DEPARTING! And my 6th sense

This week I had my final departing interview with President Hansen ... departing testimony at our district meeting ... departing luncheon ... and departing temple day with the 15 other missionaries going home with me.  And guess what? I don't "depart" for 2 more weeks.

Shoot me.

Just kidding, it's fine - haha. But it is kinda weird ... President did it all early because he gets released Saturday and the new mission president comes in.

For departing temple day- let me paint you a picture here for a sec .... 11 sisters, 2 elders, our AP's and the AP in training (Elder Carroll who's from Gilbert and went to Mesquite- isn't that weird? We like, know each other's crossroads and wards and stuff ... weird.).  We wake up at 5 to get to the mission home on time, with rush hour, by 7. The AP's don't show up until 8 ... the temple session doesn't start til 10.. what the? The elders drove in a mission truck and Elder Tapia (AP) asked me to drive the mission van with all the sisters ... I really thought he was kidding but I don't know if he was, hahah so instead we all appointed Sister Pilling.  Remember her?  From my first companionship with Sister Hornberger?  Now I love Sister Pilling. She's hilarious. And so she drove this huge van all the way down to South Jordan, full of loud annoyi .... I mean - wonderful, 18-months matured and uplifted sisters. It was a party. Normally after the departing temple trip, all the missionaries go to the mission home and Sister Hansen puts together a luncheon but ..... President took us to a nice restaurant in City Creek because he's... $$$.

It was fun and neat and cool and full of overpriced, small portioned food. (Sidenote - I love when members feed us and use the phrase "carb loading." We're missionaries that sit and teach lessons all day and cover a mile-by-mile stake area and have a car. Thanks for helping us "carb load" on pasta and garlic bread and brownies ...?  I blame the members for my excessive weight gain and not getting married for 10 more years. Just kidding, sorry....)  Departing stuff was fun, haha - I think President was close to having to separate me and Sister Pilling at lunch though ... we were having too much fun nominating sisters who would be the "firsts to go home." Like, first to get a job, first to get married, etc. I'm not going to tell you what I was nominated for .... it wasn't "first to get a job," or "first to a leadership church calling," I'll tell ya that much...

So I'm officially naming the last transfer of my mission "Marriage Counseling." I swear ... We are working with a husband and wife - the wife's active and the husband (who's a high priest) got into some anti-Mormon literature and decided to leave the church. Basically it's tearing their marriage apart (go figure). We have a lesson set up to teach him and he wants to study the Pearl of Great Price because apparently that's something people who don't believe in Joseph Smith get caught up on...?  And if this lesson doesn't help him, they will probably get divorced. I don't know anything about the Pearl of Great Price. NOTHING. So I'm sitting in personal study trying to crack down and study it .... it was confusing and frustrating and I couldn't think of anything to tell this man that would change his mind. There is a lot about the gospel that doesn't make sense and can't be supported by physical or scientific evidence.  Am I right?  So I was praying and thinking and trying to focus (probably eating something and on the verge of crying, too.. haha)  and then I looked around at all these pictures of my convert's baptisms, and my mission journal, and my mission companion’s letters, and notes and pictures with them, and my mission scriptures that are all marked up ... and the picture of the Salt Lake temple and President and Sister Hansen.  And  thought - okay, Sister Shields. Let's calm down and not get confused or stressed here. What do I know is true? Well, I know my mission has been the hardest thing ever and it's a miracle I've survived this long. I know I love my companions and my converts more than life itself. I know Sister Hansen saved my life. I love my scriptures more than anything. Okay, so who care about the rest of it? Jesus Christ is our Savior, Joseph Smith restored His church after it had been gone a long time; the Book of Mormon testifies of that. I know the plan of salvation is real because my dad's probably dying and my mission president's wife died and that's the only way I kept going. And I know that's all true because that's what I've been telling people and swearing by it the past 18 months ... so who cares about the rest? It all falls into place. I still don't know about Joseph Smith's wives, and blacks and the priesthood, so don't ask. But who cares, because the rest of it is true! It's like an all or nothing deal.  And I know that's true.

