It's the Spirit of the Season

Merry/Happy Christmas/Boxing Day!

It is such a wonderful time of year, isn't it? I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and that you have a Happy New Year as well. I really do hope that. I'm not just saying it.

First of all: Thank you! There were so many of you that contributed to me having a wonderful Christmas. I am sorry I couldn't add to more of yours.

Well on to the week.

We ate dinner at the Papenfuss' home on Monday night because their daughter Chelsea felt bad that we couldn't come over for Christmas. We read the Mormon Missionary version of Green Eggs and Ham (much to the dismay of Bro. Papenfuss because he said he came up with that idea on his mission.)

One of our investigators wanted to meet Tuesday morning, so we ended our study early, met with her, then finished our companion and language study at the Delray Public Library. It was actually kind of fun. It is a nice building. Then we had to go out to eat lunch, so I finally got to eat at Checkers. It is a drive-through only burger place that is really really good. Just so you all know. Then we taught some interesting lessons (i.e. Law of Chastity to Scott w/Sis. Smith there and awkward apologies said to us but directed at other people in the room.) Yay for being a missionary.

We also found a neighborhood where there are people from so many different cultures, I lost count. But at least 5 different languages (it was like walking thorugh Wal-Mart). Unfortunately, I was feeling similar sentiments to a certain missionary in South Africa when he said "I hate White People." I don't really hate them, but they seem to hate us. I am still confused why people would say, "No, I don't need a blessing." At least no one called us arrogant this week.

Members are super awesome. We have so many investigators with so many needs, it is incredible how the ward members can step in and take care of things and that they would do such service. Chip Bunnel, who teaches the Gospel Principles class let us have a lesson with Scott in his home. He picked him up and brought him over. Then after the lesson, he offered him some work, gave him some fancy coconut water, invited him over for Christmas, and drove him home. So amazing! That is the kind of member I want to be.

Sister Hawkes and I finally got to see this very less-active sister they used to visit all the time. I met her for the first time on Thursday - that's how long it has been. She is not doing well and has a very hard life. Lots of bad things are piled on her right now, but her outlook makes it even worse. There are so many active members I have met that have the same problems or worse ones, but their lives are better because they can focus on Christ and have hope that they will get through the trials. If only it were easier to make people see the joy that comes from living how God wants us to live. But I guess that's why it is called missionary WORK.

Because it is Christmastime, we were able to go caroling at Sis. Lolos' Tree Lot on Friday night and to Sister Archie's neighbors this morning. And of course, we sang at every house we went to on Christmas eve and Christmas Day. We sing a lot, actually. That's why I am so happy I got a mini-hymn book! Thanks again!

Thursday was super exciting. We had MISSION CONFERENCE!!! All of the missionaries in one place + lunch + musical numbers from each zone (We sang Once In Royal David's City again and I played the violin) + a white elephant exchange (I got a florida oven mit!!) + a video of Elder Holland bearing down in pure testimony + Mail = a truly awesome day. Seriously though, it was fantastic. I didn't know anybody there, but it was great.

On Christmas Eve, we went to the Somma Family's home. They are Italian/Brazilian so needless to say we ate very well. They also had some inactive/nonmember friends there that we were able to talk to. We told lots of jokes and laughed at the language miscommunications (Bro. and Sister Somma are still working on English). They gave us presents from Brazil which we opened White Elephant style, but they were pretty gender specific gifts. Somehow, a few elders ended up with jewlery and the other sisters ended up with t-shirts, but everyone was happy. I have several Brazillian necklaces now. woot.

We ended Christmas eve by sitting around our tree and reading the Christmas Story out of the Bible while playing MoTab in the background.

And despite the fact that I am 22 years old, I still couldn't sleep the night before Christmas. It was just too exciting! We got up at 6:30 (as usual) and opened all our presents from the ward and from our families. Sister Spjut and Sister Buckley were opening presents for over an hour. We ate sweet rolls then got ready, rounded-up some investigators and went to church. Lots and lots happened, but the best part was: ANTHONY was CONFIRMED!!! Finally!

Then we went to the Lieber's home for Christmas brunch (pancakes, eggs, bacon), read Luke 2 and watched their kids open presents. It went by pretty fast but was awesome to see their excitement. They gave us socks, too! (I know, missionaries get excited about random things. Such as the toilet paper the ward gave us. Yay!)

We sang at a rest home to some old ladies, then went to the Taylors for Christmas Dinner. That's where I called home. They fed us very well and sent us home with more presents/food.

Then we visited Sister Olsen, sang to her, and watched Joy to the World with her.

Then we went to Patricia's house and had dinner with her and her Husband Jorge. It was a lot of fun. He made empanadas and they both talked forever. We got to show them pictures of our family and sing for them, too. She gave us each a bracelet she made and sent us home with the extra empanadas. If only she would get baptized...

Speaking of: Scott is scheduled to be baptized on Saturday. Please pray fo him to have the strength to quit smoking! I know he can do it, but the more prayers the better.

This morning, we went over to the Archies for Waffles and Ice cream again. Then we took some to the neighbors. She gave us food before we left, too. Going to wal-mart was almost entirely pointless!

Wow. That was a lot. And now it is late.

I hope you all have a wonderful end of the year. Happy New Year's! Make smart choices to end the year off right!

Write to me!

Have a blessed week.

-Sister Sheffield

P.S. Enjoy the pictures from Christmas!

What the...

...Gladsome Tidings?

Feliz Navidad, mis amigos y mi familia! Les quiero Mucho!

What a wonderful time of year. Lights on the houses, trees in the windows, Salvation Army workers ringing bells. Warmth and Sunshine every time you walk outside. Oh wait, that's just here in Florida.

However, we are still having a "white Christmas" because there was a baptism yesterday! The Elders' investigator got baptized! Yay! and even better (for me), two investigators were there to see it! Both Catholic, too. But not for long! Scott is getting baptized on the 31st! Happy New Year's Eve! (as long as he quits smoking by then (which he will (because he is progressing awesomely)))

Anyhoo.

This week was very exciting. We had exchanges on Tuesday. The West Palm Hermanas (Sister Sobkowicz and Sister Carnes) came down and we went on splits to practice an improved Harvesting approach. I went with Sister Sobkowicz (who is from Canada and is pretty much the best missionary ever) and we blessed 8 people/families in one hour! We invited two people to be baptized, one said yes. We blessed a woman who speaks only French/Creole and a man who only speaks Spanish. On the same street. We only met one white woman and she said we were arrogant, then let us pray with her, said "bless you, child" and then slammed her door on us. We got lots of return appointments and only got rained on a little bit. It was fantastic. The other two sisters met some great people also and we now have several new investigators because of it. Harvesting is so great!

