Monday, April 7, 2014

I love you more than....

….APRIL FOOL JOKES! Hahaha gotcha :)

So obviously we weren't on conference, but as Elder Collett said, "At least it was a good April fools prank because it made them watch all of conference!" Haha so I'm just trying to help out! Sorry to disappoint
(Editor’s note: she told us last week she was going to be shown between conference segment about Indonesia. The joke ended up being bigger than she anticipated – because of what she said, a lot of other Indonesian missionary families were also glued to the t.v. watching for a glimpse of our kids serving in Indonesia)

Sunset in Jakarta

So here's our week...
Monday- we were planning this big p-day but had a lady in our ward pass away suddenly so we went to the hospital. That night we went out and proselyted and met with a couple people we had contacted. The funny thing is that we met them at 7/11 (they have them in Jakarta!!!!) but it was just the two guys and me and Sis Allred. We kept saying "do you think they think this is a date?" #sistermissionaryprobs . But it ended being a really neat discussion about religion and what we believe. They aren't interested but it was still pretty cool.
 
The Relief Society of the ward
Tuesday- we attended the funeral for the lady in our ward. And it was April Fools! So we planned the best prank! We had alllllll of the missionaries call in sick. If we get sick we are supposed to call Sis. Donald (Mission President's wife) and so she was getting calls/texts alllllll morning! We told them Sis. Allred was throwing up but we still went to the funeral. Haha Sis. Donald was at the funeral too so I got to see some of the other "illnesses". Some of the missionaries had sore backs, hurt legs, sick stomachs, rashes, burnt tongues, turning into a giraffe, frost-bite from the freezer... it was quite hilarious as she started to realize that it was April Fools.

The Young Women in the ward

We also went to visit an inactive member that was actually baptized in Hong Kong. (fun fact for you! Remember my old comp Sister Fisher? It was her older brother that baptized this inactive!) We taught her about the word of God and also helped out with her adorable little kids.

TIME OUT! I'm going to go start some cupcakes :) send some more in a minute...
(editor note: another letter came an hour later.)
(Cupcakes are a no-go because they are already making something for our MLC- Missionary Leader Council- tomorrow.)

Wednesday- We met with the greatest contact ever! Please pray for him. His name is Ryan and we had to meet him at his school just before he went home, and now we are worried that he won't get his parents permission to learn. He could only meet for 10 minutes because his mom came to pick him up, so we just gave him a Kitab Mormon and told him to talk to his parents. Then we just prayed. I don't think I have ever prayed that hard and urgently for someone, let alone in a school cafeteria. It reminds me of Les Miserable, "God on high, hear my prayer. In my need you have always been there. He is young, he is only a boy."
 
Getting hair cut
After that we went to proselyte and I also bought a new backpack (my old bag broke) and we got our haircut. Haha you know how you feel so “swishy” after getting your haircut? "Toss, toss, no hands!" (editor note: comical line from broadways “Wicked”)
ALSO I heard Jon Schmidt's song "Waterfall" at the mall! CRAZY!

Me posing in front of a little convenience store with 2 little boys who dig through the trash.
They are so dirty, but so cute. Sad life, ya?

Thursday- Sis Allred has been signing up for her BYU classes and there is a new Indonesian class. So we have been planning her life and it is so crazy to have to imagine "the real world" again. Yikes!
 
Post hair cut picture
We also went to visit the grandchildren of a member. We got there so late at night that we had only time to share a verse but I think Moroni 10:32 is a great verse for anyone, anytime, anywhere. Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.
Us with Sister Donald... lady drivers only

Friday- We had our usual District meeting (did I ever tell you my district leader is Elder McCleary from my MTC group?) Funniest man around. President says, "Hey can I pop in and share something for a minute" Elder McCleary, "I guess I'll allow it." So president shared his feelings about not giving up. He said that we are like deliverers of bread. The Lord bakes the bread (great Bread of Life reference right?) and then we just deliver. Some people will refuse to try it, some will try and be convinced by others that it's not good, but others will eat and be filled and desire to share it with those they love. We also talked about conference from Elder Holland's talk (I don't know when) but he said that they are "mortal messengers with angelic messages." I hope that I can be a missionary like that.
 
