Phone Call Home: Monday, My 24, 2021

Ahhh! Get this...Sister Garcia's new companion is best friends with Julie Williamson! Julie who used to live in our ward when I was Young Women's President. She is such a cute girl and I loved hearing that yet again, the world is small and the Lord is placing pieces of home right in the core center of life for Sister Garcia while she is away. 

Sister Parrish is lovely and so stinking cute. Sister Garcia is thriving with her and they have connected on so many different things. For example, Sister Parrish's Dad is a PA (just like what Sister Garcia wants to do in her life), Sister Parrish also has her MA certificate, and Sister Parrish also has a boyfriend serving a mission and has been out almost the exact amount of time that Elder Rose has been out. So crazy that they have so many similarities but in my opinion, that is how the Lord works. He knows you need a little something to connect with in order to make these companionships work and it sounds like this match up is just that. 

Sister Garcia is also really really loving the change with this companion in that Sister Parrish is willing to go out and DO on P Days. Sister Pearson would go, but for maybe an hour at most, and then they would end up back at the apartment for the rest of the day and that was really hard for Sister Garcia. Insert a new companion who will actually go and find stuff to fill a day and see something new and I swear it is like talking to a new person on the call! Sister Garcia even mentioned in her email home that there was a night where the sunset was proving to be super pretty so her and Sister Parrish totally up and left and chased it so they could take it in. Something Sister Pearson would never have done. It's little things like this that help me count my blessings for those who are getting this super special time with my girl. 

Things are changing in the mission as a whole. They are expecting a new Mission President so this transfer will only be 5 weeks and then the next transfer will be a 7 week transfer. I imagine that this will make the 5 weeker go by so freaking fast! I hope, only because it feels like it is so so good, that Sister Parrish will get to stick around with Sister Garcia rather than get moved around and they only get a small window of time together.

Sister Garcia overall is doing really well. She is loving leading the area, although sometimes overwhelming to be the one who knows the most, but she says Sister Parrish is wonderful and loves to do the work so that helps. She also said Covid changes are happening so starting next week they get to go back to live in person 2nd hour! She said they are ditching the link and she is thrilled. I think a lot of it is the social aspect of it all but nonetheless, I am stoked that restrictions are starting to loosen and life is trying to normalize in their lives. 

One thing we discussed at length today was the newly discovered information that Sister Tegerdine from the home CTM has arrived in Brazil. This has weighed on Sister Garcia's mind and she has begun to question whether the Lord trusts her or not. She is struggling with not being in Brazil herself. This was hard for me as a Mom. I want to give her all the right answers and I want to take away the pain she is feeling on her heart. I never want her to question her worth in the Lords eyes nor mine. And yet, in front of her she is seeing that others have moved on from reassignments and are where she longs to be. SO HARD!! The trickiest part is that Sister Garcia can walk through this moment and she can tell me that she truly believes she is right where she needs to be. She knows that the Lord has her in Rhode Island working with amazing people, speaking the Portuguese language she learned in the CTM, and that she actually feels like she is supposed to be there right now. But, in the next breath, you can hear the longing for different. For the city of Recife where her mission call says she was called to. So many prayers and thoughts heading her way always, but this week specifically for a peaceful heart in that the Lord is more than mindful of where she is at this moment. For her to know that her Heavenly Father needs her in Rhode Island and that she is the best person to be there at this time leading that area. She is literally in charge and He knows that! And He totally trusts her to be that missionary right now. I am certain it is much easier for me to see all of this as I look from the outside in but my prayers are that Sister Garcia has an 'ah ha moment' this week too and can feel of the same things.

Keep being you, keep crushing it, and know I love you to the moon and back,

Missionary Momma

Hey look! I was showered, dressed, and ready this week!!!

I love that the kids got in on the call this week too. What a blessing for us all to get to see and hear this sweet girls voice each week!