Then on Friday, there was Specialized Training for all those in leadership positions (District Leader, Zone Leaders, Trainers). So Sister Hawkes went to that and I went with Sister Carnes and Sister Lake. We worked up in West Palm for the day. The area is pretty different from ours, but also similar. They have a lot of trailer parks. The first place we harvested was mostly English speakers (although I felt more at home when we found a woman from Haiti). Then we went to a trailer park to teach a lesson. Leave it up to the three newest sisters to teach a lesson entirely in Spanish. Good thing Sister Carnes is amazing now and Sister Lake has only been out of the MTC for 3 weeks. They were awesome. I said nothing. As usual when Spanish People are around. They did awesome and committed the investigators Brother to read the Book of Mormon. In the last trailer park we went to, we met more Spanish speakers. I was forced to do an approach entirely in Spanish and leave a Blessing in Spanish. It was pretty rough, but the older man on his bike was really nice and felt the Spirit. I'm sure that's the only way he could have known what I said.

We had an interesting experience this week. Right after Specialized training on Friday, we went to an appointment with an investigator who we've met with once and has a baptismal date. She hadn't read in the Book of Mormon, so we went through the introduction with her and then set up a calendar of the things she needed to do before baptism. She was really excited and even prayed at the end that she would be ready for that day. Then the next day, we got a text from her that said she didn't want to read about two different bibles. We responded that the Book of Mormon supports the Bible and they are both the word of God. Despite our efforts in trying to contact her (texts, phone calls, going to her house), she has not yet responded or allowed us to help her understand. I guess she didn't understand what we had been saying about the Book of Mormon, but hopefully we will be able to talk to her soon. We have used the calendar for two other investigators and it has helped them to feel more comfortable and motivated to be ready for their baptismal date. I know it can be an excellent way to keep them committed.

Our ward had a Christmas party this past Saturday. It was celebrations from around the world. We had tons of food from different places. None of our investigators could come, but there were lots of non-members there that we were able to talk to. Then there was a little program going along with the theme. Brazil had an exciting song and dance number that had a lot of unexpected participants (I just wouldn't expect the High Priest Group Leader, Bishop, Relief Society Presidency and others to dance. At all. It was pretty funny). We learned some about Christmas in Haiti, sang some songs and then the RS sang a song in Spanish. Then it was the missionaries' turn. We had prepared a musical number of "Once in Royal David's City" for Mission Conference, So we sang that. But first, I was coerced into playing a fiddle song. So I played "Bile 'em Cabbage Down," the old standby. It was pretty fun. Then we sang/played our practiced number.

Last night, we pulled over to the side of the road to make a phone call and decide where we were going when Suddenly a big black man appeared next to our car. Sister Hawkes freaked out and drove off. We were both pretty shaken. Then a few minutes later we get a phone call from one of our investigators, "that was me you all drove away from!" We were shocked. We felt really bad for not talking to him, but we were very startled by the sudden appearance of a dark figure. We apologized profusely, then laughed a ton. I still can't believe that happened. *shakes head in shame*

I hope it is a wonderful week. Don't be stressed about Christmas, that is totally not the point of the holiday. Christ is. Don't forget the wonderful things He has done for you and can do for you now.

Love and best wishes!

Sister Sheffield

Friendly Black Optimistic Advice

This week, we went back to the blind man we met a while ago. His name is Willy. There were two other old black guys there, so we ended up blessing them both (and we got a return appointment with one of them, whose name is Willy. Yup, two Willys that live across the street from each other. Awesome.) Anyway, Blind Willy was cracking some great jokes and we were just listening to him for a long while. Eventually he started giving us some advice, such as "don't stand too close to people because they could attack you easier that way" and "don't trust everyone you see because there are a lot of bad people out there." My companion was sufficiently rattled* (see below). I just thought of that Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer. Hence, the title.

We also had a very interesting/new experience for me this week: Caroling in 70 degree weather. A lady in our ward asked us to go caroling in Leisureville (one of the many 55+ communities within our ward boundaries). We, all 8 missionaries, went around for about 45 minutes at night and I was wishing I didn't have to wear a sweater (mission rule: Sisters wear sweaters when the Elders are around). It was that warm. Then we sat outside and ate pizza. Got to love Florida. Also, I find it so interesting that people turn off their lights when we knock on their door. Um, hello! We already know you are home! What's the point of that?

We helped a lady decorate her tree and she gave us a ton of decorations or ours. It was fun. Our apartment is very festive. It is just so strange to see Christmas lights and no snow. Or even chilly weather. Weird.

The Relief Society President had a Piano Recital at the Church on Thursday and we went at the end to help clean up and talk to the non-members. It was funny because it reminded me of all the violin recitals I have participated in. Someone even played Pachabel's Canon.

There was a parade in Delray last Saturday, but we didn't get to actually see it, just the traffic because of it. We've seen the giant tree, carousel, and skating rink. It all looks so cute! Someday, I will come back and visit and you can all come too and enjoy it with me!

Sacrament meeting was great. Sister Colbert reminded us of the Forget-Me-Not talk by President Uchtdorf. But the best part was the three investigators we had there! Scott, Ardena and Jerry (whom I met the first week I was here!) He finally came! And he was wearing a suit! Awesome. I don't actually know if he liked it, since we haven't been able to talk to him yet, but I bet he did. He has been really progressing lately and feels comfortable telling us important details such as: he can't read. Yeah, that would have been nice to know two months ago, Jerry, but thanks for telling us. He has just been saying his eye-sight is bad since he had a stroke a few years ago.

On Sunday afternoon, we had about 20 minutes before the sun went down to harvest and we made a goal to get 3 before going to our next appointment. As soon as we got out of the car, a woman opened her door and popped her head out. We immediately said hi and hurried up the sidewalk to talk to her. We introduced herself and she said she was just visiting some friends. She asked the people that lived there but they didn't want us to come in, so she stepped out unto the porch and we were able to bless her. She was very happy to give us her address so we could come visit her anytime. Then we went next door and found a nice woman who is very religious and let us bless her home, but was not at all interested in us coming back. After knocking a few more doors and not finding anyone, we were getting ready to walk back to the car when a man saw us across the street and walked right up to us (*which scared my companion really bad). He said "hi" and we introduced ourselves. He had some mental disabilities and about 3 teeth (one sticking outside of his lip) so he could tell us his name and said yes to a blessing, but said nothing else. We said a prayer with him right there on the side of the road. He said thanks and kept walking. We don't know anything about him, but he was very excited to see us and was very happy we prayed with him. I hope we see him again someday.

