Weekly Email Thing Title Cool Awesome

Last Pday was a disaster!!!! My cards wouldn't work so I had to use my emergency cash, and I broke three eggs at Walmart. But the rest of the week has gone great. Tuesday we met with a less active, he's on parole (whatever that means) and was raised in the church, now he's trying to turn his life around. He said he basically hit rock bottom and wants to go up, and he remembered the things he was taught in the church and thought coming back might help him. We read Alma the Younger's conversion story and it hit him pretty hard. He also made killer fajitas and flirted with the recent convert that we brought along to the lesson. +2 pts.

Tuesday we went on exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders from Shiprock. Can you spell AnXiEtY AtTAck?!?!?!?!??! Cause that was me. All day. It turned out super well though. I guess I know the area and the people a lot better than I realized. 

Wednesday Sister Huch had a hard day and then two of the members of the branch gave us chocolates and flowers. (hence the picture of flowers) Also we played with puppies. Hence the picture of puppies. 

Speaking of puppies, 

we went out and tried to contact a less active. Sketchy county road, little narrow dirt road. We missed the turn and ended up at a dead end. Signs were put up on the fence of the entrance at the house at the end of the street (movie title). 

BEWARE OF DOGS

KEEP OUT

NO TRESSPASSING

DEAD END

Well, too bad, signs! We said. We had to turn around. 

Well guess what, the signs werent joking. We broke a mission rule and backed up without a backer-upper because those dogs were AFTER US. At least three huge dogs, rottweilers. Had I gotten out, those things woulda ripped me to shreds. You could hear their bodies jumping at the car doors. For three terrifying minutes it was complete chaos and barking and growling. Sister Huch drove away like a mad man. I guess if you dont drive away fast, they surround the car and try to keep you from moving. They followed our car for about half a mile, barking, nipping at the windows. I have never been so terrified of any puppy in my entire life. My blind trust for dogs has been broken. Also we didn't get to contact the less active. Sorry, dude. 

Our branch finally came and cleaned up the leaves they dumped on our porch my very first day. OH. Did I ever tell you about the carbon monoxide story? I think I didn't cause I didn't want to freak you out, but my first night, had we slept through the night, I would've died in my sleep if we hadn't have left the apartment. End of story. 

Sunday was fantastic. The less active I talked about before came and someone gave a talk on Alma the Younger's story. Amazing. We had navajo tacos for dinner with four of the natives from our branch. One of them is blind. Our Navajo investigator came too. They talked about powows and Shiprock fair. They made amazing fry bread, with coconut oil in an attempt to make it seem healthy. We laughed so much and got to share a quick lesson as well. 

Oh one more thing I haven't mentioned, that I'm sending a picture of.

So me and Sister Heck, the only thing she ever brought up in companionship inventory is that I wouldn't stop leaving my clumps of hair in the shower. We started something called

THE HAIR JAR.

The hair jar was the perfect solution. She agreed that we would see how much hair we could both collect over a transfer. A lot. The answer is a lot of hair. There is also a contact in there, and something called a "snot rocket". Don't ask. I completely forgot about it, and it sat in the corner of our bathroom until Sister Huch came out, and asked very meekly... "Uh.. Sister Valdez.. I have a question. What is that jar of hair?"

I could've screamed. So hilarious. Sister Heck will be in Farmington this week so I might split the jar of hair in half and give her some to cherish forever.

One thing we tried this week as a companionship was praying out loud. Every night we go into separate rooms and have audible prayers in private. It's amazing the difference it has. I apologized to my Heavenly Father that it had been so long since I said a prayer out loud. There is power in the spoken word. There is a sacred feeling that comes as you really open up your heart and pray. I am grateful for the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father. Talking to him at the end of the day is one of the best parts of the whole day. 

This week a less active prayed for the first time in probably seven or eight years. She prayed out loud. She prayed to a Heavenly Father who had been waiting years to hear his child's voice. 

I miss you all

I love you all

- Sister Valdez

Weekly Email Thing 2/17/14

Sorry we werent able to email yesterday cause it was president's day and the library and school were both CLOSED! So sad! But I'm so excited to email today and tell you how the week went.

First of all, my predictions were 100% right, I got a little white girl from SLC, Utah. Her name is Sister Huch. She's adorable and she's from a cartoon or something I can't even describe her. She's super different from Heck, but I love them both to death. 

