The Marvelous Work in the Four Corners: Transfer 9 Week 2

Holbrook, here I am! This is the town that Cars was based off of. The Wigwams are the little Cone motel things, and the red rock is real here, but it reminds me of Disneyland. The streets glow with neon lights, but not quite as many as Walt puts up, and so far none of the cars have talked to me.
I'm actually over FOUR wards now instead of one itty bitty one. We're over:
Painted Desert- The biggest ward, all of our investigators are here.
Little Colorado- I've meet a couple people here, so awesome.
Petrified Forest- Named after all the petrified wood around here
Woodruff- Tiny town. TINY town. It's outside of Holbrook and everyone is related. Everyone walks to church. There was a tiny dog outside of church who just sat there, I'm assuming he sat and waited for his owner. It's tiny. Can I emphasize tiny enough? There are supposedly 5 people in the whole town who aren't members.

I rode here in the transfer van and was the only sister. It was fun, despite what other sisters have complained about. I got down to the nitty gritty and psychologically evaluated the ones I could in those hours we drove down the road. I asked one Elder why he was so confident and if it was just overcompensation for the lack of self-confidence he had as a fat kid. It sounds like a rude question when worded that way, but the answer was great and I got to hear a story about a girl in high school drama class and how Britney Spears song Toxic was what got him out of his shell. Anyway, I arrived and met Sister Jeffery and went STRAIGHT to taco bell. Dad made me laugh sending me directions to taco bell! As if I wouldn't find it FIRST thing!

I met the woman we live with, she's in her 70's and she's adorable and classy. We have family prayer with her every night and she gives us hugs. I hug her extra tight for grandma. The members here are beyond fantastic. They all want to come to lessons and have lessons in their house. Every time we talk to someone we walk out with a referral. I am so humbled to be in such a blessed area. The youth are amazing. The leadership is amazing. We met with the Stake President last night, and apparently we do that every Sunday! It makes me so sad though, because I don't think the missionaries here realize what a great blessing it is to have members like this. I am so humbled, but they're so used to it. It reminds me of the scriptures I've been reading in Helaman- How quickly we forget the Lord, how slow we are to remember Him. And yet He blesses us anyways.

The best thing that happened to me all week was that the Bishop in Woodruff let me MILK A GOAT! Her name is Leche. And let me tell you, goats milk tastes SO MUCH more like real milk than almond milk does. I asked him for three glasses. Apparently the makeup of it is different so lactose people can drink it, it's amazing, it tasted so good, I wanted to cry. I think I might've swallowed one of Leche's hairs though. Worth it. So what I'm saying is that when I get home I want a goat and I will milk it every day if it means I can drink milk.

I am so blessed to be here. This area definitely has it's own challenges, but the blessings outweigh it! We're traveling to St. Micheals, Shiprock, and Farmington between tonight and tomorrow morning, so pray we won't get lost on the way! (Dad, I might want that GPS!)
I cannot wait to work with the wonderful people here. There are so many good things to come, I just know it! The most amazing thing about a mission is learning that the Lord can expand your capacity to love. I never thought I could love my companions so much, the members so much, or complete strangers so much. Love is unlimited- I am just now starting to understand that. But God has infinite love, so what are we here to do if not to learn to love like He loves? I am studying Charity for the 100th time and there is so much to learn. The best way to learn is to act. I'm learning that too. So many people think they know the gospel, they know the doctrine. But you do not, and you can not know it until you live it.

I miss you all so incredibly much, I hope to have enough time to write you crazies back. I love you and I love hearing about what's going on at home. Everyone be good and be nice to the missionaries!
- Sister Valdez