Funny story. Someone asked where I wanted to get
transferred to and I said, "I've always wanted to die on the coast, so I
hope I get sent there," and they said something about going to Biloxi
or Waveland, both areas I've heard other sisters tell me about. My
district leader asked where I wanted to go, I said my money's on Texas
or the coast, he's like, Yeah I could see you going to like....
Waveland. Boom. After I got the call, I texted my DL to inform him
that he's a visionary man.
Everyone told me serving on the coast was going to
be way different. They were 100% right. The people here are a lot more
diverse. There's more laidback folks, more young folks, and more New
Orleans accents (which are crazy, it's like Northeastern/Eastcoastern
almost). We met an older lady who was Buddhist who let us come in off
her porch when the rain started randomly comin down in buckets, and
asked us questions . People build their houses on stilts here, which
protect from floods, but not from hurricanes. When they talk about
recent history, it's all either "before the storm" or "after the storm,"
referring to Katrina. This town got hit pretty bad. There's a bunch
of lots that are just stilts. No houses on 'em. Swept away. Whoosh!
Oh and know what else? There's an ocean breeze. ALL THE TIME. It's
not a cool breeze, but it's a breeze. Makes the 100 degree weather that
much more bearable.
Ya'll ever heard of the sister missionary mall?
It's like a store in Utah. Except guess what. The real sister
missionary mall is the three large bags of clothes I found in my
apartment that past sister missionaries left behind. I now have three
new outfits and didn't pay a cent. What's better, there's a sewing
machine a member left at our apartment, so I can alter them all to my
size. Best thing. Also, a young couple in the ward live in the
apartment adjacent to us, so they're now our adopted mom and dad.
Sometimes we go over when we come in for the night and they give us
cookies. We were told that our apartments were connected by the attic,
but a quick experiment last night involving a cooler, a chair, an
ottoman and a Sister Rocha stacked on top of each other revealed that
our attics are not, in fact, connected. We would have used a ladder if
we had one.
We sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth" with the
young women in sacrament meeting yesterday. A missionary was giving his
farewell talk. It was really awesome, because we four sisters
missionaries in the bunch were all singing "we will be the Lord's
missionaries" and then it hits us - we ARE the Lord's missionaries.
We're bringing the world His truth. Right here, right now. Also, I
have an awesome district. There's Sister Borja from Paraguay, Elder Ah
Ching the Samoan greenie (from Utah), and me! To mix it up. Give it
some color. Some cultural diversity. And then Elder Eidson, a hoot,
Sister Tebbs, adorable, and Sister Rocha, my cool companion. There was
an instant spirit of love and unity I felt in our first district
meeting, that was a huge relief. Super grateful for that. It's great
to not feel alone.
We did a lot of teaching this week. We were super
blessed. There are more open people here, some of them "compelled to be
humble" but not all of them. Some are just of normal circumstance and
with normal understanding, which is great. I love when they understand
what we teach. One was one night when we were walking through some
apartments we stopped a young guy who sat down in the gazebo with us and
let us share the Restoration. His friend came over, pale dude with
long black hair that I'd initially mistaken for a chick, and listened
in. They both said they wanted to come to church with us, but didn't
show so maybe they just listened to us because we're young and
attractive. Hate when that happens. Regardless, it was a good lesson.
Even better was yesterday, we stopped at a house of a woman we found
and she told us she'd invited us back because our timing had to be by
divine intervention. She's searching. Booyah. She received the first
lesson very well, despite all the interruptions by her two sons. One of
them, cutest boy I've ever seen in my life, kept coming up behind
Sister Rocha and I, playing with our hair, whispering in her ear,
touching my arm - at one point, he came up to me holding out his hand.
"What's that?" I ask. "My hand." "What does it want?" "Can you hold
it?" Sister R and his mother both think he's got the hots for me. As
we were leaving, he told us not to leave without him, he had to go pack
his bags because he's coming with us. My heart has been stolen by a
four year old.
Also, a bunch of little girls who flocked over to us
in the ghetto one day started combing my hair with their fingers and
telling me it was tangled. I think I could solve this problem if I do
like them and get my hair did in braids or cornrows. It would never be
tangled again. These same girls asked to have my water bottle and
started cat-fighting over a picture of Jesus we gave them. I love
children.
Love has been my big theme lately. During the
diligence phase, it was "be industrious." Now in my charity phase, it's
"love like mad." Heavenly Father has helped me re-ignite my zeal by
sending me to this fresh new area, and sent plenty of people to love in
the five days I've been here. It's the best.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
Love is what gives my purpose a purpose. What gives my words
validity. It gives me a reason to truck on while the sun is high and
hot, and a reason to smile when the day is over. Because the things we
do for love are never lost on us. This is a "labor of love," as Paul
calls it. If I didn't love them, I wouldn't be causing these awkward
experiences at their front doors. I wouldn't be interrupting their long
winded stories to call them to repentance. What's funny is, it's not a
natural love. It's a gift that is given, but you do have to work for
it. I have no reason to have such unreasonable regard for these
strangers, save that I know our Savior DOES have that for them, and for
me, for all of us, and as His representative, I cannot do His work if I
don't pray for a heart full of charity. Because all things must fail.
But charity doesn't.
Sincerely,
Sister Valdez
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