Back In Iowa Baby

Hey everyone, what's up? I hope y'all have had the best week. Transfers happened and I am now back in Iowa. Here are some highlights:

I am with Sister Cowley, who is from Texas. We came out together, and we've served on opposite sides of the mission our whole mission, so it's so fun to be together. She lived in Provo before the mission, and she's going back after. This is such a blessing, knowing half of my companions are going to be in Utah. She is already my bestie, and all we do is talk. It's so much fun.

I am back in the boonies. Wow, it's been a while, so I forgot what life is like outside of the cities. Haha.

We don't have a lot of miles because our mission has been going over, so they keep cutting our miles. Sister Cowley and I have been walking EVERYWHERE. I have walked more in these past 2 days than my whole mission, I swear. But it's so fun; we just walk and talk to everyone we see. We are also going to be biking as well. I'm being very humbled.

This has been a slower area for a little while, so we've been making goals to try to pick it up. We were blessed to have met Chelsea our first night, who told us she is interested. Please pray we can be guided to the elect.

There are 3 sets of sisters in our zone, and they're all training, so it's been so fun to see how ready the trainees are to get to work. New missionaries are so special.

My branch mission leader knows my dad. Biggest tender mercy.

There is a balloon festival going on here, so we see all these hot air balloons, and it's so pretty.

There is speed racing, I kid you not, literally 5 feet away from our apartment. On Saturday night, that's all we heard for hours. Made me think of my cousin Karter, so shoutout.

Can't even lie, saying goodbye to all of my favorite people in Pekin was literally so tough. I miss it every day, and I think about them every day. I loved that area so much, and I can't stop thinking about how lucky I am that the Lord placed me there. BUT I know I am needed here in Indianola, and I'm so excited to be here and keep grinding out.

This week I read a talk that really spoke to me:

"The Lord knows you. When you are serving your mission, you will have experiences that will help you come to know Him better. You will grow spiritually in serving Him. In His name, you will be sent on errands to serve others. He will give you experiences with promptings from the Holy Ghost. The Lord will authorize you to teach in His name. You can show Him that He can trust you and rely on you."

I know the Lord knows me, and I know I've grown spiritually as I've served Him, even when it's hard and uncomfortable. I am so grateful for my mission.

I love you all. Life is so good being a missionary.

Love, Sister Liljenquist