and he is pretty legit now that we got to know him better - turns out he just gets passionate sometimes!) and a member we know very well who regularly breaks commandments.

The last thing I wanted to share was about missionaries relationships with "the numbers." Man it is hard. On one hand we need to strive hard to teach and serve and find people. But so often it ends up becoming bragging to one another or saying how another set of missionaries is sucking. It is a hard thing because I have definitely been sucked into that mentality from time to time! It is hilarious (in an unfortunate and ironic way) because we literally gain nothing for ourselves by beating other people in numbers. There is no pay and God knows our heart! There is no reason at all for us to try to beat other people all the time and tell people how much other companionships aren't doing well. It is unlike work where sometimes if you don't share information with a coworker it can financially benefit you from making a sale or doing a legit project. The purpose of this mission is to help everyone - including companions, other missionaries, and members - to come unto Christ. It is funny that sometimes we get caught up in making fun of others instead of trying to help them come unto Christ because that doesn't affect our "bottom-line" of numbers on the mission.

Ok. Done with all my comments and ranting and stuff! Hopefully it finds you well! And That all of you have an amazing week!

You can always email me back to this email: jeffrey.campbell@myldsmail.net. Anyone who isn't currently living in the zone that I am serving is allowed to email me. Or you can mail me if you want. The address for the mission is 5285 McWhinney Blvd Ste#100 Loveland, CO 80538.

Sincerely,

Elder Jeff Campbell :)