Transfer time.

Hello everybody!

Sorry it's been a while since the last update. There's plenty to update about, just not enough time! This week we got the transfer info. Both elder Pedersen and I will be leaving the area tomorrow.
They're closing the area due to an influx of missionaries coming in. I'm going to be going to Sheldon, which is east Birmingham... Birmingham again! But this time in the city of Birmingham rather than just the Midlands.
Sheldon is a densely populated Muslim area, so that should be fun :D We're pretty sad that things are closing down here in Swindon. There will still be a team of sisters and elders in Swindon, so we can hand our investigators over... But it's still a worry that they won't transfer over well. We've spent a lot of the last few days making sure everything is in order to have the flat go empty, so we haven't even had much time to say goodbyes.

Looking back, this has been one of my favourite transfers. We met so many great people and saw so many great and hilarious things together. One great thing that happened recently, is we met a really cool girl named Sophie. She's a really nice Chinese girl, that we met in a park. She's come to a couple church activities already and she's loved it. She's looking for new people to meet, as she's new here, and she's a Christian. We were so excited to work with her, but it sounds like the sisters will have to teach her now. :,-(

This transfer has really been so great. There's a lot of mentalities and philosophies that missionaries live by, and I always wonder which is the best. This transfer has taught me a lot about it. Above all doing what the Lord wants is always the most important thing, but we need to work/live while we're doing it in such a way that we come to
love doing what is required of us. Sometimes I see missionaries who live by the work hard play hard mentality, and it's like turning what is expected into a sad obligation that should be rushed to reach the end goal of freedom to be happy. But in reality the power to choose to be happy in every moment, is a real and supernal result of the gift of agency. It can become our way of life as we fight to achieve it over and over. Enjoying every moment in the tough and easy. Especially in learning to enjoy working hard. I've been amazed at how charitable some people can be out here, and in observing them I've recognised something. Somehow on the quest for
charity, gratification begins to come from a different source. As we act out of charity, we begin to gain gratification from the effort and principle, not the result or the reward. And that is when you win in life. When the journey of life is more enjoyable than the result of good fortune. Enjoy working hard, then you never lose. This past transfer has been training in just that, and I love it. I love any chance to go out and do my best. It seems to fill the hunger in my soul. I'm sad to leave my friends here, but happy to face new situations and have new adventures.
I love you guys,
Have a great week.

Oh my new address is as follows.
Banbury house, 65 Shirestone Rd, Birmingham, West Midlands B33 0BZ, England
Take care