oh how struggly was the week...email from April 30

There was a new word coined in our zone... "struggly" to define a scenario that is filled with struggle or whatever really. Boy does that describe my week. We have gotten so many calls saying that "plans have been changed" again and again... Oh my goodness. At one point Sister Barry told us "President and I are depending a lot on you right now." AAAAAHHH!!! I don't want to be depended upon! Save me! But luckily we are both pretty strong and kept each other going. We were dead tired every night as we collapsed into our beds. But that was a fun adventure, we live on the third floor and have a screened in patio so we drug our beds onto the patio and slept out there all week. camping!!!

Last night we had the mission conference call for transfers!!! I am headed to waycross, georgia!!! The ward there is bigger than the entire stake I am in now. Oh goodness. We will be sharing it with Elders though so that will save us. We drive out there tomorrow night and will hit the ground running. I can't wait to tell my new companion she gets to help open an area to sisters. Speaking of new missionaries, for all who have asked, we are getting 26 new missonaries this week. We traditionally get between 3 and 10. And 14 of those are sisters!!!! It is insane! Only one sister companionship was not affected by this transfer!

I just want to tell you all how much I know the priesthood is real. I was having a horrible weekend with my depression which summed into a complete shutdown Sunday afternoon. My poor companion just let me sleep for 2 1/2 hours and cleaned. At that point I knew I needed an intervention. So we called the Drapers (the senior military missionaries here) and asked if he could give me a blessing because I just wasn't functioning and I needed to get back in the game quick before transfers. And WOW!!!!! The Spirit was so strong and I was given so much comfort and strength. I don't know what I would do without the gospel. As soon as the blessing was over I felt like my old self again and was ready to conquer the world. Because of this experience I know two things: 1. Satan is real. (No other power could drag me to such misery so quickly) 2. Jesus Christ LIVES!!!! (because no power could save me so quickly) And I am so grateful to have the priesthood in my life to bless and strengthen me! I don't know what I would do without it.

Like I said earlier, change has been the word of the week round these parts. And boy has it been fun. I've learned the key to resiliency is being able to change yourself as your situation changes so that you are equipped to handle. Oh change. I just love it!!!

love y'all!

Sister McCracken