Transfer 4 Week 1

Dear People,

This week went by super fast! AH! We are also dealing with the fun 5 week month, so I'm really glad members have signed up to feed us! 

One of our investigators set house rules for her roommates. She's a super shy and super timid little Native girl. Her rules are are super adorable. They say things like "no fihtting (fighting), no cussing, no using gods name, no drinkin unless it is soda or water" and at the very end it said IN THIS HOUSE WE SERVE THE LORD. Beyond adorable. So many typos, printed out with fun fonts on a word document. We went over the Law of Chastity with her this week, and are probably going to have to go over it ten more times. Sister Huch is funny because the first time we introduced Law of Chastity she used terms like "mushy gushy things" and "things more than kissing" or "naughty things". And I'm like, SISTER, if we don't teach her straight up what she shouldn't be doing, she can't live it! 

Sister Huch is also getting very upset that people mock Utah. It reminds me of Bri when she would get upset about people thinking its funny when she gets angry (it is). And then she gives them exactly the reaction they want! 

We have a new investigator, Dallas, who we had met before at a less actives house. We gave him a BOM, set up a return appointment, and then he never showed. Well this week he got in financial problems and didn't know where else to turn so he called his grandma. She said "GO TO THE MORMON CHURCH!" Since she's LDS. So he walked over and the church building which, on a Wednesday should've been completely deserted, was full of Elders! He told them that he had met a Sister Huch and Valdez. They called us and we rushed over to find him! He sat with us on the lawn and told us that his cell phone had gotten shut off and thats why he never contacted us. He told us he had started reading 1 Nephi and that he had a lot of questions. We answered them the best we could. We've met with him twice more this past week and he is AWESOME! He comes to us already having searched for the answers to his questions about lessons. You know the questions in the back of pamphlets? Yeah? The ones that literally no one ever even looks at? He looked up all the scriptures that answer those questions. He studies. He ponders. He prays. I am amazed. I hope to be an obedient and faithful missionary, worthy of the investigators that God has trusted us with! 

The work is both full of miracles and heartache. I think of the stories of missionaries in the Book of Mormon who suffered much sorrow because of the afflictions of the people. But all the afflictions were swallowed up in the joy of Christ! I am grateful to be out here, doing this great work. Super grateful to everyone at home who have been an influence on where I am now. I think of all the poor seminary and sunday school teachers who had to deal with our difficult class. They had a hand in all the miracles I am able to see now. 

Much love, 

have a great week!

Sister Valdez

Pics:

Dog walking (CHELSTER, its the mini baz i swear thats the only reason i picked that dog)

We traded lamps with a former senior sister 

I made a soft boiled egg (only one failed attempt since i have no egg timer!)

and our grateful wall of sticky notes!

Thank you so much for the letters and the love! Hopefully I will get my new Chase card in the mail today and then can send some gifts home for you all. Tell me if you have any requests (: Otherwise it'll be just cheesy souvenirs and such. I miss you all and love your guts! Mommy, me and Huch have had a blast doing yoga. Handstands made me sore!

xoxoxo

Sister Valdez

Transfer 3 Week 6

Dear People,

The best thing that happened this week was probably that one of our members took us to the animal shelter! You can HUG KITTENS AND WALK DOGS. Talk about the most therapeutic service in the WORLD. We had such a blast. 

The week has been hard because one of our less actives moved, another got sent to the psych ward, and two others dropped us. Two of our investigators are out of town, another dropped us, and a recent convert is MIA because her phone is broken! Needless to say our teaching pool is looking a little sad. But the Elders keep giving us referrals so I'm super grateful! 

We went out to an Asian buffet and had less-than-quality California Rolls. But the best meal we had this week was a weird one! An investigator made us frybread, rice, and meatloaf that was made in a muffin pan. It was actually super delicious. Her roommates also have a very scary looking pitbull with a scar on its face for extra intensity. But it's on the west side of town so I understand why they like having a guard dog. 

