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