Love you more than....

all the lemon bars in the world!

Emailing on p-day, in the mission office, with companion Sis. Allred

I got your package! Thank you so much :) all the other missionaries are jealous now of our new PMG aka Preach My Gospel (or MIK in Bahasa Indonesian) AND I am the only missionary with the Conference Ensign! Can’t wait to read it all.

Also your email from last week was so awesome! It made me really think and I loved hearing both of your takes. Sis Allred said you both sounded so cool and like general authorities :) TL! I have been trying much harder this week with prayer and with pride. It's all a process. I've noticed that when something is on my mind it's usually a few weeks that I think about it and have to work at it and keep reminding myself to be better.

As for the week...

The good:

~Got your package! It was really funny because Sis Allred and I were JUST saying we should have asked you to send some Reeses Pieces candy when we open the package and *hallelujah* there they were! And the posters were cool! Whoever put the scriptures on there, thank you so much- I loved them!

~Sister Allred and I were on splits so much last week that we decided to have a companionship date night at a Japanese, all-you-can-eat, grill-it-yourself, barbeque place. It was delicious and I think we ate an entire cow between the two of us. The only awkward part is that there are ladies there who will cook the food for you if you ask but for us she didn't really ask as much as she took pity on us cooking 1 piece of chicken at a time with a fork and decided to come over and whip out her chopsticks and in 5 minutes do it all for us. I guess Sis Allred and I think we are more Asian than we actually are.

One day I just stopped and took a picture of my desk. You could play I-spy with this picture

~Word on the street is that the zone leaders and sisters trainers will get a facebook page soon.

~Sister Rianah had a great lesson and even though she is still inactive, she said that she can see the Lord reaching out to her whenever she gets far from the church.

~I made Vita a painted CTR (well MYB) ring (pinterest idea I saw before I left with red, nail-polish) and when we gave it to her she loved it!

~The elders had another baptism in our ward. Brother Melky! It was great!

~Sister Allred and I have been giving a lot of massages to each other lately (we have been SOOO sore) but I have gotten near-professional. Sister Allred gave my massage an 9.5/10 the other day.

~I am undefeated in Spoons (which we've played the last three p-days). Today we are going ice skating.

The bad:

~Vita forgot to fast with us and we were fasting for her so it seemed a little disheartening.

~I have been getting a little OCD about things lately. (Remember that whole Mother Emily phase?) Haha sooo basically I just have been learning to not be a perfectionist this week.

~Tante B. wasn't at home this week, didn't get to come to church or our mission president's fireside either...

~Sister Allred and I didn't attend the wedding of the century in our stake because we mistakenly thought we weren't allowed to go!

The funny:

~We were coming home from an appointment and had to stand on this extremely crowded bus and I was balanced on the doorframe. Well turns out my whole back and skirt had a nice rusty brown stripe.

~We happened to be at the right place and the right time one day while proselyting in a mall and ran into an inactive guy who is a friend of Sis Jibson from home and happens to be doing research in Indonesia. But the funny thing is that as soon as he saw us, he bolted in the other direction without so much as a hello. #missionaryproblems

~Woke up Sunday morning and then realized that I was teaching Gospel Principles. I read the chapter on the bus and wrote the lesson plan during the hymns. But I think the lesson went really well. It was on Agency and I tried to get everyone really involved.

~We have a web of stalkers in our english class who support each other in stalking the elders and sisters... I think that is the definition of a fan club. Also one of them found Sis Allred's youtube page. Hahaha! so glad I don't have one right now.

~We took a "shortcut" on the way to an appointment at the mall which ended up going past a fish farm, around a dump, through a mosquito-infested jungle and next to a little village. Oh and there were some goats there. Haha we stopped to take some pictures when all the sudden Sis Allred says something about Denghae fever and we started doing an irish jig type walk so that the mosquito wouldn't get us. Hahaha and I wonder why people think Americans are weird. (PS we haven't died of any diseases yet)

Our shortcut to the mall

The spiritual:

~We had the most amazing fireside. President invited all of our new members and investigators to his house last night (Sunday night) and you should have seen it. There were about 16 people (investigators/new members/inactives) and 12 of them from our ward! Have I ever told you how cool our ward is?! After church and a baptism and institute was over, we all took a bus together to Senopati and I was laughing my head off at these sisters! They were joking and laughing and talking together and even our new/shy investigator was in on it. They other people on the bust probably thought we were crazy since we designated myself as mom and Vita as our grandma and gave everyone else roles as kids, crazy aunts... Ok so it doesn't sound as funny when I write it out. But our ward was just so thrilled to get invited to our mission president's house. They wore their fanciest clothes and got so excited to be in the "elite" group that were there. The fireside itself was great but it really was just the chance for all these investigators and members to strengthen each other and meet other missionaries and investigators and hear from our president (a convert himself). We might start doing it every fast Sunday!

Some of the people after our fireside

~ Ibu Lely met with us this week and really opened up. She said that after stake conference she just felt like, "do I keep going with this church or do I find another path." We were able to really explain to her our purpose and that all we really want her to do is to ask God. Then we got down on our knees with her and she did ask God. She asked if she needed to join with our church. Since that day she hasn't told us if she has received her answer but God has helped her with some big financial problems and Ibu Lely keeps telling us how much the Lord is blessing her. She knows it's true. President was really impressed with her at the fireside too. Pray for her! She is so close we can feel it!

~Heny came to church and the fireside and has been smiling so much. She started out a little indifferent to us but now she is excited when we come over. She is reading from the Book of Mormon and she already is getting ready for when she goes back to her island so that we can maybe skype teach her.

~I randomly read through Genesis 25-31 one day and it was kinda bugging me how devious Jacob was in getting the birthright and his father's blessing. But I got thinking. Here is Esau who was born with every right to the gospel and yet could care less, in fact he sold his birthright for a meal. Then there is Jacob who is the second son but wanted those blessings so badly that he fought for them! He did everything he could until he gained it. Maybe I am like Esau in the fact that I was born with these blessings, but do I take them for granted. Investigators are like Jacob and desire the blessings of the gospel so much that they are willing to go to great lengths and sacrifice to get those rights of the membership in the Church. So anyways, now Jacob doesn't bug me anymore. I am rooting for him! What a hard worker he was.

~Also the Bible Dictionary part on Faith is really inspiring. Here's the link https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/faith?lang=eng&letter=f

~Heavenly Father has been blessing us SOOOOO much. I really think it has been a complete 180 from the last few weeks. We are back in it and shooting for a baptism before the end of June!

Squid heads, I was wishing I could have one more... wishing upon a star

Have I ever told you all how much I love you? You probably don't remember me that well. Probably are all grown up and my room is dusty and you have all these great summer plans since I won't be there. But I still love you anyways. :)

This gospel is true. Not only is it true but it is the way to true and everlasting happiness! The Savior is at the head of this church and this work of saving souls. His light is in us all and if we really listen, we will be guided by that Spirit.

Give everyone my love!

Sampai ketemu,

Sister Sheff

My word for the week: cocok (pronounced cho-choke) and it means like compatible. It is maybe the one word I will never stop using after I go home because it is so wonderful.