Transfer 14 Week 1

Well, what can I say? I've had a great week, a great transfer, a great 18 months. I've gained a testimony of the relationship of goals and plans. This week we nearly hit all of our goals, and it's the closest I've come to doing that in a while. I've realized how important it is to set goals by the spirit and then do everything in my power to accomplish them. I hope to apply that to the goals I've set upon returning home.
We had exchanges with Flora Vista. They are such wonderful sisters and I'm excited for Sister Knowles to be transferred to Page. She's going to do amazing work with Sister Navarro. They are both hard workers and strong teachers.
On exchanges I was grateful that the Lord offered me an opportunity to testify of things I am wanting to grow a testimony of. Some of the sisters concerns were things that had been weighing heavy on my own mind. I was able to share with them the bud of a testimony I was trying to grow for myself. And as I said them with confidence and conviction, I started to believe it. I am so grateful for all the Lord has taught me as I've been blessed enough to serve these phenomenal sisters. They have changed my mission. They have changed me. And I am so blessed to have had this calling. The Lord has taught me the most when I've chosen to lose myself. I can study all I want for my own benefit, but the moment I decide to have someone else in mind, I find so many more answers.
The best thing we did as a companionship this week was talk to absolutely everyone. Everyone in sight. Not a person could get past us. Sister Navarro is a powerhouse and once we decided as a companionship that talking to everyone was our goal, we accomplished it. The great miracle we saw was at a doorstep with a girl named Brittney. We shared with her about the Book of Mormon and found out that she has one already. We asked if she had met with missionaries before and she has. I felt prompted to invite her to be baptized and she accepted. We have an appointment to go and see her and I'm excited to find out how it all goes.
Another miracle is the peace God has granted me. Every once in a while someone at dinner will ask how long I have left and my companions will tell them how many days and my stomach will drop a bit. But every time the anxiety starts to build up, I am filled with an overwhelming peace. It's similar to the feeling I had when preparing for a mission. First of all, it didn't all seem real. If I thought about it for more then a few minutes, the anxiety would build. And then the spirit would come, and I knew I was going in the right direction. I have peace. This week a drunk man shared a scripture with us. It was Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." I trust that promise.  And my heart is so full of gratitude. I empathize with the words in 1 Timothy 1:12 -"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;"

I am grateful for God allowing me to be a part of this great work. I am grateful for Christ who, by some miracle, counted me worthy to witness so many of his miracles these past 18 months. His power truly is enabling. He has carried me through the past 20 years and I trust He will carry me still.

I am inspired by the words of Paul in Philippians:

 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Elder Holland quotes those scriptures in his BYU speech Remember Lot's Wife, and adds some insight of his own:

"We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives" 

I am excited for all that lays ahead. I know there are good things to come. I look forward to pinching everyone and hearing about all the wonderful things that have gone on at home. I love you all and am so grateful for the love and support you've given me for the past 18 months. You have been angels lifting me up. And I have missed you all so much.

See you soon!

Sister Valdez

This week Sister Steele was sitting in her chair minding her own business when the leg completely BENT because she was LEANING BACK IN IT (this is why your parents tell you not to do this) and she screamed and fell and was adorable smiling next to it so I took a picture.

Also it rained.

Also we found the best intersection: san fran & Valdez

And finally a picture of Sister Navarro awaiting transfer news.

Sister Steele has been called as a Sister Training Leader! She will do such wonderful things for this mission, just has her example of love, patience, and diligence has done wonderful things for me this past 6 weeks.

