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
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