And isn't it ironic... don't you think.

Well,  I was late to my first Sunday at my new ward (church congregation). They moved to a new building this year and it looks NOTHING like a typical LDS chapel.  I sat out in the foyer during the rest of Sacrament meeting.  Afterwards, I kinda watched some Relief Society women just walk on by.  It made my heart sink and then think back to my Relief Society sisters, my dear friends, and hoped they never let a newcomer just sit alone by herself.  Luckily, "Sonny", a [good lookin'] Samoan friend of a friend remembered me and showed me around.  Sonny's very pleasant and it was nice to have someone finally say hi.  I sat by myself in Gospel Doctrine class. I thought it was pretty ironic that the scripture we discussed in class came from Ephesians:
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.... This was so totally me! The teacher asked the class if this related to anyone.  One person raised their hand but their example wasn't too stellar.  So I raised my hand because it totally described my feelings that day.  Part of my heart was left back at my old ward and I was trying desperately to make myself feel comfortable at this new ward.  

In the end, I ended up meeting more EQ guys than RS women.  Some of them weren't all too friendly.  The guys were nice but they weren't my ol' familiar guy friends from the ward, I meant, my old ward. 

*sigh*

This experience left me thinking about my mission.  It was like being transferred from a beloved area full of my favorite people to a new area of strangers that I've yet to know & love.  I remember that happening when I left Medford, my first mission area. I cried on the way back to the apartment that last night. I was going to miss all those members & friends who took me in and loved me so!  Once I acclimated myself to Bordentown, I missed Medford less and less and loved Bordentown more and MORE!  I didn't completely forget about Medford, it would always have a special place in my heart. New friends that I made didn't replace all those magnificent friends from my first area, they were just more people for me to love and vice versa. So as much as I will love and miss CVYSA, it's time to move on and make new friends and memories.