Headed to Albany!

Hey everyone!

I already got to tell my parents, but for those of you who don't know, Sunday night was my last night at the MTC and every Sunday night we have a devotional. Well to end my experience at the MTC, guess who came?! ELDER HOLLAND! Oh he's so awesome. Being in the presence of an apostle of the Lord is just the coolest thing ever. He didn't really even speak, his son was actually the primary speaker and Elder Holland just got up to give his son's bio and introduce him, but still. He didn't have to give a talk for everyone to be overcome with the Spirit. That was probably my favorite moment there.

We left the MTC early Monday, and landed in Atlanta around 2:30pm. I was expecting to get off the plane and have that humidity just hit me--yeah. Nothing. The APs (Assistants to the President) said it's not humid at all right now. So the air is the same and I guess I should just enjoy that while it lasts. We spent the night at the mission home with President and Sister Cottle and then headed to the stake center in Macon for transfers. They made a lot of changes, splitting zone areas and such. I'm in Albany right now, in the Tifton West Zone. Our area or zone is really big, but in our section of it it is me and my companion and one companionship of elders. The trainer elder told us he wasn't going to sugarcoat anything-he said we have probably the hardest area of the mission and it's amazing to have two newbies trusted enough to work in it as their first area. The Lord places so much trust in us, we have so much to do to make him proud. Crazy to find out that Macon actually is listed in top 5 or 10 for crime. There's a lot of poverty and racism and such where we are right now. Since it's just us and the elders, we split our area north and south. We take the north part of the area and the elders take the south because of the danger/risk. My companion said that if we were go to the southern area, we would get raped. She really said it that bluntly. So it's not the safest, but I feel safe. 

During the transfer meeting they do this slideshow thing that shows the areas and they show our pictures as the suspense builds and you wonder who'll you'll be companions with and what area you will go to. My companion/trainer is Sister Turner and when they said I would be with her she stood up with her arms out and was like "Come to Mama!" Oh my it was hilarious. I knew from that moment I would love her :) Things are going good with us! She's got a bubbly personality and you can tell she is having so much fun with this work, we can always find something to laugh about. 

Since I've only been here a day not much else has happened, but I'm sure I'll have a lot to tell you about on Monday. I can't remember the last picture I sent, but I have more from the MTC mostly of friends I saw there or teachers who worked with me. Then the last one should be me and Sister Turner. Hopefully mom received a couple pictures the mission secretary sent out from when we stayed there, because I don't have either of those. The one of us as a group in front of the home, oh my goodness just look at Elder Williams. The easiest way to describe him is that he's the only black one. He cracks jokes about that, so he'd be ok with me saying that :)  He is the BEST! I didn't know him until the morning we were leaving the MTC and I was so sad I didn't. He is just a fireball, powerhouse missionary. SO much energy. He is actually a convert to the Church of just 2 1/2 years. I was hoping he'd be in my zone just to talk to him more, he is the funniest, nicest person I know. He will work miracles here, no doubt. I (and all the other missionaries I'm sure) look at him and are like "I just want to be like Elder Williams." I want to be like my Savior and Elder Williams. Boom. Hopefully other Sisters can look at me the way people look at him-wanting to be like that kind of missionary. I think for all of us it should be or priority goal to be like our Savior, Jesus Christ because then people WILL look at you and want to be like you, in turn wanting to be like the Savior.

"Don't shine so that others might see you; shine so that through you, others will see Him."

So anyway, Pday is really Monday so I get to write twice in less than a week :) I'll see if I can get some pictures uploaded and I will talk to you all soon!

We'll just keep "Macon" Miracles happen here! Haha, that's my favorite thing to say now. We really are making miracles. Love you guys and have a great week! Go do something that makes a difference for the better in someone's life. 

So we will not be able to go to the Atlanta temple at all while I'm here, not even once or twice. One of the APs was like "We're here to do the work for the living, not the dead." Or serve the living, not the dead. That was pretty powerful, but I do already miss the temple. So go for me! Enjoy it, the peace it brings, getting out of the world for a short time. It's amazing and it will truly bless your lives as you make it your priority to go and you go consistently. Heavenly Father is just waiting to bless all of us! He is always there. "If you are further away from your Heavenly Father today than you were yesterday, who moved?" It wasn't Him.

Sister Applegate

Pictures are of me and my friend Sister Shaw who lives in our stake, Elder Stowe and I, one of the teachers Brother Littlefield at the MTC, and also Brother Corbett at the MTC, the one in casual clothes. He's the one who took on a different role and pretended to be an investigator for us and we had the most fun teaching him. We really built a friendship off that one and he helped us a ton so he's kind of my favorite. For the picture he was like "I don't know what to do with my hands!" So that pose is what he settled on :) The MTC was great and I know the field will be too!

New Arrivals!