DECEMBER 15 - BEST DAY EVER!

The missionary thing is going great.  I am a tough cookie I tell you (sorry I am a raincloud sometimes) Sometimes I sleep on it and then everything is better and I feel really stupid for saying anything.  So sorry about that.  Disregard anytime I have every been low because I am doing just fine.

Yes I am picking oranges from a real live orange tree. BEST DAY EVER.

Let's talk skyping. I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU ALL. I AM SO EXCITED TO HEAR YOU ALL.  I AM SO SO SO EXCITED! I will be doing it at Bishops house probably early afternoon.  I will have him send you a text or something.  Are your numbers all still the same?

Items of business:

I will be sending you Christmas presents today! I am so excited for you to get them! Get excited! I am also doing a christmas card, will you send me addresses of Crowthers/Kellee/Crimins/Hendersons/home teacher man Lambson (he sends me emails sometimes:))People like that really quick.  Not if it is a huge hassle though. That is all!

I have some crazy things to tell you.

First off the solo espanol was a pact I made with myself when I was with Hermana Skidmore.  I xEMILY NOELLE SHEFFER promised that I would speak only espanol in the car.  Everytime I didn't I had to put a punishment mark.  If I have punishment marks at the moment we go to McDonalds I can not buy icecream. To not have punishment marks I have to memorize one vocabulary word to redeem each mark.  I am telling you, I haven't eaten icecream from mcdonalds in a long time.  I am holding true to my covenants! Which is probably a good thing, because those dollar ice cream cones are soooo good. 

It is really getting cold here in Sacramento.  I have been wearing my raincoat + liner for a couple days straight now.  There was such a big storm this week that they were warning us to have our safety kits with us and to have candles ready for the electricity going out.  They said that there was going to be major flooding, and to not drive through any puddles because you don't know how deep they are.  It was pretty cool but nothing like Mexico.  It was just constant raining for 3-4 days!! They almost canceled the temple trip on Thursday because of it but they didn't!!

Downton Sac on the way to the temple!

The temple was really amazing! It flew by.  I was super excited because we went thriftstore shopping and we all wore really old but cute dresses for Christmas! We did our hair and everything.  It was really fun. I got to see Hermana fly again and almost everyone from the CCM.  We ate a Christmas dinner in the church and we listened to each zone do a musical number.  We sang the "The First Noel" with a Spanish verse, a uke verse (I almost played, but then they decided to only do one uke) (after many hours of practicing in the car, but that's ok it sounded awesome anyways) and then an alternate verse about missionary work.  The temple is beautiful and is my favorite temple.  We are going to see it together someday!

My awesome advent calendar

I LOVE the advent calendar.  It isn't entirely Christmas so I am going to hang it up by my desk the rest of my mission.  I love looking up the scriptures and I am making a scripture chain in my scriptures.  I love the pictures too.  Oh and the Christmas tree is awesome! My comps are getting really into it too.  We have been putting pictures on it and drawing things.  It is perfect.  I have to send you a pictures of our gratitude board to so you can see how cool it is.

Out gratitude board so far. It is still going.

Exciting news from North Sac: Bxxxa and Jxxe Lxxs are going to get married! (ok that is entirely according to me) but I can feel it happening.  She and her family have been coming to the church for 5 weeks now.  That is unheard of in my whole mission life.  We just have to work through marriage and smoking.  She got a blessing from the Bishop and she has really cut down on her smoking.  Her favorite book in the whole world is Gospel Principles that dad taught.  That book is what she reads every night.  Her son Axxxxxy is my favorite person ever.  We are the best buddies.  I will send a picture of him.

Axxxxxx. He is 4 years old and super cute.

Gxxxxxxa is also working on getting married.  She is still loving the church! There have been a lot of things happen this week in our area, and I love North Sac. I DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE.  But they say that you never stay in the area you train in.  WAAAHHH.  We will have to see what happens because I love where I am.  We sang Hark the Herald Angels sing in Spanish for a stake Christmas singing concert and I was just so happy.  Basically the whole ward was singing, and we rocked it.  It was a really good time. 

