START TO BE THE MISSIONARY I HOPE TO BE... TODAY!

Love you more than.... Passion fruit! Markisa kalau di sini (Markisa is what we call it here). 

What is so passionate about passion fruit? It's delicious but looks like slimy frog eggs! I'll send a picture...

Well we had a really random week!

Monday we went with the AP's to Wendy's with a member... funny how that can be like a really expensive meal here haha. We got a few facebook lessons in which is pretty rare so that felt good!

Tuesday we went out proselyting and found this really sweet older lady who gave us juice but Sister Olsen wasn't feeling to good so we hopped in a taxi for our next appointment, which was with Sister Ayen. If you remember from a few months ago when we went to the mansion house for P-day... ya it's Sister Ayen's house :) So we go over to share a message about using facebook for missionary work and ended up basically teaching her how to use facebook! Her husband was just surprised that facebook can be a tool for missionaries and not just "buat main-main saja" (for playing) haha. So then guess where they take us out to dinner? TONY ROMA'S! Yeah like the real deal. Well this is the funny part of the story. Sister Olsen was still really sick and like stomach sick. (Sorry I shouldn't say funny but just the predicament was hilariously awkward) SO here we are being treated to the most expensive meal ever and Sister Olsen can barely even handle the bread stick! At one point she just says to me, I need to go to the bathroom and makes a bolt for the door and yet here I am covered in rib sauce and can't find a napkin so I follow her to the kamar kecil (bathroom) just in time to see her lose her lunch into the sink... Poor thing! Then these little kids come in and I just have to tell them to find another place. We kinda’ had to laugh it off. The nicest meal ever and she couldn't even eat it. But we boxed it up and had a mini thanksgiving the other day.

Well Wednesday we went to the doctor to check out SIs Olsen's stomach and it turns out she had an amoeba like what I got back in Solo. We kinda’ had to rest that day so that she could feel better.

Thursday we went out to meet with a few potential investigators. It was funny that they wanted to meet us at this little cafe and we walk in and see these 2 girls and a guy and are trying to avoid sitting by this guy. Well turns out that when Sister Olsen first met the girl on the busway, she went home and told her friends about these Mormons she met. Her guy friend then says "hey I used to know a Mormon! do you think we could meet those missionaries again?" He has seen the Pemulihan film and read the Kitab Mormon before and the whole shabang! He was really interested to hear more about Joseph Smith's story. We were hoping to see him at conference but he didn't end up coming. Maybe next time :) Well then by this time I have started getting this nasty cold/flu. We took Sister Bella with us for a day so that she could feel like she was helping with the work of Salvation.
*PAUSE! President just handed me your package! Thanks so much! You didn't have to buy a new DVD :) but I am so excited to wear the shirt. one thing... it might be around the time to stop sending stuff just incase it doesn't get here in time... but I'll explain that in a minute. UNPAUSE*

Sister Bella is still newish so maybe she doesn't know how to really be a good fellow-shipper yet but she was so darn excited just to get out of the house and learn about missionary work! She went with us to Sister Lely's house and they are two very different personalities but got along so well. They both are the only members in their families. Their family doesn't really support them in going to church. They both aren't very well off financially but both LOVE this gospel and the miracles it has brought. So it was a funny lesson to see them swap stories and just laughing. Paling tidak, Sister Lely was able to make another church friend and it was so good to see her laughing.

Friday my flu had gotten worse but we were able to get to DDM (district devotional meeting) and had a great lesson about the talk from the Liahona last fall (Oktober 2013) Called "How Can I Be a Successful Missionary?" It was really good because it is so hard when as missionaries you set a lot of goals and measure a lot of things by the agency of others. When in reality, our personal success can't be measured by anyone else but ourselves. I was thinking that statistics are measured by counting numbers. Success is measured through prayer, asking the Lord and feeling peace that you're doing enough. Then after the meeting came the big shocker from President... You ready? OKAY! Well you know how I'm scheduled to come home on the2 6th? Well the new missionaries come in on the 3rd and they need Visa's for them... so President is in the process of trying to get approval to send me home on the 2nd of November! AHHHHHH! That's in like 3 weeks! It's not sure yet since the office in America will work on it today... but just a heads up.

Mom, Dad, family. I can't explain how scary it is to hear that. Remember back when I was at the MTC? They told us we would be there for 9 weeks instead of 6 and we were kinda bummed to stick around so long but then realized that it was a great chance to really learn. Well then they told us one day, "just kidding you only have 3 weeks left!" That is exactly what just happened on Friday. All those emotions came flooding back. It's weird because it’s not so much that I'm afraid to go home or sad to stay/go home earlier. I just don't know if I'm ready to leave the work. Did I do enough? Is 3 weeks enough time to "finish"? I was planning on it being so much longer, but would I be ready if it ended sooner? Sooooo that's been on my mind all weekend. How many times has this happened to me? What is the Lord trying to teach me? I ALWAYS think back to the story of the 10 virgins... Am I one who will be ready for the Lord to come? Or will I have planned on it being "next year". How important is it for us to be ready NOW! For anything! Never ever procrastinate! Maybe that's what I need to be learning. START TO BE THE MISSIONARY I HOPE TO BE TODAY! 

 {Editor's note: We received an email 3 days later with the FIRM & FINAL Itinerary For SHEFFIELD/EMILY ADELAIDE - 26Nov.   She will not be coming home Nov. 2, but will stay until the scheduled date of Nov. 26th}

Saturday I was pretty miserable with the cold/flu but it was nice to have General Conference and an excuse to sit down for a few hours. :) I think I get different messages when I listen in Indonesian because the language makes some things stick out more. I really enjoyed hearing Elder Wong's talk (all the Indonesians giggled at the chinese) and Elder Christofferson's and Elder Holland's and SEMUANYA! (all of them!) I can't choose! 

Anyways... Sunday I was having a rough morning, I had the flu still and then a huge sore on my knee and broke a glass while washing dishes and that gave me a scratch and whew! It was not my day health wise. I think it was just more frustrating than anything. I don't have time to be sick! But we were coming back from conference on the bus and my emotions just got to me. I was feeling sick and weak and tired and frustrated and tears just started rolling down my cheeks and I couldn't stop them. But heavenly father sent me an angel, my "angel in a Jilbab". She was this little Indonesian Muslim lady that sat down next to me and after a few minutes just taps me on the shoulder and asks "are you ok? Why are you crying?" I just told her that I was feeling sick and wanted to go home. She just said she was worried about me and helped me to smile and laugh a little. I don't know why it touched me so much but I want to cry just thinking about her now. She is Muslim and might not ever come to know her Savior in this life but I KNOW that Heavenly Father gives everyone the chance and I think she is a star celestial candidate. I know that there are good people all over the world in every country and religion and circumstance. I love the people here. 

 

After General Conference on Sunday

How funny is this? The old ladies of the ward learning to use a "selfie stick".

Today I feel SOOO much better! I can walk fine and my fever/chills are gone and now I just have a stuffy nose and a little cough. P-Day miracle!

Sorry this email was so long! I guess I just had a lot to be thankful for this week! One other miracle? So we had 2 full sick days this week and yet it was like Heavenly Father knew how to help us meet just the right people at just the right time! For example, on our way to the Doctor on Wednesday, the first lady we see and talk to, asks for a Book of Mormon! We had a busier week than all last week and this week we were sick! The Lord works in mysterious ways :)

I LOVE YOU ALL! Give everyone a hug for me! 

PS Branny gets home soon! Send me a picture if you get the chance!

<3 Sister Sheff