Dear Family and Friends,

This is probably a surprise email since it is coming on Saturday. It has been quite an interesting week to say the least. I know when I wrote last week I told you I was going to Geneva and would be training, but that has all changed. In fact it changed that night. President Summerhays called me and told me that I wouldn't be going to Geneva, but I would be going to Tallahassee instead. It was so crazy Monday. At the time I was glad to not have to go to Geneva and train, but in some ways it would have been really nice to do that. The Sister I would have trained met Nikki at the Distribution Center in Salt Lake, so I'm sure we would have been great friends because of that :) But, I am here in Tallahassee as one of the campus missionaries!

We cover Florida State University, Florida A&M, and Tallahassee Community College. There are three sets of missionaries in the Student/Singles Ward. We are the only Sisters. I am also once again in a trio. I don't know why I can't get out of them. My companions are Sister Benfield from Las Vegas and Sister Wilcox from Provo. I am older than both of them and I have been out longer than both of them as well. They have been serving together two transfers, and Sister Benfield trained Sister Wilcox. It will be interesting to see how things go this next transfer. Sister Benfield has been having some stomach problems/pains that no one can figure out what is wrong.

After leaving Andalusia it is a huge change coming to Tallahassee. I haven't seen so many people, cars, and cement for 10 months-since I flew into Tallahassee last October. It has been a huge shock. The way we do missionary work is also very different. Everything is different here. The one thing that is the same, though, is that I am a missionary, and I get to bring souls to Christ.
There are several good things about being here. It is like we actually get a weekend because our preparation day is on Saturday. That means that I got two preparation days this week. Not many people get that one. Also, President and Sister Summerhays live about 15 minutes away. It just makes me feel more at ease having them so close. They are usually gone a lot of the time, but yesterday Sister Summerhays told me that it is good to be within closer proximity with them. I like that :) But, I got to have Zone Conference for the second time this week! I know I didn't really talk about it on Monday, but it was really good. In my other Zone Conference we role played and talked about how sometimes it takes desperation to receive inspiration. We also had a visit from the Stake President and he shared a message with us. This Zone Conference we had yesterday we role played as well, but then we talked about patterns and how we are developing a pattern for our lives now on our missions. President Summerhays told us that rarely do missionaries change the pattern they have set for themselves after they leave the mission. We also talked about the enabling power of the Atonement, and had the chance to share our testimonies on that. One thing that our mission is doing is embracing a new culture where we remember. We have established a 'title of liberty' for the mission and we talked about that and what it means to us. It was really interesting to see the difference between different areas of the mission.

The thing I like best about Zone Conference is our interviews with President Summerhays. I wish you could meet him. He is great and he really has his heart completely immersed in this work. But, since this was my second interview with him this month, I was extra excited. We talked about the change that happened this week, and why I was here in Tallahassee a little bit. We also talked about going through hard times and facing adversity. Much to my dismay President Summerhays reminded me that we have trials all of our lives. I was hoping once I got home from my mission they would all go away :) But, he said that what I am doing and going through right now will help me in callings and with my children. I know it will, but it is probably going to be unpleasant for a little while. Oh well. Whatever the Lord wants and needs me to do I will do it. After all of this discussion, President Summerhays paused for a moment and then asked about the family. He especially asked if things were good at home. I told him I was pretty sure they were (because they still are right?). Then we talked about what we were. He said that what I was doing would be an honor to the family and you are getting great blessings from it. I hope that you are. He also said that I reflect the goodness of the family and that I have a good heart. It is amazing how the Lord helps him know what to say in interviews. He finished by telling me that I would feel the Lord enfold me in the arms of his love which is the scripture I have on my plaque. The Lord knew that I needed to hear that so I could have the strength and courage to go one with the work, especially here with things being new and very much different (in ALL aspects of the work).

I guess things are pretty slow here. I have yet to meet any of our investigators (or potential investigators), and I don't feel like we have really gotten the chance to work. It is hard going from at least 30 lessons a week to none (or so it seems so far. We have an interfaith discussion that will probably be ineffective this afternoon). But, I know that we can find success. I know I'm going to have to work hard to get it, but it will happen.

