Hope your week has been just as great, but much
less stressful than mine! I've been working out a lot harder in the
mornings, not because I need to shed the pounds (in denial), but because
I needed to sweat out the stress! This week was exchanges and it was
also Jenny's baptism. She asked me to sing at her baptism and I was
ridiculously nervous, because our mission president also decided to
attend the baptism. You all know how I get when I'm stressed about
musical number stuff. I'm like brainless for a week. I'm frantic. I'm
bashing my head against the wall and screaming and smashing piano keys
and pulling my hair out till I look like a baby eagle.
But
exchanges went great! I was so nervous to have the sisters come to our
area considering how small the area is. But we found things to do while
each sister was here, and Sister Panoussi enjoyed a day out on the
reservation! (PS: parents, if I get sent to Shiprock, do not panic, but I
wanted you to know that all of Shiprock is covered by sisters and for
all of Shiprock there are only about 5 cops so it takes at least an hour
or two for them to come if you call. These girls carry knives.) I
learned a lot from both of the sisters. One is a Utah girl and the other
is a Hawaiian/Tongan/Puerto Rican/Chinese. I had a blast with both of
them and there was lots of giggling and an equal amount of soul
searching. Shout out to everyone who makes fun of me for over evaluating
people like an obsessive psychologist! I still do that. And I love it.
And the amazing part is, for every psychological issue there is a gospel
truth that can fix it all.
The hardest work we did this week
was shoveling rocks and sifting the dirt out of them. Why? I just don't
know. The Sisters in 3rd ward invited us to do service with them out on
the reservation. It was a lot of fun, but why we were doing it made no
sense. Plus it was exhausting.
I've been practicing piano a
lot this week since they asked me to play along with a celloist at zone
conference. I am ripping my hair out about that too. Six pages polished
in one week? I'll need a miracle.
Drumroll!
Highlight
of the week was the baptism! She came out in her jumpsuit and said "I
LOOK LIKE A PILLSBURY DOUGH GIRL!" I put it in all caps because she
yells almost 50% of what she says. Jersey girl. She let out a big
cartoonish laugh, and we took pictures.
I sang How Great Thou Art and choked through the last couple of verses.
And when I think
that God his son not sparing
sent him to die
I scarce can take it in
The
last few words of that verse were barely a whisper, because I'm an
emotional wreck. But I wasn't the only one crying. Jenny must be deaf
because she loved it, and tears were streaming down her face. I gave her
a huge hug and she headed to the font. As she went down into the water,
I swear my spirit sighed. This is why. This is why we work and
knock and walk and cry and bang doors down, and spent hours staring at
our planners whining about what we need to do. Because of this. Because
of a daughter taking one step closer to her loving Father and Savior.
But it's funny, my first baptism I was all fist pump and hopping around.
This time a voice inside me says "This is just the beginning. The
beginning of the journey, of worries, of nights on our knees, of trials,
and of trusting in the Lord. This is just the humble beginning of a
rough but rewarding path to eternal life." You have no idea how much
missionaries worry, for then, for now, and forever about the people they
teach. Mommy and daddy, I can't express how touched and grateful I am
that you are being so involved in the missionary work happening in our
are. You don't know how much it means to wrap an arm around someone. You
don't know how much it means to do such small simple things, though
right now you're doing quite a big thing. I am grateful always for your
examples to me. I love you all.
Sister Valdez
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