tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76945994668949044712024-03-12T21:11:30.619-07:00The Marvelous Work in MississippiSister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-75607901180046690292015-02-10T14:55:00.000-08:002015-02-10T14:55:03.576-08:00Week 80: The Good Fight<br />
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Well. This is it. How surreal. Yesterday was one of the greatest days of my mission, and probably my life. It was a perfect ending to a glorious journey.<div style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">
The whole weekend was stellar actually. I spoke in sacrament about becoming Christlike, via the two great commandments, loving Heavenly Father and loving one another. I hugged everyone goodbye, got my pictures, and everyone had kind things to say, thanking me for my service (and trying to predict my date of engagement, but we won't talk about that.) Yesterday, I guess I should have spent the day packing, but there were too many people to see. We taught three lessons instead. We visited an investigator at the hospital, about the reality of the Resurrection through Jesus Christ. Her poor health and tired body will be so relieved when that day comes. We visited a member of the ward in the same hospital, and sang to her : Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing. Words that have always been near to my heart. "Here's my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." We taught her about the Atonement and repentance.</div>
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This whole last week, we had many opportunities to testify specifically about the Savior and His Atonement. Either that, or I took every chance I could to testify of such things. My daily experiences have never been so joyful or fulfilling. We dropped our young agnostic on a mutual understanding that maybe this just wasn't the right time for him. But we testified of the Plan of Salvation, of a God who loves him, and made him promise to look up the missionaries when that day does come that his heart yearns again to know his Maker. We taught twice more the woman who's working on being baptized, and she receives our message of the Plan of Salvation like a child would - eagerly and gratefully. She told us she feels so good after our lessons, like she doesn't have any worries anymore, and I wanted to shout for joy. That's the Spirit!</div>
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Anyway, we finished yesterday at Lonnie's, and Junior was there! Back from the dead! We leapt on the opportunity to teach him again, asked him about baptism again, how we do it to follow Jesus Christ, and how the Father promises us the Holy Ghost. For a moment I remembered what it was like to be seventeen as Junior pondered how such a gift could help him in his life. "I know I want to be baptized," he said. "I'm just not sure when." He's on his way. I have no doubt. He knows Jesus died for him, and that's enough to get him started. To top it off, we had dinner with K-dog who is already planning to see me next winter when he goes through the temple for the first time in Salt Lake City. That's all a missionary ever wants to hear from their converts. That their conversion is deep and will last. So maybe I didn't get completely packed until 3:00 this morning and am currently running on two hours of sleep, but it's alright. I wouldn't trade it for nothing. </div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="7" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #0091bc; cursor: pointer; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25.2000007629395px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.2000007629395px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7 </span><span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">I have fought a good </span><span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">fight</span><span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">, I have </span><span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">finished</span><span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"> </span><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; line-height: 25.2000007629395px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my</span><span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"> course, I have kept the faith: [2 Tim 4]</span></div>
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I'd been praying for a feeling of peace when I reached the end and the Lord granted it. He led me through the wilderness. He chose me out of the furnace of afflictions. He worked miracles before my eyes in the lives of others and in my own.</div>
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<span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.2000007629395px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">20 </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">My God hath been my</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">support; he hath led me through mine afflictions</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333; font-family: Palatino, Pahoran, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.</span></div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="21" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #0091bc; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 25.5599994659424px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 25.5599994659424px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">21 </span>He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;">My bags are packed. My heart is full. I'm ready for the next adventure. I love my Heavenly Father, I love my Savior, I know they live. I love you all so much and can't wait to see you. All is well.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;">Sincerely,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;">Sister Valdez</span></div>
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-86341205415296864842015-02-10T14:53:00.001-08:002015-02-10T14:53:43.292-08:00Week 79:Glory In It<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">
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So you know how oftentimes people talk about how God never answers when you want or in the way you want? Well that may be true. But still, there are other times where he does. Just in time, and just how you had hoped. It's rare, but it happens. <br style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" /></div>
Nearing the end here, I've had occasion to bring up in my prayers a sentiment like unto the following: "I'm super grateful for the success I've been given and the miracles that have occurred, and I don't need to have one more progressing investigator to feel successful..... but like, if it be Thy will, I'd really really like one. If it's already in Thy plan, that is, I would enjoy and appreciate very much to help just one more person." I expressed this a couple of times. And then I kind of left it alone and kept on working. Then guess what happened. Guess! So we'd decided to drive up to the boonies of our area, far from everything, to visit the address of a woman who we thought had moved into our ward and we'd met once. What we didn't know was that by now, she'd already moved back to where she came from in Waveland ward. So we get to this address and meet her mother, who lives there, and knowing better than to pass up an opportunity, asked if she'd like to hear our message sometime. She accepted, and though we didn't think it very promising, we returned two weeks later. And what does she tell us before we even start the lesson? That she wants to be baptized. UM OK WOW WELL I MEAN DON'T LET US PUSH YOU OR ANYTHING. It was amazing. She's a very humble woman, of humble understanding and circumstance, but what she does understand is that she needs to change her life if she wants it to get better and she needs to do what's right if she wants God's help. Because of her daughter's example, who is a recent convert herself, she has a lot of trust that this church is going to help her do just that. February 28, she's due to enter covenant waters. She can't read well, so we gave her a set of Book of Mormon on CD. We called and got her a ride to church, and she came! And stayed all three hours, even with a squirming grandson who didn't leave her side. When asked how she liked it, she said "It was wonderful." The Spirit was there, so it was. The blessings don't stop there. A woman we've been working with for a few months now finally came to church with us - why? Because my companion called and woke her up and said come, so she came. What's more, it was fast and testimony meeting and I went up to testify, praying for the Spirit to help me do articulate justice to the testimony the Lord has helped me develop these past 18 months. It did. And two of our investigators got to hear it. Majorus blessing. I love these women so much.<br style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">I think my companion will be okay without me. (Whenever we talk about... the end... we talk about what will happen when I "transfer to Hattiesberg" so that's the story we're sticking with, probs until my plane lands. I don't imagine it will seem real until then.) We had a specialized training meeting that day for trainers and new missionaries, and I turned to her randomly and said "I trust you with our area" and she almost cried. So I think that might have been significant to her maybe. I also had my final interview with President McDonough, and it was very chill, nothing to be nervous about, though Sister Creager and I were shaking in our boots. Why? I'm not sure. We expected some grand dramatic moment, some profoundly sage advice, but it was pretty low key. At the same time, his simple advice was very significant and profound to the receiver. He told me I've done very well. And that he and Sister McDonough will love and remember me forever. And that was what I needed. Sister Creager and I went on our both of our last exchanges ever, and it was with each other - meant to be - and talked a lot about our missions and what we've learned and what the future holds (in between dragging our shoes on the gravel as we walked so they'll be more indicative of all the hard work we done). We both have had occasion to wonder if anyone will remember us. We both worry that we'll be able to keep up our spiritual health when it's no longer the entire and full focus of our existence. But we both have strong, faithful families to return to. We both have a sense of peace about all the work we have done, and a hope that many of these changes we've made will be permanent. And we have each other. Friends in the gospel are of the greatest gifts we have on earth.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;"><br style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" /></i><br />
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<i style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="14b4bdc0c77725c4_6" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">6 </span>Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="14b4bdc0c77725c4_7" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">7 </span>And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4]</i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">9</i><span style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;"><i style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">. I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. [Alma 29]</i></span></div>
Enough said.</div>
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Sincerely,<br style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" />Sister Valdez<br style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" /><br style="line-height: 21.3000011444092px;" /></div>
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1. After church</div>
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2. How we actually look at doors</div>
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3. Best friends forever</div>
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4. Doggie in a ditch</div>
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-11531965787069998732015-01-26T15:29:00.002-08:002015-01-26T15:29:18.902-08:00Week 77 & 78: Love 'Em and Leave "Em Rain tracting<br />
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We find weird things in ditches. Like hogheads.<br />
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Street beads<br />
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Our fave lil friend found the baby in the king cake!<br />
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So here's the week I missed, in a nutshell:<br />
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I figured out that what it's taken for me in the past to feel like a successful missionary, is taking risks. Not like dumb and dangerous risks, but things that I know I should do that are just slightly out of my comfort zone. When I do those things, like trying potentials I'm not sure about, being bold with non-progressers, or tracting apartments after dark, I go home feeling like I did my darndest.<br />
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Some of my mission friends that have gone home send notes to the rest of us still laboring, and say things like "don't worry about rejection! this is the Lord's work!" or "it's gone way too fast, savor every day!" or "getting released is the worst thing ever!" it really helps me to get pumped all over again. Like the dead crying from the grave not to waste the days of your probation, a Scrooge and Marley deal.<br />
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A less active that I've visited just a few times, who said outright that he'd be fine to get a "passing grade" and inherit terrestrial glory (the bacca and the bottle are a hard thing to give up) told us he had promised the senior missionaries who visited that he'd come to church. Reason? They'd helped him provide Christmas for a needy family he wanted to help out. See that? A little love goes a long way.<br />
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We dropped an investigator that, while confessing that he never talks religion with anyone, is hermetic, and doesn't know what compelled him to ask us to return, also admitted that he hadn't prayed about the things we taught because he's comfortable with the non-religion-specific faith he has now, his passive faith of thanking God daily for his blessings and trying to treat others respectfully. You can't change the stubborn and comfortable. It was my companion's first drop experience and quite sad. But had to happen. The only good thing about having experience breaking up with people, is that you find out it's better to nip it right when you know things won't work out, instead of dragging out with a non-committer.<br />
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A less active gave us a bottle of ombre hair highlighting product she'd mixed and wasn't going to use after all. Sister Matealona and I spent an enjoyable evening ombre-ing our hair.<br />
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House used in filming "The Best of Me"<br />
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ombre-ing hair<br />
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Struttin<br />
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A woman opened her door and asked if we could come back another time, when her friend came to the door and asked us to pray for the woman because her husband had recently passed. We prayed right there and they were super impressed. When you pray 10+ times a day, I guess you get pretty good at it. The lady's neighbor, a sixty year old black man, didn't really want to listen to the message we shared, but did ask me to touch his grout-ed thumb so it would heal. Instead of explaining that I don't have the priesthood and also I'm not Jesus, I touched his thumb.<br />
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And here's this week!<br />
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We had a second lesson with an agnostic kid, my age, who's a total hipster. Plays guitar, has a beard, works in a coffee shop. Except he's also super quiet and soft spoken and not sure if there's a God. We thought to ask him last night, "have you any reason to believe there isn't a God?" and he admitted that he did not, and he'd never thought of it that way. But after wholly relying on the Spirit to know what questions to ask, we got him to give us answers more than one sentence long, and found out that he's just never felt like there was something greater outside himself, feels more comfortable placing his focus on things he can see, but if there is a God, he doesn't want to believe until he's felt it. We'd asked him to pray before, which he did, so we read to him Aaron's experience with the Lamanite king in the Book of Mormon, bore testimony that God hears prayers and answers with love, and he said "That's something I want to feel." So we committed him to pray again. Pour your heart out this time. Put yourself out there. Act in faith, and it will come. Sometime. I wish I knew when.<br />
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Same night, we visited Brother R, the nonmember husband that's stubborn as a tick. Last week he'd asked, "So what was it that ya'll used to teach in the 70's about us coming from the stars and returning to the stars when we die?" This week, I had the nerve to tell him not to believe everything your past preachers told you about Mormons because often other people will put us down or teach skewed things to make us look weird and make their teachings look better. Also, we stated that the teaching of the plan of salvation, as we explained it, has not been changed since the doctrine was first established in the early days of the church. Isn't it cool that we can say such things with complete confidence? In the restored church of Jesus Christ, some policies may have adapted over the years according to the Lord's word, but the doctrine has remained 100% unchanged. This same fellow, when asked, told us the reason he doesn't ever make commitments to pray about the things he's learned, or to come to church, or be baptized, is because he doesn't want to be pressured. So we asked, "Do you know why we come?" he first said "Because we feed you" but later said "Because it's your job. You're supposed to convert people." False. We don't get paid for this. We don't get points for every baptism or praise for higher numbers. In the words of Lehi, "I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls." We're here because we love you, ya geezer. To seal our point, I said, "And we would still come even if there was no food."<br />
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To be 100% with ya'll, I would rather have a full schedule of splits with members of the ward, or better, referrals from them, than have meal appointments with them. I love the dinners they make us, they're wonderful and I'm grateful. But if the choice is feed the missionaries or go out with the missionaries, I would rather they choose the latter. Salvation first. Food second. People have a tendency to worry about whether the missionaries get fed, but not having dinner is not what stresses us out. Having investigators not progress, or recent converts go less active due to no fellowship within the ward is what stresses us out.<br />
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In other news, Mardi Gras is everywhere. Purple, green, and gold on everyone's door. Jester hats on the pelican statues in front of the businesses. Yesterday we left an appointment only to get stuck in post-parade traffic, which we wouldn't have known had just happened if it weren't for the fact that the streets were COVERED in beads. I made Sister Matealona get out and grab some off the sidewalk when we stopped at a red. Depicted below.<br />
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You know, you'd think I'd have learned after the whole relationship-before-mission thing that you're in for a world of hurt if you let yourself fall in love right before you leave a place. These two previously mentioned individuals are going to break my heart when I say goodbye. Love em and leave em. It's the worst.<br />
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8. And no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love , having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care. [Doctrine and Covenants 12]<br />
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So really, you're supposed to love em like crazy. So much so that it hurts to leave. But I trust that they will not be forgotten. And lately the endtimes stress has been going down, as the Spirit has been whispering reassurances that the work I did here was not for nothing, that the unseen effects of my efforts are real and eternal. And that's a wonderful thing to feel.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Sister Valdez<br />
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Sushi night<br />
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That pole slipped right before I made it across<br />
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Mardi Gras glasses<br />
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scraping ice is not my favorite thing<br />
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-53699177043971059082015-01-20T12:26:00.002-08:002015-01-20T12:27:20.334-08:00Week 76: Above That of the World<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.5555562973022px; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">
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Remember that one time I wanted my hair trimmed and decided to do it myself over the sink but the problem was I was like three years old so it didn't turn out so great? Yeah well apparently at twenty-three years old, it still doesn't turn out so great because I'm not a professional. The good news is, if I flip em back in a poof and hairspray it, you can't even tell my bangs just got chopped up.</div>
I made notes on a hundred things to tell ya'll about but now not one of them sounds as exciting as it did when it happened. I'll tell ya anyway.</div>
We had this older couple we were so excited to find and start teaching, the ones who invited us to their huge NYE bash at their baptist church. I've made this goal (one of my "sprint to the finish" goals) to not shy away from asking every investigator to be baptized in the first or second lesson. So we did and could tell the husband threw a wall up. At his age, he's not just comfortable in his religion, he's clinging to it because it's a long time tradition for both himself and his family that came before. He'd received us the first time we knocked because he'd been praying for a way to come closer to Christ, for guidance to know what the Lord wanted him to do. And then when we put it in front of him - learn about and unite with the true church - he drew way back. We were bold, as the Spirit directed, in telling him that if we were truly an answer to his prayer, he ought to figure it out by praying about the things we teach instead of immediately writing it off. We're not here just to "fellowship" or do "Bible study", we're here to present restored truth and help you figure out if its the real thing. I even had the nerve to remind him that the reason the Jews completely missed Jesus, the Messiah they had been waiting for, was because of tradition. Because they too had a religious practice that was so ingrained into them, that when present with something new (the fulfilling of the law) they couldn't accept it. I know, right? Boldsauce. I explained to my companion though, that if they are humble enough, they will pray about it and they will receive that confirmation that the restored gospel is true. But only if they're willing to change. 100% dependent on humility level.</div>
As missionaries we do a lot of detailed planning for each day the night before, and then when we go about the day, we adjust plans maybe twenty times depending on what falls through and what area we end up in. One day this week I got this thought - "Actually stick to what you planned this time." I wrote it down so I would remember to do it, and apparently that was a prompting from the Spirit because Sister Matealona had got the same thought that night. So we stuck to our plans and backup plans and had a four-lesson day. That's a rarity. And one of those became a new investigator. Because it was dark, I wouldn't have had the courage to knock on his door at the time we'd planned to, but because we'd committed, we knocked. And he stopped watching Fantastic Four to let us in and listen to our message. If that's not elect, I don't know what is. When we'd first found him, I remember looking in his eyes and seeing something very familiar. He's Guamanian, so I thought he looked like he could be an uncle or a cousin of mine, but beyond that, there was something in his face that just made me like him a lot and want to follow up with him. I got that same feeling about Lonnie when we first met him, and turned out to be golden. Here's hoping it'll happen again!</div>
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We visited the nonmember husband we'd got to quit smoking last week, and in place of his evening glass of tea was a glass of blue powerade. Word of wisdom! It stuck! He even quit the coffee too. Plays it off like he could go back to it whenever he chooses, but we know he's smarter than that. We taught him and his wife the Restoration last night and his wife bore testimony over and over of the blessings of the gospel, and he even admitted that we Latter day Saints all seem to be at ease with ourselves and have this radiance about us. "You can have that too," Sister M pointed out. I then proceeded to open my mouth and have it filled, like the scriptures promise, with things so wise and coherent I know they couldn't have come from my own brain. That was the Spirit speaking. Telling him that he too could have a testimony of the gospel that he's already familiar with if he simply applies it and lives it, just as he did with the stop smoking program. The information is there. We know it will bless your life. But you won't know until you try it. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." I don't know if I'll ever see the end of his story, but he's one of those I feel like I came to Slidell for. Because being up-front with him as been easy as cake since my first week here.</div>
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We got to hear our recent convert K-dog bear his testimony at stake conference this last weekend. That was the first time we'd actually heard him plainly declare that he believes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's restored church, that our doctrine is the true doctrine, that President Monson is a true prophet sent by a loving God. It was the greatest thing. I can leave this place well assured that at least one of my fruits will remain.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.5555562973022px; line-height: 21.3000011444092px;">We had more "right place, right time" moments this week. We caught an older less active sister at home who wasn't going to let us in, but we talked to her on the porch and helped her discover that she hadn't been going to church because all her life she went for other people. And now that her kids are grown, she has to do it for herself, at least as a thank-you to God. We tracted into a woman who was widowed and living alone and having a really hard time with it who just needed a prayer and a hug. It may not have been a typical missionary experience, where we shared the restored gospel and stuff, but it was still work the Lord needed done, a child of His who needed to be ministered to, so what better people to send over to her than the sister missionaries. I'm gonna miss this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="" style="line-height: 25.5599994659424px;">26 </span><span class="" style="line-height: 25.5599994659424px;">And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world. [Enos 1]</span></span></div>
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There's no greater joy in the world than knowing that you're exactly where Heavenly Father wants you to be, doing exactly what He needs you to do. Love you all.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Sister Valdez</div>
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1.Bookmark a member made me</div>
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2.Sunrise over the marshes</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFK1kURne3MigusbxPWCu9Zn2hl9nyZb5okwJTeFR2fXgHiHlGB76BDMrc3ceq8-gaigespwKWBnZ-CGoe0lfy00AKhWZqkH2Bgfy-7-Ug6hWwrHxqCZ7K9YzpSI1kpBmQUchiILw-aA/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFK1kURne3MigusbxPWCu9Zn2hl9nyZb5okwJTeFR2fXgHiHlGB76BDMrc3ceq8-gaigespwKWBnZ-CGoe0lfy00AKhWZqkH2Bgfy-7-Ug6hWwrHxqCZ7K9YzpSI1kpBmQUchiILw-aA/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>3.Sleepy comp<br />
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4.The bangs</div>
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<br />Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-51002719043496945842015-01-20T12:25:00.002-08:002015-01-20T12:25:23.707-08:00Week 75: On The Rise<div>
Time is wearing thin and it's freaking me out a little bit. As in, I don't know what happened to this week. One minute, it's Transfer day, the next minute, it's a week later. GAEQASPODHAL:FHLADFJKsd!#!!!!!! It's okay. Everything is fine.</div>
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We had a better week. Nice that the holidays are over - as much as I love them, the people around here like to party so like holidays get in the way of missionary work. But now things have calmed down and we're buckling down and getting serious. Our recent district meeting was about recommitting to our purpose. I feel like I've gotten more focused on my purpose than ever, or rather since I was a new missionary, now that I'm training. I spend a lot of time and energy trying to teach my companion everything I learned in seventeen months, and it's really helping me focus as much as it's helping her learn. So there's no better way to end a mission than by training a new one, in my opinion. But despite the progress we've made as a district, it's time to bump it up another notch. Which inspired my new theme of the moment: On the rise. Weird how that only is used to describe, like, crime. Crime on the rise. Evil on the rise. Well guess what. Now it's righteousness on the rise. Brought to you by Slidell's full-time missionaries.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We got word that one of our recent converts is wanting to get into visiting teaching, and another may be made assistant to the ward mission leader - that or a ward missionary - very soon. That's what I like to hear. As for Lonnie though - as you heard in my voice recording message - his kiddo Junior is a little bit in a pickle with the law and just not where he was when we were teaching him and everything was great. In my fast yesterday, I was praying that Lonnie's kids would both find their way to the same path he is on. At the moment, that's one of the only things that I can see keeping him on the covenant path. Like I've said before, for so many people I've met, it seems that their family is the biggest motivation for righteousness. Which makes sense. God put us in families for a reason. We're here to help each other be eternal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_a_vciMw0zDhuPJcfJ9MzmsWqfz-G9JKD71eI8NOJ4mr9BGjQ00dVvGjNBRVuFJPSopsXSo-RAfodT8Z01nCsPVinHPiem2r0MJ8NakCVuueZgvxgmnOQ7nVSqYO_a3NhtYjbs04Ni4/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_a_vciMw0zDhuPJcfJ9MzmsWqfz-G9JKD71eI8NOJ4mr9BGjQ00dVvGjNBRVuFJPSopsXSo-RAfodT8Z01nCsPVinHPiem2r0MJ8NakCVuueZgvxgmnOQ7nVSqYO_a3NhtYjbs04Ni4/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>New Year's Eve in this part of town is not the ideal when you're a missionary and you want to go to sleep on time, because this happens to be a state where fireworks are legal and in the ghetto they just don't stop from like 9 to 12, constant popping explosions and zero sleep. Unless your name is Sister Matealona and you clock out the moment you lay down. However, earlier that day a little miracle happened, that shows me how God is truly in the details of our work. If we had been there just a few minutes earlier or later, this exchange may not have occurred. A less active saw us on the street as we were about to start tracting, and stopped us, even stopped her car to get out and talk to us - and this was a woman I'd heard didn't care a bit for the church anymore. But instead, she told us her health had prevented her from having the sisters over in the past and she invited us over for New Year's Day dinner. Apparently black eyed peas and cabbage is well-known tradition, it's supposed to bring good luck for the new year. And her husband who's not really about organized religion at the moment, ended up being really fond of us. Prob because we listened to his stories for 3 1/2 hours. When we finally got a spiritual thought in there at the end, he started talking about looking at the fruits of a religion, like Jesus said to do about prophets, as in what kinda kids you'd want your kids to be friends with, what kind of people you'd trust in business, what kinda guys you'd want your daughters marrying. "Mormons win," he said. "By a long shot." My optimism is taking that as a sign that his effectual door is opening. We just have to jump in before it closes again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Speaking of effectual door. We taught one sister's nonmember husband the stop smoking program last week and he finishes tomorrow. This is the one that has to have coffee every morning and tea every night and swore he'd be homicidal if he had to give up all that plus cigarettes at the same time. Well, so far his wife's still alive and he's six days smoke-free. And I think his heart is being softened and his door is cracking open too. He smiles more than he used to. This guy's on the rise for sure.</div>