One of our investigators has been struggling with the Word of Wisdom. We have been working with him all week. We have some wonderful members in our area that are trying to help as well. When we spoke to them before our lesson last Saturday, we let them know that we had taught the word of wisdom and asked them to share some of their experiences with overcoming their addictions to coffee when they were investigating the church. It turned out amazing. They bore firm testimony of the importance of obeying that commandment. The spirit was very strong there. I know that Scott was definitely influenced by them. They even provided him with some coffee substitute and had some herbal tea ready in case he had a problem with tea! They were so kind and prepared!
The next day, during Gospel Principles, the teacher asked Scott a question and made mention that he wasn't a member. Scott responded with "not yet!" And he mentioned that he was talking to a friend and told them that he believes the LDS church is for him! We were so excited! I wish we had already taught him everything so he could get baptized next Sunday! But I guess we'll just have to wait a few more weeks.

So that was basically my week. In a very random nutshell. I hope you all had a wonderful week, too.

To those of you with Finals: Good Luck, stay strong, you'll make it through.

To those of you teaching: Give out some candy. The kids will love you. But wait until the end of the day. Then you don't have to deal with them!

To those of you who are working: smile at everyone around you, because it is Christmas. Pass out a "Joy to the World" Pass-a-long card. The missionaries will thank you. Especially if you bear testimony with it. Those you talk to will thank you, too!

To all you other people not sitting on a cushion: You are great. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Anna Sheffield

December?

Is it really December? It certainly doesn't feel like it here. Although, we had to wear a sweater one day because it got down to 63. Sad day, I've already become a wuss for the cold weather.

Anyway, HELLO EVERYBODY!!! I hope you are all having a wonderful December so far.

We've seen some Christmas lights up and there are still Tree lots here, because that is the only way to get a tree. No cutting down trees from the cemetery or from the canyon. The guardian of the canyon doesn't like that anyway.

So transfers were last week. Sister Barnes went to Hollywood (which is an area here in Florida) and SIster Spjut came here. She is from Cincinnati, Ohio and was called to the Orlando Florida mission, but since she happened to be in the Stuart Stake when it got moved into our mission. So she was just up in Sebastion. She is pretty short and has been out for about 5 months, but she is an amazing missionary. Very obedient and dedicated.

We went to PepBoys last Tuesday to get out windshield wipers replaced. It was a huge ordeal because the Office has to pay, but while we waited, we met this man, who has a son that plays for Wake Forest Football (Looney). He said we had a glow about us! It was super sweet. We got all his information so we could come and bless his home, but he's in a different district, so we sent on the information to the zone leaders. Hopefully they will see him soon because it was a great experience talking to him. Just thought I'd share.

I went to the dentist on Thursday. That was interesting (we got a little lost getting there) but the dentist was really nice and she said I don't have to worry about my broken tooth until I get home. Yay!

We helped this incredibly sweet lady in our ward unpack on Wednesday and then helped the most wonderful Sister Gerard tie her quilt on Saturday. Both of them fed us lunch! And told us some great stories. Sis. Gerard has a crazy cat named Jenny who will attack you unprovoked. I still love service. You should try it some time.

We ended up having some really great lessons this week. One we had just last night. We had already been to several places and no one had been home, so we decided to meet a woman that we had blessed a few days earlier. We had stopped by before, but she wasn't home. On the plus side, there were about 10 tiny kittens at her house that we played with for a while. They were so cute! Even my animal-hating Companion played with them! Fortunately for us, Sheere was home last night and had time to talk to us. We sat outside and discussed the entire Restoration lesson with her even though we hadn't planned on seeing her. It turned out really well. As we were able to testify of the Book of Mormon (as we practiced in District Training last week and in our companion trainings this week) she really had a change of heart and was very happy to accept the book and read it. She has been studying with the Jehovah's Witnesses and mentioned before we finished that the things we were talking about were similar, but then she became very enthusiastic about seeing us again when we gave her the Book of Mormon. And then she committed to baptism at the end of the month! It was so wonderful. It has been a long time since we've had an investigator commit to a date and she did it with no objections. We were able to explain what needed to happen so she could reach that date and she agreed to read and pray. It was almost too easy!

Working hard, waking people up by going to their house, and quality planning really make a big difference. We had 5 investigators at church this week!! It was so cool! Actually, it was almost too many because we couldn't give each of them the attention they wanted.

Those who came to church were very blessed by it.

-Laverne received the Holy Ghost!! (unfortunately, Anthony wasn't confirmed because he went to work. Sad sad sad.)

-Patricia could only stay for Sacrament meeting, but she was touched by the sweet testimony of another Latin sister and a 10 yr old girl. She showed us her artwork before she left to an art show.

-Ardena and her daughter finally made it (after 6 weeks) and there were lots of members who were excited to see her there and really helped her feel welcome. She commented in Sunday School and said she wasn't ready to share her testimony. . . yet! She already knows it is true, but she can't act on that knowledge for some reason. But she'll come around soon.

-The biggest joy of all for me came from Scott. He came last week and mentioned that he felt such a strong spirit it took his breath away during Sacrament meeting last week. Then right after Gospel Principles class this week he pulled me aside and said "it happened again." I was so excited for him. He didn't really know what to make of it, but he is making so much progress! He is beginning to recognize the Spirit better! He even came to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional (thanks to a wonderful member who picked him up!) and was so blown away by it that he didn't know what to say (which is pretty unusual for him). Sister Hawkes mentioned how she loves how the First Presidency is filled with the spirit, and Scott said "obviously!"! Yay! He has changed so much since we met him and I know that he was definitely prepared to meet us. Because he is very logical and questions everything, he has not yet been ready to set a date for baptism but mentioned that he would like to be ready by the end of the month. We are going to watch the Restoration Movie with him tonight at a member's home and then commit him to a specific date. He'll say yes, I know it.

The members that have been meeting with him are the Dengg family. They are actually from Utah and their son still lives there. Sister Dengg says he lives in Canyon Rim, but I don't know him. Do you? They are coming out to Utah for Christmas in a few weeks, maybe you can say hi.

