Kori's Alpine Stories: Will I stay, or will I go???

*** Note from Mom- Kori did not send pictures last week, but she sent both weeks today. If you'd like to see her one year celebration pictures, go back to read last weeks post here

Hallo,

The week leading up to transfer calls is always super stressful, really long, and very exciting for me. I have been under the assumption that when Sister Ackerman left I would get another companion for one transfer, and then leave Linz for another area. But as the week went on and transfer calls got closer and closer, I began to remember that transfer calls NEVER go as you think they will!

I haven't seen Frey chocolate since Freiburg :)

This is especially true right now because there are not a whole lot of missionaries coming in over the next few months, but there's a lot going home! I have heard through the missionary grapevine that there will be a lot of areas closing right now too. For a while, I was really worried that Linz would either be closed for Sisters or white-washed (area closed). This thought gave me a lot of stress, because there are so many good people here in Linz, and some making really good progress.

Surprisingly, the thought that most frequently came into my mind was "what if you train? It is totally possible that you train again."

Every time this thought came into my mind, I would laugh to myself and think ''Sister Peterson, are you CRAZY? President has officially fired you from training! You have trained 3 times- nonstop-! You are done being a trainer.

Training again would also mean that I would still have 2 more transfers (12 weeks) in Linz in order to complete the training program of a new missionary. That would mean 9 MONTHS in Linz; that's half of my mission! I just totally did not see how that was even a realistic thought. I brushed the thoughts out of my mind every time I thought them and would proceed on my merry little way doing missionary work.

We made cupcakes with M

Well, Saturday morning came. The phone rang and President Miles gave Sister Ackerman the final send off phone call with her ''Thank you for your service, you have been a wonderful missionary and now you may officially pack your bags to go home''.

... And then he asked to speak to me. My mind was swimming with all of the other sisters serving throughout the mission. I was trying to think quick about who else was also probably getting transferred and trying to take a quick guess as to who my new companion would be! I was so caught up in trying to guess who I would serve with and where I might be going, that I was not really paying 100% attention to President Miles. LUCKILY, I was listening just enough to hear him say ''...will you accept a new companion...from the MTC?''

What?

Me & MTC?

Wait, what???

Are you serious???

I was literally shaking on the phone as I told President yes. I was really excited at the time, I mean, I LOVE training, and I LOVE getting new Golden's as companions. But it never gets any easier!! There is always the fear of if we will work well together, if I will be the right person to fit their needs and teach them the right way that they need to be taught. To be a missionary's first companion is a LOT of responsibility. Everything you do is pretty much their first impression about what being a missionary is and what serving a mission is.

It was especially tough to think about after this week where I have felt like I was falling into a rut in Linz. So to hear I was staying and would need to be on my 'A' game for a new Golden again, I kind of panicked!

All I can say about training is that it is a total mix of emotions, and I still haven't sorted them all out yet! It is really interesting though because there are only two new sisters coming into the mission-one coming here to Linz, Austria. The other new sister is going to Wels to be trained by Sister Jenson (my trainer!!) AND we are in the same district, so it will be fun to see how Sister Jenson trains this time and to see if we are a lot the same.

I did get some very sad news from Sister Henry last week. She had called me to let me know that Bruder Halder, one of our investigators in Freiburg, had just passed away of a heart attack. He had a baptismal date set in just a couple of weeks, but had died before he got the chance to be baptized. As surprised as I was, I was also surprised that the feeling I got wasn't one of sadness or devastation, but a complete feeling of peace filled my whole body. Of course I was sad that one of the people that I loved and worked with had passed away, but I couldn't help but feel extremely grateful and confident that he was being taken care of. He had a baptismal date, he was on the right path. He has a loving wife who will be able to take his name to the temple and have his ordinances done there. He and his wife will finally be sealed to each other for time and all eternity, which was always their biggest goal in the first place :)

As cheesy as it might sound, I am super grateful to know that death really doesn't separate us permanently at all. It really is just another step of life that everybody has to take on our progression back to our Heavenly Father. It definitely does not mean that it is the end of our journey. Heavenly Father's plan is perfect and does not leave anybody out! And for that, I am truly grateful!

I am very sorry that there isn't much to tell about this week, we don't have a lot of time for emails today. We are off for a special sister's p-day- YAY!!!

I do want to thank everybody for your prayers and support :) I love you so much! Have a good week!

Sister Peterson