Transfer 10 Week 2

A sneak peek at our Christmas pictures

the lack of rain drainage system in arizona

my companion in puddles

                                                            and my new flamingo pajama dress

My stomach is really full of delicious food from last night! A member asked us "What kind of food have you been craving?" and instead of the normal "We'll eat anything!" I told him I've been craving Italian. Apparently he used to work in the catering business and would cater in Hollywood for famous actors who I'm too young to recognize the names of. He made bread sticks the size of my forearm, soup with sausage and mushrooms (Mommy would be proud, I ate every single one), a fresh salad with raspberry vinaigrette, lasagna, and some stuffed noodle that I can't pronounce the name of with homemade Alfredo sauce and home made marinara for the bread sticks. I ate so much and was so full and had to say a silent prayer of gratitude when he told us that he had made a cake but it wouldn't be ready on time to eat. They had three teenage boys, one of them had a black eye from wrestling and told us how he broke someones leg this weekend. They were rowdy and loud and definitely teenagers, they had us laughing the whole time and- as always- made me miss the chaos of home. 
We have an investigator who is hopefully getting baptized this Saturday. Her name is Corvette and she's the most tender sweet little thing. This week at her lesson, we called someone to give the closing prayer, and instinctively Sister Jeffrey and I shut our eyes and began the prayer. We heard shuffling and both peeked as Cory slipped off the couch and onto her knees. We had completely forgotten to kneel! But she didn't. It's such a blessing to realize how well she understands the sacred nature of prayer. 

The great miracle this week involves a very stressful experience of getting very stuck in some muddy clay. We had gone to a valley with dirt roads to contact a referral, and were doing fine and dandy on the paved road until we had to turn onto the street we were looking for. We had received the media referral a few days before and I was determined to contact it as soon as possible. We got to the dirt road, and Sister Jeffrey looked hesitant. 
"We came all this way! We might as well try." I said, knowing she was thinking of turning back when she saw the house in front of us. 
It was a poor excuse for a house, pieces of metal and junk all tied together, worn out couches on the front porch, and no lights on. I persuaded her to keep going, and we headed down the small dirt road. Suddenly, the terrain became slippery. With her skills earned from years driving in the snow, Sister Jeffrey maneuvered us halfway down the road to the house. "We probably shouldn't park here, our car will sink." She said. 
So we decided to park on the paved road and walk down instead. We slipped and slid some more, and right when we were about five feet from the pavement, our car refused to move. We drove forward again and again, turning and maneuvering but to no avail. We got out and realized it was very stuck in the mud. I said the most sincere pleading prayer I've probably said in a long time, and then we got out and called just about everyone in a panic. A member said he was on his way to help us out, but it would take about 40 minutes or more. So I grabbed my bag and started heading up the road. "We might as well!" We both laughed sadly and nervously at the sight of our stuck car and we started walking through the sludge. 
We arrived at the front door, covered in mud, my hair frizzy from the rain, and we knocked. We asked for Betty. Betty came. And Betty told us her story. She's been taught all the lessons in Gilbert, and then she moved here. She wants to be baptized. We set up a return appointment, got her a ride to church, and walked back in the sludge to our car. The member arrived: a short little man resembling the father from Beauty and the Beast with a high nasely voice. He instructed Sister Jeffrey on how to "pull forward, back up, pull forward, back up, turn the wheel, pull forward, back up!" over and over until the car started to move. I noticed it was moving a few more feet and I started cheering. He kept instructing her. He pushed the car forward and back as she drove. Soon I was laughing with excitement. Sister Jeffrey's worried face turned to a grin.

The cute little man kept helping us until we were just about out and he yelled "Floor it!" And she sure did. She floored it right out of the mud. His hands were on the back of the car pushing it, so he immediately fell face first in a pile of mud and I ran to him exclaiming "BROTHER SMITH! YOU ARE WONDERFUL!" 
I then backed her out for what felt like half a mile until we were on a main road, and we rode off in our mud covered car. I have never been so happy for the service of a member. I have never been so happy to contact a referral. I have never been so grateful for a God who gets us out of the mud, even when we were the ones who made all the wrong turns. Our car has been filthy ever since despite our attempt to get the mud off. We'll be heading to a carwash today. And we'll be meeting with the new investigator tomorrow. God is good, and I'm so sure he was laughing at the two of us stressed out in the mud. 
I love you all so very much, though I am disappointed at the lack of mail this week. Come on! 
Not a single letter from anyone! Very sad week at the mailbox. I miss you all, it's hard being away for the holidays, but I am grateful to be doing the most important work that there is to do. It really is a great and marvelous (and sometimes muddy) work. 

- Sister Valdez