Date
June 28, 2021
Area
Newtown/Southbury Connecticut
Companion
Sister Gallardo
Has it been a week or a year?
Hi friends and family!
I finally made it to the field! My area covers Newtown and Southbury Connecticut. It takes 1.5 ish hours to travel from Boston to Newtown.
First of all, this place is BEAUTIFUL. Just green everywhere, literally a forest. And it is summer right now so the weather has been perfect. Really its so amazing here. I feel like I'm living in a forest!
A thought I really loved this week came from a talk someone in my HMTC district shared. It was the idea that a 1000 mile journey doesn't start until you take a step. Stressing and worrying about it doesn't make they journey for you. So while I'm adjusting to this new life, I can't let my thoughts be consumed with fears. I just need to focus on the next step. How can I be the best that I can be... today. Especially because I'm in a new area and some days it feels like we call a thousand people and we can't even get one appointment. As long as you're trying your best today, it is enough! The Lord will help you and give you strength to take the one step you need to take! (The talk was called "One Step after Another")
As for a little rundown of my week (was this really only a week ago?):
Monday afternoon my HMTC companion and I had some issues with another teaching appointment. It never happened. We were very sad about it, especially because we have messed up with the HOA so many times before. However, this was also sort of a blessing in disguise because I got a little bit more time with my family before I left.
Tuesday I left my house at 4am to get to the airport. I said farewell to my family for 18 months then hopped on a flight by myself to the detroit airport. There I finally met up with my HMTC companion Sister Alexander! It was so awesome because at the Detroit airport there were 9 missionaries headed to the Massachusetts Boston Mission, so I got to meet a bunch of the people I'll be working with here! When we got to Boston they split us up to stay in different missionary apartments for the night because there was going to be a zone conference with the whole east side of the mission the next day.
Wednesday, they wanted to surprise us with our areas and trainers at the mega zone conference, but because I'm serving on the west side I didn't meet my trainer there. The zone conference was like a big goodbye to President Mavromatis, so it was like 9 hours long and lasted all day! He leaves in a week, so I'm sad because I never really got to know him.
Thursday, the sleep deprivation continued. I woke up at 5am to drive 2 hours to the west side zone conference in Connecticut. Now just imagine a repeat of Tuesday but this time I got to meet my trainer, Sister Gallardo! She's only been out for 4 months! She's awesome and is already such a blessing in my life. I also recieved my area, and it is new to the mission. It belonged to the New York, New York City mission until this transfer! My whole district is "shotgunning" this area I guess. I think that means we are all new and have no idea whats going on? Hahah we are trying our best thats for sure. We moved into the New York Elders' apartment and theres literally nothing in it. We dont have tupperware or a dining table or like anything else. I'm still living out of my suitcase :( BUT they did leave us a keyboard! I've been able to play hymns during my short breaks. This area is amazing and I already love it.
My funny story this week happened on Friday. I went to my first district council meeting! At the end, our district leader announced that it was time for role play... keep in mind that I haven't even done role play senarios since the MTC last Friday. He was calling on people when someone shouted "the greenie!". Thats me, so I started to panic internally. The peer pressure was overwhelming, soon the whole district was chanting "the greenie". And then, I started to cry. Thankfully, they didn't make me role play while I was in panic mode. Even though I cried at the end, district council was really awesome. I think I made the district leaders feel bad because they keep checking up on us hahah. Maybe I should start keeping a list of embarrasing moments.
Friday and Saturday, Sister Gallardo told me that we're facebook page admins for the church's page in New Haven CT. We spend a good portion of time each day working on that. The rest of the day, the work continues! We're contacting a lot of people to set up appointments since we dont have any yet in this new area.
Sunday we went to one of the wards we cover, the Southbury ward! It's in this cute new england style chapel. I loved loved loved church. The people are all so amazing! I didn't know it was possible to love these people without hardly knowing them! We helped out in primary, and it was sooo much fun. Sister Gallardo and I ended second hour covered in singing time "measles".
I think that the past week can be summed up in one word. Exhausting. I fell asleep sitting upright in a folding chair during personal study yesterday! I didn't even know I could do that! I've been enjoying it though. Its hard work, but it's the Lord's work!
Yay for the Lord's work!
-Sister Layton