Other favorite time this week.  We went caroling as a Relief Society activity to our investigators and recent converts.  They LOVED it.  It was so fun to see everyone cheer up so much.  I love caroling! As missionaries we were supposed to make sure everyone was home, but I totally forgot.  So while we were leading the whole chain of people to the next person I was calling them like crazy to make sure they were home but not ruin the surprise as well.  I called Cxxxxxi ( anew member) probably 12 times until she answered.  When she finally did, I asked her if she was in her house and she said si, and then I said que Bueno, and hung up.  Then we surprised her and she thought it was the FUNNIEST thing.  It was a really good night. 

Ward Christmas Party

Also my favorite food from the mission is PUPUSAS!!! we made them with Gxxxxxxa last week (my first time ever) and I have been craving them.  We went to a small restaurant to eat them again and I ordered completely in espanol!  You should google them and make them sometime! Or wait til I get home and I will help you!

Us making homemade pupusas. PIcture pancakes and hotpockets and Costa Vida. IN ONE!

Gxxxxxxa's house and children. And me and Hna Cuesta with the pupusas!

I never heard the update on mom and everything.  Is she better yet? How is everyone's stress level? I just want to tell you that you and mom are the best examples ever, and you are saints.  I am so lucky to have you as parents.  Seriously.   I just want to get back from my mission and clean the house and cook for you guys.  And I am being serious if that tells you how much I appreciate it.  I just call digs in taking care of you over a old people center.  You two are champs.  Thank you for working so hard all the time. Tell mom thanks a million times for the packages and give her a tackle hug for me.  Actually about that tackle hug if she is still feeling neck strain do a little hug around her neck, like massaging not strangling.  Anyways....

SOOOOO ARE YOU READY FOR THE BIG NEWS STRAIGHT FROM PRESIDENT JARDINE???

So we were told as a zone to meet together at the church at 8 o'clock so that we could receive exciting news from President.  We were all freaking out.  Everyone thought for sure that we were getting i-pads.  That is pretty much what I had decided too so I was already planning out my lesson picture folders and Spanish flashcard apps.  But Hermana Cuesta and I had to call him to get permission to go to D.I. with Bxxxa and he said yes.  We told him that he could just tell us now.  He said, "Yes, I could but I can promise you it is not anything you are thinking".  So we were like WHAT? Not i-pads then because that is what EVERYONE is thinking. So we went into the meeting with our zone and did a giant conference call with the whole mission.

Favorite quotes:

"We are getting segways!"

"This is when they announce the second coming."

It was really fun anticipating what it was.  So here is the exciting news.  Thomas S Monson and the twelve Apostles have given permission to open the Modesto California mission.  This will be a new mission taking from the Sacramento CA and Fresno CA missions.  This will take effect July 15, 2015.  Each missionary will be reassigned to whichever mission the upcoming months.

WHATWHATWHAT!  My mission just got split in half!  Work is progressing! So everything south of Lodi zones is no longer in my mission.  I might be reassigned to Modesto California.  So the Sacramento mission in reality is the city of Sacramento.  Pure city.  The other one is all the field workers and small towns.  I really hope I can still serve down there in Galt and Lodi before I get reassigned or whatever happens.  Because I hear that those areas are really fun because the people are just so humble.  It is craziness I tell you.  I might get reassigned! But Sacramento will always be where I got my call!  I don't know where I would want to go, so I am just not going to think about it but it is kind of like having a mission call all over again! 

 I love Christmas time as a missionary.

Watch HE IS THE GIFT.

That is the card we are handing out to everyone.

My planner cover for the New Year!

My favorite music from this week is Andy Williams Christmas!

My palm tree is doing great!

I am loving my mission!

The Church is true!

The book is Blue!

I love you all and I'm excited (say it again) to see you!

