New companion!

Family & friends -

So this week me and Sister H stayed overnight at the mission home with President and Sister Hansen.... they took us out to dinner at a really really nice restaurant in SLC with Ken and Alex- a couple me and Sister H taught in Layton. Alex's parents are really good friends with President Hansen I guess. So that was fun.... they kept making sure I knew that they don't do that for most missionaries so don't start expecting it, haha. Then we went back to the mission home and did manicures and pedicures with Sister Hansen while she showed us her fancy sewing machine and all of these pictures of their house in St. George... um, who knew they were millionaires? Literally, that's a million dollar dream house! Crazy... she made us breakfast the next day and then we went to drop off Sister H to her parents for the drive home. I BAWLED like a baby. Her parents were probably like.... what the heck is wrong with this girl.... those younger generation sisters ARE immature, haha. But I just couldn't help it!

So my new companion is Sister B... she's 23 and from Quebec, Canada (I was confusing her with another sister in the mission when I told you she was from Brazil). French is her first language and she's only spoken English since she came on her mission. She was an art major at school and she's been out 15 months. She's trained 5 missionaries so she knows how to get stuff done. She's never been an STL, so I'm supposed to be training her with that. She's doing a great job so far though. She's a really hard worker, she's super social and bubbly and cute. It has been.... a hard week though, haha. She's about 200% different from Sister H. She came into this area wanting to do things her way- which is great! But we are basically redoing all of the work me and Sister H started. Which might be a good thing...? But not easy. She made a comment the other night about how she feels intimidated by me because I'm really popular and had popular friends in school and dated a lot and stuff.... like- you are seriously mistaken, dear... she also said something about how I'm not overly social. It's true- I won't deny that, haha - I'm working on it though! It will just be a hard adjustment.... I get stressed about things, she just laughs everything off and goes with the flow... I make lessons fun and creative, she wants it really serious... I don't know- it's just hard! Not to mention- I'm her first companion that she's not training.... besides when she was in training, and she's my first comp since Sister C that I'm not training or was trained by. I didn't realize missionaries could do things so differently- ya know? She's a sweetheart though and I know things will get better as we get more comfortable with each other and learn how to teach with each other etc.

Rich quit smoking this week and is working on moving out of Lorie's- yay! I figure we will be able to baptize 3 of the 4 people within the next month or so. That's exciting! I've worked harder this week than I have in a long time.... I gave 2 talks yesterday in church (two different wards)... both were fabulous (of course). We went to SEVEN wards yesterday..... literally. It was crazy. Sister B is making me realize I don't know anyone here and I need to step it up.

Your stake's mini mission thing sounds cool! That's awesome... I love going on splits with the YW. it's weird- my best friends here are girls like Kylie and Kayla and Maddy Erekson... they cancel all their plans to go on splits with me- it makes me feel loved! My favorite is a girl named Hannah Klein... she knows Joshua (our cousin) and someone needs to tell him to ask her on a date because she is seriously an angel; she's wonderful. I split with her 3 days last transfer when H was doing her departing stuff.

Sister Hansen called me the other day, asked if she was on speaker because this was a private conversation... then she said, "Sister ____'s hair is terrible. It's an emergency. Buy the color to fix it; I"ll pay for it. Do whatever needs to be done- just fix it." Hahah! She sends me on random assignments like that sometimes- I feel flattered. So that's today's assignment! I will give up my p day of sleeping to do hair- should be fun.

Looks like you had fun in Utah, hope you are doing well!

xoxo
Heidi

Fried Poptarts!  Sounds disgusting but they are SO GOOD!

Me and Sister B

Note from Cami:  Today we received a note in the mail from the family Heidi lived with for four+ months in Bountiful - it is so sweet.  Here's what they said:

     "Dear Brother and Sister Shields,

     It has been some time since we got your thank-you card for having Heidi in our home.  It is we that should be thanking you.  Heidi is such a delight.  She is rreplaceable!  Sister misisonaries have replaced her as a missionary, but they will never replace Heidi.  She related so well to our daughter Holly, age 29, who is still living at home.  Through example and lots of pep talks, Heidi has helped Holly considerably.  We oft times think she was sent here just for our Holly.  Heidi was and is so service-oriented.  She is missed a lot.  Thank you for the privilege of having her in our home.  She truly is a handmaiden of the Lord.  Hope to meet you in person one day.  Love, Lewis and Kaleen"

MoTab and mourning ...

This week:

-Went on exchanges with the sisters in my old stake in Bountiful. it was so FUN. I knew everyone there and was able to show Sister H's companion all of the in's and out's of the area - I hope it helped her. Our dinner appointment wasn't there when we showed up so we called Kim B (of course). She was sick as a dog but still made us delicious food anyways. I LOVE her. She is seriously my hero.....

-Went to the MoTab concert with Trichelle. She is so fun, hahah - we were driving home really late in ghetto SLC and there were these kids looking in the grass for their keys or something ... Sister H's like, "what do you think they're looking for?" Trichelle: "their bong ... " When MoTab's singing: "get some Yager in me and I'd run up and be their guest soloist right now... GASP- did I just say that? I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible recently reactivated member- I'm making you look bad!"  Trichelle started doing that isogenics diet.... when we walked in and saw all of her boxes and whatnot she holds up this picture of a skinny ripped girl on the cover and goes "can you believe this? they didn't get my permission to put my picture on here! Hello, copyright?!" HAHAH she's the only reason I'm not utterly depressed about Sister H leaving me in this rough area.