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23 Awake, my sons [and daughters]; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.</div>
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Shake it off! Rise up! Do work! All is well, my dear family (and friends). Love you tons.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Sister Valdez</div>
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-12521671814300285342014-12-30T16:09:00.000-08:002014-12-30T16:09:28.146-08:00Week 73 & 74 : Joy To The Worldfamily photo at Zone Conference<br />
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gingerbread houses with the G fam<br />
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pore strips and teeth whiteners 4 funz<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lonnie and his kids at his baptism</td></tr>
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Lonnie was baptized on Saturday! Greatest thing ever. He's the first whom I've been able to find, teach, and baptize (as opposed to doing the first half and leaving, or coming in halfway through the process.) So that was super special for me. When the bishopric member gave the welcome to the ward and asked him how he found the church, Lonnie answered, "Sister Valdez" and I wanted to cry. As usual, there was a unique feeling to the service. The Spirit was there, but the feeling was different from the past few baptisms. It felt so much more like a beginning. Lonnie's two youngest children were there, his 17 year old son and his 19 year old daughter. Neither had ever been to the church before, but both really loved the baptism. Even though it was nearly disastrous - our ward mission leader baptized, and his back gave out mid-dunk and we panicked a moment thinking they were about to drown, but it's cool, he caught them and they both came back up. Didn't even have to repeat it, because the slip had ensured a definite complete immersion. I talked to his son and daughter afterward and both said it was awesome, they'd never seen a baptism not on TV before. Sister Matealona is sure she saw the daughter get moist-eyed when we and two of the elders sang A Child's Prayer. The Holy Spirit of Promise was definitely present. And with it, this exciting hope that this truly was only a beginning - that Lonnie's children would be next to follow his example in taking that step of faith, joining him in the gospel. Operation:Eternalize commenced.<br />
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I had my first experience re-booting a former investigator. We went to see a less active family, who's daughter, never baptized, had previously taken the lessons. We got to talking with her and she opened way up, telling us she feels down all the time and doesn't know how to fix it, she doesn't know what she believes because she only went to church for certain people, it's hard to care about faith when your parents don't, and she doesn't even know if there's a God. First thought, my goodness, past sister missionaries, how did you teach her that long and she never even had a testimony that God is real, like no wonder she stopped progressing. Second thought, I'm so glad I get to be here to help her find that. I've tried praying, she said. Felt nothing. Tried reading the scriptures, still nothing. Have you ever listened to a song, I asked, and felt something? She's a singer. Loves musically. Naturally, yes, she answered. I sent her to Lds.org, youth music. If that stuff doesn't make her feel something.... well, nothing will. It gets better. Her dad who's basically gone anti, goes anti on us, shooting us with questions like "where in the bible does it say you need to go to the temple to go to heaven?" and things of the like and I know better than to contend when my throat feels like a fireball is about to shoot out of it and I kinda "psst! don't say anything!" to my comp who's never been in a bash before, and then this awesome moment where the daughter, who's not even a member but getting equally upset, stands up to her own father and tells him off- er, I mean, defends the faith. States things concerning the importance of baptism and the love of God, among others. It's kind of amazing how you don't know how strongly you really believe something until it's challenged by a straight up hater.<br />
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Tuesday was my last zone conference, where I gave my departing testimony, a moment that you dream about when you first experience as a new missionary the older and wiser missionaries who bear these powerful testimonies and seem like the most experienced and spiritual people in the world. Yeah, I don't feel like that. But I can look back and easily see how far I've come, and how miraculous it is that I've progressed and learned as much as I have. It's tempting to say as an older missionary "I've been out so long and I still don't know anything" or "You'd think I'd figure out what I'm doing by now" - you know, comments of modesty. But for me to say so, I think, would be not giving God enough credit. I don't know everything, it's true. But I've become so much more than I thought I could in so short a time, so much closer to the person Heavenly Father wants me to be, and so much happier and at peace. It's all because of Jesus Christ. That's why He is the gift. As our Redeemer and our Counselor, he is our chance for growth. He is our source of hope. Joy to the world, indeed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsjd7rw1Nc937fNB8Jsg0d2ooKhPeZsCU2nBI0C1DcKk0T_2wUWAhs1YW57vGjLrS17sSP6gIkmXoKCFbrvrb3vv54LkW6F3KW2pESUEU3NNLrMVSBX-9BETi6QEIzQ_vYBSWYBSHpBA/s1600/IMG_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsjd7rw1Nc937fNB8Jsg0d2ooKhPeZsCU2nBI0C1DcKk0T_2wUWAhs1YW57vGjLrS17sSP6gIkmXoKCFbrvrb3vv54LkW6F3KW2pESUEU3NNLrMVSBX-9BETi6QEIzQ_vYBSWYBSHpBA/s1600/IMG_0274.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">delivering cookies<br /></td></tr>
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Christmas eve was wonderful, we baked and delivered cookies and sang Christmas carols. What <br />
you'd typically expect sister missionaries to do. And at dinner, I got my fortune told, or rather, prophesied. Bro G, just as he did for Sister Schulthies, told me how I was going to meet my one and only. Something about a mall, a karaoke machine, and a duet. In other words, he was spot on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxty1gU1tSjaKa1G0Z5g-Mv07IkLb5FSC7AZeJXFWCQIA5l7mr2rWe4A9alMYITHCvjv82xjdXZbNTkhxa3om8OG_xMkx0KBcT9gthTVIuP1ANQNjztC6zbRCHW6AHCrlJyKldwpH6Ww/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxty1gU1tSjaKa1G0Z5g-Mv07IkLb5FSC7AZeJXFWCQIA5l7mr2rWe4A9alMYITHCvjv82xjdXZbNTkhxa3om8OG_xMkx0KBcT9gthTVIuP1ANQNjztC6zbRCHW6AHCrlJyKldwpH6Ww/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>It's now four days later. Christmas was great. Opened presents with the Walkers' little kids, then we six missionaries got to open our boxes from home. Sister M got two huge boxes of chocolate covered macadamia nuts from a secret santa in Utah and nearly exploded with happiness. <br />
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Talking with ya'll was the highlight of my day. My cool realization of the day was that I have the greatest family on earth, like I can't imagine being eternally linked to any group of people better suited to my personality. It's like we planned this or something. We also got to see Sister Tracy, who happened to be having a bummer Christmas and was by herself for the evening - perfect because we needed someone to read Luke 2 with before Christmas was over and we love her and her hyper licky pitbull.<br />
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Brother C, who recently baptized his wife, bore his testimony on Sunday in sunday school, in which he testified that he knows the gospel is true and he's thankful for the missionaries for showing up at his house to get him back into a place he never thought he'd return to. I was rejoicing on the inside. Greatest blessing of being a missionary is seeing evidence that changes you helped people make are becoming permanent.<br />
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At zone conference, I got to sing a duet with the very talented Elder Joseph, a pretty Christmas song called "Peace, Peace, Peace." We hadn't much practice, but it turned out really really nice-sounding (angelic assistance). As I read through the words before we performed, a sweet calm came over me as I took these words to heart:<br />
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"Peace, heavenly peace<br />
Rests on men at His birth<br />
Peace beyond understanding<br />
Gift of God to the earth<br />
Peace shines in our hearts<br />
Bright as the star that shines in the east<br />
To guide us all as we seek<br />
the Prince of Peace, peace, peace"<br />
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Because it's a true thing. Like, no matter what's going on. Whether worthy or struggling, firm or shaky, high or low, pure or penitent, when we seek the Prince of Peace, peace he grants. Every time. If you pray long enough, with real intent, it comes. One of the greatest blessings of serving this mission is having such quick access to that peace, every night at the end of a long workday, when I can pray and be close enough to the Spirit to feel so strongly that I'm being heard. "Peace foretold through the ages, promised peace from on high." There's nothing like it in the world.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Sister Valdez<br />
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Zone Pday at the beach in Gulfport<br />
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District Meeting on Faith in the Work me and Sister M taught<br />
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-37975729442089860182014-12-28T23:11:00.000-08:002014-12-28T23:14:35.900-08:00Week 72: Finding Fruit By Feel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For your listening pleasure, I've attached a song I partly re-wrote. The elders think they can just call me and ask me to learn a song so I can play and sing it for them. Well apparently they can, because I did it. The last two verses you'll notice allude to the Book of Mormon, because I didn't like the originals and wrote up new ones. It's a rough recording, but yknow, it's me. Merry Christmas!<br />
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This week was not what I'd call smooth. More what I'd call "chastening." Both by the Spirit, and by the zone leaders and our mission president. Of course, when the mission president does it, you can't hardly tell because he loves you so much and smiles so much you basically chasten yourself in his presence. What I learned, is that I need to apply more faith in my work. Faith to find when we tract, not just tract for obedience sake. Faith to talk to strangers outside of tracting. Faith to apply principles that are in Preach My Gospel that I failed to continue with just because they didn't work the first time. Faith to not sleep in for five minutes in the morning (for some reason that makes an actual difference.) From the zone leaders however, it was a more direct, "Your numbers last month were terrible, find more people." So yeah. We're recommitted to finding. We know they're out there. We just gotta be more diligent about seeking them out. When you're teaching one or two elect people, it's easy to forget that you need to be replenishing your teaching pool now, not after the baptisms happen and you're like "ok cool now what."<br />
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21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.<br />
22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people. [Mosiah 23]<br />
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11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. [Hebrews 12]<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf3VwMQrmcrzG1PnjmeTVPzm3i01EtJpM0-huWTXC3nK40W18w3vBUjCcE9bGIPQmcvEHqqrZniPheziL5W75J2tTCtOXSgtG-OWlCTyAVJkmcGXMLyIoJQ_cibvnCobMXiTG0IUQ3r8/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf3VwMQrmcrzG1PnjmeTVPzm3i01EtJpM0-huWTXC3nK40W18w3vBUjCcE9bGIPQmcvEHqqrZniPheziL5W75J2tTCtOXSgtG-OWlCTyAVJkmcGXMLyIoJQ_cibvnCobMXiTG0IUQ3r8/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Yeah! Peaceable fruit! So with this new attitude, we found someone this week! Really chill young man who agreed to hear our message out on the front step, since we couldn't go in. He accepted the Book of Mormon with a smile, "Hopefully this will lead me to something fresh and good." He wasn't actually on the street we'd chosen to tract, but on a little court connected to it. Lately, I've felt that our work has been more led by the Spirit, as to where we go. It really helps me feel more at peace while we tract, instead of nervous. Feels like I'm in the right place. And then sometimes there's fruit.<br />
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So either we've become more sensitive to the Spirit's promptings, or I'm simply remembering to listen more often. We listened the other night. Anyone who knows me well knows I run by logic, not by feel. For me, feelings are hard to trust. But since the Spirit so often comes by feelings, I'm learning to trust it. We decided to go visit a sister who comes to church sometimes, when her health allows, and when we got there she told us she'd just gotten out of the hospital the night before and was awaiting two priesthood holders to come give her a blessing. They came a few minutes later, and administered the blessing. She asked us sisters to sing her a Christmas song - she loves Christmas more than anyone I know, has an entire movie case full of Christmas movies and her house is cluttered with holiday decor - so we sang a couple Christmas hymns for her. The room was very still and the feeling very reverent, as the Spirit entered to comfort her. It was very sweet, and especially for us just to know that we'd been led there at the right time. The Lord knows His sheep. Find by feel, and ye shall find.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebTLym0t1zoNVBGR9rgFh3l1FpNzCtIvEWJcAyGP-Pm_XdIHbEW95m8YvgIaABVykW7JD1T6zRFNbBxkBI2NKKbq5gTNj6MEfAe2VKWk2w3UX8UXqZN6EqO45vI8-ZznTkXSgVMa7Awg/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebTLym0t1zoNVBGR9rgFh3l1FpNzCtIvEWJcAyGP-Pm_XdIHbEW95m8YvgIaABVykW7JD1T6zRFNbBxkBI2NKKbq5gTNj6MEfAe2VKWk2w3UX8UXqZN6EqO45vI8-ZznTkXSgVMa7Awg/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>Last night we got to go to the Gulfport Stake Christmas fireside. Made me miss going to the one in Anaheim, hearing Dad sing with the Chorale. In Slidell ward, our choir did our best, probs had angelic help for performance time. I loved being able to sing with them though, got us super ready for Christmas. Every ward choir that performed was made up of mostly, if not all, full time missionaries. I don't know why, we all either sing or learn to on the mission. Part of the calling, I guess. There was an amazing trio, two little boys and their dad who played Jingle Bells and Silver Bells, bluegrass style with guitar, fiddle, and banjo. It was pretty incredible. And then our extremely dignified Stake President, in the middle of his closing remarks, busted out Cajun Night Before Christmas and read it in his best Deep South accent. It's about Santa coming down the bayou on a skiff pulled by alligators with French names. Had the whole stake laughing, esp when he ended saying "I was going to do this two years ago but decided to wait until right before I got released, because what could they do?" I do love our leaders. Our hearts were lightened and the Spirit remained with us as he closed with a testimony of the Savior. Christmas is the best thing ever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF02Ee7iijPIWBeTrv50EGUeh-2IQt2oUBzm_FOYhaXaQZ2GB-uUzMqydGoYWfOHQk-Vej8e7QYg_oglnhZT1aAtG3Jv-OG9o-ZZ4MsHSvNYw-kh3NJHRWaSpIWOT9e0ubCvxhJi7LHaM/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF02Ee7iijPIWBeTrv50EGUeh-2IQt2oUBzm_FOYhaXaQZ2GB-uUzMqydGoYWfOHQk-Vej8e7QYg_oglnhZT1aAtG3Jv-OG9o-ZZ4MsHSvNYw-kh3NJHRWaSpIWOT9e0ubCvxhJi7LHaM/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Speaking of Christmas, I'ma call ya'll on Thursday morning, the 25th, around 9am your time. Then we'll coordinate when to Skype. I was planning on morning, but let me know when Cassie will be on so we can do what we did on Mother's day. I won't be emailing you next Monday because we're foregoing P-day in light of the holiday (part of the whole sacrifice/consecration thing). So await my call :]<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Sister Valdez<br />
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<br />Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-56150500312962685062014-12-28T22:59:00.005-08:002014-12-28T22:59:58.002-08:00Week 70 & 71: Shake HeavenI just want you all to know that I have been working hard - despite the countdown to my death that ya'll betimes remind me of - and the proof is in my shoes. Another piece of the sole just came off as I sit here and the sides are busting open with holes. Just the sight of them fills me with joy and satisfaction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPU7r5hynaxpkepGCWOVE8NCOXSJMusoNlznmCZ4JxT7uX7I-5Dza5yR-MaYjeKeiCJd9FsUo4wi34yOB2yMOT4x052relPf8WuITc-TbdTcygiyaZxNMKk7j94lCRKW5K0_3IDNPY44/s1600/IMG_0279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPU7r5hynaxpkepGCWOVE8NCOXSJMusoNlznmCZ4JxT7uX7I-5Dza5yR-MaYjeKeiCJd9FsUo4wi34yOB2yMOT4x052relPf8WuITc-TbdTcygiyaZxNMKk7j94lCRKW5K0_3IDNPY44/s1600/IMG_0279.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>These last two weeks have been stellar. I told my greenie, "Don't get too excited. This is beginner's luck. Normal missions here involved weeks and weeks of fruitless finding, stagnant investigators, and no-shows at church. Not a baptism your second week and multiple progressing investigators." But in the meantime, I'm letting her bask in the glory that is Slidell, Louisiana.<br />
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Thanksgiving here was a blast. We spent the day raking our ward mission leader's yard (still fit in my jeans, small victory) and partying at Sister W's house (K-dog's mom). There was way more pie than even 12 missionaries could handle (that's six senior missionaries and six of us young'ns). I was assigned to prepare a program, so I played the piano and had the elders sing with us sisters Because I Have Been Given Much, A Child's Prayer, and Silent Night, complete with scripture verses to precede each song. We're not professionals. But the seniors enjoyed it. Sister W and K-dog are like my best friends in the whole world, right now. We called her last night because we wanted to watch the First Presidency Christmas devotional, and she said "Come over!" and she made us hot chocolate because she's the best. The devotional was wonderful, I recommend looking it up on LDS.org if you missed it. It lifted my heart. Come on, Christmas. We ready.<br />
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Sister C's baptism was wonderful. The Holy Spirit of Promise was there to seal it, and I got the feeling that this was just as much, if not more, for her formerly less-active husband who got himself worthy to be ordained a priest so he could baptize his wife. When the bishopric welcomed them into the ward at the end of the service, they both ended up talking about the priesthood, the blessing it is to families, and being worthy at all times. I sensed that Brother C could feel this new responsibility to take his role as spiritual leader of the home and lead his family into the gospel he knew as a child and is bravely returning to. They're going to be eternal. I just know it. #operationeternalize<br />
My trainee was walkin on air all day. First baptism your second Sunday is not even fair, but you know, whatever :] I was happy she got to experience this (so when her time comes to go for months with downpour of disappointment and zero success, she'll remember this and that baptisms are possible and have hope). But then again, with the way this mission is going, this whole "being successful" thing could become the norm. Imagine that. It's come leaps from where it was when I first got here. We as a mission fasted yesterday that we'll reach our mission goal of 300 for the year. That would mean 50 convert baptisms in the month of December. Eesh. We think we can we think we can! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDyRIYAIvIK6Qc_44FnsTfpjfj__Dy8yQfzuycYevxKEsp9Ug7ODpoJi8Uj_sqr-dAKhTqR6AWa0NJ8TVUP4RlUeFTzQq24IioPI0knQ4YmliMbNIyS8EpROTGLUAQSojBBJEADO4mVM/s1600/IMG_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDyRIYAIvIK6Qc_44FnsTfpjfj__Dy8yQfzuycYevxKEsp9Ug7ODpoJi8Uj_sqr-dAKhTqR6AWa0NJ8TVUP4RlUeFTzQq24IioPI0knQ4YmliMbNIyS8EpROTGLUAQSojBBJEADO4mVM/s1600/IMG_0274.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Perks of my new comp: she's had real world experiences. Real world problems. So when we're teaching, say, a woman who's depressed and alone and still grieving the loss of her mother, I'm like "Um, the gospel, it help" but my companion can be like "I know what you're going through" and suddenly what we're teaching is 100% more relevant. Second, she's still got that fire they instill in you at the MTC and is not afraid to boldly ask in the middle of a lesson on the plan of salvation and agency, "Have you been making the right choices?" and this less active sheepishly admits that she should be coming to church instead of making excuses and I'm like - Whoa. That just happened. High five for calling to repentance.<br />
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So cool thing in gospel principles yesterday: the elder teaching is on the subject of missionary work in the millenium, then looks at our two recent converts and says "So you were just baptized, how has missionary work blessed ya'lls lives?" And their replies are basically what you see in the missionary training videos or read about in the Ensign stories. "It gave me a second chance, and I feel great knowing that the past is in the past and I can start again. It's made me excited to share the gospel with others now." "The sisters knocked on my door and I let them in and I don't know why. But they helped me find exactly what I'd been looking for, for me and my family, and that sense of belonging. I'm so glad they knocked on my door." It was a lot more amazing-sounding in person. But yeah, I was floored. They never told US these things! I guess cause we didn't ask. Imagine that. What's better, is that our investigators, Linda (been investigating forever), and Lonnie (currently succeeding in the stop smoking program and on the edge of glory) were both present for that. You're next! Into the celestial kingdom we go!<br />
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Speaking of Lonnie, coolest thing. We were teaching him with a member, outside in front of his trailer, and his son Junior comes home from school and kind of lingers by the door while we talk. We'd met him once before and answered his questions about the afterlife - which only intelligent teenagers take time to think about. So we invite him to sit with us and he runs to grab and chair and join our lesson. We turn the lesson more to Junior when he arrives and hand him Alma 7 to read, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind, evaluating the choices he'd been making (peer pressure to do dumb stuff, normal high school) and calculating what he must change to live a more meaningful life. So naturally, we then invited him to be baptized. And he accepted. You know it's been a good day when it includes a moment of you and your companion getting in the car, and right when you shut the doors, screaming and pounding the ceiling. Pure joy.<br />
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5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.<br />
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6 For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory. [D&C 21]<br />
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The prophets and those in leadership may at times ask of us hard things. Increase your faith! Work harder! Do better! E.g. Our mission's leadership in the push to reach 300 by increasing faith, which comes of improvement in four areas: study, prayer, work and obedience (#SPWO) If we make some improvement in each of these areas, faith increases. Rather, Heavenly Father grants us more faith, because faith is a gift from God. And we exercise it, and we push, and we stretch, and we make ourselves do things we don't want to do, but it's an act of faith, and miracles happen. Heaven shakes and WHOOSH send down more power upon us, so our labor in the Lord's work can be an upward climb. It'll require daily sacrifice and constant reevaluation. But it's all worth it. Pray for us. I love ya'll, I pray for ya'll.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Sister Valdez<br />
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1. me scissoring Lonnie's last bit of tobacco<br />
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2. rake warriors<br />
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3. Thanksgiving crowd<br />
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-17852921612600080242014-11-24T13:23:00.002-08:002014-11-24T13:23:22.768-08:00Week 68 & 69: Out with a Splash & Baby Fever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another one bites the dust. Sister Schulthies left me today to go home. Every time we did something for "the last time" this last weekend, (last planning session, got area book updated, packing completed, last hour of tracting), she would say most regally, "It is finished." Or I would say, "You have fought the good fight." I hope that's not sacrilegious of us. She hit me a couple times with the car when I backed her out this week. Fun final memories. <br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /></div>
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As planned, K-dog was baptized on Saturday the 15th. And it was the most beautiful service I've ever been <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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a part of. We missionaries sang a medley I composed, of "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" and "Be Thou My Vision". Sister Schulthies and I gave the talks as well, and K-dog's and his mother's home teacher, the member of the stake presidency, baptized him. The Spirit was strong from the very beginning, but after the ordinance was performed, it just got stronger and stronger. The feeling inside me swelled and intensified until, for the first time in my life, it felt like a "burning in the bosom" as described in the scriptures, like a fire had ignited in the center of my heart, and I knew his baptism was sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise. I hope all in attendance will remember that feeling, that sweet message of mercy that let us know that the Savior had redeemed this man, and be able to say like the men on route to Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us?"</div>
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<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" />So I got this revelation this week. I was like, I wonder why it took me so long to see the fruits of my labors. And then right after my morning prayer, the Spirit whispered, "You <i style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">are</i> the fruits of your labors." And I was like, whoa. You're right. Like, maybe all those hard areas were soley to teach me patience and hope and humility, as well as to gain as much scriptural knowledge as I could, so that when I was placed in an area that was ready, I would be ready too. Like the currant bush Elder Christofferson spoke of in his talk about the Will of God, I was getting cut down and cut down and cut down, but the Gardener knew what He was doing. Even if I never saw any baptisms ever, I would still have what I learned there. I'd still have those Christlike attributes. And those are the fruits. Those are the things we take with us into eternity. We don't have gold or fast cars up in heaven, as rewards for our obedience. What we become<i style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> is</i> our treasure in heaven. Cool, huh?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhHzqdrTNU01ddMg11Bh6H_upq8V1QvcwBrHMKML8wCfW3ZRKbMgQIULbmH637CFMmT_Xo_cUFo7Z7b0-qrZoP15V9AszmxhPcZcheb3jNOoD9ynDqMX4KPlilty2a5UpKOZ5GDqavzs/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhHzqdrTNU01ddMg11Bh6H_upq8V1QvcwBrHMKML8wCfW3ZRKbMgQIULbmH637CFMmT_Xo_cUFo7Z7b0-qrZoP15V9AszmxhPcZcheb3jNOoD9ynDqMX4KPlilty2a5UpKOZ5GDqavzs/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>I'm now awaiting the arrival of.... wait for it..... MY TRAINEE. Yep. It happened. I'm gonna be a mom. Am I terrified? Yeah. Does it feel right though? Definitely. President told us over speaker phone and I jumped back (so the sound of my scream wouldn't pierce his eardrum) but he was laughing because he knew I saw it coming. It's gonna be good. It's gonna be fun. I'll do my best to teach her everything I learned in 15 months over the next 3 and maybe she'll turn out ok.</div>
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Woohoo! It's now a week later and so far so good. Sister Matealona is a hilarious and humble, sassy and sweet little Polynesian girl. From Utah. (haha jk, she's originally from Hawaii). The funniest thing is people trying to pronounce her last name. They just call her Sister M. Except little Guatemalan Maria who feeds us lunch every week, she said her name first time no problem. And since Sister M knows absolutely zero Spanish, I've been relying even more on the gift of tongues to help translate our lunch conversations with Maria.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFVcYGyba59i1E843_yLrK9pxVcEGt7c8z_MNHQkHaxdbHRM9diixSiXzY7gwoblEu9B5T1Yeoel4Vqsjjc6sFF91YKXJn5C-mDUz89fB_m3fzs5ift0HK-bqlOo1J9vqQyNIpFKFe5M/s1600/IMG_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFVcYGyba59i1E843_yLrK9pxVcEGt7c8z_MNHQkHaxdbHRM9diixSiXzY7gwoblEu9B5T1Yeoel4Vqsjjc6sFF91YKXJn5C-mDUz89fB_m3fzs5ift0HK-bqlOo1J9vqQyNIpFKFe5M/s1600/IMG_0259.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>My biggest fear with training was that I'd get a bratty companion with whom I had nothing in common. Thank goodness this was not the case. We do a hecka lotta singing while we tract, and she does funky dance moves sometimes when she helps me back the car out. Then at night getting ready for bed, she sings me the latest Beyonce songs and I pitch my screenplay ideas to her. Yesterday I showed her the photo of me at age 18 with my hot pink A-line haircut and she laughed so hard she cried.</div>
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The work is going so well in Slidell, it's like not even fair. For Sister M, I tell her it's beginner's luck. For me, I think it's the Lord rewarding me for working all those months in Florence without throwing myself off a bridge.</div>