LOVE

Hermana Sheffer

DECEMBER 8th - MOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM

Mom.  I love you a lot.  Just thought I would tell you again.  You are really awesome and I am grateful every day that you are my mom. 

Tell dad thanks for working so hard all the time, but still being a good camper.  And for making me laugh.  I am so lucky to have you two for parents.

Thanks for getting married.

Thanks for raising me so good.  Thanks for always making me laugh too.  I can't even imagine going through this life without having that family base.  I wouldn't last very long. I know what is good in this life and what I want to emulate! Big deal.

I am so glad you are ok.  I am so sorry you hit a deer.  So the red car is completely totaled? Are you sure you are ok? Have you had any neck problems or anything? That scares me, but I laughed pretty hard about the christmas presents thing.  HAHAHA. 

I am glad you survived the week of craziness.  I am glad you go crazy for Christmas! It is awesome.

This week we made pupusas with Gxxxxxxa.  She was at church when we passed around the dinner calendar so she signed up haha.  It was really fun and pupusas are good.  You should internet iPhone them and then make them or something!  It was really fun. 

Bxxxxa called us this week and said, she wants to get baptized no matter what.  She said either Jxxx Lxxx will marry her, or she will separate from him.  Wow.  She is super strong but that is really hard.  I can tell that this is having an impact though, because she is really sad.  But is still solid coming to church.  She loves it so much.  It is a miracle.  She is a champ. 

 I was kind of having a hard time with some things, and President talked with me and told me a really cool thing about having hope, and having guilt.  It really has helped me a lot.  I was always taking the guilt path, but I am working on that and also communicating better.  I can always do better of course. I just say this because President was totally receiving revelation for me.  I am really grateful for that experience.  

Everything is good!  I am excited for Christmas!  Thanks for the packages, I haven't gotten them yet though.  They might be saving them in the office because they do a Santa Claus thing with all the packages before Christmas. 

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:

Yes Hermana Skidmore did indeed return one week later.  She flew home, was home for a few days and then flew out with her parents for the week.  Her brothers drove in from Utah.  It was because it was thanksgiving break and that was the only time her whole family could do it.  So that was crazy.  She is one of the most amazing people on this earth.  It was really cool to meet her family. 

Hermana Cuesta is from Virginia, but her parents are both from Columbia.  So she speaks perfect Spanish.  It is really good, but still I need to speak in Spanish more! But I have learned a lot of new words which is great AND my solo espanol pact is still in place so I have not eaten a Mcdonalds icecream cone in probably 10 weeks.  At this pace I will never eat one of them again on my mission. 

For Christmas this year we get to go to the temple the 11.  We do a session in the temple, and then there is a zone conference right after.  There will be lots of music and President Jardine will speak.  I am really excited.  All the missionaries here that were here last year are super stoked so I know its going to be great.  I am really excited!!!!  And the Sacramento Temple is probably my favorite temple ever.  It is so pretty we are going when we come to visit of course at the end of my mission.

CHRISTMAS LIST of IDEAS:

--picture flipbook.  I don't have any pictures of any of you.  I want a picture of everyone, especially my family!! And friends.  Fun times.  Just whatever you think would be awesome.  Just something simple like the one Tosha sent (that's what everyone uses) full of pictures!

--a simple compilation of vegan recipes or ideas.  From the internet, or if there is a book that is cheap or something.  Go vegan or go home! #unlessyouareinspanishwardandallyoueatismeatbeansandrice.  But most of that can be veganized.  I am just thinking of those days for lunch and things.  Mother nature! Ya!

--Felt/Flannel sheets.  Like the really comfortable kind that you have.  but with a cool design or something.  Christmas-y design, or whatever unique thing you can find these days on the internet.

--Music CD's or something.  Not necessarily Mormon tabernacle choir.  I have collection of those that sisters have left behind already! The rules are not love related, and good themed.  I am not sure exactly.  Side note.  My favorite song from the mission so far is Go Down Moses by lower lights.  Tell Lizzy to look it up. haha.

