Week 16 - Banished To Mutare W/Sister Treese

Hello everyone!!

What a crazy week here in the ZHM!  

On Monday I had my last pday with the North Zone and it was definitely bittersweet.   I already miss them so so much.  We played sports at Sister Reeves house and then the elders brought us lucky charms.  Tender mercies I tell you.

Tuesday night we got to go to the Stake Presidents house for dinner with HXP again!!  Sarah and I said goodbye 4 times before we actually said goodbye haha.  That time it was for real though:(  later that night to my surprise Sister Treese responded to my weekly that she was not supposed to be in.  I definitely ruined the surprise that Sister Judd and I had been planning for almost a month 2 days before she got here.  Whoops haha.

Thursday morning I woke up, packed, and then and went to the area for a few hours.  At around 5 Sister Musanga, Sister Keim, and Sister Moyo and I went to the mission office! We were there for about 30 minutes before President pulled up in the mission van with all the new missionaries.  I was literally freaking out and then out came SISTER TREESE!!!  My goodness it really was the happiness reunion <3. She came back with the 4 of us to our flat for a few hours and we got to hang out!  We watched her first African sunset together and ate sugar cane.  She's already a Zimbabwean haha.  Sister Keim made me no bake cookies before I left and they were SO good!  We all sang hymns together and signed transfer journals before President and Sister Judd came to pick us up.  Then I had to say goodbye:(((( I hate goodbyes.  Definitely cried about it later.  President and Sister Judd came and took us to the mission home where we spent the night.

Thursday morning we had breakfast and then guess what??  PRESIDENT LET ME PLAY HIS PIANO!!  It made my heart so happy.  We then said goodbye to Sister Judd and President took us to the mission office to watch the devotional.  I had to say goodbye to Sister Whitlock and Sister King and that was the saddest thing ever.  They are the sweetest!  And then it happened.   We got picked up in this tiny car and headed off to Mutare.  It was only a 3 hour drive thanks to our local driver who was going 140kmph the entire time.  It was so hot and there was no ac so I'm not actually sure how we survived but we did. The STLs came and picked us up from the Chapel, and after going to a few lessons with them we got dropped off at our flat.  There was an emergency last minute and so I'm not in a trio anymore,  but I think it will be better that way.  My companion is Sister Msipha from Guera here in Zimbabwe, and things have been going so well so far!  My area here in Mutare is Chikanga and it is absolutely gorgeous here!!  There are mountains everywhere and I'm in love.  We live at the base of a mountain and I feel like I'm living in Lord of the Rings or something haha.

On Sunday we actually had a baptism!!  I feel like I'm always getting to see the fruits of other people's labors and not my own...  funny how that works haha! It was so special though.  My companion and I got to be the witnesses! 

All in all, things are going pretty well.  It's the best thing ever to wake up every morning knowing that I'm a full time representative of my Savior Jesus Christ!  There's nothing I love more than being able to watch how the knowledge of this Gospel changes people's lives.

I love you all so much and I love hearing from you!! And if you want,  I'd love to hear about how the Book of Mormon challenge went for you this past week!

Sister Baker

(I don't have access to any of my pictures this week,  but hopefully everything will be figured out for next week!)