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We were worried about Lonnie, because he hadn't shown up to church, so I asked my companion if we should go see him. She said yes. (This is how I make decisions. If my companion agrees, then the thought must be inspired of the Spirit. Like if we pull up to a street and I ask her if she feels weird and she does, then we don't tract it.) So we get to Lonnie's, and he's happy to see us. While we're sitting talking with him, his 17 year old son comes home. We ask if he's got any questions and he's like, yeah all the time, so he pulls up a chair and we teach him about the afterlife. It's kind of astounding how teenagers get it even quicker and easier than their parents. We only saw him that one time, but we taught Lonnie again later that week about the word of wisdom and he's so meek, he's doing the stop smoking program starting tonight. He'd also been having a lot of problems with a shoulder that wasn't healing and was keeping him from working, so we had the ward mission leader and the elders come give him a blessing. It was so sweet. You could see and feel how humble Lonnie is, ready to accept whatever his Heavenly Father has for him. Oh oh oh he actually prayed like we asked him to, to ask God if getting baptized was the right thing. And he got his confirming revelation! He said when he prayed about it, he got chills and then the wind started blowing and he knew. Ha. God always speaks to us in ways we'll understand. He came to church again yesterday and even the members have noticed a change in his countenance. He looks as happy as he feels. And I must say, one of the highlights of my week, was when we knocked on his door and he got the biggest smile on his face when he saw us. Is it weird that my best friends in the world these days are 50 year old white men?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Speaking of the elect, Sister C, the mom in the part member family, is set for baptism this Sunday. We went through the baptism interview questions, and when asked what the restoration meant to her, she said "It means that the priesthood keys are restored that can seal my family, so I can be with them forever." And I was grinning so hard my face almost broke. It just always amazes me when people actually get it, because I guess I don't always expect them too. Oh me of little faith. She's ready. Right after that, we had she and her husband stand and the member that was helping us teach, and like five of us were trying to teach/demonstrate how to baptize someone and it was the most hilarious thing. But they got it eventually. Just remember, you dip backwards, do not dunk forwards.<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" />I could go on about all the miracles in between, but my kiddo wants to go play some volleyball so I'll fill ya'll in next time. Life is great. Work is blessed. Church is true. Love ya'll.<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><br /><br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">9 </span>As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.</div>
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<span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">10 </span>If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.</div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="11" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">11 </span><span style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and</span><span style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> </span><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">that</span><span style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">your joy might be full. [John 15]</span></div>
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Sincerely,<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" />Sister Valdez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-1528477759329854332014-11-11T08:42:00.000-08:002014-11-11T08:50:14.041-08:00Week 67: Faith On<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
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tryin on silver and diamonds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">bein creepy in da fog</span><br />
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Man, this week went on for days. And yet, Preparation Day snuck up on me, I feel like it was just Monday. We did a lot of stuff I guess. Got lost in the work, as they say.</div>
Tuesday was super different, cause we got permission to go to the career workshop at the LDS employment center so Sister Schulthies can get a job when she goes home in a week (p.s. transfers are next Tuesday, if I end up training I'm gonna scream I'm so terrified). Two realizations. First, while going over how to pursue employment and follow up and present yourself to potential employers, I discovered that nearly everything in the career workbook is actually in Preach My Gospel. Because principles for finding people to teach and presenting yourself as a representative of Jesus Christ are evidently the same. Next, while talking about all our skills and accomplishments, the way we would to a potential employer, I discovered that I've done a lot more in my twenty-three years than I thought, despite being sheltered and never having to work for other than myself or my bro. Also, learned that it takes a lot of impressive skills to do what I've done up to this point. We all did this exercise, list the attributes and skills required to graduate from college, be a missionary, manage that one place, other accomplishments we'd listed. Then read em aloud: I am diligent, creative, motivated, a team player, positive, a problem-solver, etc. Makes you sound a lot better than you probably see yourself. Oh, and I got it into my head during this workshop that I want to own my own photo studio. One day. We'll see.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: black; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; white-space: nowrap;">best idea yet: fruit cubes city hall Sister P's blinged out CTR ring</span><br />
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Cool thing though. There was this less active sister in Waveland, that Sister Rocha and I ran into at walmart on two different occasions. She was only less active because her casino job make her work every single Sunday. The second time we saw her, Sister Rocha handed her the info on the LDS Employment center and told her to call them if she ever decided to quit her job and needed help finding a new one. Then I left Waveland. Guess who was at the workshop? That sister! The casino had been bought out and her position dissolved, so she no longer had a job. And could now get a better one that would let her go to church! Prayers are answered and blessings arrive in a variety of ways. Sometimes via unforeseen unemployment.</div>
Hey did ya'll know the scriptures talk about and therefore verify the existence of sea monsters? At least in the Jaredite era?<br />
<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="10" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"></a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" />10 </span>And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water. [Ether 6]<br />
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In other words, I now have historical grounds for believing in Nessie and the Cracken.</div>
We had the coolest finding experience this week. We tracted a street, pleasant fall weather, cold comin in and perfect for breakin out the scarfs and cardigans, and had finished one, completed our hour, and were ready to head back, but then I stopped us and said "That house we skipped. Should we go knock it now, or come back another day?" Sister S confirmed my prompting: "Let's do it now." So we go back to the house we had skipped because we'd seen people out front engaged in conversation and didn't want to interrupt. Now that one of them had left (the spouse that prob wouldn't have cared to let us in) we went back and the mom came to the door, who I think was probably a swimsuit model once, she was so pretty. But so down to earth. And she looked familiar to both of us, though neither of us have met her (though I hate when I get that thought about someone and then they don't progress). In any case, she seemed intrigued by our 20 second explanation of apostasy-->restoration and said "I think my son would be interested in this" as she herself was believing but not religious. So we speak with the 16 year old who looks like a total care-about-nothing-but-sports it-guy, could be on a magazine if he wanted, but turns out he recently started going to the local christian teen fellowship and reading the Bible every night even though no one else in his household does. Talk about judging by cover. They let us into their nice house, they were the only two home, and we taught them the restoration. The mom loved the story of Joseph Smith on his search, because his story is basically her son's story. Parents didn't agree on religion, confused about where to go, attended churches by himself looking for answers... When we told them about the Book of Mormon, and said no, you don't have to buy it we'll give it to you free, the boy lit up and immediately reached for it. It just... I don't know. It was awesome. It was perfect. They didn't set a specific return appt. because they don't know when they'll be home and I'm terrified we'll never see them again. But such is mission life. You do what you can when you can. And pray that they don't become lost forever.</div>
We got three on date now! We had a killer lesson with Lonnie at the storehouse with a brother from the ward, the one that embraced him that first time at church. Went through the whole plan of salvation and hopefully the poor guy could keep up. But he committed to a baptism date! December 6. And then he came to church again! Brought his two grandkids too. Took himself to Sunday school and then to priesthood with no guidance from us, like he already belongs! Love that guy. The C family is on track, we watched a super cheesy 90's video clip about priesthood power and the investigating wife's husband met with bishop about being ordained a priest so he can baptize her. He's just gotta kick a coffee habit and he's good to go. And he's the kind who that wouldn't even be a problem for, he knows how important this is. K-dog is still stoked for his baptism this Saturday. He asked his good friend who happens to be a member of the stake presidency to baptize him - and who told us that years ago when K-dog would occasionally come to church with his mom, that he showed him the baptismal font once and said "I'm gonna get you in there one day." Dreams do come true.</div>
We had a really tender lesson with a fourteen year old girl yesterday, who had been to other churches a few times and believes the story of Jesus really happened. What she doesn't know is why. She was asking really deep questions, like "How is God our Father? Why did they kill Him? Why did He let them kill Him? Who did He die for? Have you ever loved someone enough to die for them? Have you ever prayed and it came true?" We explained pre-earth, God is the father of our spirits, which appeared to enlighten her. She said "Oh, so I have two fathers. But one of them is forever" and smiled. Melted my heart. Then we explained the Godhead, how they are three separate beings, one in purpose, and how Jesus came to die for us, so we could live again and live with God, like paying a bail when we imprisoned ourselves in sin. We literally only talked about Jesus Christ for like half an hour. It was awesome. It's crazy for someone like me to try and imagine what it would be like for someone like her, to have grown up not understanding who Jesus was or what He did or how much He truly loves us. I hope she continues to learn and eventually feels for herself what that is like. It'll change her life.<br />
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="7" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"></a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">7 </span>For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.<br />
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">8 </span>But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.</div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="9" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">9 </span>Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith. [Ether 12]</div>
Faith on. Hope on.<br />
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Sincerely,</div>
Sister Valdez<br />
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1. NASA science center! rocket engine thing!<br />
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2. "...which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor for the soul"<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">3. Baseball wit da zone</span><br />
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-85742588990511644962014-11-03T14:58:00.001-08:002014-11-10T09:56:38.958-08:00Week 66: Operation Eternalize<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
All is well in Slidell. All is super magnificent. Sister Creager and I had a blast going on exchanges in Diamondhead (she's my sister training leader now, which is still kinda weird but cool). She seems to look older, more mature every time I see her. I got to help her drop an investigator, find and teach a new one, and set a current investigator with a baptism date! I guess that's more success than usual for her are, kind of an opulent one and filled with old people, but that's exchanges for ya. Expect miracles. And my only question for Sister Creager after our post-exchange evaluations was, "If I'm not stressed out, does that mean I'm doing something wrong?" Her answer was no. She affirmed my conjecture that perhaps after a major challenge, and we've adapted to a particular kind of stress, the Lord betimes gives us a little break to glory in the accomplishment of feeling like we're on top of things... before he throws another one on us. So I'm fully expecting more hard things to come. Like that maybe I'll train a greenie next transfer. But for the moment, all is super well.<br />
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K-dog, the member's son, came to church again yesterday. And so did a new investigator! Lonny*, who's only been taught once, showed up right on time, and dressed to the nines. I just wanted to hug him, I was so happy. This one brother in the ward is the best ever - he immediately put his arm around Lonny, complimented his hip, classy suit, and got to know him and invited him to priesthood after sunday school. i.e. what should happen to EVERY investigator/less-active that shows up to church, because if it did, we'd have significantly more baptisms, new members retained, and less actives reactivated. Lonny is a super meek and humble soul, and seemed to really enjoy church. He smiled the whole time. I have this secret hope that he is the friend I knew in the pre-mortal life who I promised to find, and that we'll be friends for eternity. K-Dog set his own baptism date, for November 15th! His mom's so funny, she's like "I think he might be nervous about baptism still, I haven't told too many people, I don't wanna him to feel pushed" and we were like, "Um, well, he actually announced his baptism to everyone in gospel principles class today." In that same class, a brother asked him if we sisters had been visiting and teaching him, and said "They're just too hard to resist, aren't they?" and K-dog responded, "Yeah, they really are pretty wonderful" and I pretended not to hear but was screaming on the inside with glee.<br />
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The C family, that part member family, is also doing really well. Sister C told us she feels that something's been guiding her to this church, and said she'd considered a baptism date and asked if November 22 was too soon, and of course we're like "UM NOPE NOT AT ALL." Like come on, don't be ridiculous, you live the word of wisdom, you live all the standards of the church, you want to strengthen your relationship with God and have an eternal family, let's just make this official! So we're going to do our best to make sure she's ready by that date. She really wants this for her family's sake, but I still feel that she needs confirming revelation, like that one apostle talked about last conference. Her husband responded well when we mentioned that his getting active in the church now means he could possibly baptize his wife, and eventually his kids. He liked that idea. He just needs to be ordained a priest and boom! - commence operation: eternalize. They made it to church last week for the primary program and they plan on coming from now on. We're overjoyed. Their member relatives in the ward are going to flip.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Halloween was pretty bomb. Well, the ward trunk or treat was. We had a mini zone conf that day, and got to eat cookies and watch Meet the Mormons. It was so good. I'm 100% that I'm going to be a boxer/MMA fighter when I get home and also that I'm going to marry David Archuleta. Then we had our progressing investigator and her son at the ward party, as well as the C family's little boy. Sister Schulthies and I came up with one of the best team costumes I've ever done. We put on pressed white shirts, black skirts, borrowed ties, pulled our hair back, covered the SIST with ELD on our names tags using tape and white out, and went as Elder Valdez and Elder Schulthies. The ward loved it. Our mission president did too. I mean, I think we're kinda clever.</span><br />
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Sister Schulthies is a most excellent companion and is trying really hard to stay focused, to make the most of The Last Days. She's doing really well. We resist the urge to talk about boys and home while tracting and try to talk about favorite investigators or mission experiences - you know, keep up the blissful illusion that there's no such thing as life outside the mission. I'm super nervous for when I have to take over, but I try not to think about how stressful that will be and just focus on preparing for it. Every night when I pray for help learning the area, the Lord keeps yellin back, "GET A MAP" and I just keep forgetting so hopefully I locate one of those today so I can follow our routes on paper while Sister S drives and get the area memorized, instead of daydreaming/resting my eyes between appointments. Aint no rest for the righteous. The next big thing for us will be getting members involved. Like, really really involved. We read the general handbook for members regarding missionary work, retention, and activation this morning, and guess what? 90% of it is actually NOT the job of the missionaries, contrary to popular belief. The members are advised to occasionally request our help teaching the new member lessons, but it's ultimately the job of priesthood and auxiliary leaders to be the first to fellowship newbies and then to assign other members to fellowship and visit/home teach. I wanted to scream as we were reading this, but then I remembered most members probably don't read this manual and therefore don't know that missionary work is actually their responsibility, not missionaries, and that is absolutely will not succeed - no matter how hard we missionaries work - without their help. Our mission pres pounded this at our last meeting. This work will not work without the members. We can work ourselves to death and still no progress will me made without the members. So now you know! And hopefully more will catch on as we teach them, boldly and lovingly, that building the kingdom is a team effort. An introduction, an arm around a shoulder, an invitation, do infinitely more good that you realize. We actually called the bishop and asked if we can speak in sacrament this month. Is that backwards or what! I mean, I've never heard of such a thing. But this is serious business. This is eternity.<br />
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<span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">1 </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Behold </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk2" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk3" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">hearken, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk4" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">O </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk5" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">ye </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk6" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">elders</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk7" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> [and sisters] of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk8" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk9" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">church, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">who </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk11" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk12" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">assembled </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk13" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">yourselves </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk14" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">together, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk15" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">whose </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk16" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">prayers</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk17" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk18" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk19" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">heard, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk21" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">whose </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk22" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">hearts</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk23" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> I</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk24" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">know, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk25" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk26" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">whose </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk27" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">desires </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk28" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk29" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">come </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">up </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk31" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">before </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk32" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">me.</span><br />
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">2 </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10001" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Behold </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10002" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10003" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">lo, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10004" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">mine </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10005" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">eyes</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10006" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10007" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">upon </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10008" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">you, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10009" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10010" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10011" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">heavens </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10012" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10013" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10014" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">earth </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10015" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10016" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10017" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">mine </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10018" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">hands</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10019" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10020" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10021" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10022" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">riches </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10023" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10024" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">eternity </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10025" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10026" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">mine </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10027" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk10028" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">give. [D&C 67]</span></div>
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Sincerely,<br />
Sister Valdez<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnawG9-h-1pfB7WB0RpQ8K3PxzZnfFO-ONfFRrvld5LCOKmBIxiTHR7vCFfZmIrg-Gjg51uAvxC6gTiPRmtwgR1C9PSq2J6TIbYhpoH2tnb3qTS4x4RKzQ49MLAG4lQjR3nI3TOM9HGo/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnawG9-h-1pfB7WB0RpQ8K3PxzZnfFO-ONfFRrvld5LCOKmBIxiTHR7vCFfZmIrg-Gjg51uAvxC6gTiPRmtwgR1C9PSq2J6TIbYhpoH2tnb3qTS4x4RKzQ49MLAG4lQjR3nI3TOM9HGo/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 hours straight - all the doors we knocked on</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLo8PSfoxcWdNmumUOhc5P8odYPnyo_eOdcQEBuJ_AU9gZrdqwS0uaUIxDN75-FS9D09WCloUZZ9qUmLCsL2JH7JMHTnAJMk8QI3od78U8pFlqAZjXoE-dNknIXhaeHxiqZxwY-2H9T3s/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLo8PSfoxcWdNmumUOhc5P8odYPnyo_eOdcQEBuJ_AU9gZrdqwS0uaUIxDN75-FS9D09WCloUZZ9qUmLCsL2JH7JMHTnAJMk8QI3od78U8pFlqAZjXoE-dNknIXhaeHxiqZxwY-2H9T3s/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hipster kittens sleeping in a vintage suitcase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76QTCDkvos8Sa_xr1aSNJQxP7CZanNbgpIL2V2OPu90xQ-ETY2cgOBY7tMb0jfo846IE8Cf4SY9p6t9_Cy7mFNrTDB0Hyt9eh7X2eHBhZYbjhho3VImk93eHZk1_eTYU1Z0TmPOUVwiE/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76QTCDkvos8Sa_xr1aSNJQxP7CZanNbgpIL2V2OPu90xQ-ETY2cgOBY7tMb0jfo846IE8Cf4SY9p6t9_Cy7mFNrTDB0Hyt9eh7X2eHBhZYbjhho3VImk93eHZk1_eTYU1Z0TmPOUVwiE/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me holding a tiny kitten and being sniffed by a dog</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQKaM0i0N8sG4hGBQTjDHdfCk_5Y0f90FbYpg3ZGDzZvf7ONo6u5jV5FPRuWZJ8MpVTAYf6qwKFW18Bg4aXlp9cSmpWRv1_0qBzB-ibNi3stJn7o44XCu28qwnviULtaBaKIwxE2Zp9I/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQKaM0i0N8sG4hGBQTjDHdfCk_5Y0f90FbYpg3ZGDzZvf7ONo6u5jV5FPRuWZJ8MpVTAYf6qwKFW18Bg4aXlp9cSmpWRv1_0qBzB-ibNi3stJn7o44XCu28qwnviULtaBaKIwxE2Zp9I/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tracting door</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKUSACxQqgsG3UwTwfrXGyJC2qVzAdsqJjwa8HPdOdqPdwJ6o16q49C3NcHDQIp4GZr30A902i5XRoBiMVFpk8LHpej1f775YugP82Bb1AcztgNWi6C-i72Ct5ejk5aoQJwj8JlG4gq0/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKUSACxQqgsG3UwTwfrXGyJC2qVzAdsqJjwa8HPdOdqPdwJ6o16q49C3NcHDQIp4GZr30A902i5XRoBiMVFpk8LHpej1f775YugP82Bb1AcztgNWi6C-i72Ct5ejk5aoQJwj8JlG4gq0/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">giant dictionary</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmFUjhNysSSLPsqu0IG4AQW1QPL9_yLLzC49AnecKO6fvWw3ZMU3EgeHumxLtrM7tYj0Jgbang-GnNhzRCWNTdAgmMwz_o5hZOO_jb3j4etNB2mPsrPNv4OKwq9xwY3S32lAijN5F2kY/s1600/IMG_0378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmFUjhNysSSLPsqu0IG4AQW1QPL9_yLLzC49AnecKO6fvWw3ZMU3EgeHumxLtrM7tYj0Jgbang-GnNhzRCWNTdAgmMwz_o5hZOO_jb3j4etNB2mPsrPNv4OKwq9xwY3S32lAijN5F2kY/s1600/IMG_0378.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hanging moss</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDySYJclJrpGJYGTfp3Pah45Qw1bMagBpbswIjAgLNaAIDjc2TM2jXLejhVPRulhdnK9V8zW8kIx5TH15LVESSYCsROvZ3SSPuPh9BJWxJJURtXHrcyr_QGMw91YDWdfABn_CxuZDbbI/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDySYJclJrpGJYGTfp3Pah45Qw1bMagBpbswIjAgLNaAIDjc2TM2jXLejhVPRulhdnK9V8zW8kIx5TH15LVESSYCsROvZ3SSPuPh9BJWxJJURtXHrcyr_QGMw91YDWdfABn_CxuZDbbI/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rolling like a big shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw_Fg-Stw99-aEOaAU_WaTFfvjhKiTJRg6nFo7cIdMlSDR8jAJBS9WpaMZ0s-5ktAEfG4W3ImKyN33XLn4YJzSHwhb9HwUTgC01COF4rzkQSwATZx-qS6JKdMmDNH046R6xauMiZXwjg/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw_Fg-Stw99-aEOaAU_WaTFfvjhKiTJRg6nFo7cIdMlSDR8jAJBS9WpaMZ0s-5ktAEfG4W3ImKyN33XLn4YJzSHwhb9HwUTgC01COF4rzkQSwATZx-qS6JKdMmDNH046R6xauMiZXwjg/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our Halloween costumes - dressed up as Elders</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carving pumpkins!</td></tr>
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-80306276655031369452014-10-27T13:19:00.000-07:002014-10-27T13:20:53.940-07:00Week 65: The Choice LandI can't believe this place sometimes. I mean, we still have those moments where some old man at a door tells us we're going to hell or a less-active-turned-Anti-Mormon starts mocking things about the temple and telling us Joseph Smith was an insane person or a lesson with a truly interested contact gets interrupted by his loud spouse who likes to yellingly argue why baptism is supposed to be done in the name of Jesus with no other names of diety mentioned, but really that's all small potatoes compared to the whamo miracles that have been happening. #trulyblessed<br />
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The part member family we're teaching, with the less active dad and nonmember mom, came to church yesterday! Guess what else. WE HAD FOUR INVESTIGATORS IN CHURCH! Know why? Because it was the primary program and can't nobody say no to thirty cute little kids singing songs and saying parts like "I show my parents I love them when I brush my teeth" or "I can be like Jesus by not fighting with my sister." Sooo many nonmember or less active relatives came yesterday, it was the best thing. Among them was the C family we're teaching. We taught them this week, went over the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith->repentance->baptism->holyghost->enduretotheend) and finally spit out the invitation to be baptized - you're always more reluctant to do it with a more legit investigator, because you're so scared of them saying no. But it was more like a maybe. She knows she needs to change something, for her family's sake. And that God can only work with us when we try to do as He says. She shows a tremendous amount of faith for someone who wasn't raised in a real religious home. I'm so stoked for this family. #eternalize<br />
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I met a member of the ward who's Filipino! Super heavy accent. Goods delicous food (chocolate mousse pie with almonds gahhhh). Courageously and admirably shares his beliefs on Pacebook. And was just tickled to find out I share his nationality. I told him my grandma served a mission in the Philipines and that she was from there, and he said "Oh! So you are hap Pilipina??" And I smiled and said, "O'po." I knew he'd get a kick out of that. #ricelife<br />
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We visited a less active last night, who we'll call Edna Mode because she looks like the Incredibles character to a T and has just as much feist. She told us how uncomfortable incidents with other members made her not want to go to church anymore, and then the elders that came into the area were immature so she didn't want them at her house either, and then something said in a talk weirded her out. But despite all that, when we showed up years and years later, she says she knows God's working on her. She loved hearing the Restoration again after all these years, and got chills when we shared the First Vision. In her prayer, she asked God to help her get back into church. Amazing how it really is all just about timing. This happens to be the right time for her. And we happened to just be here. #theLordstimingisperfect<br />
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In other news, we've started jogging in the morning (thing I hate most) and I've lost three pounds of extra-dessert-weight. A less active that only calls us when he's got food had us over last night and I slurped a raw oyster out the shell. My N'Orleans accent is getting better (thanks to Edna Mode who's accent is A+). I stepped in an ant hill and got five bites. A member of the ward likes to do this thing where he holds his hands out in front of you and reads your aura and tells you what you need to do to cross paths with your future husband and how it's going to happen and where and what he'll look like. Sister Schulthies is now planning on taking public transit when she gets home and will be on the lookout for a 5'7 man with a scar on his face. #dullmomentnever<br />
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From my study this morning:<br />
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42 And when thou hast done this thou shalt go at the head of them down into the valley which is northward. And there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth.<br />
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43 And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me... a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed, upon all the face of the earth. And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me. [Ether 1]<br />
