Sister Roy: Hello From...Cambridge?!

Hello from Cambridge!!!

Yes, that's right. I'm in Cambridge now. :) Can you believe it?

Last week was quite a week! First of all, I got a phone call from President Packard on Monday night, as he asked if I could be in a walking area, and if it would help to be closer to my doctors here in Boston.

On Tuesday, after our lesson with Chris (which was very special as it was on the Atonement), I picked up the phone and realized President Packard was calling! We were saying goodbye to Chris and Beth in the front seat since we all drove together to the church for the lesson. As we left as I was trying to understand everything President Packard was saying...

He asked if I knew Sister Miller serving in the Cambridge 1st Ward, who I wasn't sure if I did, and he said she tore her meniscus and had to be in a driving area very soon. I was make sense of what he was saying, as he and Sister Packard prayed about the situation and discussed what would be best. She would be coming to Plymouth, and....I WOULD BE GOING TO CAMBRIDGE!!!

Only about 3 weeks ago, Sister Scott came here, so we are practically shotgunning the area. We are both figuring everything out together. We came out at the same time and actually sat next to each other on the airplane, when we didn't even know each other. We may even finish the mission here together here, but who knows--I'd rather not think about that right now! What's also ironic is that each one of Sister Harris's companions, except for one, has served with Sister Scott, so her current companion would also be one of them.

There were so many goodbyes to say during the following days. It then made sense why we had no appointments set for the few days before I left. I was even starting to think more about transfers, and even the slightest thought came if I would at one point be companions with Sister Scott, since she was just barely with Sister Patterson. The Lord has had his plan all along and it's bizarre how quickly everything came up!

So, during the week, we not only taught Chris, but also Yuri, which went very well. We weren't able to meet with John yet. We said goodbye to Andrew and a few families and attended the last district meeting there. Sister Harris and I decided to make the most of the time we had together.

The Blue Blinds Bakery

We had breakfast for dinner at an amazing bakery in downtown Plymouth called "the Blue Blinds Bakery" (family, we have to go there!) It's owned by a group that secludes themselves from the world and lives a different lifestyle, but they were still nice and the food was amazing! On Saturday, the Blackwell's wanted to treat us, so they went out of their way and took us to a top notch seafood restaurant (I am coming to love seafood even more out here. It's amazing and seafood anywhere else doesn't even compare). It was very nice of the Blackwell's and I am so thankful for theirs' and other members' wisdom they've given and the love they have shown.

Waiting for the fireworks to begin

The Last Hoorah! Wathing the 4th of July fireworks...a week late...right on the beach

After dinner, Sister Harris and I celebrated our last hoorah together. We got permission to watch the 1-week later 4th of July Fireworks. We decided to watch them a town away from Plymouth at a beach. We arrived about 45 minutes early, and there was plenty of parking and the traffic was calm where we watched it! Even though the show was a little distant, it was still neat and one of the longest fireworks displays I've been to. It felt so nice to just sit there and ponder what I've learned in Plymouth. I sure am grateful for the people I met and taught and the experiences I had there. I miss them already but this is a good and exciting change. :)

It's still hard to believe I'm here in Cambridge. Needless to say, it's very, very different from Plymouth. Talk about going from somewhat-of-a-city and forests in Weston 1st ward to absolute country/hometowns in the Plymouth Branch to what can only be called a city. It's going to take a little while to get used to it all and come to know the area better. I'm very excited and grateful to serve here. As I have said before, the city fascinates me as there's a lot to do, and many people and things to see. We're not far from Boston and we're close to MIT and Harvard, so there's a lot of cultural diversity and yes, very very intelligent individuals here in this ward. A little intimidating? Yep, but it'll be good and I'm excited to get to know them.

There's a lot of change that happens while being out on a mission. The atmosphere changes. We get moved around and get to know many new people. There are times where the people being taught change. And more than anything, change takes place as we desire to come closer to Christ and to be perfected in Him, as we continually want to learn what He wants us to and live as He did. I was just reading the Packard’s' weekly email to the mission, where he talks about how we grow to become more dependent on God. I feel this dependence comes even more through change over time, as it takes time. He mentioned that we become more dependent on the feeling we have when we study God's word. We want to become more dependent on God for answers to life's important questions. We want to become more dependent on God to define our standards for behavior, as well as for the joy we feel when we share the gospel, and last but not least, we become dependent on Christ for forgiveness and personal transformation through His Atonement. Our lives change as we first and foremost become more dependent on Him, because we cannot do it alone.

And through it all, as we read in Moroni 9:9, "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing." His gospel has always been the same, and His love is always the same for us, as in Him "there is no shadow of changing."

As (how) they'd say here, remember who you ah. Take ceh!

Love always,
Sister Roy

Saying goodbyes to wonderful families in Plymouth was hard but I am looking forward to new adventures in Cambridge. Here are a few people I will remember from Plymouth: