Obedience is the price

Love you more than...joking around with Indonesians :) I LOVE THESE PEOPLE! 

We love you

We had a pretty scattered week! ALL of the people we visited came to church! Except one! Haha welllll we just visited inactives and new members, but it makes it sound a lot better! Usually we teach maybe 1 or 2 lessons with inactives/new members but this week we taught 6! It was a change but fun!

in Manado

Monday-Wednesday we were in Manado... Manado was so wonderful!!! My MTC companion, Sister Jibson and I talked alot (don't we always) about life, mission life and Indonesia. We were saying how much the mission culture has changed throughout this year and that if you took the missionaries from when we were new and put them in the mission today, they couldn't handle it! And yet maybe we have some bad habits from the old and need to turn ourselves over completely to this service. I really love the line from our mission's motto: Obedience is the Price. How much we OWE to the Savior. And all the mission rules are just a way to show we really are grateful and willing to sacrifice too. My prayers have been much more specific and sincere lately, probably because I am learning more about myself and what to do to change. I don't want to be myself forever! I want to be better than myself! 

But it was nice to get back to our area for a good chunk of the week. Sister Olsen and I have this ongoing goal of finding a family of 5: married parents with a stable job, 3 kids to help with primary and the remaja (youth) and that live close-ish to the church. So we did a lot of finding this week and are still on the lookout for those who need the Savior in their life! (well we all do, but you know what I mean. Those who REALIZE they need the Savior more in their life.)

Riding in a Bajai with Sister Lely

Thursday we planned to watch the long Joseph Smith movie with Sister Lely and were only 5 minutes in when another sister calls her and asks "are the sisters still at your house?! I need help sending things to the Australian embassy but I don't understand it!" so we said a quick prayer and hopped in a Bajai and helped her out for the next little while. Not only did it feel amazing to do a little unplanned service project, but we took the opportunity to open up her facebook and ask for some referrals! MIRACLE! SHE WAS AWESOME! She was sending her testimony, telling them why they should learn about the gospel and really helped us out. It was a random but great night. 

Friday's we always have District meeting and English class which really is a cram for time trying to teach more than 1 appointment in between the two. But we went for it. After the meeting, we ran to our 1st appointment since she came EARLY and was waiting for us, then we ate our lunch as fast as we could and ran to the next appointment to finish watching the movie with Sister Lely, but turns out that went over time so we were trying to get over the church ASAP and decided to take a taxi. Well there was another investigator waiting for us at the church during English and we were late and in a taxi in traffic and I was just feeling so frustrated! Why is it that we try to just teach people and yet nothing works out the way we planned? "Nothing on my to-do list got done" kind of day. But man is that new Mormon Message amazing or what? I love that you mentioned it too mom, cause I was going to send it to you. We ended up missing our bus coming home that night and got home late. But you know what? That's ok! We were able to have 3 lessons that day when usually we maybe can get 1! MIRACLE!

Saturday we met with our WML (ward mission leader) and it was awesome! Our ward is so cool. Then we were already late to go to our next appointment (a 2 hour bus ride) but we got there in like half the time! No traffic! MIRACLE! It didn't work out with our investigator but we taught a new member who has been absolutely blossoming in this gospel and it has been amazing to see. Then we thought with our 2 hr bus ride home we would need to not visit the less-active family near by and just head home. But as we were on the bus going home, we had the impression to turn around and teach them anyways. We got to their house where they had been waiting for us and taught them a short and sweet lesson then got in a taxi to head home (about an hour before curfew.) It only took half an hour! MIRACLE! The price tag was maybe not too great but it was just another great feeling.

So basically this week we still don't have that many investigators and we still are working out a few kinks in the work in this area with facebook and the ward and all that. BUT to visit with so many less-actives and new members and really feel their love and show our love for them... it was amazing! They all came to church too! MIRACLE!

Sister Narko

Today there is a group of 4 missionaries going home. They are the group right above me! Sister Believe, Sister Manullang, Sister Narko, Elder Taulu.... all my friends! My companions, my old AP, my friends! I will be the next to go after them! Crazy! Time is just flying away!

Speaking of which, my time is up for emailing. I will talk to you more later! The temple sounds amazing and I can't wait to be there with you all soon! Give everyone my love!

Obedience is the Price

Faith is the Power

Work is the Commitment

Love is the Motive

The Spirit is the Key

Christ is the Reason

One more contact.

<3 Sister Sheffield 

P-day in Manado

P-day in Manado