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So basically, this verse is about Slidell. And me. And how I had no idea what I was doing coming on a mission I just knew I had to get to the MTC (the valley which is northward) and there He met me and went before me, and led me through some trying areas until I was finally able to land in Slidell, Louisiana. A land which is choice above all the lands of the earth. Or at least, at a point where there's a lot of work for me to do and exciting things about to happen. I mean, I guess it was because of this long time I have cried unto the Lord. Just goes to show. He does hear. He does deliver. Just be patient.<br />
Love you lots!<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Sister Valdez<br />
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1. Free haircuts from a member<br />
2. The elders sent this pre-mi in training from the ward to come knock on our door and invite us to hear a message<br />
3. oyster time<br />
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-53706868907657648922014-10-20T15:53:00.001-07:002014-10-20T15:53:41.867-07:00Week 64: A Kick Outta Zwick<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
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Ya'll remember G-Con last spring, the Seventy that gave the talk "What Are You Thinking?" He came and spoke at our Zone Conference. I think he's related to our mission president somehow, because they go way back and he's spoken to our mission before, but I wasn't there for the last one. So I was stoked I got to hear him this time.<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /></div>
He taught us how to simplify and intensify our teaching. You state the principle, share an experience, back it up with doctrine out of the scriptures, and testify. Bam. Done. He had us practice, then called a companionship from each zone to come up and demonstrate. Guess who got chosen - (points to self) - mmhm. In front of four zones and a member of the Seventy. My heart was pounding out my chest, but I felt the Spirit really strong as I testified of a simple truth - that the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. Elder Zwick gave us feedback, and showed us where he wrote mine and Sister Schulthies names in his Preach My Gospel, right next to the principle. I'm in a Seventy's personal PMG. Page 105. Hollaaaaa.</div>
Sister Zwick taught us about prayer, and showed us a short video her adorbs little granddaughter had recorded on Sis Z's phone for us when she heard her grandma was going to speak to a bunch of missionaries. "If things get stressful and hard and maybe people don't let you into their house, just say a prayer and everything will be fine. Heavenly Father will be close to you and you will be close to him." Out of the mouths of babes. She also reminded us if there wasn't a way, God wouldn't ask us to do it. We just need to pray for the faith to do it.</div>
Elder Zwick then called us to repentance multiple times. Very powerfully. He basically told us we're spinning our wheels and it's time to sanctify and sacrifice. Our mission hasn't made expected progress because we lack member involvement. And if they're not stepping up their game, we have to push where we can. Elder Bluth, who was also present, said "We will never improve anything unless we step out of our comfort zones." For me, that means I have to talk to more strangers on the street, introduce myself to more members at church, and make more phone calls to follow up with them. Elder Z had us make this promise:</div>
I will never limit myself by what I think is my capacity. I will allow the Lord to expand my capacity. <-- And He will.</div>
He gave us one specific piece of instruction to immediately apply:</div>
Change the entire complexion of your preparation day to one of spiritual preparation. Write to our families about spiritual experiences. Do not let p-day activities distract us from getting back to work. Teach one or two lessons in members homes every Monday evening and this mission will double in convert baptisms. <-- That was the promise. Get lessons on Pdays = get twice the baptisms as we would otherwise. Dang. That definitely caught our attention. It seems simple, but I really believe it's a much needed focal point. We missionaries have a tendency to really want to enjoy any time we get for leisure or to ourselves, including time we spend in members homes. Those visits can get real casual real fast. By cutting the fluff and teaching solid lessons in members homes, we can get them feeling the Spirit and getting as stoked about the work of salvation as we're all supposed to be. By becoming a little less selfish, by keeping our focus throughout the day, and ending it right at 6pm so we can go teach a lesson, we'll be able to keep our minds from wandering into Babylon and instead staying lost in the work of Zion. If we observe our covenants by sacrifice, the Lord will make our hearts to rejoice.<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /></div>
So that was zone conference with Elder Zwick. Gave us a little kick in the pants, and that's good. We all need to try a little harder to do a little better, always. Upward and forward, or else you go backward. And we don't want that. We gave up too much to get here. NO GOIN BACK. So this week we actually did get to see a member family who we committed to think of someone to invite to church. They thought seriously about it as we were sitting there with them, and each came up with a part-member family they know. They felt that this could be the right time for them, and got really excited to invited them back to church! Gospel zeal! Hurrah!<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /></div>
In trivial news, Sister Schulthies let me darken her eyebrows and last night had me teach her how to use all this makeup this one member gave her. We did makeovers. It was a good time. Also, remember how I've had the bad habit of picking and peeling my fingernails since I was like five? Well I've kicked it. My fingernails are currently the longest they've ever been in my entire life. As in, actually long enough to file. It's taken a crazy amount of discipline, but it makes me feel, like, super good about myself.<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" />Speaking of addictions, we taught the stop smoking program to K-dog, a member's son who she's been trying to get off cigarettes and into the church for years and years and years. We're all super excited because we're pretty sure it's finally his time. He's been asking the member he works for questions about the gospel and he's thinking he wants to be baptized. I hope he does, because he's one of my new favorite people and I want us to be friends for eternity. I don't think I've ever laughed as much in a lesson as we did in our stop smoking workshop with K-dog.<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /></div>
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Oh hey, last week I failed to mention the baptism the elders in our ward had last week. A woman in her 80's had slowly and steadily - and readily - accepted the gospel after her LDS caretaker had invited her to meet with the missionaries. She doesn't hear too well, and had to plug in her headphone and amplifier when I played and sang for the service - I Stand All Amazed. And she's paralyzed from the waist down, so it took five men to get her from her wheelchair into the font. A brother from the ward baptized her, and all four of our elders stood in a circle around her to catch as she went down into the water and lift her smoothly back to her feet. It was flawless and beautiful. The Spirit was so strong and one of my favorite verses came to mind: "I will be on your right hand and on your left.... and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." Missionary work - the errand of angels.</div>
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We showed the full length Prophet of the Restoration movie to a progressing investigator, who was really touched by it (she was also tickled to learn, being a black woman, that there were African Americans among the very first members of the church. shoutout to the Southern States mission!). She's been taught for awhile, but according to Sister S, she's making step by step progress with every visit. She told us she feels that Joseph Smith had to be a prophet inspired of God - there's no other way he'd have been able to endure what he did for this cause. <br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /></div>
I'll close with the words of my dear brother, J-Smith:<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="19" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank"></a><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">19 </span>Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy...<br style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><span class="" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">22 </span>Brethren, <u style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">shall we not go on in so great a cause?</u> Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free. [D&C 128]</div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">I love ya'll. I pray for ya'll. I thank the Lord for the blessing of being born into such a time as this.</span><br style="font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><br style="font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><span style="font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Sincerely,</span><br style="font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><span style="font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Sister Valdez</span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" />Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-72192412892061732662014-10-20T15:24:00.002-07:002014-10-20T15:24:29.457-07:00Week 63:Edge of Glory<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Current status: All is well in Slidell!</span><br />
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I admit, I thought this was a random place for mission president to throw me after tearing my beloved Waveland away from me (jk I know it was the Lord who did the tearing) but after orienting the new Waveland elders on the way back to our apartment (while a beautiful sunset fell over the coast) and handing off the keys, we made it to Slidell after dark and pulled into a gas station; when my companion got out of the car to fill up, there was this very quiet, very significant moment, where I felt what I assume was the Spirit (funny how it can feel slightly different every time) filling the space inside the car, and inside my chest, with this warm reassurance that "Yes, you're in the right place. This is your home now. This is where you're needed."</div>
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And boy am I ever. There are SO MANY part member families in this area, people who have living examples in their homes of the blessings of the gospel, many who have taken the missionary lessons or currently are still, who have or are reading the book of Mormon, who are SO CLOSE to conversion, they're right there, right on the edge of glory (shout out to Lady Gaga) and I guess I'm here to - whoosh! - flick em over the brink. It's weird</div>
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My companion is sweet Sister Schulthies, from Utah. She's dying this transfer - I know right? Told Pres to just call me Sister Grim Reaper - and she's super cute and blond freckled and floats around like Sleeping Beauty or something, all soft and graceful. Every night when I turn out the lights she says, "Good night! I love you!" I, on the other hand, have become somewhat of a bold-faced slammer.</div>
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We were visiting this one less active, who has all the missionaries that come over sign baseballs while he makes them food and reeks of alcohol. I figured this passive visiting had been going on too long, and found myself hardcore testifying of God's love for him while rebuking him at the same time. He kinda shrunk in his seat and made a good cop/bad cop joke to my companion. Better believe it, buddy. We were at a members house whose husband isn't a member but has taken all the lessons and read the whole Book of Mormon, and he said all us Mormons have a unique glow about us, all of us, and I said "Well, would you like to join us?" His wife got a kick out of that. And then in a family we're teaching, the mother was worried about people being prejudiced if her kids were Mormon, and I almost said "I'd sooner be arrested, imprisoned, and killed for my beliefs than think to complain of persecution or cease to do what I know is right in God's eyes" but didn't. I said something about eternal perspective and God's approval. But hopefully, they'll figure on their own that if this is true, nothing else matters. I don't know where all this courage and confidence and bluntness came from, but I like it. As long as it's like, doing more good than harm, that is. Can't never tell sometimes.</div>
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The apartment is super clean and tidy and has wood floors which makes sliding around in your socks really fun. Also, we got locked out today and the elders came over to try and help us break in, failed, damaged a few old ID cards in the process, and climbed trees while we waited for someone to come unlock it for us. A member owns the house at the address, and we live in the little pool house out back. It'd be even cooler if we could like, you know, use the pool.</div>
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There's a good number of Hispanics here (one set of elders in the ward are spanish speaking) and one lady, 92 years old, feeds us lunch every week. She doesn't speak English and we have very pieced conversations, but I was able to say a few things to her and understand some of what she says (two years in school + gift of tongues). I was reprimanded by someone at church for having a name like Valdez and not knowing Spanish. Thanks, el padre.</div>
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Wish I could tell you everything, but I'm outta time!</div>
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So in honor of Columbus day,</div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="12" style="background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); border: 0px; color: #486fae; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12 </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">wrought</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land. [1 Nephi 13]</span></div>
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God doesn't send us anywhere just for the heck of it. Always got a purpose, always got it under control. Love ya'll!</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Sister Valdez</div>
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p.s. will send pics next week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-9251885018526180822014-10-20T15:16:00.001-07:002014-10-20T15:16:20.899-07:00Week 62: Shell-Shocked<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">Once upon a time, we was mindin' our own business, cruisin back to our apartment after a lovely lesson with our Columbian lady investigator who had read - and likened to herself - the story of Lehi and his trouble children and told us she and her daughter were trying to get work off together so they could finally come to church with us.</span><br />
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Then the mission president called us up, said "if you're driving, pull over a minute" and dropped the bomb. "First of all, Sister Rocha I can tell you where you're going but I can't tell you who your new companion is-" (that's the joke, she's going home and Pres doesn't make assignments for eternal companions) "- Now let me tell you two what's happening to your area. First, let me tell you where Sister Valdez is going."</div>
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Boom. Me --> Slidell, Louisiana. Waveland --> being made into an elders' area. Poor Pres got an earful of sister-screams of despair as we watched our world blow to bits. All this time, all this hard work we put into this area and these people... the whole time we were making it ready for a young elder and his greenie. And we have to say goodbye to everyone I'd told I would see next week. Heartbreaking. When president hung up, we screamed a little more and banged our heads on the dashboard in disappointment. Ate some chocolate, and got back to work. Among our final preparations before transfers today included cleaning the massive amount of girl-hair from our bathroom floor and the shower drain (the wad I pulled out was literally the size of a rat), throwing out all the hair products and accessories past sisters had left behind, and updating the area book and teaching records in painstaking detail. You're welcome, elders.</div>
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Once we got over the initial shock of the impending whitewash (what you call it when they put two missionaries into an area that neither of them is familiar with), we were able to really enjoy our final days as the Waveland sisters. I had exchanges with Sister Borja, who does not have an injured knee so we got to bike all day, it was fantastic. And she loved loved loved teaching our 8 year old inv, Lil Z, who understood the Spirit World when we taught him about it and then said, "I want to be like Jesus one day, I want to be a son of God." We said, "Do you know how?" he said "No but I bet ya'll can teach me." 100% correct. Last night Sister Rocha and I read to him out of the Book of Mormon about baptism, and how Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He immediately looked to his mom and said "Mom, can I get baptized?" She answered in the affirmative. This little boy's faith and desire to be closer to God is astounding. We're hoping and praying that his example will influence his parents in time, to change their lives so they can walk that path to eternal life together.</div>
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We also had one last lesson with JP, who accepted the Word of Wisdom well and committed to live it. With, of course, the help of the incoming elders who will teach him the Stop Smoking program. Said he hates grapefruit juice (and the unsweetened kind truly tastes like liquid death) but he'd drink it if it would help him quit smoking. Thank goodness for his teenage son, who he really wants to be a better example for. Man, if some people didn't have kids, I don't know where they would get any motivation to live better lives. Huge thing I've noticed is just how much purpose having children adds to a persons life.</div>
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Oh snap. General Conference. Almost a disaster since the satellite at the church wasn't working, and three investigators had shown up, but we were able to turn conference on in the family history center and had six of us crammed into that tiny room watching one computer screen. Our investigator, Rick, was enthralled the whole time. And the talks that were given by Elder Christofferson and Pres Uchtdorf were PERFECT for him. About the existence of absolute truth and moral responsibility, and having patience and faith to find and grow in the truth. Rick is going to be a slow, steady one, very cautious as he learns new things, but he'll get there. Because he's sincere. He told us listening to the story of the man stricken with palsy being brought to Christ made him think of his own paralyzed spirit. And that me and Sister Rocha were the ones who came and rescued him. I wanted to cry when he said that. It was confirmation to us both: We done good. And our work here is done.</div>
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Other cool thing, Sunday session, a man no one recognized appeared in the back of the chapel, after finding out he was none of our investigators, the elders talked to him. Found out he was homeless, has stopped in to use the restroom, and decided to sit in the chapel and listen. He wore a dirty tshirt and jeans, thick untrimmed beard, was missing the top half of all his left fingers, and smelled like.... well like you'd imagine someone who hadn't access to a shower in a week or two, and we seized the opportunity to act on Elder Holland's exhortation to care for the impoverished and invited him to have spaghetti with us. Great, great feeling. A little nuts, but a good guy and let the elders teach him a lesson even.</div>
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We got fed almost every night by members who'd heard Sister Rocha was going home, and in the after-dinner devotionals we had with them, tough-it-out Sister R got to tears as she testified of her love of the gospel and expressed her gratitude for the marvelous examples of these families. Seeing her of course got me all leaky-eyed too. She's been an awesome example to me. Taught me how to force myself to love everyone. How to express that love while testifying of the gospel. How to have faith in people despite their weaknesses and setbacks. How to shoot a basketball. And how to break into our apartment when we get locked out. You know, the important things. Really though, she's been a great example of one who gives their all to the Lord til the very end, and I hope I can be like that when my time comes. Nearly our whole district got split up so there were a lot of goodbyes this morning. I shed a single tear for them as the vans drove off. You know, just to be dramatic. And because I love them a lot. Weird thing about a mission. You realize your capacity to love is literally limitless, when it's through the Savior. His is infinite. Which means, plenty to lend the rest of us, and then some.</div>
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<span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">32 </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">also </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">remember </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">said </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prepared </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">house </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">man, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">yea, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310018" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">even </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310019" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">among </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310020" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310021" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mansions</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310022" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thy </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310024" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Father, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310025" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310026" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310027" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">man </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310028" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">might </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310029" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310030" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310031" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">more </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310032" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">excellent </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310033" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hope</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310034" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">;</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310035" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wherefore </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310036" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">man </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310037" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">must </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310038" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hope, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310039" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">or </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310040" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310041" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cannot </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310042" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">receive </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310043" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">an </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310044" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">inheritance </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310045" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310046" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310047" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">place </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310048" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310049" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310050" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk310051" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prepared.</span></div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="33" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">33 </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">again, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">remember </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">said </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">loved </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">world, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">even </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320018" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">laying </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320019" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">down </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320020" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320021" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thy </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320022" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">life </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320024" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320025" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">world, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320026" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320027" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320028" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mightest </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320029" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">take </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320030" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">it </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320031" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">again </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320032" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320033" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prepare </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320034" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320035" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">place </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320036" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320037" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320038" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">children </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320039" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk320040" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">men.</span></div>
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="34" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">34 </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">now </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">know </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">this </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">love</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">had </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">children </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">men </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330018" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">charity; </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330019" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wherefore, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330020" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">except </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330021" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">men </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330022" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">shall </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330024" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">charity </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330025" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330026" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cannot </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330027" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">inherit </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330028" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330029" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">place </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330030" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330031" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330032" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330033" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prepared </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330034" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330035" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330036" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mansions </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330037" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330038" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thy </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk330039" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Father. [Ether 12]</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
Anywho, off to Slidell with me. I'll have some friends in that district, Elder Huntsman (Huntsdawg) which will be fun, and guess what! Sister Creager is the new Sister Training leader on the coast! Together again. Exchanges are gonna be a hoot. Love ya'll with all my heart. Hope on. Journey on. The best is always yet to come.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
Sincerely,</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
Sister Valdez</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.1999998092651px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-11504353693099614302014-09-29T16:03:00.001-07:002014-09-29T16:03:29.040-07:00Week 61: Down To The WireSo I've been working on courage, right? Well I shared this goal with my
companion because that's how this works. So she can push me to work on
them. Well push she did. In fact, she stopped the car and told me she
wasn't going until I got out of the car and ran after the man on the
sidewalk and gave him a Mormon.org card and if I didn't do it she was
going to. So I begrudgingly (and gratefully) jumped out of the car and
sprinted down the road to give a card to this guy and he didn't even
speak English so I clumsily told him I was from la iglesia del
JesuCristo de los santos le los ultimos dias, handed him a card, and
jogged back to Sister Rocha, smirking in the driver seat. True comp
love is forcing me to succeed especially when its super awkward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuzOat-gRmj7VvEya_P_g_Ddcq7zFRRZf52FYD1oX57MEqVf-K9pATvKpv3CfpemTPjcTXSz9eBg_nKFWDRJGCAiqf-Qrjfw0j0xXwk-6Ca_BrB8b1-EYjkekxVCr9MHiEH2Ro8lVK48/s1600/DSC02976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuzOat-gRmj7VvEya_P_g_Ddcq7zFRRZf52FYD1oX57MEqVf-K9pATvKpv3CfpemTPjcTXSz9eBg_nKFWDRJGCAiqf-Qrjfw0j0xXwk-6Ca_BrB8b1-EYjkekxVCr9MHiEH2Ro8lVK48/s1600/DSC02976.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>This
was a very different week. As in not typical. My birthday was super
fun, of course, we met up with all the missionaries in the zone in
Picayune and I played piano while they played sports (typical) and
Sister Rocha made everyone strawberry shortcake because she's the best.
