October 30

Dear all,
It’s been one crazy week! On Tuesday we had exchanges with the sister training leaders. I stayed in Carrollton with Sister Rawlins and we had a great time. On Thursday we got a call saying that we were going to be moving the next day, so we needed to pack all of our things and all of the furniture. The rest of that night we spent cleaning and packing, which is my least favorite way to spend an evening, but we needed to get it done. We got up really early the next morning to finish, went to our Friday training meeting at the visitors center, then came back and started moving with elder and sister Miles. Luckily everything was packed and ready when they got there and we moved everything out. We were really, really sore the next day since we had to move all of the desks and dressers out. Elder and sister Miles told me that they want me to do a training at zone Conference since I’ve set a record for the number of times I’ve had to move out of an apartment in the middle of a transfer haha. Transfers are this week, so I’m really hoping I don’t have to leave. On Saturday I was at the visitors center when I saw someone really familiar walking through the door...it was Jenn, Autumn and Tom! They were out here visiting with close friends who are actually in the Bethesda Ward! They stopped by the visitors center and it was so much fun to see them. Yesterday was an amazing day....Taiwo got baptized!! Taiwo is from Nigeria and the rest of his family is there while he is here working. He has been prepared for so many years and it’s no coincidence that he met missionaries two months ago. With his work schedule, he could only be baptized on Sunday, but we didn’t want him to have to wait a whole week to be confirmed. We decided with the ward council and Taiwo to do the baptism Sunday morning before church and so he could still get confirmed that day. Sister Kunz and I got up at 5:30 to get ready and then go and fill the font up for the baptism that day. Taiwo was really excited to be baptized and when he came up out of the water he had the biggest smile on his face. The ward really loves him and he loves coming to church each week. He was confirmed in sacrament meeting and will be able to receive the priesthood in two weeks. Taiwo will always hold a really special place in my heart. Today we went to the city which was really fun! We went to the American history museum and walked around the mall. There is so much to see in DC and I could spend days there. One quote that I really loved this week while studying is, “There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord’s help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain things that we have learned”. We have been teaching a lot about faith recently and it’s helped me reflect on my own faith and how I choose to strengthen it each day. It requires effort on our part every single day. I love you all!
Love Sister Haertling