The baptism was beyond fantastic! The best moment was while she was changing, her twin sister sang a couple of hymns, just solo, no piano, nada. Everything just felt so reverent. The air was so sacred. My eyes started leaking this weird salty water. Even the emotionless hard-as-rock Sister Heck cried like a little baby. The spirit was undeniable. The testimony she bore after her baptism was ridiculous. She stood up and said "This is the happiest I have ever been in my whole life. I know now that I am a true daughter of God, and I will have his spirit with me always." She still gets a lot of opposition from her mom. The twins were supposed to go to the temple this Saturday, but couldn't get the parents approval to leave the house. Both of them are coming out with us for lessons today, and I am so excited. Such strong testimonies. 

Tuesday I said my goodbyes to Heck. We had an awesome last companionship inventory and a sleepover in the living room. She actually gave me a for real hug for the first time when we said goodbye and I fake cried while singing "Best of Friends" from Fox and the Hound. She sang along fake crying too. That is what love is. She also left a left-hand drawn valentine in my mailbox that I found Thursday and a bunch of paper hearts and a drawing of us that said GOO GOO MONSTER AND LOLA I LUV U. Nothing has ever made me happier. I miss that girl, but shortly after we were separated, I was reunited with my girls from the MTC! Johnson and Fackrell are both training as well! Johnson spent the night at our apartment since she serves in St. Michael's. I screamed and ran into her arms when I saw her. Same with Fackrell. It feels like a lifetime has gone by since the MTC and yet it feels like I was just there. I saw Wilson at Walmart as well, and screamed and hugged her for ten hours. 

I was so frazzled Huch's first day, I had no idea how to keep track of all the planning and back ups and lessons all by my lonesome. Besides that, I don't know the area at all so I'm constantly living in Anxiety Central, with frequent visits to Panic Park. The wrinkled old ripped map has become my best friend. Sister Huch is very patient with me. She's super positive and very cute. Like CUTE cute. like pinch faces and squish and cuddle cute. She is cuddly and huggy and I am so relieved to have her personality, it's exactly what I need at this point. We got three new investigators, and one of the investigators who was at the baptism is now on date for March 1st!

We taught a young woman who was raised Jehovah's Witness and heard her pray for the first time in years. She had felt so betrayed and abandoned, and realized that God had never turned His back on her. Lots of tears in that lesson. I am blessed to witness such beautiful reunions between God and his children.

For Valentines day we had Olive Garden and one of the members gave us boxes of chocolates! Another investigator gave us plastic roses. Also a creepy guy next door left a card on our doorstep with his number on it. Eeeeehhhhhhhhhhhchhhchch.

I love you all and have missed you especially lots and lots since I've had a crazy week!! 

The pictures are at the baptism, please ignore how Chinese I look. Jesse was the one who baptized her. And the friend behind me is the one who sat next to her at sacrament meeting the week she got her answer from God that the church was true! Sister Huch is being cute in one of them, and I am eating breakfast with her in another. 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

- Sister Valdez

The Last Adventures of Goo-Goo and Lola-Miracle Week ‏ 2/10/14

First off, this week was a floopin floppin MIRACLE. I feel like I've been screaming all week, and even if I was, it would not have properly expressed how awesome the week went.

Transfer news first, Sister Heck is going to Paradox. It's a town of like 130 people and there are only 12 members in the branch there, all of them over the age of 60. It's mostly service she'll be doing over there. I hear the Sisters in Paradox wear jeans cause all they do is service all day long! 

I'll still be in Farmington, and I'll be training! Crazy, right? I could cry! But the Lord knows I'm ready to take on a new little missionary, so I'm sure everything will work out if I rely on him. I'm trying not to think about it though because I still have no idea what I'm doing and where anything is in this area so I'm terrified!! But I'll find out my new companion tomorrow. Prediction? Little white girl from Utah or Idaho. Give me your prediction if you have one. 

Also, I'm 90% sure that you can still use the same address to send me things since I'll be staying in the Farmington Zone. 

Okay, that's out of the way. 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^ Still cannot properly express my EMOTIONS right now. We have a baptism!!! When? TONIGHT! What?! Yes! That's right. You heard me. Tonight.

Let me start from the beginning. 

Using codenames for people involved.

Dodobird is a recent convert. She's so tender and wonderful. We met with her at the end of last month just to have an active member lesson. She told us her amazing conversion story. She has a crazy kidney disease and was extremely ill in the hospital. She didn't tell many people about it, but she called her friend Aladdin and told him. She was in an awful state physically, in a lot of pain. He asked her "Do you trust me?"  

"What do you mean?"

"Just answer. Do you trust me?"

She said yes.