I have a 6th sense. I can sense marital issues from a mile away. A few months ago we taught this less-active lady and her little kids.  Her husband wasn't home so I didn't meet him. We hadn't been able to meet with her since then, but yesterday she texted and said she had moved out of the ward because she and her husband are separated and getting a divorce. Sister Costa's like, "you called it!" What ...? I guess right after we met with her I said, “I bet she has marital problems and her husband's mean to her.”  I really don't remember saying or thinking that, but apparently I did and I was right. Then we had a dinner this week, and the family was totally active and the couple wasn't fighting, but their house just felt weird ... the way they were talking to each other was weird. Afterwards I said something to Sister Costa about how marriage is so hard and that was so sad, and she was like, "what are you talking about ...?" Haha, then our ward mission leader said that couple is really struggling and he wanted us to have dinner there to try and save their marriage. Seriously? There's been lots of other things too, but I'm really convinced I have a 6th sense.  How cool is that? Wait, do I actually have talents?  Maybe I should go into marriage cou ..... No. Never. Haha, but anyways it's weird.

That's the end of my week. Besides teaching Tressa, who's doing really well. This week we asked about how she's liking her Book of Mormon study; somehow she casually mentioned that she breastfeeds her nieces and nephews .... then we brought it back to the plan of salvation, shared a scripture, committed her to read and pray, and called it a day.

All in a day's work.

-Sister Shields


ROMANS 21:2
"Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

1 Cor 7:40
"But she is happier if she so abides after my judgements."

Happy Valentine's Day

Saturday night we got a call asking us to speak in a Sacrament meeting. They said we had the whole hour so talk as long as we possibly could. Well, that's dangerous to tell me because I literally could talk all day, haha! So Sister Costa talked for 15 minutes or so and I talked the rest of the time. But remember - not gonna lie - I give pretty dang good talks. So it was good! No one fell asleep- I was watching!!!  Afterwards a little 10 or 11 year old boy came up to me and gave me this ... so either my talk was so boring that he had nothing better to do than draw, or he really liked it because he quoted me on something. I LOVE this and it made me so happy. how cute is that??

Hello beauties. Life is good - the week was good. I don't really know what else to say...
This cute little girl preparing for a mission came and shadowed us this week. She's so good- she's already a better missionary than I am... haha, it was fun though- I really think she had a good experience.

We started teaching this guy named Dennis. He's in his 50's and his wife just died- he's really been struggling. He's not active and hasn't been for years. He lives in this SUPER old house and likes to collect really expensive antiques and like, renaissance art and stuff... his house really looks like a museum.  I really kinda like it - other than the smell. He's just a weird guy though - he's always kind of given me the creeps.  Since he's a single guy, we need to go there with another female according to mission rules.  But this past week I really just felt like we should bring a guy too ... like I said, he kinda gives me the creeps. As we sat down and finished teaching the restoration- he admitted he hasn't prayed in 30 years.  We asked him some questions and tried to find out why ... he got really stubborn and said he thinks prayer is only for weak people who can't deal with their problems on their own.  Then I asked for his spiritual goals and he said he has achieved all of them and feels good with life.  He got really defensive and kinda mean and scary ... actually really mean and scary.  And he started saying why his house feels different - it's because he has the "real spirit" in it.  Uhh ... creepy, haha!  So I took lead - testified nicely, asked to leave with a prayer ... and we were out of there.

Afterwards my comp and Anna (girl shadowing us) were all frustrated and wondered why I didn't set up a return appointment. Then I realized how much the mission really has changed me. You can't change people who aren't willing to change or help people who don't want help.  Arguing doesn't bring the Spirit, so move on folks!  It was an interesting experience and I know the rest of the day they were both kinda upset ... but I just shook it off!  Glad I have learned how to deal with things like that.

I also realized this week that I have really learned to love people. I used to really struggle with being happy with some companions ... not like, trying to get along with them - I can get along with pretty much anyone. But being happy and having fun with someone I have nothing in common with ... I used to really struggle with that!  I think a lot of people do.  I liked my friends who like shopping and clothes and watches and nice things and hair and exercise and art.  Well I have recently realized that having things in common with people doesn't really make a difference ... me and Sister Costa have absolutely nothing in common.  She's a biologist, for goodness sake.  But when it comes down to it - we are all God's children and we all have our challenges and things we struggle with and are working to overcome ... so that can bring us all together!  It makes me wish I would have given some people more of a chance and gotten to know them better before.  And I also wish I would've done my visiting teaching in college ... note to everyone - do your visiting teaching.  And don't just do it once a month.