I'll write more about campus and the ward and things later. This email is pretty long, so next Saturday I'll write some more. We are moving either this next week or the next. I don't know what the new address is yet, but you can still send me mail at the mission office address. In case you forgot it is 1535 Killearn Center Blvd, St. C-4, Tallahassee, Florida 32309.
I love you all! I hope things are good at home and with everyone.

Love, Joanna

Dear Family,

Well, this week was really great, but also quite interesting. Here is what happened.
Throughout the whole week we worked on making sure that Donnie would still be getting baptized on Saturday. The only day they could get married was Thursday and Wednesday night when we went to see them, Donnie was pretty discouraged with Melissa and her attitude about getting married. We did have a good lesson and with the help of one of the members, we got everything settled down. Donnie and Melissa did get married on Thursday.

Friday, we had our Zone Conference. It was really good, and we had really great training. In my interview with President Summerhays, he told me that I would be transferred next week (that means this Wednesday, the 23rd of July). He told me that, as of then, I would be going to Tallahassee and serve on the FSU campus. But, he still wasn't sure about everything. All he knew was that I would be leaving. So, it came as quite a shock to those in the Zone when President Summerhays made a comment about my fate in Andalusia, especially to the Elders in my district. But, at the end of Zone Conference, there was a surprise for me. Sister Mickelson was there! It was so good to see her. Her dad has a convention in Orlando this week, so Sister Mickelson and her parents came a week early and spent time in the areas where she served. It was so good to see her. I really loved serving with her.

After Zone Conference we raced home so that Donnie could be interviewed for his baptism. His interview took two hours! But, Donnie likes to talk, so I'm not really that surprised. On Saturday, Sister Mickelson came with us to some teaching appointments that we had. It was like old times being with her. And, that evening we had Donnie's baptism. It went well, and Melissa even came. I'm glad she did and I hope she felt the Spirit there. Of course, after the baptism I had to tell the members that I would be leaving Andalusia. It was really hard to have to tell them. I feel like I am leaving home all over again. And, yes, there have been tears shed and many more will be shed over the next couple of days.

That was all of the excitement for last week, but not the end of the excitement. This morning President Summerhays called and told me I'm not going to campus, but that I am going to Geneva. Not only am I going to Geneva, but I am also opening the area after not having missionaries there for 10 years and I am also training a new missionary named Sister Hancock. Needless to say, I am very overwhelmed. It is like I am reliving the beginning of my mission all over again. It will definitely be a big learning experience. President Summerhays did assure me that he would go with us to make the transition smooth. When we were talking, he said that it was like when Sister Chadwick came here and he was trying so hard to remember who came with her. When I told him it was me, he laughed and said that I get to do it all over again. I told him that I had secretly wished that I wouldn't have to do that becuase it would be so hard, to which he said I never should have thought that because the Lord knew I was thinking it. He also said that he would stay in our area long enough so that I wouldn't want to run away. I guess we'll see how things go. I'll let you know how everything is next week. We will be living with some members and apparently the members are very excited to have missionaries and are very willing to help us. That will be good.

I spent some time thinking about the Lord's timing the last little while, even before I knew I would be transferred and also before my mission. This transfer has just helped me come to some conclusions. The Lord very well has a work for each of us to do where we live. In the Allred Bugle, Mom, you wrote "Joanna is still in Andalusia, as of right now....Apparently there is something for her to do there." I'm not surprised at all that right after Donnie got baptized I am being transferred. My work to do here in Andalusia was to help Donnie come into the fold of God. And, now it is done. I know that our family had to move to Wisconsin so that Casie would come to learn about the gospel and also be baptized. And, it isn't any surprise that four months after Mt. Vernon became a ward that we moved. The Lord's timing is perfect. And, when He has a specific work for us to do He makes sure that we are there to do it and then He moves us on to the next thing He has for us to do. Those were my thoughts recently.