He told her to get online and read Moroni's promise out of Moroni chapter 10. She looked it up. She read the promise and asked him "So... what you want me to do is to pray about what I read? Is that right?"

He told her yes. She thought he was being weird and crazy but, she tried it anyways.

She prayed. She asked God if the Book of Mormon was true. She also asked for strength and comfort and I'm sure many other things. At this time it was 3 or 4 am. In the morning she woke and the nurse told her it was a miracle, all of her tests came out great. It was like her body has stabilized almost completely overnight. That was her answer. From then on, she knew. 

She went to YW for years. Her mom wouldn't let her join. Strict Catholic. It broke her heart but she continued to go to church and awaited her 18th birthday. Her mom on several occasions dragged her out of church. Once while she was receiving her unofficial YW recognition award. She had the cops pull her out of church when she was 16 or 17. She spent 3 days in Juvi just for trying to go to church. Her mom was opposed to her being baptized, to say the least.

Despite the opposition, she was baptized on her 18th birthday. She had been taking the lessons for years and was practically a member. She was kicked out of her house for 3 months.

FLASHFORWARD! (sorry this email is so long)

Dodobird has a twin sister, Shanaynay. Shanaynay had no interest in the church. Especially after all the conflict it caused in the family. She came to activities. She came to church but refused to wear a dress. She sat with her arms crossed, in her yoga pants. Little by little, week by week, her heart was softened. When we met with Dodobird we asked her to set a date in faith, on which she could ask her sister to meet with the missionaries. February 23rd was the date we set. One week later, Dodobird picked up the Book of Mormon for the first time. She started reading on a Wednesday. By Saturday she was desperate to know whether or not the things she read were true. Saturday night she prayed. She asked God if the Book of Mormon was true, if the church was true. Sunday, last fast Sunday, she showed up in dress for the first time. She was fasting for her answer. As one of the speakers bore his testimony, she felt the spirit so strongly. Tears went streaming down her face. "I never cry" She told us later. The RM sitting next to her whispered to her "You're feeling the spirit. That's what this feeling is."

That was her moment. She knew. It was true. She asked to meet with us. Thursday we met with her, and she told us her story. By the time we met with her she was on 2 Nephi chapter 15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN! Our jaws dropped so hard and so fast I bet the earth shook. She practically taught us the first lesson. We asked her if she wanted to be baptized. We asked if March 8th was a good date. She asked if we could do it that Saturday. Jaw drop number TWO. We explained we had to teach her all the lessons. We agreed that Monday would be a good date.

Sister Heck and I must have screamed for ten minutes straight once we got into the car. This is not a miracle because we are good missionaries. We did nothing. I wish I could say it's because we are amazing teachers. But we did nothing.

We've taught her every day since Thursday. As of yesterday she had finished Jacob. I have spent almost every night on my knees, crying to the Lord in gratitude. She has taught me more than I can ever teach her. Shanaynay... Man. That girl has changed my whole testimony. To have such faith, to believe that one answer. She says she feels the spirit so strongly when she reads that she just can't stop reading ever. She taught us the second and third lessons better than we ever could. Her Sister helped us teach Law of Chastity. She passed her baptismal interview with flying colors. And yesterday she told her mother about her decision to be baptized (not a good reaction). And yet, she's so strong. She's so ready. She knows God and recognizes his answers more than I ever do. I am grateful for her example. I am grateful that the Lord blessed me with this experience. I am excited to share this experience with Sister Heck before she leaves tomorrow. It's been an amazing transfer. It's been an amazing three months. 

With God, nothing is impossible.

I know that's true.

I know that the church is true. 

I love you all and I'm so sorry to unload such a long email this week.

I have wanted nothing more than to call home and tell you all about the miracles I've seen.

Stay strong,

xoxo

pinch pinch

- Sister Valdez

No Title 2/3/14

I will start out by explaining the pictures attached. The first one is a picture entitled "End of the Month". Also Mario noodles are not as cool as they sound. They should be called Giant Noodle Soup with Tiny Bits of Chicken. NOT Chicken noodle soup. The second picture can not even properly show how beautiful the world is when it snows. Also everything gets soggy after the snow which is not fun. The third picture is a deep thought provoking picture of my food called "Instant Regret". The last picture is just to show you that I am still, in fact, very very ridiculously good looking.

So as a missionary I have lots of questions that are totally googleable but I have no way to google them. Ponder on this one: Why do stomachs gurgle?

The week was great! So nervous because by next week I'll find out if GooGoo will be transferred. Very likely since she's been here five transfers, AKA 7 1/2 months. Almost half her mission. The branch will cry a river the day she leaves.

