Monday, August 26, 2013

drum roll please.... I WAS REASSIGNED TO SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA. sadly, none of you guessed it right, I couldn't even believe it at first when I opened the letter! These past three days have been absolutely CRAZY.
 
I opened my reassignment call on friday and as I was flipping through the reassignment packet (which included flight information)... I read in the wee little corner of the second page that I WOULD BE LEAVING SATURDAY MORNING (aka: less than 18 hours later) to fly to Arizona and get straight to work. I when I saw that.... I cried a little (inside of course.) I mean who wouldn't be scared!!! We had no information about anything; all I knew was that I needed to report to the travel office at 4:30 the next day. I was in mini freak out mode the rest of the day and managed to pull myself together enough to sleep a couple hours that night.  Woke up at 3:50am on Saturday morning, got to the airport with Sister Fairbanks and Elder Molinaro ( from my district) and seriously felt like Will Ferrell from Elf in that one scene where he is fresh out of the North Pole and frollicks around new York city (eating chewed gum and getting hit by cabs). IT WAS GREAT. In the airport, we actually got to eat REAL FOOD... like jamba juice; then, I was lucky enough to get to talk to my family on the pay phone, it was amazing! And I randomly saw my cousin who works in the airport! The flight was only an hour and 15 minutes. so we landed in scorching Arizona at around 10 am.  We were carted over to the mission home (me with my two bags... one weighing 49 pounds, and the other 70 pounds...that was a miracle in and of itself). We got to meet the mission president and his sweet wife and we've slept at the mission home for the past two days.
 
They dropped some pretty big news on us that freaked me out a bit.  First, this is a BRAND NEW MISSION, opened only a month ago, and this area is new and redrawn. Second, I would paired up with sister Fairbanks (the girl from my MTC district) which means that WE WOULD HAVE NO TRAINER. YES, ME A GREENIE WITH ANOTHER GREENIE, AND no trainer. Lets just say we both almost peed our pants(skirts) when they told us that. Thirdly, we would be riding bikes. YES, us sisters in our long skirts riding bikes in this wonderfully warm 115 degree weather. Fourth, we would be working solely with inactive and less active members...without any updated area book!
 
After the shock of hearing all that wore off, we basically passed out.... and got to meet our ward for the first time yesterday. The ward is tiny, made up of single, elderly people and newlywed couples. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, but we know that we can do it and they we can make this ward one that is strong and unified.  The 2nd counselor to the bishop told us that 75% of the ward is inactive...so we know that we are much needed and we're excited for all the good we can do.
 
Anyways, today its 98 degrees and people are talking about how glorious the weather is.... this is a great warmup for BRAZIL.
 
Love you all, have a great week and I'll keep you updated on the crazy happenings here in Arizona!
 
Love,
sister healy (the perpetual visa waiter)
 
 
                                            Morgan and her new mission president and his wife
 
              
                                                                      Salt Lake City Airport

                                                      Waiting for her flight to Arizona