Transfer 13 Week 6

The week was very wonderful. I am loving the work here in Page. Sister Steele and Navarro are good about helping me get my mind off the anxieties of going home. We had exchanges this week with Farmington and it was so good. It got me pumped for the work all over again. It was great to talk to Sister Johnson about all the strange emotions I'm having lately. She gets it.
"I don't worry about you at all." She told me. It means a lot to hear that from another missionary. I've had so many doubts lately. But I've realized too that I've been too inward. With the anxiety of going home, my focus has started to shift to myself. And exchanges have been so great for getting away from that. Studying for exchanges is one of the biggest blessings of having them. The best is when the sisters give me a topic of what they want to work on. So much insight comes for me, for the area I serve in, and for the exchanges themselves.
For exchange forms with Sister Te'o, we discussed Charity. Something that hit me as I studied this week is that charity comes from unity with the Lord. Pure love is something only He knows and comprehends. And so it is something only He can give. When studying for Sister Johnson, not a whole lot came to me. I had a few thoughts and things I wanted to share during training, but nothing in particular.
When it came time to do the exchange forms we sat down and I asked her to train me on what they learned at their Zone Training. Farmington zone sounds like they had an amazing zone training, by the way. It really impacted both Sisters and they talked about it a lot. So Sister Johnson shared with me about diligence, and about consecration. She grabbed a whiteboard and went at it. I learned so much, and through her little bit of training I was able to receive answers for things I've had concerns about. It's amazing how when I finally stopped focusing on myself, the answers I was looking for came. And that's just how it is. The concept of "losing yourself" doesn't make sense until you put it into practice. And then everything falls into place.
It was so good to talk to everyone at home for Mother's Day! And somehow it gave me more focus on the work. The family is such a great reminder of why I'm out here. We've enjoyed so many blessings from having the restored gospel to teach us as a family, and I want that for everyone. We're so far from perfect, but we are nothing short of happy.
I was also glad to see all the great improvements made in the companionship since exchanges. Sister Te'o is phenomenal at building up leaders. Through the exchange she offered me such sincere heartfelt compliments. When the exchange was over, the three of us sat in the car and asked each other how it was. "Sister Te'o made me feel on top of the world." was the first comment made. We all agreed. She made me feel like I could do anything. She made me feel like I was the best missionary she's ever talked to. And I could tell that she meant what she said. It's amazing what sincere praise can do. We think many good things about each other, but do we say them? Since exchanges I can tell we, as a companionship, have all been making more of an effort to vocalize those thoughts. Before bedtime on Wednesday night, Sister Navarro told all of us the wonderful things she noticed that we did that day. I noticed even the difference it made in our confidence in lessons.
We went to teach Kevin after the Farmington sisters had left. We had discussed that day in 12 week studies how maybe what he needed to hear was just the simple truth: God loves him and knows him personally. We talked about how we might tie that into the ten commandments lesson we'd be teaching that evening. And during that lesson, I felt the spirit so strong as my companions testified of a Father in Heaven who loves us enough to give us commandments. And to be honest, I don't quite know if Kevin felt it. But I felt it. Sister Navarro and Sister Steele have such powerful testimonies. And sometimes even in lessons, we still have that fear of sharing. But in that lesson, they opened their hearts and shared with power and authority the simple truth that they knew to be true. I don't know how anyone could've left that living room not edified and uplifted. The spirit was strong. The love and praise we shared with each other built up our confidence. The confidence allowed fear to depart and the spirit to come in.
I hope I can carry that home, the ability to build each other up. I hope to surround myself with friends who make me feel like my companions have- uplifted, supported, and loved. 

We're still teaching like crazy and I'm still fighting some sinus problems. The members have been stepping up to plate and going out on splits with us. This week in one of our wards we had a member at every single lesson we taught! It was amazing, and the members add so much power to our lessons. 