We got a new car this week. We've been driving around a Jeep Compass and now we have a Toyota Corolla. It had 8 miles on it when we got it. Also it can connect to our phone and it reads texts out loud when we get them. SO COOL. (Dad, if you want to send me music, you can just stick it on a USB and I can plug it into the car!) 

Also I held a TARANTULA. Literally died when it happened, I think. I was fine when she first placed it in my hand but then IT STARTED WALKING and my skin felt like it was on fire, just because of pure terror. I was screaming while she took a picture, I'll send one after this email. 

I also got hit on by an old man while we were at Beehive Home volunteering. He called me beautiful and made kissy noises. Sorry, boys, I'm coming back and marrying this old prune. Return the engagement rings, I've found my match. (*dies from sarcasm*)

My biggest regrets of the week were that big mac and something deadly called a cinnastack. It was our mission leader's idea. I don't know why I ate the whole thing. I think maybe iHop is managed by Satan. I will let you know after further investigation.

Okay so for the spiritual stuff.

This week I was struggling. I felt as if I wasn't doing good enough, working hard enough, progressing fast enough. I was sitting in another ward's baptism, and I sat in the back row, pleading with my Heavenly Father for help and strength. Suddenly, words came to my mind. They were the same words I had used on one of our less actives and also an investigator. My own words were brought back, as if I could hear myself saying them, this time they were directed towards me. 

"I want you to know that you are doing so good. Heavenly Father is so proud of you."

I sat stunned. Shocked that I hadn't thought before to apply my words to others to my own life. Grateful that my Heavenly Father was clever enough to do so. It was a sacred moment. Between me and my Father in Heaven, during which he was able to tell me how proud he was of me. Simultaneously reminding me how important it is to treat myself with the same love and patience that I do the people we work with. 

Another great experience was a visit we had with a less active. She hadn't been to church in five years. But she let us right in. We shared a quick thought, nothing crazy, not any life-changing new scripture verse. But the spirit that entered the room was overpowering. I watched this less active woman be, as they say, "pierced to the very soul". I felt as if I was witnessing a special reunion between Father and child. You could tell that for the first time in a long time, she was feeling the love of her Father in Heaven. Fatherly love being something that she longed for, as we could tell from her stories of childhood. I felt so lucky to witness something so intimate. Something so real.  

Probably the biggest thing I've realized is my real purpose here. I've had so many personal experiences between me and the Lord. And been able to witness so many sacred reunions of Heavenly Father with one of his children. That is what the gospel is really about. It's not about teaching the lessons perfectly and explaining each principle to exactness. It's not about knocking on the doors and scheduling the lessons. It's all done for those sacred simple moments. It's all about what we don't see, between visits. It's about a child talking to their Father in Heaven. Realizing not only his matchless power, but his infinite love. 

Have a good week

xoxoxoxoxoxox

pinch

- Sister Valdez

Adventures of GooGoo and Lola: Week 4 of Transfer Two 1/27/14

Sister Heck's desk

My desk

I hate myself

A banana stand that I decorated cute

A reminder that I am still cute.

Organized looking title, right?

This week was really awesome. We have an investigator who really struggles learning cause she's mentally a lot younger, and we've been able to teach her a lot better. It was all a matter of trying new approaches. Object lessons, pictures, drawing things up on the board; it's become so much fun teaching her and I can already see the light in her smile growing brighter. (Whereas before we were lucky to get any smile at all)

We've been struggling with finding new investigators so we're meeting with a lot of active members to have lessons to come up with their own mission plans and think of ways they can share the gospel with those they love. It has been awesome because the members love us and we love them and it's amazing to spend any time with them at all! 

One of our less actives had moved away to Arizona and just came back this week. All I can say is the fun is just beginning. We have lessons with her and her best friend who lives in the Women's Shelter, they're both less actives and I love them to death. They also have the most outrageous stories from one lesson to another. So much drama, it's all the soap opera I'll ever need. The only way I can describe it is that every time we meet with them, the recap is similar to a season of Degrassi. 

We got this popcorn where it comes with a bag of butter to pour over it.

I don't want to talk about it.

But yes I did drink some butter straight out of the bag OKAY I DONT WANNA TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE.

I got the package from home this week! Loved it so much! Ate all of that almond cranberry thing and me and Heck are gonna try and find more this week at the Natural Groceries store in town. The gloves mama crocheted are a little big but I love them so much and I wear them all the time because it is very cute to think of mommy crocheting. Soon she will be a little prune in a rocking chair. The transition is only beginning. 

