This week. Man. Blessings and sad things!

Hola Amigos!

This week. Man. Blessings and sad things!

We found eleven new investigators and more than half we found by
Wednesday! To find a new investigator, we have to teach one lesson and
set up a time to come back. Usually we only find about four new
investigators in a week, so we are pumped!

By the end of the week, our area about doubled in size. A sister went
home, her area was added to ours, and her companion is with us! We are
in a trio, and I'm super excited to see what happens. We get along
well and know how to make the most of missionary work!

I don't remember if I have mentioned this before, but it has been
raining like crazy here in the valley. One neighborhood where we have
a few people we are teaching floods! Sometimes we brave it and drive
through. Sometimes our car turns into a boat for a few seconds. We
probably don't do it very often.

Oh! Schedule changes! We have to workout at least 0.5 hrs, have a
personal study for 1 hr, and plan for 0.5 hrs in the morning from
6:30-10:00a. The rest of the time we can get ready, workout more, eat,
study more, etc. We proselyte afterwards until 9:00p. Between 10:00a
and 9:00p we have to have a companionship study for 0.5-1 hrs, have a
language study for 0.5-1 hrs, eat lunch for 0.5 hrs, and eat dinner
for 1 hr. They emphasized writing in a journal when we return home. On
p day, we have 0.5 hrs personal study and plan for 0.5 hrs. P day
starts at 8:00a and ends at 6:00p.

Also, we are only measuring four indicators: baptized/confirmed, on
date, sacrament meeting attendance, and new investigators.

1. Sometimes you just have to laugh
2. The road was way too flooded!

On the way to shake Elder Oaks' hand!

This week was pretty interesting. I caught a cold! This is what
happens when it rains too much in the desert...and when you teach
someone outside in the rain.

We found a family to teach and were finally able to have a lesson with
them! Herminio and his mom are too funny and nice. We taught them
about Jesus Christ's ministry on the earth, about prophets, and about
the Book of Mormon--basically the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus
Christ--and they liked it! They knew it was true! We'll see if they
come to church. I'm hopeful.

I know that we have a prophet on the earth today. I also know that
Christ organized His church, and the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints is that church, restored to the earth by a prophet
who was called of God. That means the church is organized the same
way: a prophet, apostles, seventies, etc. On Saturday, Elder Dallin H.
Oaks, a member of the quorum of the Twelve, and Elder Lance B. Wickman
visited our mission! All of the missionaries met at a church building
in the valley to listen to Elder Oaks speak. We even had the
opportunity to ask questions. It was neat! I'm grateful that he came:
he suggested a few things to improve our teaching which we are going
to start doing!

A few weeks ago we found Yadira. At the beginning of the week, we
finally had a lesson with her, and we've gone back twice more! She is
timid and doesn't comment much even when we ask questions, so we are
taking things slow to make sure she understands what we teach. I'm
excited for her, though. She is already opening up a little more than
the first time we met her.

Last week, we playing a few fun games with the relief society. I
wasn't doing well, so I wasn't planning on participating, but they
needed me to help for one activity...

1. When the sunlight always find your face, even in buildings. We had
to move our table twice during zone conference, and we finally just
moved to a different table.

2. There's the sunlight again!

3. On the way to shake Elder Oaks' hand!

4. Mission picture with Elder Oaks and Elder Wickman (I'm just to the
right of center)

Hasta Luego!

Hermana Valentine

 

 

She's so old now.

Hola Amigos!

This week I was sick, so not a whole bunch of missionary work
happened. We did put an English investigator on baptismal date, but
then we gave her to an English congregation. Now we just need our
Spanish investigators to want to be baptized.

I'm staying in paradise valley with my trainee! She's so old now.

Hasta luego!
Hermana Valentine

1) Zone training meeting.
2) Sometimes people make memes and send them to me.

The past two weeks have been full of holiday cheer.

Hola Amigos!

The past two weeks have been full of holiday cheer. We invited people
to Christmas lights, knocked on doors in the rain, caroled in nursing
homes, and almost had a baptism. Enjoy these pictures and please still
like me even though I haven't been sending great updates!

1. Church Christmas fiesta
2. Singing through the halls: in Spanish and in English
3, 4. Tamales for Christmas!
5. Snow in the mountains! Sister Smith and I drove up for a meeting.
6. Sister Fairbourne and I celebrating the new year
7. Sister Fairholm and I celebrating the new year
8. This is Leona. She moved to Missouri right after I was transferred
out of Mesa, and she was baptized in Missouri! Just like me!

Hasta Luego!
Hermana Valentine