So, in answer to your question, "Yes, I got to see the Devotional." And I am so glad I did. It was AMAZING. For all of those who chose not to see it, go repent and watch it now. It was that important. There were only about 15-20 people including the 4 sister missionaries that came to the ward building to watch it last night, which made me very sad. I'm going to assume that most of the ward has some way to watch it at home so they didn't miss it. Christ really is the center of our existence so He should be the center of our lives. I love what President Eyring said about the spirit giving us so much knowledge and truth. I also love How President Monson said "Because HE came, we can reach out to others, we will live again, we can gain eternal life, and we gather and celebrate to honor Him."

I hope you all make Christ the center of your lives, not only for Christmas time, but for always. Remember His love for you and how it has blessed you, then share that love with others. Not everyone knows about the power of His love, so you should go tell them. Now would be a great time.

Love,

Sister Anna Sheffield

Thnksgiving blessings

Hello family and friends:

This week has been very up and down. We had a lot of appointments fall through and weren't able to schedule many anyway because of Thanksgiving, but we ended up being very blessed. On Saturday, we were able to help an older sister in our ward and had a wonderful time getting to know her as we took care of her house and yard. Then we had another member with us as we tried to visit a few investigators and less-active members. Unfortunately, no one remembered their appointments and they weren't home. But despite the set-back, we continued on in faith. We decided to use the last hour of daylight to go harvesting. We were inspired to go to a specific street and we both knew we could reach our goal for the day. We knocked on every door on the street. Out of the 10 or so houses, we blessed 7 homes! It was incredible. Several of them took extra encouragement and our testimonies before they would accept, but our positive, purpose-driven attitudes really made a difference. Being able to reach our goal after so much other disappointments during the week really strengthened my faith.

Two of the best things that happened this week were with our investigators. Scott has been meeting with us for a few weeks now and has been reading a lot in the Book of Mormon, but he considers himself 'new' to religion and doesn't know how to understand answers to his prayers. We have talked to him many times about the Holy Ghost, but he is still unsure. On Sunday, he was able to come to church with a couple from our ward. When we talked to him the next day, he admitted that he had definitely felt something. It had taken his breath away for a moment during sacrament meeting. He said it made him feel excited inside and made him hungry for more knowledge. He can't wait to finish the Book of Mormon and have all his questions answered! It is so exciting to be present to see the change in him; to see the Spirit influence his life. Now we just have to help him stop smoking so he can feel it even more!

Speaking of seeing a change in people, the other great thing that happened this week was the Baptism of Anthony and Laverne! It was so amazing! They were glowing the whole time (even though it took 3 tries before Laverne made it all the way under)! When we saw them the next day, they really did have a change of countenance. Anthony told us that he really has never been this happy before! I believe it. I have seen him change so much in the time that I have been here. It is truly amazing that they were able to get baptized after meeting with the missionaries since February. Plus, it was a double baptism because a family that the Elders have been teaching for months also got baptized on Sunday. It was simply amazing! I understand what the scriptures mean by how great your joy can be by bringing one soul unto God. I can't wait to bring more!

Cool, huh?

Anyway. Baptisms really are the greatest thing ever. Really. I've never been so happy! I am so happy I get to do this some more!

We got transfer news! I'm staying here and will finish my training with Sister Hawkes (which is great, we have lots of investigators to get baptized!). Sister Buckley is staying here as well, but Sister Barnes is finally leaving the area. She has been here since February. I'm pretty sure she was just staying until Laverne got baptized! There is only one other Elder transferring in our district. I think our Zone leaders are changing too. Anyway, we find out tomorrow where everyone is going and who will be coming here.

Thanksgiving: We ate waffles and cinnamon ice cream for breakfast at the Archie's home. Delicious. It was a very warm day. I was sweating as we were walking outside. We had dinner at the Papenfuss home. He is the ward mission leader and she is the relief society president. Wonderful people. There were all 8 of us missionaries, the five of them, plus an elderly sister whose husband is still in the ICU and mostly paralyzed, and a less-active couple. Pretty awesome. We stayed there for a very long time. Oops.

Last Sunday we sang in church, so we had to sing for everyone else as well. We sang "Be Still, My Soul" for the Archies and the Papenfi (or Papenfusses) and they recorded "For the Beauty of the Earth." Also, I got to play the guitar, violin, and banjo at their house! So awesome. The baptism on Sunday included a musical number consisting of Elder Conger on the piano, Sisters Hawkes, Barnes, and Buckley singing, and me on violin. It was fun to play again even though I was kind of just making up some random part. No one had any music for us to use. We played "I Am a Child of God" because it is Laverne's favorite song. It worked out very well.

Well, that's a brief and scattered summary of my week. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I wrote a long list of things I'm thankful for, which includes:

-My wonderful amazing family and the way they raised me. I can't tell you how much that really means to me. I have already seen so many families that were not blessed the way I was and it truly hurts my heart to see them without the love and care and support that I had.

-The letters I received this week: Mom, Dad, Garret, Jill, Stevie. Thank you all! Letters are golden.

-Being here to see conversions. If you have never seen that change come over someone, you don't know what you're missing. How about you all go out and find someone and change their life. You'll never be happier.

Talk to you all soon!

Sister Anna Sheffield

With the heart of a turkey, and the wings of Cranberry sauce, because it's Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Everyone!

This week, there is much to be thankful for:

I am thankful for Zone Conference. I got to see my old companion and the Mission President, get a flu shot, each lunch, take pictures, get Steve (the black box in our car that tracks our driving), learn how to be safe and healthy, how to talk to people I wouldn't normally talk to, and so much more. Really, it was awesome.

I am thankful for cool experiences while harvesting and, of course, for the Holy Ghost:

As we were harvesting in the middle of the week, we had knocked on several doors without anyone answering. As we got to the last door on the street, we met a young man named Webster who was very glad to allow us to leave the blessing with him and to come back and meet his family the next day. As we were walking away from his door, we saw a woman walking her children home from school. She didn't speak a lot of English but she was happy to have us follower her to her house and leave the blessing with her and her family. Lots of the family was there and participated in the blessing. We were able to speak to her children and find a time when the Creole Elders could come back and teach them. Then as we walked away from her home, we saw a women standing in her driveway smoking. I soon as I saw her I thought "She needs us" so we walked straight to her. When we explained that we were representatives of Jesus Christ she got really excited and put out her cigarette. She was so shocked that we were there because she said she had strayed from the path. As she continued, she recognized us as her sisters in the gospel and was crying before we said the blessing. She was very glad to have us return. And although we haven't been able to teach her a full lesson yet, we have talked with her each day since then and have a return appointment. I know the Spirit was there guiding and directing us to her. I am glad we were able to hear that direction and follow it.