-Made pop tarts deep fried in pancake batter with Rich and Lorie.... disgusting, I know, but SO GOOD. It was funny though- Rich started yelling at his kids and said, "you can't eat those pop tarts- those are for deep frying for the sisters!" *first world problems*

-I'm just going to miss Sister H so much.... (like I've never been emotional on my mission).... I really don't cry anymore. But I'm bawling and can't stop. She was telling me how I deserve the best boy when I get home and we shouldn't settle for anyone because we're both gorgeous angelic dutchesses.... (we looked good yesterday) and I admitted... yeah maybe I do deserve some really fantastic man who's kinda nerdy but a really good guy.... and she goes, "HELLO! wake up and smell the coffee, Sister Shields!" Me: "We don't drink coffee....." "Well, wake up and smell the roses because they're dying!" It was so funny! Anyways I'll miss her.... pray I don't go into deep depression and refuse to leave the house and die because of this..... 

-My new companion is Sister B- she's from Brazil and she's pretty cool.... I've met her a couple of times. She's a really hard worker- which will be good for me.  For Sister H's last night we get to go out to eat with President and Sister Hansen tonight and then have a sleepover at the mission home .... that will be good I guess.

Have a good week!

Love, Sister Shields

Brother and Sister Morgan, the couple missionaries in our area

My District

There's a saying in the mission that your last area is where you "die."  RIP Sister H!

Trichelle, her daughter Kate and us at the MoTab concert

Peaches

Family and friends,

This week's obsession is... peaches. I love peaches.

So this week, we had Bri's baptism. She's 10 and her mom's less active. She's officially been reactivated though, and her older sister who just got out of jail and is on house arrest is coming to church too, so that will be good. She's so fun- me and Sister H love her.

Speaking of Sister H ... she goes home a week from tomorrow...... I'm panicking. But we had an interview with President and he PROMISED me I'd get a good companion. I think Sister H pulled some strings and put in a good word because she sees me have occasional mental breakdowns about her leaving... this area is just rough! The stake president is hardcore, the ward mission leaders set our appointments for the evening, and they are supposed to tell us a week in advance so we can plan around it- but the system is terrible and they usually tell us like a half hour before.... at the last minute they'll call and say "4 appointments tonight- 4 different sisters to split with, cut your dinner down to a half hour... GO!" It's so terrible and stressful but if we try to cancel or rearrange then we get all this bad feedback from the members and the ward mission leader gets upset.... it's just super stressful. Not to mention all of theappointments  are active members who just want us to sit and talk all night and force us to eat ice cream and tell them what our first names are and refuse to do missionary work.... like, ok we are busy! We don't have time for this! Anyways..... this area's stressful.

We started teaching this girl named Anya. She's 10 and just moved in with her active grandparents. Her aunt is serving a mission in California and she skype teaches her lessons...? Weird, I know. But we are taking over and baptizing her soon.

Rich and Lorie are insane..... they are fighting like nobody's buisness and yesterday Rich STORMED out of sacrament meeting and ripped his boys of the bench while they were crying because they didn't want to leave...just  rough. Missionary work is rough. but somehow I'm still happy and motivated so whatever, haha, i'll take it. The other day we went over to Rich's and had a member with us.... he goes, "can I offer you ladies a beer?" (he always does that to be funny) and I go "sure- light please" hornbger goes, "do you have anything stronger? Rough day." This member almost passed out, I swear - hahah, it was so funny! 

Had another youth fireside/chat. These YW LOVE me. They are obsessed with us, I swear. 3 girls seriously asked if they could be my companion for a few weeks when Sister H leaves... and they fight over who gets to come to lessons with us! I feel like a celeb...

That's all. Have a wonderful week. And someone watch Devil Wears Prada for me because I really have this random urge to watch it....

Love,

Sister Shields

My district

Leadership meeting

Bri's baptism

Me with Rich's boys - they LOVE me!

Mass produced, fried, greasy, sweaty 4th of July!

This will be short...
-Served the Centerville community breakfast on the 4th of July. Got to wear jeans, an XXL t shirt and a baseball cap! How fun. The best part- my jeans FIT. Holla. Anyways, it was so gross ... me and Hornberger were gagging as we were scooping this stuff up for people. Plus the guy cooking the eggs had sweat dripping off his nose into the cheese........ SICK.

-Couldn't watch fireworks or anything- curfew was still 9, and we couldn't see from our back yard. So we spent the night planning a training for zone meeting... 3 HOURS making a jeopardy game involving role plays, PMG searches, scripture chases, etc about getting people to the temple. But well worth it.

-Taught Robyn (an investigator) - I was on splits with a YW. After the closing prayer she said she just wanted to let us know she had bad spirits that day. Uh.....? Then she started compulsively shaking. Like BAD. It was terrible, this poor YW...... so we ended up calling in some priesthood backup and gave her a blessing. She was good after that.

-Carson and Ashley.... didn't come to church. Surprise, surprise.

-Bri's baptism is this week. She's 10, her mom is less active and we're been working on them both. Sharee (mom) was supposed to be officially reactivated this week.... guess who didn't show up to church? Awesome. But her daughter Randi came.... she just got out of jail and really wants to change her her life. Or so she says.... you never know with these drug addicts..... ya know? Sad. Anyways- she turned to me in Relief Society and said: "you know what i need to do this week? Go buy some maxi dresses." Okay.... "I get my ankle bracelet (from jail) this week...." HAHAHHA but that was cool that she came.

That's all i can think of right now...... Sister Hornberger goes home 2 weeks from tomorrow. I am SCARED TO DEATH. It's in the middle of the transfer so they will have to ET someone in here..... I am so scared. I can't live without her. I NEEED her. Seriously, I'm starting to stress..... but on the bright side, I'll be able to get a lot more work done after she leaves.... #trunky. Pray things will work out well!

Have a good week!
Sister Shields

Sister Hornberger, Tyler (our biggest fan), and me