And then we went to our dinner appointment and I guess a little bird
had told them it was my bday because there were balloons and party hats
and candles stuck in a brownie. I must've been quite a sight, biking
down the road in the dark with two balloons trailing behind me. The
bummer side was that we had to drop Didi because she's not shown up to
church when she said she would and all she wants to talk about are 1)
how hard she and her sister have it health-wise and financially and 2)
what she's making for dinner. So we concluded to shelf her until
further notice (until she gets professional help and can actual make the
gospel a priority). Such is the case with many. They'll profess love
for God and trust in God all day long, but then they can't bring
themselves to keep the commitments they make. You can't say you love
someone and then not make time for them. Sigh. But maybe someday, her
time will come. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdfSVy2zx7OHICRCTZWbcxmnfeMo-TrMeZ9-GzzFSkz55rLJGMcgZyKJyDb-SGT7MGk0nL4v4UWGwbS5kxB_oG3j8z_wazPa9m3kQPEHS1MZmvMjpUZcf25_cldMFylHkJ2I4dByq6E4/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdfSVy2zx7OHICRCTZWbcxmnfeMo-TrMeZ9-GzzFSkz55rLJGMcgZyKJyDb-SGT7MGk0nL4v4UWGwbS5kxB_oG3j8z_wazPa9m3kQPEHS1MZmvMjpUZcf25_cldMFylHkJ2I4dByq6E4/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Wednesday we went to the
doctor and he told Sister Rocha she can't kneel, bike, or do any sports
and then had a nurse put a leg immobilizer brace thing on it. So she
literally cannot bend her knee. For a week. She liked to have punched
something and leveled it with the earth. Tracting has been
interesting. We take it a little slower. Stairs are the worst.</div>
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<div>
Thursday
was a funeral for a dear old lady in the ward who passed away last
Sunday. I didn't know her all that well, of course, but she was the one
who was tickled by Lil Z's comment about me and Sister Rocha being "the
tan one and the white one." A very positive, upbeat, smiley,
enthusiastic woman til the end, despite her age and physical
infirmities. She was the organ player too, and very passionate about
it. Bishop said he was sure that the angels' chorus of harps had just
been joined by an organ. Her funeral service at the church was the most
beautiful service I've ever attended. The four of us sister
missionaries sang "Families Can Be Together Forever." Her son gave the
most tender tribute; he read her journals after her passing and she had
ended every entry with "we are truly blessed." He finished and closed
the journal for her. "From your friends and family," he said. "In the
end, it was we who were truly blessed." The bishop and then the stake
president also spoke, both making mention of the wonderful blessing of
eternal marriage and families and the temple sealing. The organ played
"God Be With You Til We Meet Again," the crowd stood, they wheeled the
casket out, and a strange feeling came over me, the same one that had
when the casket was first wheeled in, and similar to a feeling I got a
few weeks ago when we stumbled upon a small family cemetery while
tracting. I would compare it to the Spirit because of the strength of
the feeling, which filled me from the inside out and felt like a
definite presence, though what or who I can't say. What I can say is
that I know now more than ever that there is, in fact, an afterlife. I
have a true and unshakable assurance that this mortal probation is not
all there is.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday definitely wasn't
typical. Each companionship had two investigators show up to church.
SIX investigators! At church!!! Well, nine if you count that the
elders' was a family of four. Lil Z (our 8 year old investigator who's
parents don't come because they work) still gets antsy in sacrament, but
it's real cute how he sprints to primary as soon as it's over because
he loves his sunday school class. The other was Sandra! Funny story,
we found a teaching record for her in our area files. Our zone leader
served in this area about two years ago, and when we called him he told
us he remembered meeting her and teaching her. Said she loved the
missionary visits, but didn't keep commitments well. So her showing up
to church means she's made major progress since then. She left pretty
quick after first hour though, so I think it's either because she and
her husband really did have somewhere to go to, or she felt the Spirit
and it scared her off because her heart is still unrepentant and not yet
willing to change. Time will tell.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Super fun
time was our air conditioner breaking on us. Our apartment was 82
degrees, when it was like 78 outside. No bueno. The thing had iced
over, low on freon or something, so we left it off one night to defrost
it and couldn't even open our windows because we don't have screens and
bugs exist. Yes, it was a sleepless night, thanks for asking. Anyway,
we told one fam in the ward who sent their husband and sons over to see
what they could do (they diagnosed our problem) and then somehow the
whole ward found out our AC was on the fritz and offered to send people
they knew who could fix it or invited us to stay the night at their
house so we wouldn't have to burn up all night again. I love this
ward. We ended up spending the past two nights in the guest room at our
neighbors - super convenient that they're members and around our age
and without children - and this morning, someone else from the ward
sent over some professionals and they fixed it in like ten seconds.
Mercy.</div>
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<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIw1m71K1xYugGAFqD6THKl3o9rPJB5AAjilCTQbTDuHymcItnQfJ1o9v_lfwC0Ri9IZTWDvnXBx5fspNKtXPYpukY57CeZlBPkF6GGYb8UrQ05Xl-zSVjBW3Wp0af3K5lHBvmGQHGUY/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIw1m71K1xYugGAFqD6THKl3o9rPJB5AAjilCTQbTDuHymcItnQfJ1o9v_lfwC0Ri9IZTWDvnXBx5fspNKtXPYpukY57CeZlBPkF6GGYb8UrQ05Xl-zSVjBW3Wp0af3K5lHBvmGQHGUY/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>It's been a trip and a blessing to see
Sister Rocha to the end of her mission. We spend our tracting hours
exchanging number one lessons we've learned on our missions - or else
she asks me to tell her stories from the Bible to test my knowledge and
keep my head outta the clouds. Now that she's on her last week, of
course afflictions are abounding (her leg, the AC, losing investigators)
but at the same time we've laughed much, loved much, and has some
fantastic lessons with earnest people. And it's like the inconveniences
ain't even a thing.</div>
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</div>
<div>
<div class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="7" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7 </span>For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength.</span></div>
<div class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="8" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8 </span>Be patient in afflictions,
for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee,
even unto the end of thy days. [D&C 24]</span></div>
</div>
<div>
One
mission lesson we discussed was this: The only way you will find real
happiness and satisfaction in the mission is through two things: living
purely (obedience to rules and commandments) and working hard
(anxiously engaged in doing difficult things). Like I told her, my
whole life has been a cakewalk compared to most people's. The mission
is the first time I've had like, real trials and tests of my faith, and
demanding work and hard things to do and all for someone other than
myself. And I've never been happier or more satisfied.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-62530096226210968442014-09-22T13:41:00.003-07:002014-09-22T13:42:57.983-07:00Week 60: I don't know about you but I'm feeling twenty....three.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">delicious ice cream cake from ward mission leader and his wife</td></tr>
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Elder Hunstman promised me a hat when we served in Shreveport together and he got me this one just in time for my birthday! ^_^ Saints!!!</div>
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What up! I'm 23! Crazy. And at the same time, not. It feels like not
that long ago I was singing Taylor Swift to my roommates in Shreve to
celebrate my 22nd birthday, and at the same time I have had so many
experiences since then and learned and changed so much that I hardly
feel like the same person. So it was a good time to turn 23. New age.
New place. New me. But doggone it, I am so flippin old. There are no
silly pop songs about being 23 so hopefully it means I've finally
reached real adulthood.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDuYFBGYUrW9p457zdU8G2jaOQj9DHD7CUwPTrECHr2ULgBHbGB6DP-idD9KM9VsPK0M-Xv7EPf7ZAkKhUElucKzp3MxdAmcL9Ym4Fbco70GICsBztnHHsK3TKtGBVRo3D6jeWUzxoNE/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDuYFBGYUrW9p457zdU8G2jaOQj9DHD7CUwPTrECHr2ULgBHbGB6DP-idD9KM9VsPK0M-Xv7EPf7ZAkKhUElucKzp3MxdAmcL9Ym4Fbco70GICsBztnHHsK3TKtGBVRo3D6jeWUzxoNE/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">driving through Gulfport after Sis Rocha's MRI</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOxhSFv-ZxFmmQNlbyrM0TpX_Mf4T2Xb_xhEMJeGjDXtYMKFCGIl23FuOf0zcFwZ74_5PvBecsQHFQAdbfmrl-07F8z76Qc0FnP1vE5V6zQBNkz-65HMXuHrIymjYxqh703X9yqKzEvs/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOxhSFv-ZxFmmQNlbyrM0TpX_Mf4T2Xb_xhEMJeGjDXtYMKFCGIl23FuOf0zcFwZ74_5PvBecsQHFQAdbfmrl-07F8z76Qc0FnP1vE5V6zQBNkz-65HMXuHrIymjYxqh703X9yqKzEvs/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div>
This week has been pretty
balanced, with a fair share of extraordinary moments. We have four
investigators with a baptism date at the moment (I know right? Crazy.
Never happened before in my mission) None the less, everyone has their
own challenges:</div>
<div>
PJ is slack in keeping commitments which I
guess we attribute to his being a working single father, but when he
does read he feels something; Bobbi finally returned from her two week
trip, which she took right after we set her with a date, and hasn't read
since she left but she still plans to and we're set to see her again
tomorrow. She at least took the Book of Mormon with her on the trip, so
that counts for something right? ahh... ; Didi loved the Restoration
movie and always feels the Spirit when we come, said she was excited
that she'll get to be a member of the church, but slept through church
yesterday, second time in a row. Our poor member who's so eager to help
us with the work got stood up twice now by investigators set to come to
church; and then Sammi was a spontaneous miracle case.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHo5Gh2vJ825xeULV_8KDwrMY4Rx3SMTaopiKG90HeXGZAtAHhjti3wf7E0ri65HueaCiYbedQu-grMUVzciwK2bnf22dQo2GOhBMXikW7xqhRV1ipOe2vvZ_6A0V6n_xs8iGBXSsu0U/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHo5Gh2vJ825xeULV_8KDwrMY4Rx3SMTaopiKG90HeXGZAtAHhjti3wf7E0ri65HueaCiYbedQu-grMUVzciwK2bnf22dQo2GOhBMXikW7xqhRV1ipOe2vvZ_6A0V6n_xs8iGBXSsu0U/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb5VOf_za0NWTEENOEab7_yujIivGS0FBvWOW2QNBZq1JR8GCMUvlEbbF2FrUuS_xEuO_n9M6ZtXoiGcjx3XaSqoYUlXZ5ZCCQVzdQzZ5XP7eE9JpkPOoeYnHRD_xguKKu2OHAM3ptFk/s1600/IMG_0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb5VOf_za0NWTEENOEab7_yujIivGS0FBvWOW2QNBZq1JR8GCMUvlEbbF2FrUuS_xEuO_n9M6ZtXoiGcjx3XaSqoYUlXZ5ZCCQVzdQzZ5XP7eE9JpkPOoeYnHRD_xguKKu2OHAM3ptFk/s1600/IMG_0098.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our district at interviews - the classing laughing shot</td></tr>
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<div>
We
were trying a less active who wasn't home and both Sister Rocha and I
got the prompting to tract the street. So we did and the first door was
Sandra, who let us right in, told us she wanted to go to a church but
didn't know which one so she'd been praying about it. She later told us
she prayed three years ago for God to send someone to her to give her
direction, and she decided that our arrival had to be an answer to that
prayer. We were ecstatic when she told us, and we taught her about the
Restoration and afterward invited her to be baptized. She smiled when
we did, and said "That tickled me!" Apparently, the Spirit touching her
heart felt like a tickle to her insides, but she recognized it as being
from God just the same. And she accepted a baptism date for October
25. She has some smoking and drinking habits that she needs to get rid
of and wants to get rid of, and she might have been a little bit under
some sort of chemical influence when we taught her, but we're pretty
sure - well, we're hoping - she still was able to feel the Spirit just
enough to still want to act on it. She missed church yesterday, but she
called to apologize and ask if we had any other services. When we told
her it's just the one on Sunday, she committed to come next week and
set up a time for us to teach her again this week. Considering that we
give our number away twenty times a day and tell people to call us all
the time and NO ONE ever calls us, the fact that Sammi did I think means
she's elect. At least, more so than the ones who sleep through church,
get concerned voicemails from us, and don't call.</div>
<div>
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<div>
So
that's our main people! It's a lot to keep track of and there are a
lot of needs to address, but we're up for the challenge. This is Sister
Rocha's final stretch, after all. Go big and go home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2LbMQd_1ZqAGBVJAHFkKYyc8FZ7CXJ-ED4T2P3mzYsflQRDKks9eOOp8z5UWiGqWZByC8qpJ5ym4g6pvi8xXc4JglsvlT_hRAaP0jRdkX6b1BifXXPs7ha9anOM_jbHU5odVePgZx_A/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2LbMQd_1ZqAGBVJAHFkKYyc8FZ7CXJ-ED4T2P3mzYsflQRDKks9eOOp8z5UWiGqWZByC8qpJ5ym4g6pvi8xXc4JglsvlT_hRAaP0jRdkX6b1BifXXPs7ha9anOM_jbHU5odVePgZx_A/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a member showing us legit polaroids from the 70's</td></tr>
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<div>
Some ultra cool things I did this week because I'm a genius:</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
-
Sprayed dog repellent out the car window at a boxer who kept walking in
front of our car and then whined in pain when the wind blew some of it
into my face and Sister R pulled over so I could lean out the door and
pour the rest of her water bottle into my eyes.</div>
<div>
- Made a goal
to AI (additional inviting - it's when you talk to strangers in public
places as opposed to knocking on their door) and then when we picked out
someone to talk to at Walmart I clucked out and made Sister Rocha talk
to them while I hid behind her. I don't know why but I could knock on
any door in the state, twenty of them every day, and I still can't talk
to a lady with a baby in the DVD aisle.</div>
<div>
- Almost fell asleep
fifty times while an 80 something year old lady in the ward told us
stories of her life and the lives of her every family member and had to
pinch myself in the ear multiple times to keep from passing out on her
couch.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKtm79rGKkJoJoBbHJt12FRdgADmueZ5-wC32noCzqzxJsKLovkc5M_1qF14tHuStKJwBNUC_0W99mY6mvAUZN0z-XPu64cf_JFpYWDSkJnRpAzxNaskhWmE9Qy6rnJQsDsXbsXcd5VI/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKtm79rGKkJoJoBbHJt12FRdgADmueZ5-wC32noCzqzxJsKLovkc5M_1qF14tHuStKJwBNUC_0W99mY6mvAUZN0z-XPu64cf_JFpYWDSkJnRpAzxNaskhWmE9Qy6rnJQsDsXbsXcd5VI/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sis Rocha reading the best book ever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ogVmtGV5As3wDjH6Rtz-u3h42tabyzkwZUsGbfEp2dmsujLBJq2I7Z3VVCoBXtmy_W7H6N2k64AdyNy8IWtMeBhI9C1KsTnSrqNSgBSyXj5Dad476yzchylzNfyOVlu5IbB4tLqRYqY/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ogVmtGV5As3wDjH6Rtz-u3h42tabyzkwZUsGbfEp2dmsujLBJq2I7Z3VVCoBXtmy_W7H6N2k64AdyNy8IWtMeBhI9C1KsTnSrqNSgBSyXj5Dad476yzchylzNfyOVlu5IbB4tLqRYqY/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wearing Sis Rocha's tag, watch and CTR ring while she gets an MRI</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsinnKbg80_E30n7BVFFJF1jY1CCsPgy1I7OiTsjEktAhkcPiQYpiIKT_G0QAFjOTHxTNGZbnL-esi47lEshCT3vnFuEQytDrSC7iF9_SAfqxt6Hx7ORqhjbYByOpsEpmMxx-8iBMZQJc/s1600/IMG_0100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsinnKbg80_E30n7BVFFJF1jY1CCsPgy1I7OiTsjEktAhkcPiQYpiIKT_G0QAFjOTHxTNGZbnL-esi47lEshCT3vnFuEQytDrSC7iF9_SAfqxt6Hx7ORqhjbYByOpsEpmMxx-8iBMZQJc/s1600/IMG_0100.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">helped a family move...I've always wanted to do that!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
Remember the crazy little monkey girl I
talked about last week? We prepared a special lesson just for her. It
was about the Godhead. We told her that her pawpaw represented Heavenly
Father. He loves her and wants her to come and be with him, but first
we have to get sent to earth and find our way back - moved her to the
back of the room. While we're on earth we try to get close to Heavenly
Father but we get tied up in our sins and mistakes - tied her wrists and
ankles together with rope. Also, we can't even see Heavenly Father
while we're here - put a blindfold on her. She tried to escape many
times in spite of her bonds and blindfold, but we held her down for the
sake of this important object lesson. We taught her that Jesus Christ,
the son of God, came and sacrificed himself to free us from our sins -
untied her ropes. And that even though we can't see God, He sent the
Holy Ghost to help us find our way back by telling us what to do - held
her hand and whispered to her where to walk until she finally made it
back to her pawpaw and clambered into his arms. It's possible she
didn't get every point we were teaching, as she quickly turned her
attention to a marine life encyclopedia. But if anything, she'll
remember that we taught her that God made dolphins.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Have
ya'll seen the new Mormon message called "You Never Know"? About how
we sometimes feel overwhelmed by all that is asked of us and we feel we
fall short most of the time but probably don't even realize how much
good we do? Well I was feeling like that yesterday. We tried everyone
in the books and taught no lessons. And none of our investigators
showed up to church. But we finished Sunday evening as we usually do,
at the home of an elderly lady in our ward who shows very little
expression or emotion, gives us instructions dryly as we fix her supper
and perform other chores, and occasionally tells us "before Katrina"
stories while we sit at her counter and eat cookies. We always close
the night by showing her a Bible video or Mormon message, and last night
was the "You Never Know" one. Afterward, she offered to say the
prayer. She then took us by surprise, as she thanked Heavenly Father
for us, for all that we do and all we have accomplished, prayed for the
area we and all the missionaries in the ward work in, and finished by
saying "I love Thee, I love Thy church, and I love these girls like my
own daughters..." Was I cryin? You bet. And what did she say after
'amen'? "Now be off with you." We sure love her.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(watch the video. right now. just do it. <a href="http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3792885561001" target="_blank">http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3792885561001</a>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<span class="" id="ecxchunk120001" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Behold, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120002" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120003" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">am </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120004" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120005" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">disciple </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120006" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120007" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120008" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120009" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120010" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Son </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120011" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120012" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120013" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120014" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120015" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">been </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120016" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">called</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120017" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120018" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">him </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120019" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120020" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">declare </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120021" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120022" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120023" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">among </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120024" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120025" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">people, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120026" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120027" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120028" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">might </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120029" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120030" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">everlasting </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120031" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">life...</span></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk190010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">reason </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">bless </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Savior </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ, ... </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190052" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190053" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190054" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hath </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190055" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">given </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190056" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">me </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190057" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190058" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190059" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">people </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190060" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">so </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190061" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">much </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190062" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">knowledge </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190063" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190064" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190065" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">salvation </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190066" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190067" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">our </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk190068" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">souls...</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk230001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">surely </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">liveth, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">will </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gather</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">from </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">four </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">quarters </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">earth </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">remnant </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230022" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230023" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230024" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">seed</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230025" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230026" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jacob, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230027" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">who </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230028" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230029" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">scattered </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230030" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">abroad </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230031" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">upon </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230032" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230033" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230034" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">face </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230035" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230036" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk230037" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">earth...</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk250001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">then </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">shall </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">know</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> their </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Redeemer, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">who </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Son </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk250015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God... [3 Nephi 5]</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What
a blessing it has been to have lived my entire 23rd year in the service
of my God, in such a way that I can make these words of Moroni my own.
I have yet more to learn, but I have learned so much. I have felt to
sing of redeeming love, and still feel so now. I know that the promise
of redemption is available to all, no matter where on the earth they may
be, and I know that this work of gathering is truly the Lord's work.
It is a privilege - and a joy - to be a part of.</div>
<div>
Thanks for the gifts and letters, family! Proudly wearing my Cali necklace right now ^_^ I love you guys! Hurrah for Israel!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez</div>
Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-89901784016724583302014-09-15T17:05:00.002-07:002014-09-15T17:05:21.739-07:00Week 59: Lost, Saved, and Losing It<div class="readMsgBody">
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<div>
My
goodness, this past week lasted a month, I'm pretty sure. We did in 7
days what I averagely would have accomplished in 15-20 in previous
areas. Mostly Florence. That place was gettin a lil slow. But here,
we taught hecka lessons this week. More than I have room to talk about.