Had dinner this week with Jessica and Peyden.  Jessica is our investigator that we have a hard time meeting with, and Peyden is her boyfriend - they live with his family who is active. They are literally my age ... and have a 2 year old (weird).  They really have the desire to be sealed in the temple and that's something that's really important to them.  But for some reason they feel no urgency to get married or have lessons with us so Jessica can get baptized ... they go to church and read their scriptures though! As we were talking with them over dinner - I was looking at Jessica and just thinking.... okay- what's her hold up?  What is she struggling with?  I didn't really figure it out, but I saw how much she ate and how she was watching people to see if they were paying attention to what she was eating.  And I see the way she acts around people and how skinny she is and know deep down inside what she's struggling with, and that makes me really sad. I'm not gonna lie- she's really hot.  And so is her boyfriend.  And they are on the right path - but she needs to understand that the only way to get over something like that is by learning about the Savior's atonement and applying it.  Until then ... there's nothing we can do.  So we're praying for them!
This week we went on exchanges with our STL's (my 2nd STL's my whole mission) I was with Sister Payne and we had a party.  We were teaching a little boy with ADHD about the 10 commandments ... we said: "Caleb, the 7th commandment is don't commit adultery ... do you know what that means?" Caleb: "No. But I know what Dollar Tree is!"
HAHA

Also yesterday we went to a girl's mission homecoming and it made me really realize the things I will and will not do at mine ... we sat in the back with all of her friends and by the end I was choking from the smell of perfume. I hope my friends don't cake on makeup and wear bucket loads of perfume and be all over their boyfriends the whole time at my homecoming, because that's not why we go to church, folks ...

Speaking of going to church - guess who went to church?  Tressa. Not sure if I told you about her ... she's a member but is super stubborn and believes in God but not Jesus Christ.  She's super cute and funny and is into alternative medicine and organic food and could go on all day about how the world is coming to an end because of how terrible flame retardant mattresses are.  Not to mention she still breastfeeds her 3 year old. Sorry, TMI - just had to paint you the whole picture of her life.  But anyways- she came to church!

Someone this week at a dinner appointment said when their daughters were engaged - he asked the fiance about his favorite part of the Book of Mormon so he could tell how active they were and how strong their testimony was ... good idea, but I thought about it and it kinda made me panic because I didn't know what I would say ... haha, but then I thought about it and realized without a doubt - my favorite B of M chapters are 3 Nephi 11, when Christ is resurrected and comes to the America's, and 3 Nephi 18 when Christ institutes the sacrament.  I have really found a love in teaching people about the sacrament ... I have a strong testimony in teaching at least one lesson to investigators and less-actives about the sacrament.  It works every time with getting people to church, I swear!  And my all-time fav chapter in the Bible is Romans 8.

Here's a good valentine's scripture:

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:39

-Sister Shields

Me and Sister Payne, one of the STL's.  We went to BYU-I together, so it was fun to go on exchanges with her!

Valentine's Day with our STL's - we made a group decision to name this picture "4 chubby Salt Lake sisters"

With Anna, our cute missionary-in-training

You know you're a ditz when ...

I’m seriously losing my mind ... I'm mentally and physically and spiritually exhausted.  It's pathetic. You know you're stupid when:

-Your companion starts stories and sentences with, "When I was studying for my masters..." or, "When my family joined the church ..." and you start with, "When I was in hair school..." or, "One time in college I missed curfew and got locked out of my apartment building ..."
-Sunday ... we went to what I thought was the Fruit Heights 2nd Relief Society ... I was being all friendly and introducing myself to everyone and getting all excited to meet all these new people ... the Relief Society president was so excited to see their ward had sisters. She's like, “did you just take over the area for the elders?”  Uhh no, you've had sisters for awhile .... weird. They had us stand up and talk about ourselves and everyone LOVED us. Anyways 45 minutes into the lesson I look at the board and realize the flyer says "Farmington North Stake"....... You're kidding, right?  We weren't just in the wrong ward - we were in the wrong stake. That's why everyone was so excited for sisters ... it was the ELDER’S STAKE.  I seriously felt SO STUPID I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.... Sister Costa even asked many times if that was our ward and I thought of course it is!  Uhh ... so we had to explain to the RSP what happened ... awkward.