Sister Heck and I have had some great times this week. Sun naps at lunch have been life changingly good. We also have been playing an on and off game of hide and seek. Sister Heck foolishly revealed to me one day that her biggest fear is that she'll come out of the shower and I'll have disappeared and ran off. So one day when she got out of the bathroom I hid behind the couch. She striked back next by hiding in the laundry room but I wouldn't fall for it, I just kept making lunch and ignoring the fact that she was missing. This made her mad and she struck back with more force. This time she hid in the closet right outside our bathroom. When I came out, all the lights were off and she burst from the closet and if I hadn't just relieved myself I would've soiled my skirt. I screamed louder than I have in a long time and she fell on the floor and was red from laughing. We laugh a lot a lot a lot. Her favorite is my giraffe noise. 

She also got a crack up out of my reaction to Sunday dinner. The Schofields fed us what they said was enchiladas. but was really enchiLAVAS. THOSE THINGS BURNED MY MOUTH OFF. Sister Heck must have been holding in laughter the whole meal as she watched me pick at that thing. Luckily I am very good and swallowing without chewing. If I didn't chew I could manage to swallow a whole bite with minimal burn-damage done to my mouth. 

The greatest spiritual experience I had was just a tender moment spent on my knees in prayer. I pleaded with my Heavenly Father to help and strengthen me in the work. I then prayed for all of my family members individually. And then the long list of additional people that I love with all my heart, including those from home and those here in Farmington. After the prayer was over I realized I didn't want it to end. I asked my Heavenly Father if I could just stay with him a while longer. The lyrics of Abide With Me Tis Eventide were brought into my mind. I recited them and thought about how important it is for us to have that desire. If we can get to the point where we all are begging him to "abide with me", then we'll be aligning our life with His teachings. We'll be doing the right things, being in the right places, so we can feel that love.

I love all of you.

xoxoxoxoxoxo pinch pinch pinch

- Sister Valdez

GET DUNKED:The Adventures of Lola and GooGoo Monster 1/20/14

Dear cute people who I love,

This week I had my first baptism! Crazy because the second day I was out here, I was the one who extended the baptismal invite and she said yes (: Saturday was the baptism and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong there. Her dad showed up (non-member) and was super touched. I looked over while she was being baptized and he was wiping away tears. 

Something important for you to know is that Sister Heck will now be known as GooGoo Monster. One day she just looked at me with this GooGoo face, and it was all over. She calls me Lola. From Space Jam. No idea, okay? But whenever I do something weird or dumb, she makes this googoo face and says "Okay.... Lola..." It kills me. 

This week I ate my first breakfast burrito. But WAIT, there's more. I also ate...

DRUMROLL PLEASE:

DEER. 

I ATE DEER. 

I ATE AN ACTUAL BURGER MADE OUT OF DEER MEAT. THE MEAT OF A DEER. A DEER KILLED BY A MEMBER IN OUR BRANCH AND THEN SMUSHED INTO A BURGER AND COVERED IN CHEESE. DEER MEAT. 

I cannot express my emotions as I partook of this deer-meal. My eyes were wide. My heart was beating quickly. I tried to imagine the cute little deer prancing about as I chewed on ACTUAL DEER MEAT. Sister Heck thinks I'm a crazy person. I guess in Hickland it is common to kill cute things and eat them. I am still debating on whether or not she has a soul. I'll get back to you on that. 

Two items of drama in the branch are that FIRST, I don't know if I mentioned it but last week we had a member have a seizure during the closing prayer of a lesson we gave to a recent convert. 

And second, one of our less actives lost her memory of the past 6 months, thought she was still living in Texas with her baby-daddy, and can't remember who either of the Sister Missionaries are. It's been really fun. But honestly, she's progressing so much despite her weird spotty questionable memory loss. 

The funniest moment of the week was when me and GooGoo were saying a prayer before planning. We had just gotten in, and she was offering the prayer. Suddenly her voice sounds rushed, and even weirder, I hear her swaying. A lot. Her voice goes in and out and I open my eyes to see her eyes WIDE OPEN staring at me in complete panic, STILL praying frantically, until she BURSTS and says "INTHENAMEOFJESUSCHRISTAMEN, I HAVE TO PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She went RUNNING to the bathroom and I fell on the floor laughing. Frantic peeing prayer was the highlight of the week. Sad.