The old with the new... Bajai vs. fancy car
After that we went to go to an investigator's house but we accidentally took the ankot (think ghetto shuttle in a sort-of van) waaaaay too far! Like an hour and half past her house and had to come back. But we taught her about prophets and she is so excited to come to conference. She is about 60+ and an English teacher. She won't come to our church because she leads the choir at hers, BUT she loves the Mormon tabernacle choir and we know she will feel the spirit at conference. We also taught English that night (and played 20 Questions... Sushi was near impossible to guess!) And then taught another new investigator. The elders also had an investigator to teach that night, I think the work is going upward.
 
Sister Allred on the bus. The guy standing up is wearing JAZZ basketball shorts
Saturday- We went out to an area about 2 hours away and taught a member and then tried to find some former investigators in that area. But instead of finding the old investigator, we contacted like CRAZY and even ended up teaching this devout Charismatic lady and her friend. Sometimes it just hurts so much to see people REFUSE to "eat the bread" that we want to share. Ugh I pray that something good will come from talking with her though.

I love Indonesia. We were watching a street performer by our bus stop and just laughing at all the people dancing and trying to get us to come sing and dance. What a fun loving, easy-going people they are here. That night before going home we decided to walk around our apartment and met someone and then went to 7/11 and taught him! He actually met the missionaries before in Hong Kong. So we gave him a Kitab Mormon and invited him to church.

Walking around the bus stop

Sunday- Rudi, the guy we met Saturday night, came to church! On his own! And then the elders had an investigator come that is a miracle story... turns out he first heard about the church a few years ago then I met him on the bus the other day and gave him our card with the info about English class. So he came to English then met with the elders everyday since and wants to get baptized! He already fits in with a few of the other members.

The "women" of the ward! MY favorites! Everyone is a new member too!
Except the girl wearing the blue/tan dress and the brother in the back

OUR WARD IS THE COOLEST! There is the group of maybe 7 girls that I just adore and 6 of them are new members. The new members make up a good chunk of the ward and they are all young adults who really help build up this ward. And all the members are so good to the missionaries and our investigators. I wish every ward was like this ward! Now we just need to find some families to baptize so that the ward gets some youth.

Sunrise from my apartment window

The elders gave us a new investigator that we taught on Sunday named Vita. She also wants to be baptized but first wants to just know the gospel and learn about Christ. I loved hearing about her story and all her questions. Please pray that she will keep progressing. I know that Heavenly Father has been preparing her.

SO we have seen a lot of miracles the last couple days and I know it is because of your prayers, our prayers and me and Sis. Allred really focusing the last few days. We need investigators! We are starting to meet some really cool people though. We talk to everyone and try to follow even the smallest promptings of who to contact. It makes it so much more entertaining that way. For example, last night we passed a young woman when we were walking home and then thought, "should we? or not?" then decided to talk to her but had to chase her down because she was already so far. Haha almost scared her to death but she was so chill to talk to us and said she heard us singing when we walked past.

For Janice: So beautiful!

Tomorrow we are going to have MLC (missionary leader council) and then have a zone meeting later this week. Then next Saturday and Sunday we get to watch conference. Talk about an awesome week planned ya? Oh and later today we are going bowling (Where is dad when you need him? I'll be praying for Mom's bowling skills.)

I've been studying D&C 88 this week and trying to finish studying all the conference talks from last October before we watch this one. I LOVE THE PRIESTHOOD! I am an advocate for those worthy, willing men who hold that responsibility so that as a woman I can just reap the blessing.  I can't wait to hear from the "mortal messengers with angelic messages" in this conference.
 
Here's for my brother; the ANDREW store at the mall
Give my love to everyone! I pray for you always!
<3 Sister Sheff


P.S. Doesn't it feel like so normal now... me being on a mission? Amazing how it can become such a regular thing ya?

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