We met with a member this week who always comes with us to lessons, we decided to have a quick lesson with her. I always assumed she's been strong in the church but she told us her whole journey of becoming reactivated. I cried like a baby. The gospel changes lives, that's all I have to say on the subject. 

We also met a really awesome South African man in the park yesterday. Sister Huch was very anxious, insisting we go home and finish up some studies, and as much as I love being cooped up in the apartment for an hour, I felt that we really needed to go find someone. I've gotten that feeling before. Like there's someone out there I need to talk to, but I don't know who. So we went to Brookeside park. On our way in I was scoping out all the people, black guy on the left, some Natives playing basketball, a family having a picnic, etc. And despite our earnest efforts, none of the park-loungers had any interest in even hearing what we had to say. I had ignored the prompting about three times till I finally manned up and talked to the African man in the du-rag leaning on the fence. I don't regret following the spirit! He had a thick accent and told us he's muslim. But he agreed to meet with us, and is super open. He wanted to read the Book of Mormon and asked us where and when our church service is so he can attend! He left us with a prayer in his native tongue. The spirit was there so strong.

The church is true and I miss you all lots!

I love you

Sister V-Dog (Street name)

Pics:

The hike we took last Pday!

Transer 3....week 4? I don't remember.

HELLO CUTE PEOPLE!

This week was great, didn't hit all the goals we wanted, but we got four new investigators, and two potentials (some guys we talked to in the park), and we still have like 6 of the 11 referrals from last week, and some more less actives that the Elders have referred! So the work is moving (:

Uhhh and first things first, the best news all week:

TWO of our recent converts, they both told us this week- or rather, both asked us 

"What can I do to prepare to serve a mission?"

My responsive grin was nowhere near close enough to expressing my inner screams of joy. Now I understand why black choirs feel like shouting "Praise!" and "Hallelujah!". I wrote in my journal this week: "Is there a word for the feeling you get when your body can't contain your joy?". This is a great and marvelous work, that's all I have to say. 

A great dane jumped on me this week. We taught a lesson in the middle of the mission office because it was pouring rain (and the spirit was still killer strong). We had an investigator show up to a baptism, and agree to be baptized. And we helped a lady push her car out of the street when she ran out of gas! That was super awesome.

We were driving to the institute and we see this car just stopped. No words, we just pulled over and started pushing. I looked to my left, and a random pedestrian had come to help us push too. He disappeared after we helped the lady with her car and made sure she didn't need anything else. I love people! AHH!

It was fun to force Sister Huch out of her comfort zone by walking up to complete strangers. We met three Hispanic young men who were listening to vulgar rap music in the park. We also talked to a lady outside the library yesterday, an old native woman who told us all about her foot tumor. That's the good stuff.

Yesterday we relaxed and had a picnic at the park with two of our members. We made a poor missionary meal. PB&J (easy on the J cause it was the last in the jar), stale chips, crackers, and chocolates that we have accumulated through packages and so forth. All the sandwiches were made from the butts of our bread, cause that's all we had left! But it was one of the best meals I've had so far. We sat under the shade of a tree on an old blanket from the backroom of our apartment. That was my tender mercy this week. I needed it. Sunday was rough, I have no idea why, oh wait YES MAYBE I DO.

Something called: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. Aka, CRY AT THE ALARM CLOCK DAY.

Sister Huch and I have started making dinners together. We are adorable. 

The first set of pictures is from our last Pday, we spent it downtown and went to a little vintage store called the Dusty Attic with a couple of our members! 

Now small notes to everybody:

Daddy- thanks for sending me little emails and for your consistent letters! They get me through the week.

Mommy- I MISS YOU AND YOU HAVENT WRITTEN ME.

Bri- Keep being awesome, I pray for you every night, I miss you lots always, I talk about how much I miss you probably all the time.