And I get scared that we have so many investigators or potentials that
I'm going to forget about someone and they'll be lost forever but the
Jesus said <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">I know my </span>sheep<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">, and they are </span>numbered" and "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost." So I think it'll be ok.</span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The
investigator, Didi, who set a baptism date, is still legit. She
expressed a desire to stop smoking. So for our third lesson, we taught
the word of wisdom. I've never seen anyone on the verge of tears from
reading Doctrine and Covenants 89. We read the promised blessings at
the end and she's like "sniffle.... that's beautiful...." and when we
committed her to live it, she shook on it. Didn't make it to church
yesterday, and we're hoping it's not because she or her sister (both
cancer patients) had to be rushed back to the hospital. Health problems
are literally the devil. They are the number one thing keeping people
from progressing in the gospel here lately.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We
tracted an apartment building that was like a gold mine, up until we met
a guy who looked like he wanted to murder us. He said something about
how he doesn't know why his prayers aren't answered because he's not a
bad person, then he says "I don't do any killings... or rapings.... or
things you see on tv" and like right when he said that, me and Sister
Rocha both looked into his eyes (could accurately be described as
"serpent eyes") and got the sickest, darkest, most demonic feelings
inside and said "well here's a picture of Jesus k bye!" and booked it
out of there. If any of ya'll wanna look up the sex offenders list for
our area and send it to me, feel free. Because neither my companion nor
I would like to end up stuffed in a sack and shoved in a closet in five
pieces.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Same apartments, we went back a few
days later for a return appointment with a lady there. Her husband was a
straight up hater, was like "Oh we thought you were Jehovah's witness.
Ya'll believe in the guy that found a book in the woods? Cause I don't
believe in that." We were just like "Yep! Book in the woods! That's
us!" but he let us talk to his wife anyhow. She was super open and
super sweet, three cute lil kids jumpin all over her, and she committed
to a baptism date! We freaked out, screamed when we got in the car, but
of course keep in mind it may be too good to be true cause she didn't
show up to church and I'm praying it wasn't because of her hater
husband.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our WML took us out to lunch on
Saturday at a swank place on the beach where I had the best seafood
pasta I've ever had in my entire life. It felt like being in California
again and I decided I have to live by the coast. It is in my future.
Then he came with us to see our investigator who's older, divorced,
major qualms with the government and consequently anything else that is
an organization, sits with us out on his second story porch with no
safety railing, and wears the same puppy t-shirt every time we see him.
He's fascinated by the Book of Mormon, but indoctrinated by one tv
preacher, is very open to hearing our message, but tends to go on
tangents about Adam and Eve and what really went down in the garden.
This took a long time to get over, but we finally got to our main
points. That it doesn't matter how many kids they had or what the fruit
was or who Cain married what matters is that YOU have freedom to choose
because of it so don't make the wrong choice. Haha. Not what we said.
But that was the point we made.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We were
trying to teach at a member's house this week, and while we attempt this
spiritual conversation about faith and repentance, this little girl is
being a monkey climbing over her grandparents and spilling a pixie stick
all over the place and sticking things in her mouth and it was
distracting, it was hot and I wanted to die, but then she's like "I made
a cake" and she goes and gets a pineapple upside down cake she had her
grandparents help her make because she knew we were coming and asks when
we'll come back next week because she wants to be there. The point
is..... I should have had more charity for her. Even though she was
fidgety and sticky. Because she's still pre-accountability, still a
pure soul, and children are an heritage of the Lord and theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. I hope I always remember that, when I have kids
later in life, no matter how monkeyish or fidgety or sticky they get.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We
dropped by another member one night and we were just straight chattin,
then she tells us this long history of some misunderstandings between
members in the ward and we're not sure what the purpose was, until she
starts crying because she doesn't have any friends in the ward and just
feels so out of place there. In church. In the true church. Whereas,
at her nonmember family's church, she feels welcome and a spirit of love
there, always. And I was super sad. Because it does happen sometimes,
many times, even within the church because people are people are humans
are flawed and we were almost crying right along with her because no
one should feel friendless in the fold of God. We assured her that
keeping her baptism covenant and staying in the church was worth it. We
shared every encouraging scripture we could think of, and this one
stood out to me:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Verily
I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and
are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their
covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall
command—they are accepted of me [D&C 97:8]</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We're
always going to be asked to sacrifice something. Keeping our covenants
is never going to be easy or convenient. Something's gotta give. But
the reward is worth it every time - being accepted of the Lord. And His
acceptance is more important than anyone else's, it's the only one that
will bring peace and lasting happiness. Elder Kopischke of the Seventy
gave a talk on this and elaborated on what it meant to observe our
covenants by sacrifice, among them being partaking of the sacrament
worthily every week and serving faithfully in our church callings. He
then gave this indicator of how you can know if you're doing it right:</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"Having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion is the ultimate indicator of being accepted of God."</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So
there it is. If you're observing your covenants by sacrifice (well,
doing your darndest), and you can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost
working with you in your daily life, then you're doing it right. You're
doing fine. You're doing great. So don't freak out.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'll close with my favorite lines from last night's devotional by Elder D. Todd Chirstofferson of the quorom of the 12 apostles.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The way you live your life should be a 'confession of Christ.'</div>
<div>
The best way to show your love for your family (or others) is to love the Savior first.</div>
<div>
Learn to want what the Lord wants.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
His
point being: Losing your life in the service of God and accepting His
will and His plan over your own is the only way to go. Because if you
don't do it, you're not living up to your incredible potential as a
child of God. And you just won't be happy. So do it. Lose it. I can
testify. It's the best thing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez</div>
</div>
</div>
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-27323084362037493102014-09-08T16:56:00.002-07:002014-09-08T16:56:31.072-07:00Week 58: Get Swole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9WuLdo2-byJHolts2UF1Bem3zXSkkFnIkcm-GZMFyPrXTaVi-IO1-Y7jlD90FoOVL4Tnfq-TZ5Zuz9Y_1s9ePkTu4o0uABShGjF7W6uXIEc00qpuv2LHh7cEBFe_HLMF8xvQWXNz78M/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9WuLdo2-byJHolts2UF1Bem3zXSkkFnIkcm-GZMFyPrXTaVi-IO1-Y7jlD90FoOVL4Tnfq-TZ5Zuz9Y_1s9ePkTu4o0uABShGjF7W6uXIEc00qpuv2LHh7cEBFe_HLMF8xvQWXNz78M/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGAVUPFGl8M-9H1jHDiJb8hSWd4ho4d29P8nQJBF5XWd0RAeJgqp2tiLiwHa_iDhDfMD0N0rOzoUQafxWFKkxg9Klb3WvebJyaqMoFyEIlWaUbG7mecWY6do9rfIjg5GfOvBh-Rmxc40/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGAVUPFGl8M-9H1jHDiJb8hSWd4ho4d29P8nQJBF5XWd0RAeJgqp2tiLiwHa_iDhDfMD0N0rOzoUQafxWFKkxg9Klb3WvebJyaqMoFyEIlWaUbG7mecWY6do9rfIjg5GfOvBh-Rmxc40/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>High five to the Waveland district for an all-time high in lessons
taught in a week! I don't know what it is, but the six of us
missionaries in the ward are going hard (and not going home) to get this
deal diggity DONE. Waveland ward has some awesome members. One makes
us sandwiches every time we go over. Others who have trucks come pick
us up with our bikes when we have a long way to ride. And another gives
us massages after long hard days; one sister gets knots worked out in
the chair while the other <br />
reads to the member out of the Book of Mormon.<br />
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<div>
Fun facts about Waveland.</div>
<div>
- Sister Rocha likes to start sentences with "Fun fact about Sister Rocha" followed by things I didn't know about her yet.</div>
<div>
-
We teach a lot of black men. I don't know why that is. But 72.6% of
our lessons this week were with black men. If there's something about
them that makes them receptive, all the better.</div>
<div>
- Flat.
Everything is flat. We can bike for miles and not feel like we're
going to collapse and die because NO HILLS it's glorious.</div>
<div>
-Most
people actually have porches, in addition to stilts under their homes.
I got to paint a porch last Saturday while Sister Rocha mowed an
enormous yard.</div>
<div>
- People here not only give us free eggs, but
free bread as well. Our member neighbor works at Jimmy Johns and gives
us bread. We then get to make amazing sandwiches without even having to
find a Subway.</div>
<div>
- I tried to see how many conversations we
could have with strangers without someone bringing up hurricane Katrina.
Still at zero.</div>
<div>
- The bugs here are no joke. They bite and show no mercy.</div>
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<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwkMSJLqzEgMxNftg27yhnbaofN0v9N2rDweO_hGq1spktHKpwxf1Y1ZB5xgbcT66pvF8ZDXNGHRSvCLXVB50UsrA-R3N4lxQz6Gjn_umlIsMsVALGac5Q0-f6bDJHRKXkoZNlnT_ddo/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwkMSJLqzEgMxNftg27yhnbaofN0v9N2rDweO_hGq1spktHKpwxf1Y1ZB5xgbcT66pvF8ZDXNGHRSvCLXVB50UsrA-R3N4lxQz6Gjn_umlIsMsVALGac5Q0-f6bDJHRKXkoZNlnT_ddo/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>Which
brings me to the title of this email. If you thought I was going to
bring up my workout regimen and get-ripped plan one more time, think
again. You'll see a photo of me knocking on a door (not connected to a
house) attached to this. Fun fact about that photo. It was in this
spot that Sis Rocha stepped in an ant hill and got a series of miniature
stinging bites, and I got bit by either a very large ant or a very
small spider. It left two white dots on the top of my foot and only
kinda stung for a while but I didn't think much of it until that night
when Sis R was like "Is your foot swollen?" and I looked down and sure
enough, one was noticeably fatter than the other. I was just like "huh
weird, swole up foot" at first, but the next day it didn't get any
better, and after walking and biking on it all day, the swelling went up
my ankle. A kind member gave me some epsom salt and Sister R had some
benadryl, so the past two nights have included me sticking my puffy foot
in a bucket of salt water and sleeping with it propped up on a stack of
sweatshirts (and occasionally waking in the night because it randomly
itches like crazy). And all this from one dumb bug. Sigh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ReuruX8l6mL8N2-beaBpL-kCaKqvsHeOPLvenkZFZfQTHg767P7MV1bGLs-NFfefSiL5oH2rgZrp9Yyyv9le9nQrkqImQZSOT71fkPNiEd9ao3VcE5O8DBRxqn-6V4iRPLWv7MlvE1o/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ReuruX8l6mL8N2-beaBpL-kCaKqvsHeOPLvenkZFZfQTHg767P7MV1bGLs-NFfefSiL5oH2rgZrp9Yyyv9le9nQrkqImQZSOT71fkPNiEd9ao3VcE5O8DBRxqn-6V4iRPLWv7MlvE1o/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>However
- I don't know if I brought this up when I got shingles last winter,
but this is a theory that I have. There must always ALWAYS be something
going wrong. If not so, the universe would be thrown out of whack. It
keeps us humble, necessary for this work to be meaningful. Therefore,
if I'm going to experience major victories here in the mission, there
must also be some major inconveniences to balance it out. In this case,
it's physical injury. One the one side, Sister Rocha has been dealing
with a knee that is constantly in pain, so we bike around with a bum
knee and a puffy foot all day and then yesterday our water bottles got
stolen off our bikes. I mean, not like we needed em in this sweltering
weather or anything. But on the flip side, we hit twenty lessons for
the first time in FOREVER this week AND we set a new investigator with a
baptism date!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic1k543GbW4TlJ8qlOAPkLqSb56Mef9e2UhCHBU6rUTnQkyU2oqiWEycplzS15-G54QrEs9oVC7MmiAT4AcS_CxM6UJmw338QaeXm0t40u8oWTYRIJaws8vEdACPtqJ6qpp1dMHp7kXs/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic1k543GbW4TlJ8qlOAPkLqSb56Mef9e2UhCHBU6rUTnQkyU2oqiWEycplzS15-G54QrEs9oVC7MmiAT4AcS_CxM6UJmw338QaeXm0t40u8oWTYRIJaws8vEdACPtqJ6qpp1dMHp7kXs/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a>Other victories: We taught a
little girl who's 12, who's devout Catholic mother had to excuse herself
because she kept interjecting but let us teach because she really wants
her daughter to be able to choose her own religion. It was kind of
uncomfortable at first when the mom walked out, but we kept teaching.
At the end of the Restoration lesson, the girl said "I think I believe
you more than I believe the other church I went to." I asked why and
she said, "Because you explain things a lot more. And I feel like my
faith in Christ is growing." Bah! What! I almost fell over. She's
12! And yet, she recognized the Spirit when she felt it. We were blown
away. She was stoked to come to church after that, but ended up not
making it. However, she did call us Wednesday night to ask for a ride to
the young women's activity! We screamed with joy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From
that same household, the 8 year old and his 7 year old brother came to
church yesterday! Don't worry, we'll get their busy parents to church
with them, as soon as possible. Turns out a member of the ward knows
their family, who used to be the boys' school bus driver, so he picked
them up for church. When the boys were introduced in Primary, one said,
"Our mom is good friends with two of the sisters, the white one and the
tan one." Booyah. That's us. I am the tan one. ^_^</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A
couple other moments occurred that just reminded me that every little
effort, every extended hand counts for something. We paused in our
biking, so Sister Rocha could give a woman a Mormon.org card before she
got in her car, invited her to visit it for some uplifting videos about
faith in our Savior. The woman said, "Thank you. I needed this today.
I'm on my way to a funeral." My gosh. Heavenly Father knows. When we
were tracting, a really nice friendly guy pulled up next to us and
invited us over to his house for cold water - much needed - and was not
at all interested in changing religions but had met missionaries before
so we just chit chatted a little. When we got ready to go, he told us
he'd had a really cruddy day at work and that talking to us had lifted
his spirits. Snap. I was humbled by that. Sister Rocha is really good
at talking to everyone we see, and at making conversation about
anything. I initially thought we were wasting our time, but it turns
out in both instances that we were exactly where we were needed. Even
if these people aren't ready for the gospel at that moment, we're still
being used as instruments in the Lord's hands. I remember praying that
morning before we went out, "help us find someone to uplift." And
afterward wondering where that statement came from. Goes to show, when
you pray by the Spirit, you get what you pray for. Because it's already
the Father's will. Praying by the Spirit = aligning your will with the
Father's (see Bible Dictionary: Prayer).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now
the majorus victory of the week was last night. The whole theme of
yesterday was "expect the unexpected." We said that to each other
multiple times yesterday after something serendipitous happened. An
investigator we had been planning to drop had actually kept his
commitment to read and expressed a desire to change. So we're giving
him another chance, stressing that it's 100% his choice to act on what
we invite him to do. We came in contact with a group of five or six
young adults, guys, while tracting and ended up having a very civil
conversation with them (except for the stoned one) instead of like,
getting made fun of, which is always the fear when we pass a group of
people our age. Then we recontacted a woman we'd met in passing at some
apartments, who remembered briefly meeting Sister R a few weeks ago,
started telling us how much her life sucks and hugged us and cried, and
told us she'd love for us to come talk to her sometime. Not expecting
much, we went over yesterday. She's talking about the Bible, and asks
"Now does your Bible read the same way?" We start to explain the Book
of Mormon, and she goes over to the counter and picks up a copy of it
and says "I know. I've been reading it." We near fell over. Sisters
had given the book to a homeless guy that used to stay at her house.
He'd left it behind and she'd picked it up. So when we taught the
Restoration of the gospel, she was ready for it. Sister R recited the
First Vision, and the woman started to cry. "That's so beautiful," she
said. I started to invite her to be baptized with the usual, "If you
come to find that this message is true..." and she says. "Oh, I believe
it!" "Can you feel the Spirit testifying to you?" "Yes! I can feel
it in my heart." I could too. The Spirit was strong, we could all feel
it. It's such a real thing. She committed to be baptized October 18.
But of course, we're secretly planning to prepare her weeks beforehand,
so she'll be baptized before Sister Rocha goes home. All she has to do
is stop smoking and the rest of the lessons will be a breeze. We left
that lesson screaming on the inside.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
As I
drifted off to sleep last night, I thought about all the choice souls
we've had the opportunity to teach, people who let the Spirit work on
them and speak to their hearts, and my own heart experienced an
expansion similar to that of my currently elevated foot. Only instead
of pain, twas accompanied by joy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">And their hearts were </span><i>swollen</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> with
joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness
of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; [3 Nephi 4]</span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="23" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">23 </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">plant</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;"> this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to <i>swell</i> even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">springing up</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;"> in you unto </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">everlasting life</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">. And then may God grant unto you that your </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">burdens</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;"> may be light, through the joy of his Son [Alma 33]</span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And of course, the goal is to be like unto Moroni.... <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">a man whose heart did <i>swell</i>
with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings
which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for
the welfare</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 22px;">and safety of his people. [Alma 48]</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Gratitude
and love. That's what this particularly swelling was. It filled me up
like nothing else, and I am eternally grateful for my call to serve, my
time to labor in the Lord's vineyard. Puffy foot and all.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Sincerely,</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Sister Valdez</span></span></div>
Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-5857708168509535922014-09-04T14:58:00.002-07:002014-09-04T14:58:29.638-07:00Week 57: Love Like Mad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Waveland, baby! The Mississippi coast! Also known as the Gulf coast,
cause the ocean is there but it's actually a gulf but that's still the
ocean right? I guess. All I know is, I walked on sand today and it was
like being home. Except better because I'm a missionary. Only downer,
still can't go in the water. But we can walk on the beach on Prep days
and that is a great cause for my heart to rejoice.<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
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.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
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.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="" style="background: rgb(254,251,191); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 </span>Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become <span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as</span> sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.</div>
<div class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 </span>And though I have <span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the gift of</span> prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing.</div>
<div class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 </span>And though I bestow all my goods to feed <span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the poor,</span> and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. [1 Corinthians 13]</div>
</div>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-21264103699397304692014-08-27T15:11:00.002-07:002014-08-27T15:11:56.766-07:00Week 56: Fare Thee Well, Florence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whew! Transfers yesterday. What a trip. (get my joke? cause it was an actual trip.)<br />
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I
am now in - ha. Wait. I'm gonna make ya'll wait. Til next week. For
now, I'll finish up Florence. The final week in my precious small
town. I will, however, include a photo of my new companion. I'll miss
Sister Dailey, but now she gets to stretch her little wings and fly
around Florence with someone new, who hasn't tracted the entire map.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We tracted all the rich hoods this week because -
why not? I'm leavin. I may as well spare the next sister the common
experiences of rampeumptom row. We had one last district meeting, and
with the new car share we share with the elders, which means we have to
drive them home afterwards. We're girls and they're like barely out of
high school so it's sufficiently awkward. We had one last McAllisters
dinner out with Sister N, one last Book of Mormon class with Brother J
(our recent convert who's doing great, by the way), one last day in
Mendenhall with the C family (my adopted Mississippi family), one last
lesson with the spiritual-giants missionary-minded N family who gave us
the referral that got baptized, one last service day cleaning out
cupboards with Sister R who rewarded us with the best banana pudding
ever.</div>
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At our one last taco night at Bishop's (aka the Last
Supper), we helped them with their ice bucket challenge, if ya'll have
heard of that. If you get challeged, you have to dump a bucket of ice
water on your head and donate to a cause, finding the cure for ALS I
think it's called. Then you challenge 3 more friends to do it, video
it, and post it online. I believe it's raised a few million dollars
already. Anyway. That's why Sister Dailey and I poured a bucket of ice
water on bishop's wife, and the elders did it for bishop. Also, the
elders gave me a 2013 Chinese calendar from a sushi buffet in their area
as a going away present. Yes, 2013. You have to remember they like
just finished high school and that counts as a thoughtful gift.</div>
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Brother D, a 60 year old recent convert, blessed the
sacrament for the first time on Sunday and I wanted to cry, I was so
proud. He has such a reverence for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it
was evident in his reading of the prayer. The spirit was so strong. We
got to see one of our crazy investigators again (an enthusiastic but
flaky one) who loved our Restoration cup demonstration (where we build
the church, take out the foundation of apostles and prophets to show the
apostasy, and rebuild it to show the restoration). He's still hung up
on the 2nd coming because he thinks it's already happened and we're in
the midst of the "first millenium" at the point of "the great deception"
where Satan is loosed for a season and now we're waiting on a "3rd
coming of Christ." We didn't contend. Just handed him a gospel
principles book and referred him to the last chapters. He said he'd
been praying before our arrival and almost answered the door with
"Where's my book?" because he knew one was coming. I have a most
interesting mission.</div>
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In Mendenhall, we got let right in at one house,
which never happens. But like the woman was telling us all their
struggles. Living off social security, no jobs, no transportation, no
family support, husband passed away, have to go without food or nice
clothing a lot of the time. And they got "kicked out of every church
they've ever gone to because they weren't wanted there I guess. And I
was like, gosh. I know nothing about real world problems. Like, this
happens to me a lot out here.</div>
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A member family we visited was like a poster-perfect
family. Nice house, attractive kids, young-looking parents, glamorous
jobs, all. They have it all. But as we shared a spiritual thought
about scripture study, she told us she tried having family home evenings
but the kids just didn't want to do it and the spouse was no help. So
they just don't have family home evening. Or family scripture study.
Because the poor mother doesn't want contention or forced-anything. It
was so sad.</div>
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<div style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="148194a6c63c342e_24" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">24 </span></span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">said </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">them </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">it </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">was </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God; </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">whoso</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">would </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hearken </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">would </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hold</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> fast </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">it,</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">would </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">never </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">perish; </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">neither </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">could </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">temptations</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">fiery </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">darts</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">adversary</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> overpower </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">them </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">blindness, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lead </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">them </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">away </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">destruction.</span></div>
<div style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="148194a6c63c342e_25" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">25 </span></span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wherefore, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nephi, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">did </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">exhort </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">them </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">give </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">heed</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> unto </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord; </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">yea, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">did </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">exhort </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">them </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">energies </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">soul, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">faculty</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> which </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">possessed, </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">would </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">give </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">heed </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">remember </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">keep </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his</span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">commandments </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">always </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">things. [1 Nephi 15]</span></div>
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Without the word of God, how is your family to be protected?
The Spirit is in the Word and the enemy is in the world, and if you're
not inviting the Spirit into your home with the Word, the world is going
to take over. Because the enemy never sleeps and he comes in with
absolutely zero invitation.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Transfers yesterday was bittersweet, I kinda feel
bad that I didn't cry because I was too excited. But I'm just so stoked
to be on a new adventure. Kyle Dalton goes home today, I told him to
hug Brosk for me, let's see if he remembers to. Chatting with the
greenies (fresh out the MTC) made me feel older than old. I'm one of
the vets in the mission now, and that's super weird. 13 months sounds
ever so much longer than 12. And 5 months left seems like way less than
6. I talked to Sister Borja on the van all the way to our new zone,
she and I are the only hispanic sisters in the whole mission. She's
from Paraguay. By the end of the four hour drive we were like BFFs.