I'm losing my mind.

I've been trying really hard to focus my thoughts- especially during the sacrament at church and when teaching lessons....

So in church I start by thinking about Jesus and how much I have learned about Him and the Plan of Salvation ... then I see a baby. That baby is so cute I'm gonna die ... she's so chubby and cute ... look at that BOW.  I wonder if that's hot glued?  Or maybe they hand-stitched it ... my baby will have lots of bling, that's a fact. Oh shoot - Jesus. That's right, sacrament. I wonder if it will be weird when I get home to only go to one sacrament meeting a week instead of 3.... weird. I need to start thinking about jobs I can apply for ... maybe for my job interview I'll wear a skirt like that lady's ... that's cute, right? Or is it?  I dunno, I think it is.... okay back to sacrament. I really do love the sacrament; what a blessing. I wonder when the pioneers starting wearing garments ... is that in the D&C? I'm gonna check ... I wonder what kind of fabric they used because they didn't have polyester or stretchy stuff ... cotton? That's uncomfortable ... I really should take a textile class at college.... okay, back to the D&C. Where does it talk about polygamy? I love the pioneers.... they're awesome.  Okay, look at her watch ... I need a silver watch.

No joke, it's a mental battle.

And in lessons:

Wow, their kitchen is so pretty... I wonder if they refinished those cabinets or bought them like that? Granite is beautiful ... I need granite... okay, we should probably start this lesson now and break up this conversation about football ... I wonder why our investigator never prays in our lessons... maybe she’s embarrassed. She doesn't come to church either, even when she says she will ... maybe she had a bad experience. Maybe she doesn't understand God loves her... she looks sad ... well high school is hard- I don't blame her. I remember when I was in high school..... remember when I "dated" ____ .... I wonder how he is ... he needs the gospel. Maybe I should go out to eat with him when I get home and help him come back to church .... shoot- lesson! Okay, where were we? What's going on? Wow, that wall is so cute ... I wonder if that's wallpaper or if they stenciled it? SHOOT!

It's SO HARD! But I'm trying.

We had a fireside with Elder Nelson's wife this week and it was so good. Also we had a fireside with a refugee from Palestine who joined the church in college at BYU and then when she went back to Israel she had to hop fences and break the law to go to church .... it was crazy! Made me feel ungrateful and spoiled.

We have a girl preparing to serve a mission tagging along with us for the next couple of days. Hopefully we don't scare her .....

Have a great week everyone!
Sister Shields

White Cabinets and Really Cheap Gas

Temple Square with the Delight family

Quotes of the Week:

(Little girl to Sister Costa, in the middle of dinner): "You are so pretty; you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."
*long awkward silence*
(Little girl's mom): " ... and Sister Shields is too!"
(Little girl): "Not really ..."
Me (before anyone else could say anything: "No really guys, it's ok..." hahah

(Keep in mind, I set records for the world's ugliest outfits like everyday. Lauren and Kacie and Amanda would be ashamed of me!)

(Another little girl) *plops down on my lap* (which is against the rules and I was in shock and didn't know what to do) "Sister Shields, when I come to your house, will you have a baby?"
Me:  (as I lift her onto her chair) "Umm...."
(Her dad): "Give her a few years, honey."
(Little girl): "But I want a baby sister NOW!"
Me: (as I lift her onto her chair for the 4th time) "Okay, so today we're talking about the Word of Wisdom ..."

HAHA you had to be there!

I have a newfound love for the New Testament. I'm reading Acts right now and it's so interesting to see how the apostles acted by the Holy ghost in the place of Jesus Christ after he died. Crazy?