Another highlight was a prayer from our recent convert. Imagine: tall hispanic, baggy jeans, baggy shirt, but the heart of a baby dove. He starts out

"Dear... Heavenly Father..." You can hear him grinning.

"Thank you.. Thank you for... this AWESOME day..." He's smiling so hard you can feel it in the room.

"Thank you for... AH! Sorry! I'm just so happy!"

He starts the prayer over.

Still can't finish because he's too overjoyed. 

Finally, he bursts:

"Dear God,

I LOVE YOU!

I am just SO HAPPY!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!"

I wish I could pray with the same joy and sincerity that he has. At the end of the prayer we were all laughing but there is so much to learn from a prayer like that. I wish you could've heard it and understood really what it was like to hear someone give such a real prayer. Like he was talking to his father. I know that God was smiling down on us in that moment. There is nothing that he delights in more than a sincere and honest prayer from a loving child. It's not about eloquent language or about solemn repeated phrases, we aren't just talking to a king, a divine heavenly being, we're talking to our Father.

Sorry that these are the only two pictures I have to offer this week but they're good ones.

One of them is a carrot taped to my arm. Why? HAVE YOU EVER TAPED A CARROT ON YOUR ARM? Then don't question it. Just try it.

The other is of me and Sister Heck at the baptism.

What an awesome experience.

I have so much to learn from these converts who speak to God with so much sincerity and reverence. When I hear them talk, I wonder where along the way I lost what it's all really about. It isn't about having all this scriptural knowledge and all this perfect understanding. It's about being real. It's about remembering the nature of our Heavenly Father. That is the first thing we ever teach:

God is our loving Heavenly Father.

Sometimes we forget that.

May we all remember this week.

Stay cute and pinch each other!

- Sister Cassie Valdez

This is a BIG EMAIL TO EVERYBODY YAY! 1/13/14

Dear people,

I'm gonna try and keep it short mostly cause this week wasn't anything too crazy and I wanna have time to say things to people individually. 

This week was great, the anxiety of my life was EXCHANGES. Being left with Sister Heimbeingienermnengner (<actual spelling) and not knowing the area and wanting to cry with anxiety when Sister Heck left with Sister Tukuafunaunuandjajw to their area. It all ended up well though and Sister B was awesome and made me feel good about myself when she said "You are a good missionary". That's literally all I never need anyone to tell me in life. I don't care if it's a lie I need to hear it cause I doubt myself on the daily.

Two things that I do not understand about country people:

Sister Heck literally said to me one morning after brushing and teasing her hair

"Are their holes?"

I stared blankly.

"H..H-Holes...?"

She frowns.

"From the rats?"

"...holes.... from... the rats..."

"IN MY HAIR?" She sighs.

"HOLES FROM THE RATS IN YOUR HAIR????"

I literally could not get over that whole sentence. Holes from the rats in her hair. What was this supposed to mean? Should I call an exterminator? APPARENTLY HOLES ARE A THING you get in your hair when you tease it. And rats as in "ratting your hair". Sometimes I just come up behind her and whisper "Holes... from the rats... in your hair". Country people baffle me.

Another was we teach an actually cowboy and he told a story in which "mah spur got hooked on thuh bull-rope 'n i got dragged 'uh 'bout ten feet 'er so" SPUR. BULLROPE. So many things. 

Also Sister Heck laughed really hard and milk came out her nose. Another day ORANGES came out her nose. I will keep making her laugh and see what else comes out. 

We have a baptism this Saturday and I am more thrilled than anything in the wolrd. 

I had frito pie again and also something called haystacks. 

The thing I learned this week was that the nature of God is essential knowledge. We are all subject to forgetting it from time to time. 

He is all knowing, all understanding, a loving father, an eternal and perfect being. 

If you are struggling, you have probably forgotten something about the nature of God.

I love you all

- Sister Valdez

New Year's Related Title 1/6/14

WOW IT SEEMS LIKE I HAVENT WRITTEN SINCE LAST YEAR. *forced laughter from the audience*

Hey people, I love you all. 

This week was beyond awesome. One of our investigators got dumped by her member boyfriend so we partook of much Ben & Jerry's and did rejoice. She's solid though and still 100% ready to make the covenant of baptism. I am so stoked for her. She's probably two feet tall and adorable as heck and she is the one who brought us shakes one time. So good. 

We also had a lesson with a less active, Skyler. She brought us gifts! Lotion from Bath&Body and she asked if we would help her move later in the week. 