I am thankful for our investigators. We got to see some of them we haven't seen for a while. We also met several more and even committed some more to baptism on the first lesson. Yay!

I am thankful for ward parties. Our ward had a Thanksgiving day party and invited everyone and their friends. We had 3 investigator families there! Patricia, our Argentinian friend (she always calls us her "girls"), Laverne and 9 grandkids plus 2 friends, and Ardena, her son and daughter, and her friend and her daughter. It was so great! The party itself was pretty crazy and chaotic. There was a pinewood derby race (which we totally entered but didn't win) and tons of food. We were able to give Ardena a tour of the church and she was pretty excited to come to church. Unfortunately, she didn't get up in time on Sunday. But at least she's been in the church building now!

I am thankful for the ability to sing. The missionaries were asked to sing at the party, but we were somehow forgotten. So the bishop had us sing in Sacrament Meeting. We sang "For the Beauty of the Earth" acapella as a double quartet. Because we can. I am thankful for the other 7 missionaries in this ward. They are amazing people.

I am thankful for Jim Davis, a less-active member who let us come over and eat dinner with him and his non-member wife. And showed us his lovely Alligator head. Yes. He has the head of an 11 foot alligator. I got to hold it. He used to be an alligator hunter. So cool. Don't worry I have a picture.

I am thankful for all the random animals I see here. And for the great reactions from Sister Hawkes when she sees them (the most common being: "Ew!"). I guess I'm also thankful for the creepy Chihuahua named Tinkerbell which we saw when we were blessing a home. Even though he bit me. That's right. I got bit by a tiny rat-dog. At least he didn't break the skin. I feel like a real missionary! Ha!

I am most grateful for the WEDDING! Our wonderful investigators, that have been working with the missionaries for 8 months, finally got married!! It was so amazing! We spent 4 hours on Saturday decorating their cake and helping get things ready. Then on Sunday, we set up some tables and chairs, put some tablecloths out (that was the extent of the decorations), held the door open for the guests coming in out of the pouring rain, moved the podium from primary into the Relief Society room, handed the bride the bouquet (of silk flowers made by a ward member), and pinned the boutonniere on the groom (yes, we did that), passed out hymn books, and then it started. The bishop conducted the ceremony and we took pictures, I'm pretty sure my companion cried. It was SO exciting! Then they exchanged rings and the bishop gave them some advice. Then we went into the gym for some dinner and cake. Took more pictures and cleaned everything up. The whole thing was over in two hours. It was fun. The best part is that Anthony and Laverne were even more excited for next week: Their Baptism! I can't wait!!! (neither can Sister Barnes who has been here teaching them since the beginning!)

I am thankful for the wonderful ward members here that came and helped with the wedding and are so willing to go out with us to visit people. With 8 missionaries, it requires a lot of help from the ward, and they do it! Would you like to have that experience as well? You can, it is just one phone call away (to your local missionaries, of course)!

I am thankful for all of you! You are wonderful people and I love you. Yes even you.

Go read Elder Scott's talk from conference and then memorize a scripture. Any one. They're all good.

Heads-up: My Preparation Day is on Tuesday next week because of transfers. That gives you an extra day to write to me!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love, Sister Anna Sheffield

Possum'd!

Dearest Family and Friends,

I hope you're all doing smashingly well. I hope it is not too cold or snowy. It got "cold" one day this week, which means it was about 63 degrees after dark. We wouldn't have really noticed if we hadn't been having a lesson outside for way too long (75 minutes). My companion had goosebumps. I had about 10 bug bites. But the lesson went well. Scott is very logical and is really confused by the fact that only 11 people saw the Gold Plates. But he likes to talk and he wants to learn how to improve his life, so we'll get past the insignificant details soon enough.

This week has been incredible with our harvesting efforts. We were able to put a lot of faith and effort into it, leading to very positive end results. We spent a lot of hours (about 10 in 3 days) at the beginning of the week leaving blessings in homes and by the end of the week, we were getting more appointments and were able to follow-up on a lot of those blessings. One of the homes we blessed was Tyeshia. She was very friendly and loved the blessing. I was able to experience what it truly feels like to have the spirit touch someone during the blessing. She seemed so excited that we had come and was eager to come to our church without us even mentioning it first. She gladly welcomed us to return. She noted that she wasn't usually home at that time and just happened to leave work early that day and recognized that God wanted her to be home so she could meet us. When we came back a couple days later, she was glad to see us (even though she was a bit surprised that we actually did come back). We were able to tell her all about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. She was very excited to read it and said she would pray before she read each time so she could understand it better. We hadn't even mentioned that yet! She was also very excited that there is a prophet on the earth today and she really wants to be a good example to her family. She was definitely prepared by the Lord to meet us and to hear the Gospel. She committed to be baptized on Dec. 4th. Her son's name is Zion and I'm pretty sure she is married and doesn't have an addiction to drugs or smoking (which would be a first!).

Here are some other fun facts about my mission that I think you'll enjoy:

~Now that daylight savings time is over, we have to do harvesting early in the afternoon because the main area of Delray is not safe to be in after dark. However, we found a gated community with a broken gate and have been harvesting in there after dark. It is much safer, but the people aren't as openly accepting of the Savior' peace and comfort in their home. We did meet a really nice lady from Argentina named Patricia last week and have met her several times this week to answer her questions and teach her. Hopefully she'll realize that she can't have all of the wonderful things we are telling her about if she is not baptized and goes through the temple. It will happen soon enough.

~We have some lovely animal friends that live around our apartment: Lizards are everywhere and scurry across the sidewalk right in front of you (some don't make it fast enough - squished lizards are fairly common); Spiders are constantly making huge webs because they themselves are bigger; ants that are so light they are like tiny ball of fluff invaded our car last week (now it smells like ant spray); a possum hung out in the parking lot for a while; a raccoon almost walked up the stairs to our door; and squirrels are always in the trees and chirping at each other. Got to love wildlife. Also, the other sisters went to bless a home and the lady that lived there had a pet opossum. It was gross-looking but its name was "Snookie". Creepy.

P.S. I still hate large birds that caw and congregate outside of houses.

~The other sister missionaries here are feeding my quote addiction. Anything from random Youtube videos (from last year) to SNL skits to MST3K to HomestarRunner. It is hilarious. We even had our own version of a party-killing youtube moment where we just told all the funny parts of any thing we could remember. We're silly. The most popular thing to quote by far is Emperor's New Groove. We've found situations for pretty much every single quote in that movie. "by all means, it doesn't make sense."

