White-Washed!

LUDWIGSBURG GOT WHITE-WASHED!!!!!!!! That's right, Sister Powell and I are BOTH being transfered. That is totally completely not what we expected at all. I thought I would get at least one or two more transfers here, but alas, that is not the case. So on the day of transfer calls (Friday) you get a phone call from one of three people: the Zone Leaders saying that you and your companion are both staying, the AP's, telling you that one of you is getting a normal transfer, or the President calls and tells you you're becoming a Zone Leader, a Sister Training Leader, or you're training. The later in the day it gets, the more likely it is to be the President or the AP's because Zone Leaders get their calls done pretty fast. WELL, the Zone Leaders sent out a mass text when they finished making all of their calls, so if we hadn't heard from them, then there would be change. We did expect that. We thought that just Sister Powell would leave. About 45 minutes later our phone rings AND IT WAS THE PRESIDENT!!! We were on the speaker phone so we could both hear him. He said the normal hello and stuff and then told us he had some "pretty heavy duty" jobs for us. We were freaking out at that point. Sister Powell is going to Salzburg. She is going to be training a new missionary (we call them goldens), and she is also going to be whitewashing that area, AND she is going to be a Sister Training Leader. That's like a triple whammy! 

Now you may or may not be sitting on pins and needles waiting to find out where I'm going. I did that on purpose. Isn't suspense fun? I'M GOING TO VIENNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to work in a drit (a companionship with three sisters in it). One is already there. Her name is Sister Freiman and she is from Germany. And the second is going to be a new missionary that we will be training together. I'M SO EXCITED! VIENNA IS GOING TO BE GREAT!!!! 

So now that we have established that, there are SO many things we have to do before we leave Ludwigsburg. It's being whitewashed and the new sisters are going to have no idea how to get anywhere at all. We have basically been writing an instruction book on how to survive in Ludwigsburg. It's a bit complicated with buses and random paths and stuff, but I'm confident that whoever comes will be great. 

Also, since I'm switching from Germany to Austria, there is so much paper work to do. I just spent this morning filling out papers and getting ready to live there because Austria is a bit picky about who lives there, but lets face it, this is Europe, they love their paper work here. 

And then there is the worst part about transfers, leaving the area. It's the most conflicting emotion ever, because I love Ludwigsburg so much. I love the ward and the people and basically everything about it, so saying goodbye is really sad. I wish I had recorded the reaction in our ward yesterday when the Bishop announced that both of the sisters were being transfered. It was an audible gasp. It was so funny. But saying goodbye was sad. We've been having last appointments with investigators too and that is torture. You always worry that someone is going to fall between the cracks, but that is how you learn to trust the Lord. He knows what He's doing far better than we do, so you just have to roll with the punches. We've been making sure that our records are super duper thorough so that the new sisters know exactly what's up when they get here. No one is going to be forgotten. 

Thursday is when we leave, so the rest of our time in Ludwigsburg is eating appointments, getting ready for the new sisters, and goodbyes. A lot of our district got transfered actually, so we're gonna go to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart together. It'll be fun. 

The trip to Vienna is going to be a long one. It is literally on the other end of the mission, so on Thursday I take a train to Stuttgart, and then another one to Munich, and then another one to Salzburg, and then another one to Vienna. It's going to be a fun journey actually, and I'll be able to see a lot of other missionaries on the way. I'm not really looking forward to moving my two big suitcases around again, but hey, what are Elders for, right? JUST KIDDING'!!!! That was a joke.

Anyways, Ludwigsburg was the most perfect place possible for me to start out my mission. I have learned so much and witnessed so many miracles. It's time for a new chapter and new experiences. It's just kind of funny because essentially, Ludwigsburg area is a cluster of villages. Now I'm headed to a big city. That'll be different, but I'm pumped. 

Hope life is good for everyone.

Make good choices!

Love,

Sister Smiley

Pictures: My last picture of the Ludwigsburg Palace; my bishop (Bishop Kern) and his family (they're the greatest), our chapel.