Goodbye Fayetteville!

Well, everyone, it is our final day in Fayetteville, NC! What a crazy week it's been! I found out early about transfers, and was able to prepare myself for this Sunday. Three of the four people we have helped become members of the church were there! One of them was confirmed, another one brought her non-member spouse for the third time, and we are teaching him now too (: And Chelsea helped teach in Relief Society! As she bore her testimony of the importance of reaching out and sharing the gospel, I got goosebumps. She is a living, breathing example of why we do what we do! The light of Christ is given to us to share (: I love sharing. Sharing is caring.

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1.Sister Arave and Me at Zone Training (This is where we think the temple will be in Fayetteville some day (: 
2. Iron Mike... not sure what I was looking at

 We attended 2 baptisms this weekend. Aiden, Chelsea's 8-year-old, was baptized on Sunday. He picked "Book of Mormon Stories" as his closing song. I got up to lead the closing song, and had planned to conduct in 4/4. As soon as we started singing, Aiden started doing the hand actions, and I started conducting. He looked at me, with his eyebrows furrowed as if to say, "what on earth are you doing Sister Boucher?" So, I had to give in. I started doing the actions, and all of the primary kids started doing them with me, and some of the grown-ups too! It was so fun! And the best part was the smile on Aiden's face. This may be a small example, but I see the fruits of the gospel blessing and brightening lives every day. It's a real thing. There was a lot of teasing after the song, but it was worth it. 

Joy and Me

The other baptism was for Joy! She finally got baptized!!! She has been coming to church and taking lessons since October, and before that she was coming off and on for six months. Her conversion began with the death of her husband, who is a member of the church. After he died, members of the church, life long friends, came to her aid and comfort. She was invited to a weekly home evening with other members of the ward, and started coming regularly. Joy is so happy knowing that the gospel has helped her to become a better person. She mentioned today that she was always searching for happiness, but felt she was a bad person. The atonement has opened windows for her to see herself as a daughter of Heavenly Father. What a miracle!!! Moroni 7:35-37

One of the less active families we are teaching is moving to Italy tomorrow. We went to help her wash her walls, before the military comes in and paints everything white again. She is so excited to go, and I am so grateful that we are members of a world-wide church where she will have people to count on, even so far away. Plus, there is facebook. (:

One of my recent past-times is license plate hunting. I have found pretty much all 50 states here in Fayetteville, NC-- credit goes to the US Army. I'd have to say my two favorites are New Hampshire (live free or die) and Alabama (it's just cute). Sister Arave gets a little nervous though, if I divert our course to quickly get close up behind another car to see a new license plate... it's probably not a good activity.

Today, Joy had to take us out to eat, so we went to Cracker Barrel (such a fun store!) for some southern style homemade cookin'. As we got ready to leave, Sister Arave and I pulled out a pass along card for the waitress and wrote a little note on it with our number. Joy was so tickled, she started talking to everyone on the way out, and kept telling me to give them pass along cards. It was so great!!! She is fearless!!!

District oldies-- all four of us are leaving!!

2 of the Elders in our district are also being transferred, so it was a teary district meeting. I wish I could get the memory card in this camera to work! I bought a new one, but the camera just doesn't like it. We might experience a famine of pictures over the next few weeks, until I can figure out why the camera thinks this memory card is locked... any ideas? Love you all!

Sister B