Week #44 - Going Outbound to Southern California! :)

November 19, 2012

Hi everyone!!!! :) 

Oh my goodness!! Can you believe my call is already here??!!! I'M GOING OUTBOUND!!

Sooo so so exciting!! :) I'm seriously SO stoked to go to the SAN BERNARDINO, CA MISSION!!!  My boundaries go from Rancho Cucamonga, to the borders of Nevada!! :) I'm going to be warm for the winter!!! YAY!!! And I will be in members’ homes for Thanksgiving AND Christmas!!! I seriously am so excited. The more I think about it, the more excited I get!! 

Here's the mission address: 
 Sister Natalie Savage

6541 Woodruff Place 

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701 

Mission phone number (in case you need it): 909-466-1129

My mission president will be President Craig E. Godwin, and my flight leaves on Wednesday at 8:45am!! :) Sooooo so crazy!!! Ha ha!! I honestly thought I would go to the South (Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, etc), but I'm actually really excited to serve in my home state! I never, EVER thought that would happen.... but it will be great, ha ha! I'll just help save corrupt California! ;) Heaven knows we need it!! Ha! I looked up the weather after I called you this morning and it will be 74 degrees in San Bernardino for Thanksgiving. :) Woot!! Give me my warm weather!! 

I still can't even believe it. Honestly, going back to California was the LAST place I thought I would go, ha ha!! But again, it doesn't matter where you serve, but HOW you serve. :) I will come back to Temple Square on February 13th, 2013!!  Next year!! AH!! So crazy! I'm sooo so so excited though!! 

I don't know if I told you this, but President has been hinting pretty heavily that I would be going outbound... ha ha. Yesterday after I had finished playing for Sacrament Meeting he shook my hand and thanked me for playing, etc, and then we started talking about all of the talented sisters here on Temple Square.  (By the way mom, I have the most AMAZING song I will send you!! It is incredibly beautiful. I accompanied a sister here who sang it for Sacrament meeting.). Anyway, the President stopped suddenly and said, "Well you know, some sisters will be outbound so they won't be able to hear all of the great musical numbers that will be happening during Christmas time!" It was pretty obvious he was talking to me, ha ha. He's s0  funny.  I'm very grateful for his hinting now because I have half of my packing over with. :) Ha! It's great!! Except now I'll kind of have to reverse the packing, because I thought I would be going somewhere cold ha ha. Ah, I'm SO excited for warm weather again!!! It will be soooo so nice! There's a sister serving here from Rancho Cucamonga who is outbound right now, but it would be so fun to be able to meet her family while I'm there. :) 

Okay, back to normal emailing. :) 

I thought because it is Thanksgiving week that it would be appropriate for me to just give an email of the blessings that I am grateful for. :) 

1.   I'm grateful for food! :) 

2.   I'm grateful for holidays to give us a break. Sooo nice! 

3.   I'm grateful for my family. :) 

4.   I'm grateful to be able to serve as a missionary for the Lord. 

5.   I'm grateful to be a representative for Jesus Christ and for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day   Saints here on Temple Square!! 

6.  I'm grateful to be able to represent the church in San Bernardino, CA!! :) 

7.  I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life, the many, many blessings I've received from it. 

8.  I'm grateful for my companion, Sister Nakaima. :) I can't even express in words how much I will miss her when I leave!! 

9.  I'm grateful for all of my former companions and everything they've taught me! 

10. I'm grateful for my investigators: Frank, Birko, Mark, Katherine, Alex Oliver, Alexander (he's SO amazing!!), Gardenia (who is trying to set up a time to take a tour of T2 with us. :D Yay!!!), Nick, Kelli-anne, Margeret, Chase, Manu, Satomi, Kumi, and Megan. They come from Costa Rica to Germany to Nigeria to California. :) What an incredible mission I'm a part of!! 

11.  I'm grateful for feeling tired ALL the time on the mission... Ha! 

12.  I'm grateful to stop focusing on myself during these 18 months and completely focus on the Lord.

13.  I'm grateful for golden investigators!! :) ha! 

14.  I'm grateful for investigators that struggle immensely. They have taught me more than anyone else on my mission. 

15.  I'm grateful for modern-day technology to be able to teach my investigators online and over the phone! 

16.  I'm grateful to be part of such a great cause. D&C 128:22

17.  I'm grateful for my daily challenges, and for Elder Holland's words, "Some blessings come soon, some come late, but some don't come til heaven." 

18.  I'm grateful to have a wonderful, loving family that supports me! 

19.  I'm grateful for change. 

20.  I'm grateful to be alive. :) 

I love you all so much and can't WAIT to serve in San Bernardino!!! :) Look out Socal!! 

Sister Nat