After skyping on Sunday we went and saw a baptism for a little girl named Nizhonii. Her mom is less active, but she often stays with an active family and we've been teaching her prepping her for baptism. She is the sweetest little thing. At her baptism the spirit was so strong. Sometimes we fail to use that reverent time during the prelude or interlude. But this family understood the sacredness of the ordinance just performed. The spirit was there as we sat waiting for her to change and come out of the dressing room. And in that small moment, I was taught a lot through the spirit. I thought of covenants. And what a blessing they are. They put us under strong obligation to keep commitments. It sounds a little bit restrictive, right? But it is truly the greatest blessing in my life to know that I have made those promises to the Lord. It gives me more of a sense of commitment to live right, to make right choices. At times when I've had opportunities to do something stupid, the spirit reminds me of the promises I've made. Especially the promises made within the temple. I can't describe the strength they've given me throughout my mission. I don't take those promises lightly. They help me live a higher life. They bind me to a loving Father in Heaven. Keeping them ensures peace in this life and salvation in the life to come. The covenants I've made mean the world to me. And at this time, preparing to go home, they give me peace. I know I have the strength to keep the promises I've made. And if I keep the promises I've made, I know the Lord will keep me under his constant care. And those promises set me apart. 

To be Holy is to be set apart for a higher purpose, made sacred or special. That's what makes us saints. It's not just that we've been baptized, but that we allow those covenants to set us apart.

I love you all more than anything,

I miss you and will see you all very soon. 

- Sister Valdez

My great companions

and me plucking Sister Steele's eyebrows

(she had overplucked them in the past but we are now working together to grow them out while not letting her look like a unibrowed neanderthal. Also today we are buying hair dye.)

Transfer 13 Week 5

The work is going great here in Page.
We taught our investigator Kevin this week, the Law of Chastity! It was great because me and Sister Navarro were both really sick, but really felt like we needed to tough it through the lesson. And it was a really good one. We taught the Law of Chastity and all of those fun points, and then asked Kevin how he's been doing searching for his answer to know whether or not the church is true. He said he's still searching. But he prays and doesn't feel anything. He knows the spirit and how it should feel to get an answer. So I flipped open to Moroni 10 and we talked about real intent. We have to be willing to do whatever it is God tells us. We have to be ready to abandon all fears, all doubts, and all reservations and move forward. We held the lesson at a members house and the next day she shared her testimony of "real intent" in sacrament meeting.
I went on mini exchanges with Flora Vista this week and was able to learn a lot from them. Those sisters are working so hard and accomplishing so much. Their diligence and motivation inspires me. I'm trying to learn a lot about planning while I can. Planning has never been my strong suit. But I need it to be. If I'm going to get anything done in life, I need to make a plan and learn to accomplish it. I wonder if planning applies the same way in regular life like it does in missionary work. When we plan where we will be, God is able to place those in our path who are ready. So, if I plan out my regular days, will God also provide those I need to uplift and interact with? Hopefully.
The cutest thing that happened this week is we got coldstone for Sister Steele on Monday in Farmington. She's adorable when she's happy, I just love her. In other Sister Steele news, we are trying to convince her to go brunette. Brown is beautiful.

The funniest thing that happened was we went to teach a very Native family. We came in and the young man about 18 was sewing an outfit for a hoop dance. The 11 year old was practicing his hoop dance and his younger sibling said "I do the grass dance!". The younger boy was summoned by his Navajo name, and then we started the lesson. Halfway through the dad gasps, points at the floor under his chair. His son reached down to pull out what he had stepped on: A stale piece of frybread! We all laughed. They are a less active family with a couple of recently baptized sons. They're always busy with their dancing and fundraising to help one of their boys, Tony, who recently tore his ACL. Sister Steele was on splits with a member, so it was just me and Sister Navarro. We had a great time teaching this family and when we were going to set up another appointment, the mom started to seem a little flaky. Gave us the "oh... We're just so busy..." The 18 year old son said "Mom, why don't we just set a time and work our schedule around it?" She nodded. "Same time next week?" He asked. We wrote it down. "Any reading assignments for us to do before then?" I thought my jaw was going to hit the floor. Do you know how many teenagers care enough to take the initiative? It was so great to see a noble youth who cared about these sort of things. And he's a leader in his family. The youth here in Page are amazing in general. Each generation is just so valiant. I hated when people said that to the youth when I was a youth. But I see it now. It's admirable. 

I love you all more than anything ever. 