DECEMBER 1 - HASHTAGS

HOLA FAMILIA!

I love you all so much.  Seriously when I think of how great you are it makes me want to cry.  I am seriously really thankful for you everyday.  

GRATITUDE HASHTAG list! Jimmy Fallon worthy.... just kidding.

#family

#church

#jesus

#hnaporter plays this game where you fill a thimble up with water.  You then pick a topic and it is like 20 questions.  You go around in the circle and try to guess what the person in the middle has in their head.  If you win you get water in your face.  

#funtimes 

We played this as a zone for Thanksgiving.  Hahaha fun times in the church!

Hermana Skidmore has returned!

#hnaskidmore 

#skidsquad 

With her whole family!  It was really cool to meet everyone.  Seeing peoples relatives is always fun.  So that is why you look like that and cosas asi.  We were having an FHE with Bxxxxa and her family and we told the Skidmores to get down there so that we could surprise her.  THEY WERE SO SURPRISED! It was a rocking FHE.

 #surprises

Bxxxxx and her whole family came to church! That is the fourth time! They are on fire and LOVE it. Every family has problems but it is great to see the CHANGES that can happen in a famil... more happiness and patience and LOVE MAN.  

Axxxxxy is her 4 year old son and he loves me.  Whenever we go over there he wants me to read him the books he got from the library (which I could do for the rest of my life) but I feel bad about not being there entirely for the lesson so I try to summarize the books and he is like "No the whole thing!"  hahahaha. 

 Also one time he was talking about Hermana Cuesta and he said she was my sister.  I told him that she wasn't actually my sister and he was like "gasp... What?! You have got to be kidding me!" In his cute voice I could not stop laughing.  Her whole family is great.

Funny experience.  Someone said "nice to meet you" to me and I totally thought they were saying Machu Pichu.  HAHA.

To help Bxxxxa out with smoking Hermana Cuesta put pictures of Jesus inside the plastic wrap of her cigarettes to remind her she has help to turn to to resist these temptations..... 

#sacreligious :)

Thanksgiving was really fun.   We played soccer with the Elders for 3 hours straight in the church and I am a bit sore.  It was really fun!

I loved reading your emails!

More next week!

Love

Hermana Sheffer

NOVEMBER 27 - DREAMS COME TRUE!!

I have been growing (ok haha I just put growing instead of "going"but it is too good to delete) GOING through a little bit of a weird time losing Hermana Skidmore, and having to man my area, and wanting to love everyone and have everything be good still.  

Saying Goodbye to Sister Skidmore. Wow that was hard.

I am feeling extremely stressed out.  But everything is great because Hermana Cuesta is here and everyone is loving her and she makes me laugh so much.  This week has some awesome highlights.

<<highlight reel>>

HIGHLIGHTONE:  Rod our handyman told me that I can dig up the baby palm tree that is growing in our bushes <<scream>> Dream come true right here!!  Proud owner of a Californian palm tree.  Legacy.  

 

HIGHLIGHT TWO: Angeles watches little girls who are around the ages 2-3.  One of the knows my name and calls me Sheffer.  Angeles has taught them how to pray and she was praying and she said "please bless Sheffer and please bless her family" in her cute little 3 year old voice.  I was crying it was so cute.  Just know that you are being prayed for!  

HIGHLIGHT THREE:  Hermana Cuesta is funny.  I didn't know where we were going so there is this round-about and she just drove around and around until I had figured it out...  like 3 times... and one unnecessarily :)

HIGHLIGHT FOUR:  I was having a stressful moment.  I am feeling a lot of pressure.  My heart was hurting.  I said, "I have strain in my heart" in a whisper voice.  Hermana Cuesta took it as my scream-o voice and started yelling, "I'VE GOT STRAIN IN MY HEART STRAIN IN MY HEART!!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

We are now a scream-o band.  Hahaha.  

HIGHLIGHT FIVE:  BXXXXa is doing awesome!  She is working on not smoking and she said she was googling Mormons and watched "The Other Side of Heaven".  She was so into it that she didn't smoke the whole movie! hahahaha.  