And we're in the same district, so this is gonna be a good one. I can
tell. Also, I'm killing my new companion (that's mission lingo for this
is her last transfer) so, ready set make it count! Can't wait to show
ya'll pictures of this place!</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-38258609829820389422014-08-23T19:37:00.000-07:002014-08-27T13:20:32.508-07:00Week 55: You'll Always Be My Thunder<div class="readMsgBody">
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I
don't know if I've ever had this problem before. I don't know what to
write about. Cha Cha and KK didn't make it to church yesterday. That
was sad for us. We've called em twice since then and no answer, so we
don't know what happened. When we saw them this week, though, they told
us how much they loved church last Sunday. They were taken aback by
the five of us (four of them being missionaries) there in the foyer to
greet them when they walked in. They're like "It's almost like ya'll
were waitin on us" and we're like "he...heheh......yeahhh" because of
COURSE we were waiting for them. I don't think anyone but other
missionaries understand how exciting it is when investigators actually
show up to church. I saw them in the foyer and almost screamed. They
also said they felt very welcome, by all the new faces that came up and
said hi after sacrament. Cha Cha said she told KK that "This is what's
it's gonna feel like walkin into heaven. It's peaceful, and you'll know
people." I think the belief that you forget everything after death and
won't know anyone in heaven is a sad belief. Don't know why anyone
would wanna believe that. We chuckled when they told us they saw the
deacons lining up and nudged each other to pull out some money, thinking
it was an offering plate. But then it was actually trays of blessed
bread and water for the sacrament, which they said left them feeling
refreshed, and was their favorite part of the meeting. Gotta love when
investigators on their first Sunday recognize what took you like 17
years to understand. So hopefully nothing's wrong and they'll be back
next Sunday! My last in the Florence ward. Crazy. I'm going to miss
so many of these people so much. They really grow on you after 7
months.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I found vanilla pudding in the cupboard the
other day, the kind you cook (I know right? I didn't know not-instant
was a thing) and I got this crazy idea that if I cooked rice too and
combined the two, it would equal rice pudding. Guess what. I was 100%
right. It was delicious.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
We spent two hours with a sister in the ward,
helping her clean out her pantry. I'm going to miss the way she
exclaims "Oh mercy!" in true southern-belle style every time she found
another expired item. I geeked out over the retro items (gatorade
powder and jello boxes that look like they were made in the 80's) and we
found a bag of beans that expired the day Sister Dailey's 16 year old
brothers were born. February 1998.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We broke the Pinata with barbells and karate chops. Chocolate went flying everywhere and we were very happy!!!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div>
My dog repellent (gift from the mailman) has proven
to be invaluable. I don't even spray it 9 times out of 10, but I don't
know what we'd do without it. Huge dogs will come bounding toward us
when we're not even close to their driveway, barking like beasts, and
while Sister Dailey freezes with fright and prepares to die, I pull out
my little dog-mace can, point it like a weapon, and tell them hey, we
ain't even on your turf, so back off or you get a facefull. They always
back off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJGCMxW1Qal7heC13Ks69_CyvtM7QHp8Zj7ue3uJOZmMLWJfW4fntX3ozPsHSpiUYYn06kQkxZBs31jMqMZeIZWQLUI6s35wd9qvPwuX2X_ZF7irxGXeejKlbGxbekrZG3LGBzr7bXIU/s1600/IMG_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJGCMxW1Qal7heC13Ks69_CyvtM7QHp8Zj7ue3uJOZmMLWJfW4fntX3ozPsHSpiUYYn06kQkxZBs31jMqMZeIZWQLUI6s35wd9qvPwuX2X_ZF7irxGXeejKlbGxbekrZG3LGBzr7bXIU/s1600/IMG_0124.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sister Dailey gets more points every time I make a
reference she understands. This week is was Thunder, the song by Boys
Like Girls (shout out to my high school obsession). You know the one
that goes,</div>
<div>
"Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer,</div>
<div>
Do you know you're unlike any other</div>
<div>
You'll always be my thunder"</div>
<div>
Well
she and I will have been working together from beginning of June to end
of August, so this is officially our companionship song. Plus, I don't
think I've endured as many thunderstorms with anyone else as I have
with her, both of the literal and the emotional variety.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWeKMnt4YyuNWEv6jtW1uUfRGfre8CDB7mjr6vEkGBjQcO6IZCPluypjBSS_j2N_WuQ8J8zcMD2Wwyt3rmVDOnww62yZKsyEXCh28gCIjDsPhO9FWmghR4FXF6eEfHT8N5b-76vPbXP8/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWeKMnt4YyuNWEv6jtW1uUfRGfre8CDB7mjr6vEkGBjQcO6IZCPluypjBSS_j2N_WuQ8J8zcMD2Wwyt3rmVDOnww62yZKsyEXCh28gCIjDsPhO9FWmghR4FXF6eEfHT8N5b-76vPbXP8/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>Sister C, elderly less active we've been visiting
for weeks who hasn't come to church yet, was a lot different when we
came over last. Her face didn't look so heavy, and she said she had
something to tell us about. She'd been at the pharmacy to pay for
medications, but her card was mistakenly showing an insufficient
balance. With no other way to pay, and these being very necessary
medications, she was at a complete loss, until the woman in line behind
her hands the guy her own card and pays it off, then turns to Sister C
and says "You've been blessed." She was floored. This is the same
sister who asked God one night, "Where are you? Did you forget about
me?" and the next day me and Sister Creager knocked on her door. This
time, she said "I got this feeling that Heavenly Father does love me.
Just like ya'll said. It was a really sweet feeling." It's the
simplest of doctrines, the most basic of eternal truths, that some of us
so easily forget; and when forgotten, it's so easy to stray. But the
relearning of these things, usually through small and simple means, can
change a person like nothing else can, can turn their hearts and point
them back to the path they'd forgotten. How powerful and how vital is
an understanding of this truth: I am a child of God.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92Pf-KCWIk8RijOTvlAaBVaZUSAG1c_SSKY6nbBwkMrZRj80DAn8ANu4taKY1lRjEIixvMIfAhyORrUgFMcmJCxf631MyL-IOp3NMNmdt7JG4Q1AILU5CakMflJW8xUWN8os3t2lVMMo/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92Pf-KCWIk8RijOTvlAaBVaZUSAG1c_SSKY6nbBwkMrZRj80DAn8ANu4taKY1lRjEIixvMIfAhyORrUgFMcmJCxf631MyL-IOp3NMNmdt7JG4Q1AILU5CakMflJW8xUWN8os3t2lVMMo/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY99vrXRb_I_CHRILwDIDvHTW7kpVJCD709jHA7j9tRgYJKNOV51zOjRU_R2HgT2KgyNuS49mVLhdCuRdlcBH1L3Q2TKtv0hybUZ0Lsw5WVKM3CVl8tQ3AztCB6mDiHIVc-AtFUS9qTHg/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY99vrXRb_I_CHRILwDIDvHTW7kpVJCD709jHA7j9tRgYJKNOV51zOjRU_R2HgT2KgyNuS49mVLhdCuRdlcBH1L3Q2TKtv0hybUZ0Lsw5WVKM3CVl8tQ3AztCB6mDiHIVc-AtFUS9qTHg/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a>At Zone Conference, our focus was the Book of
Mormon. I made Sister Dailey and the elders read out loud from Ether on
the drive up, because I love the story of the Brother of Jared, and was
reminded how incredible the Book of Mormon is. In such a limited space
of pages, there is SO MUCH packed in. So many stories, so much
doctrine, so much truth, so much consolation and comfort and
chastisement and encouragement, and it's different every time you read
it. During the conference, we practiced ways we can better use it in
our teaching. We all believe this book is true, is the word of God, and
yet we're hesitant sometimes to open it with other people and share
straight out of it. Maybe it's because we're afraid they won't
understand. But if their hearts are open, they'll get something out of
it somehow. That, I have seen happen. I regret not sharing the Book of
Mormon with more of my friends and associates back home, especially
those who were open with me about their personal struggles. I guess I
didn't realize what I had. But now I do, and I'm going to be proactive
about it after my mission. I mean, if I could easily and
enthusiastically talk to a girlfriend about He's Just Not That Into You,
the dating advice book that changed my life, why can't I just as
zealously talk about the Book that changed my life and continues to
change it daily? Something to think about. Also during the conference,
a couple of our leaders finished their instruction by bearing
testimony, and I don't even know what they said, but I closed my eyes
and asked Heavenly Father to reaffirm my testimony of the Book of
Mormon. And He did. It was a sweet feeling. Calm, but powerful. Kind
of like thunder in the distance. Gentle, but immense. I know that the
Book of Mormon is the word of God.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAl4g_YSSnQiSerNAWR3VcEtQZE_vt8DyASUq6HJsuktrmN5wLRiAL5byt-y5EH604Lesayeg-o8-uGyjtBHezXyr4Cx-2EnIGSyv9AdP490JMfk6hAz7DpQaefhHPYw4M9FFHX3dKI0/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAl4g_YSSnQiSerNAWR3VcEtQZE_vt8DyASUq6HJsuktrmN5wLRiAL5byt-y5EH604Lesayeg-o8-uGyjtBHezXyr4Cx-2EnIGSyv9AdP490JMfk6hAz7DpQaefhHPYw4M9FFHX3dKI0/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="147eaebdd48eb8a7_10" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10 </span>And
now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth,
hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in
these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye
will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he
hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do
good.</div>
<div style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="147eaebdd48eb8a7_11" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11 </span>And
if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto
you, with power and great glory, that they are his words... [2 Nephi
33]</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, "power and great glory" may not be a
grand heavenly manifestation, but they are found in the every day things
if you only notice them. The answers to questions, the sweet feelings
of assurance. The Lord is quick to show His hand, is the point I guess I
relearned this week. With Sister C, I was fresh out of ideas of what
we could do for her, how we could help her understand that God knows her
and loves her. And I didn't have to do anything. He took care of it.
I do what I can do, and He does what He can do, always. But you still
have to do what you can do. That's the catch.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4>
<strong>So <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/communication-breakdown-but-theyre-a-yogi-that-was-so-unyogic/" title="Communication Breakdown: “But They’re a Yogi! That Was So Unyogic!”">who or what really is a yogi</a>?</strong></h4>
Well, it is someone who has dedicated their entire life to yoga; they
stand in tree pose for days on rocks and meditate. They probably don’t
pay $20 to go to a yoga class. They are sages, and frankly their numbers
are few.<br />
If you want to discuss what a real yogi is, it is definitely not the
Lulelemon-wearing sorority girl who can afford the expensive class fees
on a frequent basis. Sure, if you want to call yourself a yogi to
identify yourself as someone who <em>practices asana</em>, that is fine by me. <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/inspiration-vs-competition-changing-the-face-of-cattiness-between-yogis/" title="Inspiration vs. Competition: Changing the Face of Cattiness Between Yogis">You may be in it just for the workout</a>, or maybe you really do appreciate <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/the-yoga-sutras-how-they-apply-to-my-life-yama-niyama/" title="The Yoga Sutras & How They Apply to My Life (Yama & Niyama)">the other aspects to yoga</a>; what it brings to your life besides a healthier body.<br />
In this day and age, yoga is here to help center and ground us in an
unstable, frightening society. It can teach us to be nicer to strangers,
to smile more often, to calm our minds with our breath, and to embrace
our potential and not be discouraged by things we cannot control. That
is what is beautiful about yoga in this day and age.<br />
It is not the perfect body, the clothing lines, being vegetarian, or
how often you actually get on your mat. It’s about embracing our
humanity and making us better people. Definitely not about changing us.
We should still be the same person before incorporating yoga into our
lives, just in an enhanced form.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Oh, and by the way, yoga is not a “life within a life.” It is a method of living life. And it is nowhere near perfection.</h3>
<br />
<section class="author-blurb">
<div id="author-avatar">
<img alt="avatar" class="avatar avatar-120 avatar-default" src="http://yoganonymous.com/wp-content/avatars/244-150x150.jpg" height="120" style="height: 120px; width: 120px;" width="120" /> </div>
<div id="entry-author-info">
<br />
<header>
<h3>
About <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/contributors/devan-oschmann/" rel="author" title="Posts by Devan Oschmann">Devan Oschmann</a></h3>
</header>
<br />
<div id="author-description">
<em>Devan Oschmann is a Yoga Teacher and Creator of
Root2Rise Yoga and Holistic Health based out of Austin, Texas. A
Wisconsin native, she has spent the majority of her life cultivating
Midwestern wholesomeness and honing holistic practices. She is currently
a Masters student at the Academy of Oriental Medicine and enjoys
spending her time teaching yoga and advocating wellness. She also enjoys
a hardy, sweaty yoga workout, spending time outdoors and with her dog,
cooking, and drinking Wisconsin beer.</em></div>
</div>
</section> - See more at: http://yoganonymous.com/stop-the-stereotyping-5-yogi-labels-that-need-to-be-addressed/#sthash.uoDiN1ce.dpuf<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4>
<strong>So <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/communication-breakdown-but-theyre-a-yogi-that-was-so-unyogic/" title="Communication Breakdown: “But They’re a Yogi! That Was So Unyogic!”">who or what really is a yogi</a>?</strong></h4>
Well, it is someone who has dedicated their entire life to yoga; they
stand in tree pose for days on rocks and meditate. They probably don’t
pay $20 to go to a yoga class. They are sages, and frankly their numbers
are few.<br />
If you want to discuss what a real yogi is, it is definitely not the
Lulelemon-wearing sorority girl who can afford the expensive class fees
on a frequent basis. Sure, if you want to call yourself a yogi to
identify yourself as someone who <em>practices asana</em>, that is fine by me. <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/inspiration-vs-competition-changing-the-face-of-cattiness-between-yogis/" title="Inspiration vs. Competition: Changing the Face of Cattiness Between Yogis">You may be in it just for the workout</a>, or maybe you really do appreciate <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/the-yoga-sutras-how-they-apply-to-my-life-yama-niyama/" title="The Yoga Sutras & How They Apply to My Life (Yama & Niyama)">the other aspects to yoga</a>; what it brings to your life besides a healthier body.<br />
In this day and age, yoga is here to help center and ground us in an
unstable, frightening society. It can teach us to be nicer to strangers,
to smile more often, to calm our minds with our breath, and to embrace
our potential and not be discouraged by things we cannot control. That
is what is beautiful about yoga in this day and age.<br />
It is not the perfect body, the clothing lines, being vegetarian, or
how often you actually get on your mat. It’s about embracing our
humanity and making us better people. Definitely not about changing us.
We should still be the same person before incorporating yoga into our
lives, just in an enhanced form.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Oh, and by the way, yoga is not a “life within a life.” It is a method of living life. And it is nowhere near perfection.</h3>
<br />
<section class="author-blurb">
<div id="author-avatar">
<img alt="avatar" class="avatar avatar-120 avatar-default" src="http://yoganonymous.com/wp-content/avatars/244-150x150.jpg" height="120" style="height: 120px; width: 120px;" width="120" /> </div>
<div id="entry-author-info">
<br />
<header>
<h3>
About <a href="http://yoganonymous.com/contributors/devan-oschmann/" rel="author" title="Posts by Devan Oschmann">Devan Oschmann</a></h3>
</header>
<br />
<div id="author-description">
<em>Devan Oschmann is a Yoga Teacher and Creator of
Root2Rise Yoga and Holistic Health based out of Austin, Texas. A
Wisconsin native, she has spent the majority of her life cultivating
Midwestern wholesomeness and honing holistic practices. She is currently
a Masters student at the Academy of Oriental Medicine and enjoys
spending her time teaching yoga and advocating wellness. She also enjoys
a hardy, sweaty yoga workout, spending time outdoors and with her dog,
cooking, and drinking Wisconsin beer.</em></div>
</div>
</section> - See more at: http://yoganonymous.com/stop-the-stereotyping-5-yogi-labels-that-need-to-be-addressed/#sthash.uoDiN1ce.dpuf</div>
</div>
Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-57414492698529041522014-08-12T09:46:00.000-07:002014-08-27T13:15:58.026-07:00Week 54: Things of a Better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhFv3R9l0pOF9f0_JiP40zpH-5DwXmyd63WOwJ2jqdvDqYjjpm01fupmOUuoyHzt6iwHZAulGqAEoL7To4dVzrFo1yopXGnd0_lB2MNEgtKgNMfbvfMuDpwWrQGbg6NZdQ2u4fNMvziM/s1600/IMG_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhFv3R9l0pOF9f0_JiP40zpH-5DwXmyd63WOwJ2jqdvDqYjjpm01fupmOUuoyHzt6iwHZAulGqAEoL7To4dVzrFo1yopXGnd0_lB2MNEgtKgNMfbvfMuDpwWrQGbg6NZdQ2u4fNMvziM/s1600/IMG_0058.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
We're comin down to the wire in Florence, now. In interviews with the
mission president, Pres confirmed that I'm finally transferring out in
two weeks. I love this town to death and it feels like no less than
home by now, but it's been 7 months and I've knocked on 87% of the
houses here. The rest were done by the sisters before me. I think that
means it's time to give someone else a turn. But this last transfer
has been so killer and I'm so blessed to have been able to stay extra
long.<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
The couple I mentioned last week, KK and Cha Cha*, who
got hooked after a POS lesson: still strong. Taught them 8 times in
two weeks. And guess what else? THEY CAME TO CHURCH!!! :D They could
only stay for sacrament, but it was a good one. We'd brought five
different members of the ward over so they already knew some people, and
five more members introduced themselves after the meeting. May or may
not have had something to do with the talk our assistant ward mission
leader gave on the three-fold mission of the church and calling them all
to repentance. Elder Homer and I also got to sing a duet in sacrament,
"Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" to drive the point home. Your
friends' eager eyes are watching, longing. And in the darkness they may
be lost. However, You may rescue, you may save. </div>
<div>
Brother S came to teach KK and Cha Cha with us the other night, and
told his conversion story. It sounds like movie, basically. Crazy
teen life, tragedy strikes, a friend in his last moments says "Man, you
have to turn your life around," so he does and on the one day he happens
to have football cancelled, the missionaries show up. And now he's got
an eternal family. Cool huh? KK was really touched by story, as he'd
had similar experiences. He said the closing prayer and thanked
Heavenly Father for Brother S being there and sharing his story. I've
started doing this thing where I put on instrumental music in the car,
and then I imagine how the lesson is gonna go, and them coming to
church, and them getting baptized, and then sealed in the temple. Well
part of my "vision" this time included Brother S and KK bro-hugging
after the lesson. When we left their home, they totally bro-hugged.
Moral: Envisioning success really works.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBuDfE0xFFvZEcL6hnSlksv7orP8bMCg0CSnYal7qCSiGEXPwOFkKo6eMYhqWeBkF-GudyfOaa-OeX9OLxFzTGAmFGchcsFigEwcSLh6aB85D4oqToYz2agx6uaJ1azgq0LJeUB4Zhes/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBuDfE0xFFvZEcL6hnSlksv7orP8bMCg0CSnYal7qCSiGEXPwOFkKo6eMYhqWeBkF-GudyfOaa-OeX9OLxFzTGAmFGchcsFigEwcSLh6aB85D4oqToYz2agx6uaJ1azgq0LJeUB4Zhes/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
I got a package on Thursday that 100% made my day.
A pinata. Yes. An entire candy-filled pinata, plus sour patch kids.
Who sent them? My good old band brothers, the Castle Town Convicts
themselves - Chris and Jose. Currently in the process of finding
something suitable to bust the pinata with. In the meantime, sour patch
kids kept us going tracting yesterday. We were out in the pouring
rain, typical, but when we went to a new street and pulled up at the end
of a dead end road, we were about to get out when a young man, probs my
age, comes up and taps the window. Scared Sister Dailey, but he was
the nicest guy, invited us to come talk to his fam on the porch. I
swear he's secretly Californian. He's a non-denominational Christian,
believes in God but not religion, is super chill and yet intelligent as
well, and doesn't talk like the people around here. We taught them the
Restoration (over the sound of the rain) and while his father didn't say
much, his teen sister participated in the discussion and he said he'd
be interested to read the Book of Mormon. I'll be darned if he doesn't
relate to Joseph Smith way more than he realizes (i.e. is the reason he
chose non-denominational - he hadn't found the truth yet because we
hadn't found HIM yet). And by the way, we never have lessons like this.
Where people actually welcome us in and proceed to actually understand
what we teach.l This was like a miracle moment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti4YoLCJqSE2NexiPlz8gxW49u-XyBkpFO4WsO5QlBy0pkuGMueiI6cOaiJM4-pswmax4VE3YsQN1ur-iX02T1Ji9Bh7YO_VnTrtd-aDbEeJhHU-hTWaIkdhjsliKnHikxud2jil0E-Y/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti4YoLCJqSE2NexiPlz8gxW49u-XyBkpFO4WsO5QlBy0pkuGMueiI6cOaiJM4-pswmax4VE3YsQN1ur-iX02T1Ji9Bh7YO_VnTrtd-aDbEeJhHU-hTWaIkdhjsliKnHikxud2jil0E-Y/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwd1Ujyv4yCTkqj9-cKCDa56wIQDt_k8nvvW3kNZlv9nM0qgoWSDP_e0wpu50hv1LSrs4inczndIcI9EdspfEu0nI5spXNCQ-PgoSCRTyAZCa1ub0VJ4Msl8fED4Ttu6-eIV6LBcTNrA/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwd1Ujyv4yCTkqj9-cKCDa56wIQDt_k8nvvW3kNZlv9nM0qgoWSDP_e0wpu50hv1LSrs4inczndIcI9EdspfEu0nI5spXNCQ-PgoSCRTyAZCa1ub0VJ4Msl8fED4Ttu6-eIV6LBcTNrA/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>In other news, we finished the great pear preserves
project with the member family and I found out that God really does show
you your weakness when you ask. After praying to be shown what I need
to work on, I somehow ended up in Doctrine and Covenants 25.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk20000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20001" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Behold, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20002" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thy </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20003" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sins</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20004" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20005" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">forgiven </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20006" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thee, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20007" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20008" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20009" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">art </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20010" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">an </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20011" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">elect</span><span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20012" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lady</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20013" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20014" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">whom </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20015" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20016" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20017" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">called</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20018" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="4" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk30000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Murmur</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> not </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">because </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">things</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">seen, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">withheld</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> from </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thee </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">from </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">world, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30022" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30023" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30024" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wisdom </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30025" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30026" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">me </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30027" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30028" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30029" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">time </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30030" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30031" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">come.</span><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk90000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90001" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90002" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">verily </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90003" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90004" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">say </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90005" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90006" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thee </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90007" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90008" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90009" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">shalt </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90010" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lay </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90011" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">aside </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90012" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90013" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">things </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90014" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90015" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">this </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90016" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">world</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90017" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90018" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90019" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">seek</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90020" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90021" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90022" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">things </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90023" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90024" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90025" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">better</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk90026" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div class="" id="ecxpara12" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="13" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk120000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">13 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wherefore, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lift </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">up</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> thy </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">heart </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">rejoice</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cleave </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">covenants </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thou </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hast </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">made.</span></span></div>
<span class="" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</span></div>
<div>
I received similar and more specific counsel from the
Holy Ghost, from a concerned Sister Training Leader on exchanges, and
from my mission president during interviews. Namely, "Stop obsessing
about your appearance." But in much more loving words. It's sneaky and
bothersome how something as good and wholesome as a health kick can
somehow warp into a slight obsession with weight/diet/body image. I
promise it was to no extreme, what happened was I just started thinking
about my appearance way more often than I should, so it was throwing off
my focus. But don't worry. No disorders or anything. I'm back on
track now. As stated, I've had dessert like every night this week so
the old me is back. Still trying to keep my health up. But not
freaking out over how my tummy looks in fitted shirts. The lines are
fine and the adversary is so tricksy in how he can inch-by-inch nudge
you over them. You lost this round, Satan. Holy Ghost wins. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Refocusing has proven to be a daily struggle (as
most of ya'll know, I've always been a little head-in-cloudsy) but we
continue to find joy in our work. Driving in the rain. Cute dogs who
don't look diseased or like they want to tear your limbs off.