I am physically trunky. My body is shutting down. I do not want to go to zone activities and play sports and I don't care how much crap the elders give me for not going. I am tired.

So we are working with this less active named Corrina.. She hasn't been to church since she was young and she's 50 or so now. She started coming back a few months ago and then we came in to to teach her so she would have a basic understanding of the gospel. She's had a really rough life and struggles with addiction problems but I love her to death... It's really exhausting teaching her though. She makes all this progress and then the next day she goes out partying, comes home drunk, falls down the stairs and breaks her leg. Then she has to be on prescription pain pills (which she used to be addicted too) and all the sudden she goes downhill and starts drinking again (5 years sober). It's really emotionally draining to teach her. I feel like a mother. Or like I'm back in high school having to babysit my stoner guy friends at parties and keep them from doing something stupid... but you know what? I really feel God's love for her and we aren't giving up on her. She lives with her active cousin and her family - the cousin pulled us aside at church yesterday and thanked us for being so patient... Sister Costa doesn't say anything in the lessons with her because she doesn't know what to say, hahah - she gets out of the lessons and says, "I'm so sorry, Sister- I just don't understand what she's saying... what's a stripper?" Bless her heart- I love foreign companions more than life. It's like the time Sister Tranchina and I were talking to someone on the street who was moving to Oregon and a few minutes into the conversation she said, "so you play the piano AND the organ?" HAHAHA!  Anyways I love Corrina and I know that I was supposed to have stoner friends in high school because now I know exactly how to handle people like that. Except now I use scriptures and prayer. It's the coolest thing though... we'll go into her lessons and she'll be all angry and yell about stupid doctors and stupid dishonest friends, etc. and then we say the opening prayer... and she's fine. It's the coolest thing!

This week we had a night of double appointments and desperately needed a last minute split. I remembered this sweet lady who took us to dinner and said she would love to go on splits so I asked her. She was married in the temple and her and her husband were active in the church for 30 years. Her husband was the high priest group leader a a few years ago - then out of the blue he just left the church. He'd had enough! It broke her heart ... this was a few months ago. All of her kids are inactive and a few have started these anti ex-Mormon groups and stuff- so when he left the church her kids were celebrating! How terrible is that? it broke her heart and she's been going to church and the temple and what not all alone since then... it sounded like he got into some anti-mormon literature- that stuff's messy. Anyways ... so she came teaching with me and admitted she really didn't have time that night to come, but she knew there was a reason I asked her so she prayed and told the Lord she would find a way to come if He helped her out. She said things with her husband had been really bad.... they were on the verge of divorce and they were still living together but in separate sides of the house. How sad, right?!  Well after our lessons, later that night she texted me and said her husband accepted to have us teach him the lessons. WHAT?!!  I was shocked!  Just goes to show the Lord takes His promises really seriously.

Remember a few weeks ago when I was talking about Natalie Delight? The divorced mom who we were trying to help with her testimony? Well I love her. We went to temple square with her kids and I seriously love her. It was so much fun- she's like my best friend, haha. We went with her to church on Sunday and we sat together and I didn't realize how much we were talking, I guess... sweet Sister Costa afterwards was like, "Sister, maybe you should start being Natalie's missionary instead of her best friend ..." She was right. I need to calm down. But we just get along really well!  Even though her oldest kids, the twins, are a year younger than me.... weird. But we have a lot in common and I really just want to help her see there's more important things than shopping and dating rich men and being really in shape. Which is weird because everyone knows that's what used to be important to me.

Did I talk about us teaching Midge? The 92-year-old? She's so stubborn. And it's really weird to "teach" her because it's really like, disguising the lessons... working doctrine and testimony into conversation really casually.... on Saturday we were "teaching" her and I guess I was too bold because all of a sudden she went, "I've had enough! No more about the Book of Mormon!"  Hahah it's really the weirdest thing ... it's sneaky teaching. Normally I wouldn't be so dedicated with her... but.... we REALLY need people to teach hahah.  Can you tell I'm getting desperate? Oh well.

Also- what else has changed in the past 18 months besides the ridiculously CHEAP gas and everyone having white cabinets in their kitchens? Weird.