Deep picture of my reflection

Sister Steele is going brunette whether she wants to or not

and Sister Navarro

Transfer 13 Week 4

Picture of us holding the 1st edition of the BOM signed by Joseph Smith belonging to Porter Rockwell!!!!!!!!!! SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A member showed it to us along with Porters gun. It was bought at an auction probably for big money.

Transfer 13 Week 3

Zone conference! First of all we did our musical number and I jacked up the melody line like three times. That's okay I'll forgive myself. And for my last Sunday, they've asked us to play the same musical number in sacrament meeting cause the music director heard us playing. 

We taught Kevin and felt prompted to just read with him wherever he was. I was surprised because he's really smart and logical and yet he struggled with some simple words. We read from the chapter he was working on: 2 Nephi 9. Some of those verses were just perfect. Kevin wants answers. And he wants them to be solid. Because he's a smart guy. And we read "to be learned is good, if you hearken unto the counsels of God". It was just perfect. We tried to discuss those parts a lot. His closing prayer was less rote, and more sincere. "Bless these wonderful sisters as they go out and help people like me find the truth"

We also taught a new family, less active mom, Catholic dad, and two young boys who know little about either religion. One is high school age, the other is 11. The 11 year old reminded me so much of Eduardo. A little easily distracted. But so sweet and sincere. Full of questions and smiles. We had invited him to ask God if the Book of Mormon is true. He said "I wanted to, but... how do I ask?" We taught him about prayer. He had read the pamphlet and told us what he knew about the Holy Ghost. "Isn't is kind of like... God's..... spirit...?" The best of all was the Catholic father. He said nodding and listening. And at the end we invtied him to do the same as his sons, to ask God if these things were true and to be prepared to act on that answer by being baptized. We had invtied him in the first lesson, but he quickly said no. This time he looked at the ground and silently nodded. "I think so." He said. I was exstatic. His heart is being softened.

My miracle this week was this morning in personal study. I was studying trying to get ready for exchanges in Flora Vista. I read in Jesus the Christ how one of the disciples asks if he can see the Father, and Christ basically says: if you know me, you know the Father. Him and the Father are indistinguishable. To know one is to know the other. Because everything Christ did was what God would've done if He were there in the flesh. Likewise as disciples of Christ we are to stand in Christ's place. To do all that He did. To say what He said. And to be as much like him as we can until we are almost indistinguishable. So in that way, to know me should be to know Christ. To know me should be to know God. Becuase I should be doing His will in all things. That brought me to 3 Nephi chapter 27: 

"I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me." 

I should be able to say the same.

And then I realized something else, the Savior asks me to give up my will, to give up my heart, to give up my all. (3 Nephi 9 "ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.") And yet, He never asks me to give up any more than He did. In fact, in many ways I will never give as much as He did. But He gave His whole heart to God, every act, every thought, and His complete will. This means I'm not alone in this attempt to sacrafice my all to God. Sometimes I think of Christ as this coach, yelling from the sidelines. Or I think of Him standing as a champion- a shining example to the rest of us still fighting. But He's more than that. He's more than a cheerleader or a role-model. Because He's there. He doesn't just cheer from the sidelines, He is with me with every step. And that's what he means by "take my yoke upon you". He's asking me to walk side by side. Not just in his footsteps scrambling behind Him. But He has promised that He will be with me. He's not done working, not done fighting, He's with me until the end. He doesn't just watch, He lifts, He comforts, He runs to aid, He carries me, strengthens me; He is there. 

So my goal is to become like Him, which involves a lot of sub-goals. It takes a lot of repentance. And it'll take a whole lot more time. But I can know that I will stand shoulder to shoulder with Him. And that, with Him, it is possible.

I love you all beyond belief. 

Miss you lots,

see you soon.

Sister Valdez

My new planner cover

I was showing Sister Navarro what my hair used to look like in high school

and Sister Navarro ate an ice cream cake by herself. it was horrifying to watch