I love you all! I'll let you know more about my new assignment next week.

Love, Joanna

Dear Family,

This week hopefully will go better with email than last week. Before I forget, there are several things that I have been meaning to write about, but always forget. Have you met any of the following missionaries in the your mission: Sisters Lee, Kao'nohi, and Morris or Elders Gibbons and Thomas? My companion in Troy was in their district in the MTC. Also, the last YSA newsletter I got from Sister Noble said that Amanda Merrill moved to Antigo (I can't remember), but is she the one that you had invited over to our house a while ago? She was in my freshman ward at BYU and we ate lunch together sometimes. She knew Keely better than me. Do you know any of the areas where Grandpa Allred served on his mission? And, is Garrett in Alabama by now. We were going to kind of a remote part of our area one day this week, and as I was driving I was thinking about how he could be serving in one of the branches that borders Andalusia. How cool would that be?

Now, on to the week. This week we recommited George to be baptized on August 16th. The Branch President came with us, and he gave George a blessing to help him quit his smoking. However, he wasn't there for our appointment on Saturday and didn't come to Church again this week. He says that he still wants to get baptized and we talked about how he needs to prepare for baptism by coming to Church and quiting his smoking. I think their might be some of his friends that are getting to him a little bit.

We also finally set a baptismal date with Brenda. She is getting baptized on the 23 August. At first she was a little hesitant about setting a date, but she did it. Then the next day when we went and saw her, she said for sure she needed to be baptized and join the Church. Her daughter, Zabe, who went to girl's camp this past week, also said that she wanted to be baptized, too! We haven't set a baptismal date with her yet, but we are planning to set one. Zabe loved Girl's Camp and everyone loved her. After seeing the change that came over her from going to Camp and also hearing some stories from members here, I have seen how important it is to invite people to go to Church activities. I'm going to try and do better with that after my mission.

Donnie is preparing for his baptism this Saturday. He and Melissa are getting married on Thursday. When we saw him on Saturday he said that he needed to do this and get it done. I'm glad that he is realizing that he needs to do this. Melissa isn't ready to get baptized. I hope Donnie's example will help her see that she really wants to be baptized as well so they can go to the temple. Everything is set for his baptism. After so many months of preparation and work and prayers it is finally going to happen. I think this is a little bit of how the Lord must feel when one of His children finally realizes the truth of the restored gospel and makes the commitments to be baptized and then go to the temple.

This week we had another good turn out at Church. Donnie was there, as well as Brenda and her two daughters. Randy and his daughter and one son were at Church. Allison was at home with their other son who was sick. It was really good having them there and they all enjoyed it. Seeing the Church full on Sundays is a very exciting thing. If our rate of progress continues we are going to need a larger building soon. I know that is what people here have been waiting for for years.

It sounds like y'all had a good week. I can't believe that we are half-way through July and soon everyone will be going back to school. Yesterday we were visiting this lady and she asked how long I had been here. When I told her, she said "Oh, almost a year." It is hard to believe that after one more transfer I will have been on my mission for a year! And, to think that Andalusia will be where I served for two-thirds of my mission! I don't believe I'll be transferred next week. President Summerhays said he would let me know well in advance before I left Andalusia and he hasn't said anything yet.

Well, I should probably go. We have an early appointment kind of far away this evening. And, we need to clean the car for car checks. I'm not going to miss that at all.

I love you all! Thanks for your prayers and support!
Love, Joanna

Well, I just deleted the email I wrote, and I don't feel like retyping it. We had a really slow week this week and it was hard. I'm glad you all enjoyed Alaska. Who all went? I don't think many people could afford to go. We'll have to do it when everyone can go :) Oh and about my phone, you can go ahead and end it. I can get a new one when I come home. I didn't like the phone anyway. Just make sure Janet doesn't break anything else of mine (ie ROGER). But, here are some pictures. It rained and we got soaked. I love you! Love, Joanna