Happy Birthday to Sister Huch (Huchie Mama)! She's 20 today and I told her that means she's an adult which means no more baby-talk in the apartment and no more doing that thing where she squeals and flails her arm and runs around like a chicken.
It's now the last week of the transfer! A part of me hopes to stay in YSA for the rest of my mission, but I'm also excited to see if they send me somewhere with a bunch of cute pruney old people. Last Monday I was able to play a big of the piano while the Elders were playing basketball and it was both relaxing and completely frustrating. I want to scream at my hands sometimes: "TEN YEARS of ten piece guild programs, Certificate of Merit honors award, and all you can remember is the RUBBER DUCKIE SONG?!" Get with it, hands.
So I got that tooth filled and Sister Huch had a field day because half of my face was numb and I can only imagine how attractive my droopy smile was. I also couldn't lick my lips, but it was very funny when I tried to. We had a member come to lessons with us that day and she started laughing the moment she saw me. We got semi-harassed by a woman in the wal-mart bathroom that day, and ended up stuck in there trying to talk ourselves out and leave her with a pass-along card. Sister Huch was panic-central and the wal-mart janitor was banging on the door yelling "MAINTENANCE!". And all day long I was holding up the droopy half of my face.
We started meeting with a less-active who reminds me of my high school friends, if not more extreme. Chains hanging from his pants, lots of knives, and very theatrical. He is a delight and a half. His lightbulb on his front porch has been unscrewed and replaced with bones. One of them looks like a human foot, he unscrewed the light and showed it to us. He has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and is so educated in the scriptures! He just needs to do what most less actives struggle with- Nike: Just do it!
On Wednesday a member told me that dogs go to heaven and provided scriptural proof. (I can now die happy, thank you Heavenly Father) and we had correlation with our branch mission leader. He brought us a giant box of McDonalds cookies (my one weakness), he ate half of them, and then proceeded to eat a Tupperware of brown rotting apple slices that had been sitting in the institute for at least ten hours. Just another day-in-the-life-of.
Dad, one thing I wanted to tell you about was that pamphlet you sent me- the QPR Suicide Prevention. You must be in tune with the spirit. I remember opening that package and laughing because it was such a strange thing for you to send. But sure enough, a few days later, we sat with someone who was worried sick because her friend keeps talking about suicide and she doesn't really know what to say to him since she's struggled with those thoughts herself. The spirit nudged me to check my bag. In the front pocket was that pamphlet daddy had sent. I told her I didn't know why, but that my dad had sent me it a few days earlier. She started reading through it and asked if she could keep it. Everything happens for a reason. God is a very clever guy.
We also met an old lady this week with missing teeth. She told us so many stories I lost track. We started out hearing about her kittens with ringworm, then her teenage pregnancy, then the "chicken wire" that they put on her artery after her heart attack, then her alcoholic son, and finally she told us about the two homeless men who are currently living with her. We met one. He was very nice.
The funniest thing that happened this week was when we were TERRIFIED out on the mesas, because we got to a house and they had a rottweiler and a pitbull in their front yard. I grabbed the bag of dog treats out of my bag, we said silent and audible prayers for our safety. Then we began to walk down their dirt driveway, holding our breath with every step. Suddenly we heard jingling coming closer. Then we see, running up the driveway, the SMALLEST little dog that I can only describe as being a cross between yoda and a gremlin. She had on a pink polka dot dress. We laughed so hard with relief, and luckily the other two dogs were on chains.
The cutest thing that happened this week was that at baskin robbins we were getting dollar scoops and behind us we hear a voice say "Excuse me? Sisters? Sorry, my daughters really want to say hi to you!" Ahh.. the Sissionary Fandom. #everydaylife #can'tescapethefans We got down on our knees and smiled and talked with this families two girls and one little ice cream covered boy. They told us they pray for us every night. The ice cream covered boy yelled "Bless da missionaries!"
Despite all the fun stories and laughter, this week has in fact been another one of the harder weeks of my mission. Internal battles are the hardest, and I have spent many of my spare moments on my knees pleading and sometimes literally crying to my Father in Heaven. I know that He has been listening. I know that the prayers from home and from those around the world are what support me from week to week. I am grateful for all the letters and love. I am grateful for such a wonderful area with members who give us hugs and meals and make us laugh. I am always inspired by the Sons of Mosiah. They left behind so much. And they gave all they had to the people they taught. I pray that I can be faithful enough and do the same.
I love you all,
I miss you always,
you are in my thoughts, my prayers, and my heart.
Sister Valdez
pictures: A very cool leaf I found
my companion being a babe
a picture of us coming home from a lesson at homestead trailer park
and a picture to make dad proud- we have started hoarding water bottles behind our couch. we have over 150 by now. I just need to find a recycling center.
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