We had a lesson with Chenisse (AKA golden investigator). She's read all the way to Alma and I am in love with her for doing so. We had a lesson in the parking lot outside of Sears, cause we can't meet in her home. Her parents are quite opposed to the idea, so we ended up in Jesse's car teaching her the Restoration. It's crazy though because the spirit can still be in an old beat up Jeep. The church is true. 

I got a letter from Darlene AND Nathan this week (what more can a girl ask for?) and Sister Heck threatened to kill me several times out of pure rage, cause she didn't get letters this week and I got too many. Thou shalt not covet. 

The weirdest moment this week is when a crazy guy came up to us at the park and told us how he saw hell while he was working in the oil fields. He saw people climbing up out of the fire and gripping onto the pipes. I didn't know whether to laugh or scream during this time. It was a fun interruption to our lesson that day.

We also had an awesome street lesson. Shout-out to the spirit who leads us in all things! Sister Heck felt like, even though we had gone there several times and found NO ONE, that we should try and contact downtown. We ran into Donny and had a lesson on a bench. He had been praying to find church. He had been to an LDS church before but was never baptized. Solid guy.

The best so far though was the lesson we had with the Hathcocks. We hadn't felt ready to go into the last half of the plan of salvation, and we didnt know why. The spirit kept saying "NO!" and finally on our third lesson, we had planned on reading Alma 40 (the spirit world and resurrection). and five minutes in, they get a call that Brother Hathcock's mother had passed. The spirit was so strong as we taught. Everyone in that room must've felt that it was not coincidence that we taught that lesson that day. Truly God knows all things. He does everything in his own timing. And the two first lessons when we left the house literally saying "WHY!? Why can't we get through the second half?"... just. Now I understand. All we can do is be guided by the spirit in all things, and one day we'll see the big picture. It's all in God's timing.

I love you all lots and lots. 

Sister Valdez

Christmas Related Email Title 12/30/13

Hey Crazy Stink-heads! A lot of awesome things happened this week including Christmas celebratory acts and I'm really happy about it. Let me explain the pictures that I'm gonna try and attach. There's one blurry one of downtown while we were contacting (PS SHOUTOUT to my homie, Saul Valdizzy who sent me a camera charger so now I  have cool pictures), one of me with my old and new planner for the second transfer. One of this WEIRD delicious treat we received that is SALTINE CRACKERS with caramel and chocolate. And there's one of Sister Heck's very surprised face. And one dramatic water bottle picture that I took to express all my deep missionary-related emotions. (It just looked cool and Sister Heck judged me a lot for taking that water bottle picture).

But yes awesome Christmas times. Ate a lot of ham which was the best ever. 

The funniest thing that happened this week was probably when we were at a stoplight, Sister Heck GASPS and parks the car at the light and runs across the street, grabs a tumble weed, sticks it in our trunk, and gets in the car and keeps driving. I laughed like a mad woman. It's the weirdest thing she's done so far and I'm really happy about it. This week I also revealed to her that I have once licked someones eyeball and she thinks I'm the weirdest person in existence. OH! The relief of the week is that transfer news revealed that we will be staying together. Which is usually likely during training but it wasn't for sure so we will be getting a celebratory box of goldfish crackers post-email-time. We gave and received awesome presents. We got gag gifts at Christmas dinner and I snagged some Yoda Christmas lights and regifted them to Kristen. She appreciated. They go well with her leg lamp and Charlie Brown tree.
Skyping home was the best experience of my life. Sister Heck made an awesome comparison. How excited we were and how happy it made us to talk to our families is only a fraction of the joy Heavenly Father feels when we pray to him for even a short moment. Great thought. 

Bri sent me Saturday's warrior and I can't express how happy it made me. My exact words were "I COULD MARRY THAT WOMAN." when I opened that package. We have listened to it nonstop. It's growing on Sister Heck since she's never seen it. Today she sang Humble Way with much gusto. 

I have been living off refried beans (which are actually decent, good call dad) and rice and tortillas. 

Chenisse came to church this Sunday and we haven't even taught her a lesson yet but she says she wants to be sealed in the temple one day. She's the golden investigator and I am in love with her because she's amazing. It's crazy to see others testimonies bud and grow like wildflowers and mine is like this fat floppy sunflower thats taken me years to develop. Not a solid analogy, I'll work on it.

Love you all and thank you SO much for all the presents and letters and love!

It made me so happy to talk to you family people and also to Darlene. (:

-Sister Valdez

Bissco...cheetoes 12/23/13

the beautiful sky of New Mexico

my healthy breakfast

a present from Jason

Christmas Sweaters!!!

look Mom I have bananas!

