Sister Alyssa Crabb: Monday, July 20, 2015

A Crazy, Crazy Week!

Dear Mom and Dad and Rachel and Kaylie!

This week has been really, really crazy! But also, lots of fun. I've really enjoyed this transfer, and am having a lot of fun with all the new things I get to try out and do. As a Sister Training Leader, I have lots of responsibilities! I will send you a list of them but I get to just serve and love. I get to go to MLC (mission leadership council) and I get to pick up people from the airport! It's been one big adventure and I love it. President Simmons is absolutley amazing! I LOVE him, and Sister Simmons. I feel so blessed to be able to serve so close to them my last little bit here. I want to soak up so much from them!

Let me try and give you a little bit of a rundown of what happened this week. So, I basically packed up and said goodbye to people in 4th ward on Monday and Tuesday. It's really strange to only be in an area for about 6 weeks, because you feel like you don't really know people.

The real fun began on Wednesday. I got up and literally just went straight into New Missionary Orientation! Sister Asanuma and I were able to go to the office, and head in the Simmons mini van to the airport to pick up all the new Sisters and Elders. It was so fun to just be around such awesome people, and see how cute President and Sister Simmons are as they try and figure out their new responsibilities. We got to the airport, and I was a little bit nervous, but then all the new missionaries came out, and we got to embrace them with a hug, and tell them we loved them, and that we're excited for them to be here in Singapore! They are so amazing, and I loved being able to take a little bit of time with each of them to get to know them and help them. We rushed from lunch at Burger King, to the church. And, on the way, we got to split up and help the new sisters contact! It was super exciting and intimidating to be "the one who knows all" which is absolutely not true, but all the new sisters look at you like you do. They did a good job though, and we successfully handed out two Books of Mormon. Afterwards, we got to the church and were able to do a training on contacting, immigration, Book of Mormon, and the 1st Vision. Then, we ate Subway, and tried to figure out all the housing arrangements. We had sisters staying at our apartments by the church (all the trainers) and so the new missionaries needed to be taken to a hotel. We hurried and got them off to the hotel, and at this point, it was 8pm. I was absolutely exhausted! We then got breakfast set up for the trainers since they had no food while they were away from Malaysia, and then we got ready for bed, since we had to leave the house at 7:30 the next day so we could pick up the new sisters again! It was crazy.

So, in between all that, I was supposed to prepare a talk on dress and grooming, but literally never had time. I just prayed really hard that when I spoke the next day, it would go well. Because on Thursday, we were up and going and got the new Sisters and helped them find breakfast. It was really fun that they all walked right to the Hawker Center (like a food court), instead of 7/11. So, they had Indian prata (like a flatbread) and curry for breakfast instead of muffins and orange juice. Look at them, so cultured already! After eating my 3rd consecutive most hurried meal, we made it to the church on time, I successfully gave a talk on dress and grooming with the spirit, and then, one of the most tender moments for me this week came as I was watching the slideshow which paired up the trainers with the trainees. It was such a sweet moment to feel God's love for these people, and I am so grateful for the charity and love I'm able to feel for all the people around me as a missionary. I was literally crying as the slideshow was going, because of the spirit that was in the room. Following that, we got Sister Asanuma ready to go home to Japan, since she finished her mission. Also, Sister Fuglistaler has a 7 day chop in Singapore, so we went and got her taken care of at the medical center so she can get her work permit ASAP and not get kicked out.

Friday rolled around really fast, and I was not super thrilled to go on a Visa Run and leave at 7:30 again, especially since I hadn't unpacked, but I went and had a whole bunch of fun! We went to JB Malaysia and we enjoyed wandering the mall for 7 straight hours, and played a very fun game at H &M where we tried on the ugliest outfits we could. We also indulged in foot masages, and the people doing them laughed when I told them "Boleh, Baka La Kau". Which is Malay for, Can if you want to! I made it back into Singapore with 90 days - we all made it through with no issues! It was such a tender mercy. Thanks for your prayers:). I really did feel all the prayers for me. I was left with such an innate sense of calm that I felt no stress at all. I enjoyed some delicious food, and was so so so happy to sleep.

Saturday wasn't too exciting, as with a white wash, we had to plan and plan and plan some more! We planned literally all day, and it was so nice that a member texted us and gave us free pastries that day. It made planning much more enjoyable.

Sunday I got to bear my testimony in church, and get aquainted with the ward! I'm not really sure who our investigators are, but we will figure it out! I love this work. Sunday was also a crazy day, because my housemmate played a prank on me by telling literally so many people to tell me that President Monson is coming to the mission, and I am speaking. I never believed her, but I had to smile at the great lengths she went to to convince me. In other news, we left our phone at home, and got to a dinner appointment 45 minutes late because no one could find it, and then we had pie to celebrate a ridiculously crazy week! I have more meetings and plannings tonight, so I'm just really excited to get going with missionary work again.

Overall, I know the church is true. I think I say this a lot, but I know that the Atonement is a real force. I had one of my best studies this week as I was able to ponder over "The Touch of the Master's Hand" by Boyd K. Packer. Please read the poem at the end of the talk! Our Savior really does live, and I know that He cares about us more than we understand. The Atonement is real. The Book of Mormon is true.

Love you!!

Love,
Sister Crabb