college station. TX

Sadie's latest letter….I've also updated her address (left column).



Dearest Family...

You are never going to guess where I am ... I'm officially in College Station, TX (2 hours away from Houston) at the Texas A&M University, and I am in the Traditions Singles WARD!! YES YOU HEARD THAT CORRECTLY! To say the least, I was very sad to leave Olde Oaks, but I really can't describe how blessed I feel to be here. My comp is Sister Laws, and she is also the new Sister Training Leader (STL) so I will be doing exchanges throughout the week with other sisters in the surrounding areas! AND SISTER LAWS IS A HAIRSTYLIST. I kept saying to Heavenly Father, "Heavenly Father, I don't know what I did to deserve this but thank you, thank you, thank you." I am so so so happy to be here.

Ok so I'll just start with last Tuesday. So we went to transfer meeting, I found out I was with Sister Laws in College Station singles ward and we were off! It took about 2 hours to get up here, but it's SUCH a pretty campus, and the football stadium is MASSIVE. They are extending it so it will be the largest stadium in Texas. It's taller than some of the building round here. Ok so we got here and I found out another awesome thing: WE GET TO GO TO INSTITUTE! Yes, like every Wednesday or any other day we have investigators come. Also they baptize like crazy up here, the students are so interested in the gospel and love to learn more about it. So we got here and immediately went to some lessons at the institute building (yes, we also don't have to travel much because they come meet us at institute- so nice! We have the van one week and we bike the next. I have a bike from a sister that left but I just have to adjust the seat... I have grown an inch though :)) So we went to the lesson with the twins M and E, and they are from the Grace Bible Church, which, if you can guess, teaches allll about how we are saved by grace. Then we had a lesson with J, our other investigator, and he is really shy but super nice. Also the members come with us to almost every lesson. Also the institute teacher Brother Garlick is amazing, he is so nice and he comes and sits in on our lessons sometimes. So then we went to institute that night, then we went home and I unpacked and we went to sleep. Our apartment is kinda sketch but I don't mind at all because this area is to die for. The Assistants mentioned it is the most coveted area in the mission, and that you have to be trusted to come here, so I'm glad they trusted me to come!

So then on Wednesday we went on campus for the first time (I'm on campus emailing at the moment) and Sister Laws said "Ok, stop someone and talk to them." I was like, Wait, hold up! I'm only used to tracting! So after a couple tries it got easier and pretty soon we were passing out cards left and right! We have a place where we stop and just hand out cards, the students are super friendly, some of them laughed at us or said stupid things but we just smiled and waved. We do that almost every day, and then on Thursday this guy named K walked up to us with his friend and started up a conversation about how we were Mormons and that he used to have a really great Mormon friend when he was young, and he wanted to know more! We had a short discussion and then he walked away. We didn't set up an appt with him, but then Sister Laws prayed he would come back, and he did!! So we set up an appt with him and we are really excited to get to talk to him. It's amazing to see how these students are honest seekers of truth. People are literally setting up appts with us and all we do is teach and be obedient as possible. It's really great. Sister Laws is a very dedicated missionary, and we decided we are going to start getting up at 6 to run on the track, because I'm finally setting myself back on the straight and narrow!

Oh yes and then the snakes. So we have about 6 new converts of under a year in our ward, (I mean it when I say we baptize like once a week), and we went over to one girls house for dinner one night, and she has two ball pythons, so cool. So I was holding one and it yawned and that's where I got that awesome pic! I forgot my camera today but I'll email pics next time. That one was from Amy, the convert :) So yes that was really cool. Sunday was great, we had a former investigator come to church and she really likes how the Mormons act, she doesn't like hypocrites and she likes how everyone lives by what they say. Also we are having a wedding this Saturday! J (she's a nonmember) and D (a convert) are getting married at the institute building, and they asked me to play Canon in D! Haha I've never played at a wedding before so pray for me that it goes well! J is taking the discussions, she doesn't have a Christian background, she's from Laos and practiced a religion that worships their ancestors. But she said the first time she prayed with D she felt the Spirit so strongly, and the last lesson we had with her was so great, so I think she might get baptized in two weeks! I love them, they are a funny couple :) It's great to be in a singles ward and not actually be a part of it, because you get to hear what's going on, who's getting married and such, and you just get to observe :) Kind of fun. Lots of people are getting married actually. I found out one of the girls in our ward knows Emmy Wright, and I thought she was going on a mission but I guess she's married now! Small world!!

I love this place so much, the work is going so great and I'm excited to try out all the ideas I've been having but never had an opportunity to try! We can like set up tables and do fun little things to ask people to come to institute, it's just so freeing to try out new things and to talk to people our age. I'm learning a lot from institute as well. Every day I'm learning to rely on the Lord and not on my own strengths. The Lord is so good to me, and even if I only stay here a transfer, I will gladly go wherever he sends me! (But I do hope I get to stay a little longer than that) :)

I hope all is well at home. I miss y'all so much but time is flying by! In 3 months I'll be halfway done! My thought for the week is that times get better with every step we take forward in faith. The Lord is always right behind us, pushing us to go on and to move forward because he knows what's ahead. I trust Him with all my heart and I'm really focusing on listening to the Spirit this week, because I know these people struggle with very individual problems and I want to know exactly how to help them. I'm just so happy right now, I wake up every morning and smile because I know that the Lord is happy with us, and He walks with us every day. I know, above all, that He loves us and knows our individual situations. He will never forsake us.

I hope y'all have a great week and know that y'all mean the world to me. You are my rock and my greatest joys, I look forward to the day when we will see each other again, but until then, I've got some work to do :)

CON MUCHO AMOR <3,

Sister Maughan