~Our microwave died. I miss it.

~I got a little sunburned the other day from harvesting for so long. Patricia noted that I was a little red and that my companion is very white. We get that a lot.

~We met an 81 year-old preacher "Brother Williams" who told us all about how we are brothers and sisters and that we need to be careful because there are lots of bad men out there that would hurt us and kill us. We left a blessing with him on his porch and left as fast as possible. His stories were a little too graphic for us. He and lots of others thought we were only teenagers. Thus is my life.

~A new Creole speaking Elder came this week. Straight from the MTC. (Creoles come on a different schedule) His name is Elder Jones and he is from South Weber, Utah.

~We ate dinner at the Bishop's house last night (All 8 missionaries and all 6 in their family). It was really fun. We got to see a different side of the Bishop. They showed us an article from the October 2010 New Era that was about our District Leader! Elder Conger's Eagle Scout Project was the subject of one of the articles. You should go look it up. It was pretty funny to see him in there.

~We are singing at the Ward Thanksgiving Party this Saturday. The missionaries were asked to give a musical number, but we're also having dinner and a pinewood derby race, so that'll be interesting.

~We had Super Saturday last Saturday and the R.S. ladies just loved it. I made some hair bows. We cleaned up everything afterwards even though our investigator didn't show up. Actually, none of our investigators showed up at church either. Sad day.

~I got Taylor [Berhow] and Stevie's [Dugdale] letters and they are so amazing. They are just amazing people with awesome experiences and the ability to tell about them and they have wonderful testimonies. Go Cousins. That article on Faith was also awesome. Thanks, Mom. Everyone should read it.

~We went to Subway one day last week and they were playing songs on the radio. I thought it was funny. We haven't really heard anything other that Mormon Tabernacle Choir for a long while. Speaking of, if you would like to send me some Mo-Tab CDs (Christmas or otherwise) I would enjoy that. We have CD players in the car and they can be burned CDs if you'd like. (I'm getting tired of the same songs over and over. My companion only listens to The Men [of the Tabernacle Choir]'s CD and Showtime.)

We have zone conference next week in Boca Raton then a follow-up trainer/trainee meeting on the 23rd in Plantation. That's a lot of driving, but I'm kind of excited to see my old companion and other people in the mission. We're also getting Flu Shots there. Yay.

One last thought: The Spirit is wonderful. But it isn't just great, it is necessary. The Spirit is how we receive revelation and how we learn of God's will. If we can't recognize it then we won't know what God is saying to us. We have to explain this to our investigators pretty much every time. But when we do, it turns out a lot better. There are so many ways to feel the Holy Ghost that it can be difficult to describe, but the scriptures are filled with the different ways you can feel the spirit. Just figure out which one works for you, realize when it is there, listen to it, then ACT. It means nothing if you can feel it and then do nothing about it! Also, do all you can to have the spirit in your life because it is so important and necessary for all of us.

Okay, that's good enough. I hope you all know the Church is True. Because it is. There is nothing that can change that fact. So if you know it, and you know its true, Repent. Alma 12:37. Read it.

I love you all! Have great mid-November week! Don't freeze!

Missionary, cleaner, organizer, seamstress, counselor, wedding planner?

This week was full of service. We were able to help so many people in the ward. I also gained a greater understanding of my calling as a missionary because of the things we have done this week. We were able to share our testimony with an overwhelmed sister in our ward as we helped organize the items left to her family by her ailing mother-in-law. We helped our investigators work through their differences in order to be married in preparation for their baptism with the help of the Bishop (he did the real counseling). We were able to share a message of peace to an elderly sister as we sewed up some of her homemade clothing. We were also able to have a nice discussion about getting through trials as we weeded and cleaned the yard of an elderly couple in the ward. It was very rewarding to be able to serve them and I am grateful for the health and strength I have to do that. (See how I was a missionary, organizer, cleaner, sewer, and counselor? Pretty great, huh? The wedding planner part is coming soon.)

While we spoke to each of these members, we asked them for referrals. They didn't have any for us.

Let this be a lesson to you all: You all know someone who needs the gospel. Share it with them. Let the missionaries share it with them. Why would you deny them salvation? Don't be scared. Just do it. (okay, just to note: I was terrible at this before my mission. Never again. Members are SUPER important and people are WAY more likely to accept the church if they have friends. PLEASE find the courage to talk about the Gospel. How would you feel if your friends knew how to be saved and they didn't tell you?!?!)

We had several very spiritual experiences this week with our investigators. One of them was with Anthony and Laverne, who have been working with the missionaries for about 7 months. They have had a lot to overcome and have been taught all the lessons. The biggest obstacle in their way was marriage. They have lived together for 12 years but are not married and many things have come in the way of making that possible, including working out a divorce and overcoming commitment issues. As we discussed this final step with them, we were able to use the scriptures, our own testimonies, and the deep concern of a member to help them understand the importance of marriage. Laverne has a strong testimony and was able to bear that to Anthony while we were there. By the time we left, everyone in the room had felt the spirit and even shed a tear or two. They committed to meeting with the bishop the next day. Our next appointment with them was canceled.. because they were at the courthouse getting a marriage license! They was a visible change in them when we next saw them. They were so much happier and they recognized that others were happy for them and that God was pleased with this decision, as well. Anthony came to church for the first time in months and committed, with full-conviction, to be baptized on the 27th. It was so amazing to watch this change come over him. I know that he will be blessed with even more happiness and peace as he prepares and follows through with these important events in his life.

It was so amazing to see the spirit work and change people. It is such a blessing in this work and is vital for success. I am so grateful that I know the truth, especially my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I know that my family will be together forever and that my grandfather is happier now with his wife and friends. (For those who don't know, my grandfather passed away very peacefully on Sunday, November 6.)

We are all here for a reason. We are here at this time for a specific purpose. If you do not fulfill that purpose, why were you reserved until now? Go and Do. Let nothing stop you from making this world a better place. Read D&C 138:55-56. Then read the Book of Mormon because it is awesome. :)

Well, that is a nice little summary of my week. I hope you all had a wonderful week as well. It would be great to hear about it. :)


Love from the humid 80s (weather, not times),
Hermana Anna Sheffield

Have a blessed day.

What are you going to be on Halloween night?