Introducing investigators to church websites and then hearing about how
they stayed up til 2am watching Bible Videos. Rice krispie treats and
cookies from caring members. Helping your comp identify the signs of
intoxication so she knows when to bring up the Word of Wisdom to recent
converts who slip up. It's a blessed work. We do give up a lot to get
to the mission field, and even more while we are here in it. But what
Heavenly Father gives us in return is so much better.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez<br />
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-77891589932640224252014-08-07T14:19:00.000-07:002014-08-07T14:19:19.219-07:00Week 53: Voice of Lightning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well. It happened. A baptism. It took a year, but it happened. And it was perfect.<br />
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(By the way, I've been a missionary for an entire year last Thursday, is that wild or what?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuI41yuIdadKRHJBFc9YEeP32_QTfs-Z-1zcHs8f4BJSWjGvGuaqR5wcjSBmdd8t0OY7myINJ0UHLNESZ0VDsNVFT7MRVTq_PutB58jR2Z-F4-xKK_NTk0SAUBE4AiG4gnWI9kqXaCTPQ/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuI41yuIdadKRHJBFc9YEeP32_QTfs-Z-1zcHs8f4BJSWjGvGuaqR5wcjSBmdd8t0OY7myINJ0UHLNESZ0VDsNVFT7MRVTq_PutB58jR2Z-F4-xKK_NTk0SAUBE4AiG4gnWI9kqXaCTPQ/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>So
Brother J got baptized by his son-in-law. His daughter gave one of the
talks and his grandkids sang the "I like to look for rainbows" baptism
song and it was super precious. He was confirmed the next day in
sacrament, and advised in the blessing to look forward to the temple and
work toward it. He's retired and single, which I believe translates to
"perfect candidate for hecka family history work." As I said before,
he was so prepared and accepted it all so readily (because he felt peace
about it the whole time) that I basically did nothing as a missionary
but relay the lessons and the Spirit done the rest. But still. Mucho
blessed to have been able to take some small part in the process, and
equal part in the rejoicing.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXO-UPNn3W5f1XfwR4k0tGxnsYqgQtArQzuBytdkb4ntt_FtSgU4Di7F_lGyqwOD8McVFSNTaVOf97xvZ6oUu8XXzmV2m_HP_3MsmdyAAX3ECYLNaiijTMZcI9QrY5phalHzAwwgSWcc/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXO-UPNn3W5f1XfwR4k0tGxnsYqgQtArQzuBytdkb4ntt_FtSgU4Di7F_lGyqwOD8McVFSNTaVOf97xvZ6oUu8XXzmV2m_HP_3MsmdyAAX3ECYLNaiijTMZcI9QrY5phalHzAwwgSWcc/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a>For my year mark on July 31st, Sister Dailey made me
a "Happy Mish Day" sign and got me a pie for breakfast because she's
the sweetest companion ever. We spent the day in M-Hall and finally got
to teach that legit young family that we've only taught once but I had a
dream about and knew we had to follow up with. They were home this
time, so we taught the Plan of Salvation and when we talked about
eternal marriage and families, the wife lit up and looked at her
husband. They both agreed that sounded way better than "til death do us
part." They're planning on moving to the coast soon, which will be
great because then they won't feel that obligation to attend the church
here that they grew up in (traditions of their fathers is a real
obstacle in these parts) and would only be made greater if I were to get
transferred to the coast at the end of the month. Fingers crossed and
praying for it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVoVr-Fbbjq5aPsh2rAtiyLbt6sBPRrTY79llaNiBVWiwdrG_L2khCov5oznnm0YuqNZ_ykx3XHf8pAg_LysAMq6wd9MwpE6n8i4rPgb15coyRfH8l-j4v165-icDKbsV_k4PvfQAZVA/s1600/IMG_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVoVr-Fbbjq5aPsh2rAtiyLbt6sBPRrTY79llaNiBVWiwdrG_L2khCov5oznnm0YuqNZ_ykx3XHf8pAg_LysAMq6wd9MwpE6n8i4rPgb15coyRfH8l-j4v165-icDKbsV_k4PvfQAZVA/s1600/IMG_0149.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcIIeZM-yGhfRChSj0LwJksC9EZP_oC6J08bDxbIzvo8Mq4KZVLIGq2zachXmby4j1WTJlglhAS-kx4cb5SbO5YWzJ12g0eKm1D1ZBWV1Wswt-ae5E949Wr68qPU4ASgmf8PIL1Sl_t8/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcIIeZM-yGhfRChSj0LwJksC9EZP_oC6J08bDxbIzvo8Mq4KZVLIGq2zachXmby4j1WTJlglhAS-kx4cb5SbO5YWzJ12g0eKm1D1ZBWV1Wswt-ae5E949Wr68qPU4ASgmf8PIL1Sl_t8/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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You know how Aaron (Broseph) always called me a
muffler because I like to muffle and no one can hear me? Well I'm
learning more and more that the Holy Ghost likes to muffle too. We were
planning one night and I got the idea to write down to tract a certain
road on Friday. So I did. Not even thinking it was inspired or
anything. And that's where we ended up, despite there being no
promising prospects in that whole neighborhood. We tracted the
remainder of it anyway and got let in to a home of three after an
awkward door approach and the woman had randomly told us that her mother
had recently passed. I don't think any of us were sure why she let us
in, but she did and we sat down with her and her fiance and her heavily
grieving father and taught the Plan of Salvation. It was likely the
most beautiful lesson I've ever been in. They asked questions and
listened closely and expressed individual concerns about salvation, and
at the end the fiance prayed, thanking God for sending us to provide
answers he'd been in need of, and she called us guardian angels. We
walked away from that house, floating, squealing, and crying a little
bit because it was flawless and that has never happened before to either
of us. We've had the great opportunity to teach them four more times
in the last week, and three different members of the ward have come to
assist us. They take it all in and continue to ask questions, but are
hesitant to agree to baptism because of bad experiences with former
churches, which is common and expected. Now they just need to attend a
service with us. Always the hardest part. But if they're sincere,
they'll make a way. The third time we went over and it was just the
woman, she told us that the day after our first visit, her father who
was usually a noon-sleeper, had woken at six in the morning to clean the
house. S<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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he asked him why and he said because for the first time, he
had hope that he'd see his wife again. I smiled so hard I near broke my
face. He said when we came over, we were glowing and happy and he
wanted to be like that. "well then we better do what they say," the
daughter had responded. That's what I like to hear. Those who seek
shall find; those who act will learn, that this gospel is the real deal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWgbifRgaK3uuS5V1nnqjwy-IKiBjQDuYi6UiBFxB7HT-zTzpVnRnmUCjAk1SYYbIKI9_GlHhcMqhgatFnRkJLNQBX8vCVeXbQtlNfheveb9hVw4EfaSSUBUerkzIlu4LkdQyJB1q9oY/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWgbifRgaK3uuS5V1nnqjwy-IKiBjQDuYi6UiBFxB7HT-zTzpVnRnmUCjAk1SYYbIKI9_GlHhcMqhgatFnRkJLNQBX8vCVeXbQtlNfheveb9hVw4EfaSSUBUerkzIlu4LkdQyJB1q9oY/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>For service this week we learned how to can pears and I
learned that I can't peel fruits with small knives without nicking my
fingers in five places. Band-aided fingers is kind of embarrassing and
makes me feel like a five year old.</div>
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Tender mercies yesterday. Sister Dailey and I
made it to our tracting area on bikes without passing out. We stood up
to a guy who wanted to bash with us and spoke calmly the whole time
without blowing any jets or punching his face in. We met an old man who
told us his life story before he'd even learned our names and then
listened earnestly to the message of the Restoration, promising he'd let
the Spirit of Truth guide him as he read the Book of Mormon. Which is
exactly what we were about to ask him to do. We broke our fast and
lamented that there was no dessert in the house, then went back out to
work and dropped in on a member who's less active relatives were over.
And she gave us homemade chocolate cake from scratch. We biked home
when we saw the lightning so we wouldn't get electrocuted, then
proceeded to stand outside out apartment for the next 45 minutes, just
watching the clouds light up like camera flashes and bright white
streaks split the sky, like fascinated children. It was lovely. And
very poetic. We took videos and pictures and I sang Ma Belle Evangeline
to my companion. "Look how... she lights up... the skyyyy....." as we
beheld this marvelous scene of sublimity, and I felt an odd but welcome
contentment and joy, even, that something as natural as a lightning
storm could be such a thing of wonder. But the tender mercies of the
Lord are just that: simple, natural, and tailor-made for each of us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsv0nO8NfbFXh_IPPOdu7JA5ajf_2N2aOaIJYeZcIn-w_VLcqNhXkwsOVAZVXFz3Yx7PpONc50xvRw-pcUjhT6Bdg9COARJAMjrRFtDnXfnEClNbmharXMgr5UmYFLr2j9i4uVi_DfgVY/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsv0nO8NfbFXh_IPPOdu7JA5ajf_2N2aOaIJYeZcIn-w_VLcqNhXkwsOVAZVXFz3Yx7PpONc50xvRw-pcUjhT6Bdg9COARJAMjrRFtDnXfnEClNbmharXMgr5UmYFLr2j9i4uVi_DfgVY/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a>We taught the young women in the ward
yesterday, and what was originally supposed to be a
gospel-sharing-with-your-peers tutorial, ended up being a discussion
(well, a lecture, because discussion would require student
participation) on true conversion and our duty to share the gospel with
everyone because otherwise they perish and we won't be exalted and if we
don't share the blessings, we're being ungrateful. Not in so many
words of course. I fear I may have been a little too enthusiastic
(seconds away from standing on my chair) and preachy, and maybe I just
turned a roomful of girls off to the idea of serving a mission ever
because it makes you crazy and preachy. But I thought I was following
the Spirit on that one, so hopefully it did some good to someone. I
worry perpetually about the youth of the church. I fear that they lack
the desire to be different, and the courage to be valiant. The world
says blend in. The Lord says be peculiar. Only one will bring you
happiness and it's not the first.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">21 </span>For
if I, who am a man, do lift up my voice and call upon you to repent,
and ye hate me, what will ye say when the day cometh when
the thunders shall utter their voices from the ends of the earth,
speaking to the ears of all that live, saying—Repent, and prepare for
the great day of the Lord?</span></div>
<div class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="22" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">22 </span>Yea,
and again, when the lightnings shall streak forth from the east unto
the west, and shall utter forth their voices unto all that live, and
make the ears of all tingle that hear, saying these words—Repent ye, for
the great day of the Lord is come? [D&C 43]</span></div>
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Your ears tingling? The day is come, indeed. We're in the
fullness of times now, which is both great and terrible. But the
righteous, as they say, will see these things come to pass and not fear,
but look forward with joy and gladness to the second c<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKQVhIAYVej1HrMStxZ0jGPIzskdXZ_4yaYpdzESDh5ylOJqxAqcN6ZGF-UpXRmGi-M56fUe-j03WiXo0t6g42Kgoq-uTcBF0a2-Svd4Yf7ZsGYFya3J8oUPUffnvL_wd9VLoINIL8Bc/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKQVhIAYVej1HrMStxZ0jGPIzskdXZ_4yaYpdzESDh5ylOJqxAqcN6ZGF-UpXRmGi-M56fUe-j03WiXo0t6g42Kgoq-uTcBF0a2-Svd4Yf7ZsGYFya3J8oUPUffnvL_wd9VLoINIL8Bc/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
oming of our
Savior. Wake up. Look up. Heavenly Father hand's is everywhere,
preparing hearts, paving roads, and sometimes painting skies. This is a
wonderful time to be partakers - and sharers - of the one true gospel.
The prophets, both living and dead, have told us what to do to prepare.
Lightnings are streaking forth, criers of repentance are crying - and
what will ye say? I say, don't waste no time. After being here a year,
I've learned it's true as they say: you blink, you might miss it. Wake
up. Look up. And be valiant. God's power is real, and His promises
sure.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Sister Valdez</div>
Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7694599466894904471.post-62447708700156444482014-08-07T13:59:00.001-07:002014-08-07T13:59:54.414-07:00Week 52: Trump ItDon't think I'm obsessed. But another thing happened at Bishop's last
night. So first he tells us about the red heifer that a jew found in
the US. If you ain't read about it in the old testament (Numbers ch.
19), the significance of this rare bovine is that a) there's only been
nine found previously in all of recorded history, making this the tenth
(coughLOSTTRIBEScough) and b) such a heifer is a requirement to purify
the grounds and the priests before the Jews can rebuild their temple in
Jerusalem which they've been waiting to do for forever, so c) now that
they found themselves a ginger cow, THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM IS GOIN UP
AND IT PROBS WON'T TAKE BUT A YEAR. I know it's wild, but try to stay
calm. True, this is not the LDS temple that's supposed to be up before
2nd coming, however. This temple was prophesied of as well. And the
BYU center in Jerusalem could easily be converted into a temple at a
moment's notice, so like, that's not too far off either. This isn't all
we discussed last night. Bish told us about these weird noises that
people are hearing all over the world and no one's sure where they're
coming from. But when you play the sound clips sped up, they sound a
lot like Jewish trumpets. What's that our eastward facing Moroni's got
in their hands atop every temple? A TRUMPET maybe???? And what's
supposed to sound to herald the second coming? A...... TRUMPET?????
This isn't the crazy part though. When we leave our dinner
appointment, we walk outside and are about to head down the dark
driveway to our car, when the silence of the night is broken by a
strange, low sound coming from afar off. The sound of a trumpet. Next
thing, Bishop's wife hears a thud and turns to see four sister
missionaries slammed up against her back door, screaming. May or may
not have been crying too and got permission to have a sleepover so we
wouldn't be alone last night.<br />
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<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="25" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk240000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">25 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">oft </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">called </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">upon</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> you </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mouth </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">servants</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240018" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ministering</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240019" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240020" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">angels, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240021" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240022" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mine </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240024" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">own </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240025" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240026" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240027" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240028" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240029" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240030" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240031" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thunderings</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240032" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240033" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240034" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240035" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240036" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240037" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240038" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lightnings, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240039" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240040" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240041" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240042" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240043" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240044" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tempests, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240045" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240046" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240047" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240048" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240049" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240050" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">earthquakes, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240051" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240052" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">great </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240053" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">hailstorms, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240054" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240055" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240056" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240057" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240058" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240059" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">famines</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240060" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240061" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">pestilences </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240062" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240063" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">every </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240064" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">kind, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240065" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240066" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240067" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240068" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">great </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240069" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240070" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240071" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240072" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i><u>trump</u></i></b></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240073" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240074" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240075" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240076" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240077" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240078" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240079" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">judgment, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240080" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240081" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240082" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240083" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240084" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240085" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mercy</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240086" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> all </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240087" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240088" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">day </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240089" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">long, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240090" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240091" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240092" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240093" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240094" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240095" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">glory </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240096" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240097" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">honor </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240098" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240099" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240100" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">riches</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240101" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240102" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">eternal </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240103" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">life, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240104" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240105" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">would </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240106" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240107" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">saved </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240108" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240109" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240110" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">an </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240111" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">everlasting</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240112" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> salvation, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240113" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">but </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240114" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ye </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240115" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">would </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk240116" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not! [D&C 43]</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="92" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk910000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">92 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">angels</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> shall </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">fly </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">through </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">midst </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">heaven, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">crying </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">loud </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sounding </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><u><i>trump</i></u></b> </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910018" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910019" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910020" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">saying: </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910021" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prepare </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910022" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ye,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prepare </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910024" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ye, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910025" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">O </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910026" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">inhabitants </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910027" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910028" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910029" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">earth; </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910030" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910031" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910032" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">judgment</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910033" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910034" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">our </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910035" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910036" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910037" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">come. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910038" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Behold, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910039" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910040" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lo, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910041" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910042" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bridegroom</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910043" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> cometh; </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910044" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">go </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910045" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ye </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910046" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">out </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910047" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910048" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">meet </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk910049" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">him. [D&C 88]</span><span style="color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's everywhere. So the bishop
called us back a little while later after we told him about it. He
went outside to listen for himself and eventually heard what we heard.
Turns out it was a neighbor blowing his hunting horn to train his coon
huntin' dogs. But still. Even bishop agreed, it was an odd coincidence
that his neighbor would be training at night in the dark at the very
moment we went outside on the night we talked about the trumpets. There
are no coincidences. It was a sign to let us know that no, we're not
crazy, and yes, everything we've been talking about concerning the end
times is super real. If you read the Doctrine and Covenants, it's in
like, every other section.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Back to like, my missionary work though. Went
on exchanges with Sister Parmenter on Tuesday in Richland. We're kinda
fed up with young dudes in trailer parks who only talk to us because
we're young and attractive, fifteen minutes wasted and they didn't get a
word of the Restoration. But we did talk to a young adult in front of
his apartment, ended up teaching the full restoration, and he asked
where our church was. Then he told us he'd seen the sister missionaries
riding their bikes in the rain one day and told his brother that if
they ever talked to him, he'd go to their church because of how
dedicated they are. Heck yeah. That's why we bike in the rain.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sister Dailey and I taught the Book of Mormon class
again this week, led a discussion about the army of Helaman. Two
investigators were in the class, one of theirs and one of ours, and a
member with a killer conversion story. Spirit was so strong. And our
inv, Brother J, is solid. At long last.... gators that understand what
they read and can discuss it. We taught Brother J after church
yesterday - well, we meant to. But he ended up teaching US about
tithing and fasting and committed himself to do it before we even asked.
You're making this too easy for us, Brother J! we said. I had a
wonderful living example, he said. His daughter's family are like the
most solid family ever.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This week's M-Hall adventure was a guy who drove up
to us while we were tracting, looking sufficiently hood with a bandana
on his head and studs in his ears. Had this wild and troubled look in
his eyes as we followed him into a laundry room so he could ask us for
help with his house that is haunted (different from a haunted house,
those are not life threatening). He claimed to have video on his phone
(which thankfully was not with him) of the bad mumbo jumbo that he's
been seeing in the halls, something about child-age spirits, roaring
sounds, and the walls turning red. Poor guy seemed legit scared, and
swore no drug or alcohol use or satanic practice was going on in his
home. He'd stopped us recognizing us as spiritual people, but
unfortunately we don't have the priesthood to handle these kinds of
things. So we took down his info and passed it on to the bishop, but he
said he and his counselors would have to consider and pray about this
before attempting a cleansing. I guess even bishoprics get freaked out
by bad mumbo jumbo.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pioneer day was not nearly as extravagant as
Cassie's Utah-scale celebration, but there were pancakes and a pie
contest (my Oreo pie took first place, shout out to mom for the recipe)
and a baptism for a family of five. Glorious day. Next week is our
turn. Brother J all the way! In the meantime, the hunt for the elect
continues (so we don't go into a state of depression when he's baptized
and we don't have a golden inv anymore), and rest assured we'll be
raising our voices like unto a trump. The urgency is real.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<div class="" id="ecxpara2" style="background: rgb(249,246,237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk20000" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20001" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Behold, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20002" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20003" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">say </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20004" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20005" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20006" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20007" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">it </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20008" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20009" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20010" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">will </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20011" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20012" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20013" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">should </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20014" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">go </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20015" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">forth </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20016" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20017" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20018" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tarry, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20019" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">neither </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20020" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20021" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">idle</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20022" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> but </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">labor</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20024" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20025" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk20026" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">might—</span></div>
<div class="" id="ecxpara3" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="4" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk30000" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lifting </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">up </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voices </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">trump, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">proclaiming </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">truth</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> according </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">revelations </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">commandments </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30022" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30023" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30024" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">given </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk30025" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you. [75]</span></span></div>
<div class="" id="ecxpara3" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="" style="background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="6" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk50000" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ye </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">shall </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">go </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">forth </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">power </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Spirit, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">preaching </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gospel, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">two </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">two</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">name, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50022" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lifting </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50023" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">up </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50024" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50025" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voices </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50026" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50027" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50028" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50029" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50030" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50031" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50032" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">trump</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50033" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50034" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">declaring </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50035" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50036" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50037" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">like </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50038" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50039" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">angels </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50040" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50041" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God. [42]</span><br />
</span></div>
<div class="" id="ecxpara3" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" style="background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="106" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050000" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">106 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">journeyings </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">let </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">him </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lift </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">up </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">trump, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">warn </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050022" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">inhabitants </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050023" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050024" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050025" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">earth </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050026" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050027" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">flee </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050028" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050029" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wrath </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050030" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk1050031" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">come. [124]</span><br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="" id="ecxpara3" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><a class="" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="6" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #486fae; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> </a><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="" id="ecxchunk50000" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6 </span></span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50001" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50002" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lift </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50003" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">up </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50004" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50005" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">voice </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50006" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50007" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">with </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50008" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50009" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50010" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50011" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50012" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">trump</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50013" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50014" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">both </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50015" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">long </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50016" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50017" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">loud, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50018" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50019" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">cry</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50020" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> repentance </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50021" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unto </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50022" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50023" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">crooked </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50024" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50025" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">perverse </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50026" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">generation,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50027" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">preparing</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50028" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50029" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">way </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50030" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50031" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50032" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50033" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50034" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50035" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">second </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50036" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">coming</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk50037" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. [34]</span></span><br />
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<div class="" id="ecxpara3" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Off I go to trump it out and prepare the way. Hope ya'll are doing the same! The Lord needs us all in this!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sincerely,</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Sister Valdez</span></span></span></div>
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Sister Sabrina Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11807278710254139264noreply@blogger.com0