September 28 - Elders and spongy black cheese like substances

So basically in shortened form I will describe the letter that is lost in the internet somewhere.  It was the picture of my and Elder Griffen doing sixes for the six transfers we have been here for.  (Six, really?? Crazy right? We are both famous in this Ward) and then talked about how every single Sister in the mission was training, except for my companion and 2 other Sisters that are training leaders together.  We each have 16 missionaries to cover and they are all so new!! Some missionaries that have only been out six weeks are training!  It was not what I expected at all but I am so excited to get to do so many exchanges, and get to know everybody, help them out, and ya.  We will definitely be busy that is for sure!  We are doing 4 exchanges every week, but it will be great!  Last week Hermana Carpenter bought a lunchbox because we have basically become traveling missionaries!  I AM SO EXCITED! 

I am also starting a documentary of my mission.  Just so you can get excited.  I have some good footage so far!  :) Get excited for another classic haha.

FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES I WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THE HAPPENINGS OF MY WEEK IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

1.           Relaxed because I told God I was going to make Manteca Town my home, and He listened haha.  No packing for me!!

2.           Went shopping at TJ Maxx and got my first pair of ankle boots cheap (gasp). Whether they look good or not I love them because they go with all my skirts and I can wear SOCKS! I feel so styling, and people comment on them :) Fashionista!

3.           Washed, oiled, punctured, and wrapped 150 potatoes for the new missionaries!  Got to peek at them through the door!  Got to be their first Hermana missionary contact!  They are all from Utah and Texas, but speak spanish fluently and are so sweet. 

4.           Started filming my life.  Found out Elder Scott had also passed away :(

5.           Went to mutual with Cxxxxs Hxxxxxxxz Jr (who wants to get baptized!). His dad is the one in the Plan of Salvation picture with Exxxxo).  Road trip in the car! 

a)                Cxxxxs Jr. is amazing!  We have been meeting with him for 6 weeks now and he is getting baptized for sure!  He used to go to a different Christian church, but now he has started coming with his dad.  Cxxxxs Hxxxxxxxz Sr is one of my favorite people here in Manteca, and he is soooo happy to have his two sons there with him every Sunday!  It is an amazing thing.  Someone called him on the phone during a lesson, and he said he was "talking to missionaries from MY church". We were so happy.  

6.           Found out I was able to touch my head to my toes! YOGA is amazing!  I decided that someday I want to go on a yoga surf retreat in Costa Rica!  Some members said they would hook me up with their family members. 

7.           Went running and got sore. Got to do more than yoga sounds like. 

8.           Road tripped down to Turlock.  Saw the new Sisters training themselves, and also Hermana Porter. 

                 a) created a well ventilated area

                     b) sprayed chemicals and erased 8 years of Elder showering  history.  

                    c) bonded with Hermana Porter. I LOVE HERMANA PORTER.

9.           Had District meeting, and Leilani came.  I LOVE LEILANI.

10.        Did service at Tracy Interfaith cutting cheese blocks.  Want to have time to serve and stuff after the mission. 

11.        Watched the Women's Session.  Completely in Spanish, and I understood all of it.

12.        Cried when I saw the Prophet.

13.        Was sad when a newer member we love didn’t come to church even though when we came to remind him Sunday morning he was on his roof just doing around the house stuff.... could have basically.  Waaahhhh. 

14.        Was happy when Lxxxxe came to church. It was so good to see her.  Mxx gave me a hug! Mxx was a little loud but all the Hermanas just loved him, and I was so happy.  No judging there!

15.        Exxxxo got a calling in the library.  I told him to be the Librarian he had to read all the books..... hahahaha.  Give him a week is what I say.

16.        Finished reading the Gospels!!!  I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES.

The work is going great!  This to be honest was a rough week.  But sometimes that happens I guess.

Thanks for all the emails! You are all beautiful people! 

I love/miss you a lot!

Hermana Sheffer

namaste

To save miles in the car we are getting rides from members.  I got to hang out with some of my favorite kids ever!  Bxxxxxn, and Axxxxn.  We took selfies in the back and blinded ourselves with the flash hahaha.  Best night ever!

 

We were picking up Sister Palmer one Sunday before church, and she was talking about how she felt overwhelmed with having to feed all the new missionaries with no time to prepare.  So we offered to put together the baked potato bar (annndd we wanted to see all the new Missionaries when they came in hahaha, double motive). It was awesome!  We baked and prepared 150 potatoes!

 

More potato preparation pictures.  Rockin' aprons

 

LOOKY!!!!! MY HEAD IS TOUCHING MY KNEES!!!!! Yoga works!!!

 

We got to go down and visit our Hermanas that are in Turlock this week.  We did some studies with the Hermanas that are training themselves, and then we went to go surprise visit Hermana Porter and her two new companions!  Surprise!

But honestly the surprise was more ours, because we walked into the most ghetto apartment I have ever seen!!  We weren't sure we were in the right place until we saw the bike rack on the missionary car haha. 

The apartment was soooo gross.  The Elders had been living there before.  So we decided to help them get it into living condition before we left!

I volunteered to do the bathroom, and the room went silent... they were like, "You are so brave!!!" Haha.   

Cleaning the bathroom entailed Hermana Porter and I using our elbow grease, 2 different chemicals at the same time (NOT my idea........ haha…we were in a well ventilated area) and self-control to not gag.  There was seriously spongy black cheese like substances everywhere.  Hermana Carpenter with her smarts took the sink apart and we cleared out similar black substance from the u ring thing. 

It was an oddly satisfying experience. 

The only unsatisfying part was I accidentally got some bleach on my favorite skirt to wear in this point of my life...... waaaahhhhh.  It is an inside joke because between myself, Mxx, and everyday occurrences, I ALWAYS have something on that skirt, and then the bleach was the last it could take haha.