....A witch or a goblin or a ghost? What are you going to be, well [PLEASE] tell me. . . Yes, I want to know what all of you did to celebrate this entertaining and enjoyable Pagan holiday!

Holidays in Florida are very strange. The weather is all wrong for Halloween. It should have snowed by now and everyone should be wearing coats over/under their costumes. But not here. No one needs coats. Even when it is raining. You just get soaked because it is too hot to wear a coat. Holidays are also strange because our Preparation Day is on Monday, and lots of Holidays are on Mondays. Therefore, we will sometimes have Preparation Day on Tuesdays so we can be out and about when people are home and available. Just so you know.

For Halloween, we still have P-day (hence I'm writing this today) but we end a bit early. We can only be out working from 5 to 7 and then we have to be inside. I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm kind of excited to go harvesting for at least a little bit. "Can we bless your home? NO? Then can we have some candy?" Ha ha not really. Well, maybe. . .

Florida. I am really here. During this past week, my companion had the opportunity to turn to me and say "Welcome to Florida!" That was because we came out of an appointment and it was POURING rain. We had to run around the building and back to our car. There was about an inch of water on the ground, everywhere, with some puddles even deeper. The water has nowhere to go so it just pools. Plus it comes down so much all at once that there is no way for it to disappear quickly. We are very grateful for our car and windshield wipers.

Last Tuesday, the ward had a "Trunk or Treat." We met several new people who came with friends and are interested in the church, but unfortunately, none of them are in our area. We had one of our investigators come with her 4 grandkids. She even brought her neighbor and son, which was pretty awesome. Laverne is already being a good member missionary and she isn't even a member yet! She would totally be baptized already if she was married. Hopefully that happens this month so we can contribute to the goal of 100 baptisms. President Anderson told us today that there were 76 baptisms in our mission in October, but we're hoping for all 100 in November. It is definitely possible!

Speaking of President Anderson's email, he said they realigned our mission boundaries so we now have The Stuart Stake from the Orlando Mission. That means another Zone, another stake, and 24 new missionaries (5 sisters 19 elders), bringing the total to about 160 missionaries! Crazy! That's pretty much all we know about it so far How strange to be one of those missionaries and to suddenly be in a different mission! They could now be transferred all the way down to Miami. We'll see what happens at the next transfer.

While harvesting this week, we had some very interesting experiences. We met a lady who happened to be home early from her job and was very welcoming. We blessed her and she said we could come back on Sunday when her whole family was there. And they were. When we went there yesterday, we taught her, her 4 sons, and her daughter. They all shared their faith with us, but only Shirley, Scott, and Marcus were there the whole time and paying attention. They are Adventist, Catholic, and Baptist, respectively, but they all wanted their own copy of the Book of Mormon by the time we finished the Restoration Lesson. It was pretty cool. Unfortunately, we can't see them again until next Sunday, but they committed to read and pray about it. They've had hard lives (Shirley's daughter witnessed her own father get gunned down about 16 years ago and they haven't really gotten over it yet) and I know the Restored Gospel will help them.

We have been kind of stumped this week as to what to do around 8. We have trouble setting up appointments for that time (when did 8 pm become late at night?!?) and if they fall through, we have nothing to do. We can't go harvesting that late because no one wants us around at that time, and it is not the safest idea. But hopefully we'll figure out something to do because it is only going to get darker earlier and earlier and then we'll really be in a bind. We are very careful about where we go, and are perfectly safe. (Just so you don't worry!)

Our biggest concern this week has been Ardena and Jerry. They have so much faith and even knowledge of Christ. We taught the first half of the plan of Salvation and they both agreed with it and seemed to already believe in it. Ardena is a writer and she showed us some poems she wrote that discussed our purpose in life and how she is struggling to align her will with God's will. They didn't use those exact words, but same idea. When we got to the part about our life on Earth and the Atonement, we talked more about her smoking and drinking problem. We let her know of a "quit smoking program" we have and she is pretty interested. Then randomly during the lesson, Jerry (Ardena's boyfriend) said he was going to quit smoking, too. He was determined. So they are going to do this program together. It takes 7 days and has only 15 steps to do to make them smoke-free. Also, it includes daily prayer, and no alcohol, tea, or coffee, so it is like a total purge of all things against the word of wisdom. Hopefully it all goes well. We're starting it tonight! We have to see them every day while they are working on it, but lucky for us, she doesn't have a job so we can go see her all the time! I just hope they have more dedication to this program than to going to church yesterday (they didn't come because they were asleep!).

This week we were harvesting and came to a home that had many people inside. The man who answered the door was a little wary of us, but let us in. When we introduced ourselves to the rest of the family, one woman asked, "Are you Latter-day Saints?" When we said yes, a little shocked, she responded that she was, too! She introduced herself as Jesula and we realized that she was a less-active sister in the ward we have been trying to get in contact with! We were so excited and immediately recognized that God had sent us to that street to find her. We look forward to visiting her and teaching her family (who all really enjoyed the blessing we left with them).

By the way, I received on Saturday the first letter since coming here. Thanks to my cousin Cheryl! Usted es La Mejor! Anyone else who cares to join her in the ranks of awesome needs not but to write to me. The title will be granted immediately.

Last Saturday, we found this street and the first house we knocked on was a Haitian lady that spoke only a little English. She said that sister missionaries had stopped by her house before and had invited her to church. We're pretty sure that was from at least 6 months ago because we didn't recognize the hand-writting. We blessed her home and said that we would send the Creole Elders to her. Her grandson (age 7) showed us his sweet dance moves. As we kept walking down the street we ended up giving 5 blessings. It was pretty cool especially since they told us the Jehovah's Witnesses had been there earlier in the day. We clarified that we were not the same but didn't really get any return appointments either. Except the Creole families, which we passed on to the Elders. Oh well, you win some you lose some. They'll just be ready later.

I miss home and all of you. I would love to hear from you all. I have learned so much here and can't wait to share it with you all.

You all should go read Mosiah 23 and 24. Alma is such a great leader. People are so blessed when they turn to the Lord and hush their fears and trust in the Lord. He will answer your prayers and bless you in ways you don't even realize or expect.

Everyone, I bid you fond farewell for the week. Have a wonderful Halloween. Take pictures.

Love, Sister Anna Sheffield

First "Hola" from Florida!

Hello people of the world who love me enough to read this,
I am finally in Florida. It was an interesting journey. Let's delve right in.