<<end of highlight reel>>

Right now my biggest problem is knowing the material so I am starting operation learn Preach MY Gospel.  

Exxxxxxxh told us that she has received an answer for herself that this is not the church for her.   She was praying about gay people and the Church and got a burning in her stomach. She took that as her answer and doesn't want to get baptized.  This was really hard for me because every time we see her we are promising her that she will receive an answer and it was just hard to see her get that answer.  She isn't going to take the discussions anymore.  For a 12 year old girl she is really in this world.  Like she thinks a lot about everything.  She is really smart.  She is really sweet. She is good and understands love.   I hope that everything goes well with her.  It was interesting because while that was happening in the lesson Hermana Gomez texted her from her home to talk to her.  I know that that was a miracle right there and I wished I could call her and tell her all that happened so she could know.  But It was definitely a little miracle for me.  I don't know it is confusing.  But that night I read a scripture that said "I do not know all things, but the Lord knoweth all things, which are to come.  Wherefore He worketh in me to do according to His will." It was just an answer to a prayer, because I was really upset.  I am sure everything will work out with her like it is supposed to.   

Anyways tell everyone hi and thanks for everything and the emails and the packages.

Have a great time in Park City!!

Love 

Emily

  

My Thanksgiving Package. Seriously Mom you are so cool!

Contents of turkey

Thanks for the Gratitude Board. Everyone has been writing on it!

NOVEMBER 17 - The turning of a new page

NOTE FROM SONJA (all notes from me are in BOLD):  When Emily says HERMANA or HNA she means SISTER.

Ok there is quite a bit to say, but I only have time to type for a bit because I want to send pictures!!!

We did a photo shoot and I am haaapppyyy.  Get ready to be blown away.

So the exciting news about my missionary life: I have a new companion starting tomorrow!

I am remaining in North Sac (YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY) and my new companion will be Hermana Cuesta! 

Fun facts about her.

o        She is the first Hermana that Hermana Skidmore ever trained!

o        She is currently companions with Hermana Fly who was my MTC companion.

o        She likes to recycle and wants to be a conservation officer!

o        She grew up speaking Spanish, but she is from Virginia!

o        She is hilarious and has lots of energy!

o        She likes to eat healthy!

Let’s just say I am excited! As excited as I can be even though HNA SKIDMORE IS LEAVING!! :( 

For the past 23 days she has said at least once she feels like she is dreaming and I am with her lately. 

So weird how things change so fast! But I am so grateful to have learned the ways from Hermana Skidmore.  She has taught me above anything to work the hardest you can… the kind of work you can only do if you have faith in the Lord and yourself and in every single person that you see. 

HER COMMENTS ON THIS PICTURE I SENT:

I love your pictures with the missionary moms.  I want to say that I am also loving being a missionary.  I am done being sad on myself.  I am trying and I am learning a ton out here, and that is what counts.  I am going to work on my relationships with other people like reaching out more.  I love all the experiences that I am having.  I am so blessed to be with the perfect people in the perfect mission in the perfect place.  Thanks for the pick me ups always.  I love getting your letters.

HER COMMENTS ON THIS PICTURE:

I LOVE NATER IN HIS SUIT!  I am so proud, even when he does fist bumps in front of the whole congregation.  He did it when he was baptized, and when he got the priesthood, and now he needs to do it when he gets his mission call and then........ When he gets married!! That would be soo cute! Tell him to plan on it!

HER COMMENTS ON THIS PICTURE:

We were all coordinating because it was Hnna Skidmores last Sunday and we sang a song in church!  We rocked it.  One of the elders is like Jordan Pearson and everyone was like WOW. 

Tell dad he makes me laugh super hard. 

Ok maybe more later!

Have a great week!

NOVEMBER 10 - liame (email for dyslexic people)

So soo many things are happening, and you guys get probably one hundredth part of what I want (anyone.... get it?.... anyone?) but some pretty exciting things happened so here is what's happening!