Darlenie-Weenie- My daddy sent me your facebook post about your baptism-aversiry. The other night I was telling my comp about how looking back now, you were somebody's GOLDEN like AMAZING investigator who they probably just cried with joy over every night. Lucky Elders.

Chelsea- I talked to the girl... and she IS on tumblr...... WE ALWAYS FIND EACH OTHER. #tumblrlove

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Sister Valdez

Transfer 3 Week 3

Being artsy!

Being artsy!

Hey cute people!!! My week was fantastic. Super great ups and downs. Monday night Sister Heck and her companion Sister Harrah showed up and stayed the night cause they had a meeting in Farmington the next day. Tuesday we double-worked the area, which was super fun. We've been fed Wendy's twice this week which is super not good for my tumtum. We got a new investigator! Super stoked.

The most exciting thing was that Thursday morning at about 4 am my stomach gave me a wake up call. I was hurling out my guts until about 8 or 9. I kept getting up and changing the trash bag while Sister Huch stood by freaking out, not knowing how to help me. The first thing she asked when I started puking was 

"ARE YOU OKAY?" and, in extreme sarcasm and with vomit in my hair replied: 

"YUP. I'M GOOD."

She hovered around me like a worried puppy. I puked and changed the trash. I laid down. Puked again. It was super fun and kind of hilarious. My face did that thing where the blood vessels pop and I had red speckles all over. I tried to do our three hours of studies while in bed, but mostly just drooled puke-spit on my sheets. I had enough energy to prop myself up to practice roleplaying some lessons with Sister Huch. Then I pulled my big girl pants on and showered and rushed off to district meeting. 

Anyone who knows me knows that my vomiting time is serious business. When I puke, my body goes all out, and I usually require hours of sleep afterwards. Let me tell you, prayer works. And like mommy always said "Listen to your body!", so I did. And after praying for strength, my body told me:

Keep truckin' on! 

The rest of the day I felt perfectly fine. Despite the four bags of puked Costa Vida that sat outside our door. Sister Batt, the mission President's wife came along with us that day to lessons. In interviews with President Batt, he told me how much he loves my weekly emails to him! 

That night for the first time in my life I only ate ONE piece of Little Ceasers pizza. This is a step down from my average 4 pieces, but I was trying to take it easy on my poor little tum. 

The good news is that I think it helped get rid of what I call the Fry-Bread-Fanny-Pack. That little bit of chub that hangs over after you eat too many Navajo Tacos. 

Other than vomiting my guts out, the other highlight of my week was my third baptism! His father is a less-active member and the rest of his family are nonmembers. His mother, however, was extremely excited. She had been so opposed to the church, and yet, she snapped pictures for the first half hour. She was asking and asking what she could do to help with the program. The best part was his father's closing prayer, in which he asked, "Heavenly Father, please help me to be worthy of the priesthood so that in time I can baptize my other sons." His two brothers already have the desire to be baptized, and best of all, their father is leading by example by preparing himself to be a worthy priesthood holder again! The gospel is true and this family is on a roll! I am grateful to be an instrument in the Lord's hands in bringing about this amazing work. 

If you remember from my earlier emails, the family whose grandma died in the middle of us reading Alma 40? That's his family! I cannot wait for what's ahead of all of them. 

Okay the pictures I'm including are 

1. Me, holding my bags of puke, right before I headed out the door that day. 

2. MESAS MESAS MESAS. Aka the most beautiful thing in the world.

3. I'm artsy

4. Baptism!

5. Also artsy

Have a great week everybody, I miss pinching you all, and squishing your faces! 

Fun things about my companion:

- she talks in a baby voice (sounds annoying, I know, but it's actually cute)

- she sings with me and is great at harmonizing

- she also L O V E S bacon

- on Saturday she tried to see how many pens she could stick in my hair

(Nine. the answer is nine pens. Only because we didnt have any more)

I love you!

- Sister Valdez