On Tuesday morning, (Oct 18) I woke up at 2 am and went to the travel office with all my possessions. We got on a bus and left (without 3 of the Elders) at 3:30. We drove to the airport and checked in. I called Mom and Dad and Thomas at 5 in the morning just for kicks and giggles.
Then we boarded the plane and flew to Dallas. I sat next to my companion who was pretty much asleep the whole time and across from a family who were obviously members of the Church. I think I might have slept a little.

In Dallas, we hurried over to get our boarding passes and then they announced a delay for maintenance, so we got some food at McDonalds. Eventually we made it onto the plane (only about 40 minute delay). We sat in the back of the plane and I was in a row that was entirely missionaries. There were nine of us travelling together (the 3 missing Elders made it to the airport just in time) so I didn't really have a chance to talk to anyone. Most of us slept on
that flight too, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible for me. I tried to read scriptures instead of watching NBC comedies without sound.

As soon as we got off the plane, I could tell it was humid. President and Sister Anderson, and the APs were there waiting for us and taking pictures. They were super nice to use the whole day. No one lost any luggage and we made it safely to the Mission home, but it was raining a bit so our suitcases were a bit wet. We had a moment to freshen up before dinner (which was "supper"-delicious if you catch my drift) and got to know our mission president. We were introduced to "Harvesting the Field" which is how we contact people. When we knock on doors, we introduce ourselves as "representatives of Jesus Christ and we have come to leave the Savior's peace and blessing on your home. May we come in and leave that blessing?" It took me off-guard at first, but it is actually really awesome. I'll explain why in a minute.

That first night, we learned all about car and bike safety, our credit cards, and insurance. Then we did a Book of Mormon "activity" where we wrote our testimonies in a book and then were dropped off on a street. They said we couldn't get back into the car until we had given them away. The first house we went to, we gave away the book and got a return appointment. I thought it was a set-up, but it was real! This girl really wanted to know about our church. It was crazy. The second house didn't answer, but the third house was this nice, shirtless old man who has a lot of family members who are Mormon but is catholic. He already had a Book of Mormon but I gave him mine anyway because it had my testimony in it. He didn't really want to hear why our church was different, but he was nice and tried to give us hugs before we left. Fun.

The next morning, we had transfer meeting. I found out I was going to be companions with Sister Hawkes in Boynton Beach South. This is her 5th transfer and her first time being the senior companion/training. She is really nice and knows the ward really well. She is from Idaho and was born the same month as me! They just split this area into Boynton Beach South and Boynton Beach Central so now there are four sisters here. There are actually 8 missionaries in the Boynton Beach Ward! Crazy. Since it is an English ward, I am considered to be serving in an English area. One set of Elders is speaking Creole, but the rest are English as well. Strange, right? It is for the best, I'm sure.

The area we serve in is about an hour north of the mission home. We live in Boynton Beach but we serve in Delray Beach. We are the southern- most area in the Northernmost zone in the mission. The other district up here has a Spanish branch where my MTC companion is serving. Anyway, our area is heavily populated with African Americans and Haitians. There are lots of people we meet that we cannot understand, but we have been able to see a few Spanish families and leave blessings with them. Or rather, by companion leaves the blessing. (She was called Spanish-speaking as well).

When we got here on Wednesday, we went to the store and then we met Hna. Rincon. She is a less-active sister that has been meeting with the Sister missionaries for a while. She actually speaks great English, but we can practice our Spanish with her as well. That night we went to our first real appointment. The stake was having a missionary night so a bishopric member and his wife and a member of the stake presidency came with us. We went to visit Laverne and Anthony. They have been investigators since February and have a baptismal date set for November. They still have to get married and work through a few other things, but they are really nice. They have about 12 grandkids that are in and out. I'm pretty sure 4 live there (under 7 years old), and are quite the handful, but they love to read the Book of Mormon and can't wait until they are old enough to get baptized.

Thursday was Weekly planning and it took pretty much all day because we were separating the areas.

We met with a lady that the other sisters had blessed last week. Her name is Loma and she is taking care of her Mother with Alzheimer's. She also got really close to having a stroke and was in the hospital for 5 days. So by the time we came back to see her, she was full of faith and the love of God. She also was confused about what church was right. Perfect! That's why we're here! We taught her the restoration lesson and I invited her to be baptized! She said yes! But she really wanted to pray about it and she didn't know what here schedule was like so she didn't commit to a date, but we could see the change that came over her as we shared the Book of Mormon with her and committed her to read and pray about it. I have no doubt that she will do a lot of reading and praying. We don't get to see her until Thursday, unfortunately, but we are definitely going to commit her to a date.

The Mission has a goal to get 100 baptisms in October. When I first heard that I thought they were crazy, but after being here a few days, It is totally possible. People are just so ready to hear the gospel! We just have to find them! (And find them during the day because it is just a little sketchy to go out after dark. Don't worry mom, I'm perfectly safe.)

At one point, we weren't entirely sure which direction to go, but we saw a woman walking down the street. We jogged over to her and introduced ourselves as representatives of Christ and she welcomed us to follow her home. Her name is "Sista C." We actually ended up at her Grand-niece's home and were able to leave them with a blessing and set up a return appointment for the next day. When we went to visit her on Sunday, she was ready and waiting for us. As we got to know Ardena (the niece), we found out that she has met with missionaries before, about 14 or so years ago. She still had the Book of Mormon in her home and had been to church a few times before she moved and lost contact with the Elders. She has a lot of faith, but has been struggling to follow Christ and really understand her purpose in life. She was very eager to learn more of our message and committed to be baptized on Nov. 20. Her children and boyfriend were there as well and, while not as eager, they also said they would consider baptism. They want to come closer to Christ as a family.

It was so awesome!

It is very interesting to see the differences in our MTC experiences. Their new programs are coming together, for the best, but just not all at the same time. We're pretty much together, but most of the things we are learning in our extra hour of study each day is stuff we learned at the MTC. But I could always learn and practice more. (By the way, did I tell you about that? For the first 12 weeks in the field, we now have 2 hours of companionship study everyday so that by the end, we will be ready to train other new missionaries if we need to. Pretty cool stuff.)

Oh, and just in case y'all were wondering, I am totally perfecting my southern-black-lady talk. All the people we meet are so wonderful and hilarious because they have that unique way of speaking. So, even if I don't get to perfect my Spanish, I'll still sound different when I come home!

I really do like Florida, so far. It is more humid than Salt Lake but it really hasn't been too bad. The weather is actually great. Yay for fall in Florida!

I love you all! And I'd love to hear from you!

Hermana Sheffield