Editor’s note: Many are familiar with my daughter, Sara Arkell, also known as The Piano Gal. Sara has been called to serve in the New York Syracuse Mission. This is a series on her weekly letters that we will be posting on the site for those who wish to follow along with her mission. You can read her previous emails here.
Hello hello!! I’m in Rome! Not Rome, Italy haha, but that would be cool! I’m in Rome, New York, but it is still great! We had transfers on Wednesday. My new companion is Sister Thompson! She’s absolutely fabulous. She’s from Utah, too, and she’s still in training but she knows her stuff! It’s so funny because she was worried about me not liking ice cream so she was very relieved when I told her I’m an ice cream fanatic.
Transfers are exciting because all the missionaries who are getting transferred meet at the mission office to find your new companion which means that you get to see other missionaries! I SAW MY TRAINER SISTER DEAN. I literally started crying I was so happy to see her! God is good!
We got lots of snow this week! We had over a foot of snow on top of our car and when you’re driving down the street, it literally feels like a tunnel because there are walls of snow on the sides! It’s crazy! It’s been really cold. I’m so thankful for technology that allows us to do missionary stuff from inside when it’s too cold to go out!
We got pizza one night and someone paid for us! That was a tender mercy!! Thank you whoever that was!
This week has been full of lots of change. I’m in a new area, have a new companion, figuring out a leadership position, and training. I for sure couldn’t do this on my own. I had a really cool experience the other night! I’ve been focusing on saying prayers out loud because if I don’t, I get so lost in my thoughts and forget what I’m saying. I need God’s help so I’m being more sincere in my prayers. I was praying the other night and the most overwhelming feeling of comfort and peace came over me and I felt God on my side. I am so thankful for Him & for the strength I’m given to do things I can’t do on my own!
I hit 5 months yesterday! Time is FLYING by. I seriously can’t believe it! I’m so thankful for this chance I have to be a missionary. It’s so amazing!
This quote really stuck out to me today from a BYU Speech I read this week! “God loves you and desires you to know Him. You are deserving of His love because of who you are. You qualify for His influence in your life because you are His child. He thinks you’re awesome! And because of this, you are deserving of wonder and awe—no strings attached.”