Maybe I'll Run into Martha Stewart…

Some unexpected news today!  I'll let you hear it from Melissa herself…

Hello everyone! 

Let's just get to the meat - I'm getting transferred.  

I'm moving to Connecticut. 

Tomorrow. 

Not just Connecticut, but the southwest CORNER of Connecticut. Literally the farthest I can go from Boston and still be in mission boundaries. 

I didn't want to go. 

I still don't. 

But I'm trying to have a good attitude. 

There are only two sisters in the entire mission that are getting moved - we're switching places! 

So I must bid farewell to my beloved Boston. Farewell to trains and buses, farewell to racial diversity, farewell to Sister Jordan, farewell to my beloved District of missionaries and Zone Leaders. Farewell to my recent converts and investigators. Farewell to walking all day every day. 

But, don't be sad, people! I get to go to Connecticut! I hear it's beautiful, you know. The ward I'll be serving in is the Madison, CT ward. I will live around the corner from the OCEAN. Yes, that's not an overstatement. I get to be in the country (ish? Not actually sure how rural or urban this place is, but it will certainly be quainter than Boston) during the most beautiful time of the year! I get to drive a car! I get to learn new things from a new companion. I get to know and love new ward members, leaders, fellow missionaries, and investigators. I get to have a new experience. I get to say that I've lived in 3 states in my life. I get to be exactly where God wants me to be. 

I have found a few things out that are making me feel a little bit more calm and even potentially excited for me new area. One of which is that there are going to be some Elders there that are familiar! Elder Ramos was in the Boston 1st ward with me for a transfer, and he's in my district. And Elder Hall who was in my district in Oxford, and then went to the University ward when we came to Boston, is getting put in as Zone Leader down in the New Haven Zone, and he'll be in my district too. Also, the other Zone Leader is from New Zealand.  

YEAH. 

Lock you heart, Sister Broekhuijsen. A kiwi accent doth not an eternal companion make. 

My companion is just finishing her training period - this will be her third transfer. Her name is Sister Vicente and she's from Cape Verde! I'll have to pick up some Portuguese from her. I've met her once and she seems very sweet. I'm looking forward to working with her and getting to know her. 

So that's the big news of the week! Like I said, I was very sad to find out that I have to go. I'm the ONLY person from my perfect little district who is leaving! So they're all going to carry on and have a blast and be awesome without me. But the good news is that I'm pretty awesome myself, so I should be able to just have a good time no matter where I am. Also, having a good time is not actually what the mission is all about, so what I really should say is that I should be able to work diligently and bring others closer to Christ no matter where I am. Which is also true. 

One reason that it's especially hard to leave right NOW (aside from the fact that my district is hilarious and tight knit) is that P* just accepted a baptismal date!! He's going to be baptized on November 11th. He and the G* family (with whom he lives) had us over for dinner last night as a goodbye to me. It was so much fun to see them. P* is so sweet and I'm so happy for him to be taking this step. We have another baptism coming up in November too! A* is scheduled to be baptized on the 25th of November. I don't remember if I've told you about her before.  

The General Relief Society Broadcast was awesome! I was looking forward to it all week. So weird to think that I was here in Boston for the last one! I'm stoked for General Conference, too, of course. So weird that this is my last one in the field! 

Well, I'm sorry I don't have more time to write you. I have to go finish packing, make fruit pizza for my district, and then sign everyone's journals and have them sign mine. It's a great mission tradition because it's like high school yearbooks all over again, which was arguably my favorite part about high school, so I'm excited. 

Love you, family! (And I love you friends, too) Hope all is well!  

Sister "How am I supposed to perfect my Boston accent NOW??" Broekhuijsen