I am scary with this knife

Dear People,

This week was awesome. Slower cause it's close to Christmas, but still quite a few lessons, so I'm grateful. We had our Christmas party and I was on exchanges with Sister Tukuafu and Sister Wood. We made ugly sweaters and it was hilarious. We glued Christmas decorations all over goodwill sweaters and we looked fantastic. I will include a picture but it probably wont do it justice. We played some fun Christmas games with the zone. And yes, if you were wondering, I did dominate at one game. The one where you put the oreo on your forehead and wiggle your face till its in your mouth? Yes I am pro. Yes I do practice daily (<joke). 

I think I included a picture of a hotwheels (probably not actually the brand) car. It's from a guy in our ward who is awesome and also named Jason. He knocked on our door one night and we thought it was a murderer so we didn't answer. We waited and checked the porch and there were two cars and a card from Jason. He's super into cars and he said the one he gave me is a model of one he saw when he visited California once. (He's the one who served us sushi. Also he says he doesn't like the beach so I question his mental health).

Good news! Jon texted us Thursday morning and said he wants to meet again. Screaming commenced. I probably dribbled cereal milk on my neck in all the excitement. You can imagine. Later that day we went and helped Robbie, a less active, make biscuiochitos. Bissco... cheetos. Bisqueocheetoes. Autocorrect thinks I want to say Biochemicals. Thats not right. Regardless it was a good time. I went home smelling like cinnamon and he sent us home with little bags to eat. Daddy would appreciate. 

That day we spent a lot of time walking downtown trying to meet people since the Elders aren't keen on us tracting apartments that they've already done. We meet a handful, including a half filipino, half native, quite drunk old man with missing teeth. Just my type. We also were prompted to talk to a young man we saw sitting in the hospital. We set up an appointment to meet with him the next day, but neither of us felt good about it. Very uneasy weird feeling about him. He never showed. Weird. I don't get God sometimes, he asked us to talk to this guy, then told us we shouldn't teach him the lessons, and then he didn't even show up. It's weird not seeing the big picture but still having to follow the promptings of the spirit. 

I also had to teach about virtue in district meeting on Thursday. I made probably five thousand different analogies and who knows if any of them made sense and I probably confused more than I taught and also I tripped over my skirt and the podium on my way up. Typical Sister Valdez behavior. 

Mother would be horrified to know that on Saturday night I had FRITOS FOR DINNER. Literally these people made us like taco salad with fritos. 

Step 1: Pour fritos on plate

Step 2: Smother in Chili 

Step 3: Add cheese

Step 4: Devour

I whispered to Sister Heck, "My mother would be horrified at this meal." FRITOS. FOR. DINNER. Awesome family though. We went to teach the young man, Jeremy, and ended up teaching the Plan of Salvation to the whole family with two RMs present which made me need to PEE MYSELF with nervousness but the spirit was there so strong so no worries. 

Sidenote, one of the RMs there was the SPITTING image of Christian Bardales. No joke. Well. Slightly over-exaggerated but still. Totally weird. Diabetic too. Freaked me out. OH! AND THEIR DOG IS DIABETIC. Yes, thats a thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DIABETIC DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Okay now I realized I never explained the thing with the leaves in the last email but here goes.

There was a service project the first week I was here and they had to clean up leaves. They dumped what they cleaned up onto our front porch as a joke. It was funny EXCEPT NOT because leaves are constantly all over our apartment. Literally so many leaves we couldn't get to our door the first night. Add the slush from snow and mud, and you get the picture. Our Christmas wish is for the branch to come clean up the mess they made. 

Okay the LAST THOUGHT and absolute HIGHLIGHT of my week is that Sister Heck said the word "Nuggets" when we were driving and she like missed a turn or almost died or something. She just yelled it out "NUGGETS!!" and I swear I could've married her in that moment. Not literally but it makes me so happy when my weird phrases catch on. Sister Heck and I are getting a lot closer and it makes me happier than anything because it means we have so much fun on a daily basis. She also keeps us working hard, and organized, and I need some of that to rub off on me ASAP cause for all we know she could be transferred outta here next week.

My revelation of this week is how much I have taken simple truths for granted. Knowing who I am, where I came from, why I'm here, and where I'm going is such a blessing in my life. And especially knowing the role of my Savior in my life and how he can help me, strengthen me, and comfort me on the daily is the best thing in the world. I am so happy to be out here sharing it with others. 

Be nice to each other, stay cute, and keep hitting Oliver!

Love & kisses & pinch the tum,

Sister Valdez