Gxxxxxxa is not really an investigator anymore.  We will still visit and see her occasionally but we are not teaching her.  She has only been coming to the activities, and doesn't really want to come to church.  It is really sad to leave her, but there is someone out there who will want to come to everything so putting our faith forward!  Funny story is that her son Axxxx got a popcorn kernel stuck in his nostril and was freaking out.  (HAHAHA) when you ask him about the story he says "Estoy mucho mejor" haha.

The Sxxxx familia is just working ALL the time, and especially on Sundays.  We can never find a time to meet with them.  We are always going to see them occasionally though because she is a member so that is good.

So this is the story of the week.  Soo cool.  So we received a referral from the English Elders (they send us a TON of good referrals). They said that the lady was basically chasing them down to learn more about the church.  So we were super excited and scheduled to stop by her house.  A couple hours before we were going to go visit her we get a call directly from her  asking when we were going to stop by!! Crazy!! We were super excited to go see her. 

So we drive to our appointment with her and when we saw the house..... we recognized it.  This was one of the first weeks that I was here that we had visited this house.  We had taught doorstep lesson to the husband about prayer and he said he though it was interesting and wanted to learn more.  We kept trying to come back but we could never get a hold of him.  First off every time we went to his house his wife would very bluntly say "we are not interested. Sorry we don't have time. I am Catholic and my daughter is doing her first communion soon." Stuff like that.  We tried a couple times but eventually stopped because we figured he was experiencing strong opposition from his wife. 

We opened the door and IT WAS HER.  She is like come in!  I was in shock!  I could not believe I was her.  Later in the lesson she was like, I bet you never thought I would do this after all the times I told you to go away.  HAHA. 

Basically she is a miracle.  Something happened at her church and she doesn't even want to go anymore! She didn't even go to her daughter’s first communion! Crazy.

We invited her to a baptism, She came.  We invited her to church the next day.  She came.  She brought her whole family! And she walked out with a Gospel Principles manual because she loved the lesson so much.  Must have been a blessing in disguise, because she loved it and wanted to learn more. She is on fire.  She even invited one of her catholic girlfriends (who funny enough, we also know haha) to the Thanksgiving dinner!  I am so excited I can't even tell you!

Also this week I would like to honor my trainer Hermana Skidmore.  For her diligence, hard work, love, patience, virtue, knowledge, temperance, “Hermana-erly” kindness, and humility…and because she turned her driving privileges over to me.  I am working on getting to know our area better so I can lead it.  That is love I tell you people.  If you ever have the chance visit her blog, she is amazing!

Also I would love to say I was ALMOST successfully vegan.  I can report more later, but I am feeling great, and I love the idea of a plant based diet.  Yes I will have to tell you more later, because I got to go.

Love you all!

Hermana Sheffer

PLACES TO VISIT

NOTE FROM SONJA:

Emily sent this list to us of places she would like to visit with us if her Mission President allows us to pick her up.  I love love love it that the first place she listed is the Ochoa family.  It makes my heart happy.

• La Familia Ochoa
• Lake Tahoe.
• The Ocean (every morning I can feel the ocean mist brushing my face)
• Plane Museum.
• Old Town Sacramento
• The Mexican Market.
• The World Market.
• The river.
• My morning park.
• The Redwoods
• San Francisco
• Church in my ward. (My tile in the bench)
• Church in the Tongan ward.

November 3 - EMAILY (an email from EMILY)

 Hello Family!

This week has been great! I am learning a lot every day. 

Some interesting things that have happened:

Gxxxxxxa and her family were doing really well.  She was doing really good, and she was liking everything so far.  So we were really feeling good that she will be able to be baptized on the November 15. The only thing that could impede that is if she is not married, so we were pretty keyed up about teaching the law of chastity lesson. 

Listen to how this lesson went. 

