shannen's week 5 in the field

Subject:

Hola hola!! P.S (this should have sent last week but the computer died!

Hello Family!

Thank you so much for all of your emails! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY D!!!!!!! I hope you are having a wonderful birthday and enjoying your 2 room present hahaha!!!!

Also thank you Aunty P and T for your package i received it yesterday! It actually was quite funny but over the Easter period Sister cluff and I were trying to find those cadbury chocolate eggs to eat and we couldnt find some anymore, i think they were all sold out haha and then i opened your package and we both screamed in excitement that we actually got some cadbury eggs haha!

Well there is so much that i want to say that has happened this week! I wish i had the time to describe it all but i have to be selective because time seriously doesn't allow for it!

First Mum, sorry it has taken me a while to respond to this question, I always seem to forget to answer it! I would love to give you my home address but because we live with the member family i feel bad to have them receive my letters and packages in their letter box. Sister C has told me to not give out the address but to let you use just the mission office address only because of this situation. I'm Sorry! I hope that this won't be too much of a hassle. 

So this week has been pretty jam packed and exhausting but totally amazing at the same time! Sister C and I have met so many new people and have gotten to know more of the members in both wards. 

There is this one member that i would like to share about with you who is just so kind and gracious. Really, i never ever imagined members loving their missionaries so much! I am always shocked and surprised every time a family would just invite us to dinner or how much they trust us with sharing their personal experiences and stories. This one member however, is all so loving and more! He is an elderly man who just turned 65! Sister C and I celebrated his birthday a little by giving him a card and some oreos and he was really grateful that we had remembered it and even given him this little present! Each week we have a lunch appointment with him and the elders and he makes sure that we do come each week to spend some time with him and share a message. Our appointments with him are usually at Hungry jacks (Australia's Burger's king equivalent) or recently it has been at his home where his daughter comes to prepare lunch and join in with the discussion. He is quite slow of speech too so we always have to listen intently to understand what he says and frequently it is to share a joke or make a funny comment! I really appreciate his love and kindness to us!

Oh no my time is run out and there was more i wanted to say! Just a heads up though but one of those new investigators we found the other week is now what we can call a progressing investigator! She is amazing and has so much faith! We just had an appointment with her yesterday and it really went so well that she was excited for us to come and teach her more this week! I'm so excited and i think i will share more about her next week!

I hope you all are well! Thank you for your love and support! This work here is amazing and i couldn't be happier in my life right now than serving the Lord in the Sydney North mission! 

Lots of love

Sister Valdes

P.S Thank D and Brother R for their emails!

I also wanted to set a time that is best for you to call you on Mothers day! I know J will be calling too so i want to make sure that there will be no problem's. 

And J thankyou for your email I'll make sure to respond to it! Love you!

Hello President H,

Throughout this week i have been studying diligently the questions of the soul that are listed in Preach My Gospel.  Each day i have chosen a different one to study and ponder upon and it just so happened that a lot of the lessons Sister C and I taught this week have been all centered around these specific questions that i chose to study each day. With that I felt Heavenly Father's guidance a lot, leading me and helping me throughout my day to be prepared for the questions I may be asked by someone. I have seen the reality of the importance of personal study and when using this time wisely and effectively I now know that Heavenly Father's hand will always be there to bear us up when we feel were are unable to answer someone's question or teach a certain principle properly because with what we have studied, does indeed, as promised, come to our remembrance in the very moment when we need it through the Holy Ghost. 

My best practice for teaching as Jesus taught would be the times when i have built up the courage to approach someone and share even something little about the gospel during finding. As i now reflect upon those moments I know that Jesus Christ wouldn't have missed any opportunity to teach someone about the gospel and as described in the scriptures Jesus would immediately stop on the side of the road or on the footpath to help someone who was in need and then he would even share something little about the gospel that had touch those people's hearts. I want to continue to have this courage wherever i go to speak to someone so i can be that little more like Jesus.

One of my greatest joys of the mission so far would have to be teaching people about the Plan of Salvation. I have seen the light that has come into people's eyes when they receive this new knowledge and understanding about this beautiful and perfect plan we have been given. It brings me so much Joy to see this and to also then feel the Holy Ghost touch not only my heart but to see it also touch other's heart, letting them know of the truthfulness of this plan, even if it is just a small portion of it.

There is nothing confidential to share.

Lots of love,

Sister Valdes

P.S the 1st photo attached is the street we normally go out for our morning runs! 2nd picture is both of us before our zone special conference with president and Sister H and the assistants