We go to her house.  She opens the door.  The burglary alarm goes off.  It was SO LOUD! My head was ringing after! Somehow we had set the alarm off.  We could not figure out how to turn it off! So after a bit of time we decided that we would have the lesson outside on the porch but on the way out it randomly turned off again. 

Weird! 

So we sit down and talk to her about the law of chastity (yeesss) and the doorbell rings.... The police are here!!!  We had to translate that the alarm is going weird but everything was ok.  HAHA. 

So we talk to her about how she needs to be married to be baptized and found out that she is not married, and her husband not really husband at this point doesn't want to be.  I was so sad in that moment.  I was hurting in my heart. WHEN.... baby Jxx does a HEAD DIVE off the couch and bounces on his head.  HAAA HHAAA I have this image of my head like he is standing up, but he is inverted and bouncing off the ground...  

It was so bad but later in the car I was almost crying I was laughing so hard.  Just the situation and the image in my head of him.  Comedic Relief! I was dying.

Another fun experience is that Axxx, her older son PRAYED.  Everyone, I marked this day as a mini miracle!  So context, he usually yells through the whole prayer.  "No cierren sus ojos!!" He is paranoid about people closing their eyes.  He hates praying because of it.  So he was playing with a robot that was talking (enemy sighted...enemy terminated) stuff like that.  And he asked what it was saying because it was talking in English and Hermana Gomez said "that it’s time to pray". Totally threw him for a loop.  And then when he started to freak out about the prayer, I asked if it was ok if we only closed one eye! AND HE WAS LIKE OK!  So we were all sitting there praying with one eye closed....... hahahhahahahahahahah.  It was sooo funny!! BUT Axxx PRAYED!!! This is progress people!

Another fun thing is the Sxxxa familia invited us over to celebrate their son Dxxxx’s birthday! We thought it was going to be a party but it was just us and them.  It was like a family!  We had tres leche cake and everything!  I loved that they wanted to invite us.  Their family is amazing!

I have been working a lot on control this week (approaching the throne of God with confidence from general conference this year).  Probably my favorite talk.  I have been applying it to my life (I like checklists).  I have taken control of my missionary life.  I am going running in the morning, I am on a quest to eat healthier (see below) and I am doing my best.  I made it a goal so it is set in stone.  So it is awesome to have a goal! 

Fun things that happened this week:

I have officially been a vegan for 24 hours(ok only 3 meals but it is success ok!) .  One of my goals this week was to be a vegan for a whole week.  I am loving it.  I feel good about it and at one with mother nature!  And it is super easy.  Kind of. (I ate some pretty nasty oatmeal this morning, without sugar using water!) But  I baked a sweet potato in the oven for half an hour and ate it. So good. That is basically frozen food but HEALTHY.  I will report my success next week.  It is really fun.  

Obispo Galvez and his chimichangas. This was the first meal I ate on my mission (from a member) and still my favorite. I can't even describe how good they are. I told him they were in my drams, and it's an inside joke now ha ha.

Dinner with Obispo! By his pool!

 ALSO there is also a lady in our ward who collects recycling from us and the ward, and she smashes all of them and takes them to a recycling plant and puts the money in the ward missionary fund!! So cool!!! 

MOTHER EARTH ROCKS.  California is beautiful right now I will just say.  The leaves do change colors!

Life is a process (Matt 18:3, Mosiah 3:19, 1 Samuel 16:7, D&C 137:9, approaching throne of god with confidence, Alma 7, which way do you face (general conference, 2 Kings 5:1,9-14, D&C 101:44-54)) Something I learned from our zone conference!  More on that later!

Mom-funded Zone training Halloween decorations. And my companions.

THANK YOU so much mom for the packages!  They were delicious and both packages were received and the food was great!  I made the cupcakes for the Halloween party.  The caramel apples were DELICIOUS.  My comps think you are the coolest thing ever.  We ate them on Halloween and it was awesome.  Where did you get those? Was that really expensive?

NATHANS HAIR!!! Holy cow that is long.  Tell everyone hi!

I love you guys!

Hermana Sheffer