Sisters

Sisters                                                                                                                                   January 28, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a busy week. The Visalia 1^st ward has sister missionaries now. Sister Sheffer is not alone. Since they were doubled in, which means both missionaries are new to the area, we took time and went with them to meet some of the member and investigators. We remember what it was like to be new and not being able to find a grocery store. Sister Tu'ahiva (2 a Hee va) is from Tonga and Sister Baysden is from North Carolina. One of the members discovered that it had been Sister Sheffer's birthday and made brownie cupcakes to celebrate. It had been Sister Baysden's birthday also. It was a nice surprise for both.

This weekend was the baptism for Ekaterina Dobrovolskaya. She is a sweet Russian lady we have been teaching. It was very touching to see how the saints from many wards reached out to help with her learning about and conversion to the Gospel. The Price family from the 1^st ward lived next to her and invited her to many ward activities. The Brown family invited her to their home and Brother Brown, who served his mission in the same part of Moscow, Russia where Kate has a home, helped to teach her in Russian and the Cook family from the 4^th ward, where she lives now, is fellowshipping her. Brother Cook also helped with her lessons since he served in Siberia, speaking Russian. We enjoyed using our few words of Russian and we were also surprised how hearing the language brings back the vocabulary. It was a delightful experience.

Elder Sheffer was able to help with many blessings. It was a very special treat to help with a baby blessing of Svetlana Eastland. Svetlana means light in Russian. She was blessed Sunday. She is the daughter of one of our converts. She is adorable. We wish we could have gotten a picture of her all dressed up, but we had to leave before the meeting was over to be at another building.

As we were teaching a new member lesson to Brittany Allen she made an interesting comment. She said that her friends were telling her she had joined a cult. She said that it wasn't a cult but that in the church you are held accountable. You were expected to live a certain way and that is the Lord's way. People check on you regularly to help and support you. That was very insightful.  

We had a wonderful training meeting with the ward senior missionaries. We trained on how to use the internet to teach the gospel. That is a huge part of the new youth curriculum. There is so much of the lds.org website. We were all excited about what is available to help teach everyone, even ourselves.

There are many things scheduled for next week and we are excited to share as they happen.

…men are that they might have joy. 2 Nephi 2:25. This is the scripture that Ekaterina had on her baptismal program.

God Bless You All    Elder and Sister Sheffer

 

Elders

These are the 1st Ward Elders who we enjoyed eggs in purgatory with. The Elders in their jackets are the Zone Leaders. Elder Watkins has serve in Visalia his whole mission and has been here longer then we have. He will be serving in the Turlock Zone for his last four months. We will miss him.

Happy Birthday Sister Sheffer 2013

Happy Birthday 2013

Dear Family and Friends,                                                                                                              January 22, 2013

                Monday for FHE we were able to travel to Fresno and meet with the senior missionaries. We listened to the talk given by Clayton Christensen at BYU Hawaii about being a member missionary and then we shared experiences we have had and what has been effective. On the scary side of things was the Solomon's were in an accident on the freeway and their airbags deployed. They only had three weeks left in their mission. The Lord was watching over them. She had a small cut on her forehead. Other than that they were fine. The guy they hit gave them a ride to the meeting.

Sister Sheffer was asked to sing at Frank Sumner's funeral. His daughter Tammi McDowell wanted Amazing Grace to be sung and Denice Deason from the 1^st ward asked if she would sing the soprano part. The first arrangement was very difficult yet beautiful. Sister Sheffer didn't feel that she had the time with all the other proselyting responsibilities to learn it in two days so she asked several people for a simplified version. Lorry Frost had a very simple version that was very sweet and poignant. It was a good experience and a wonderful way to celebrate Frank's life.

Wednesday was Sister Sheffer's birthday and it was a busy one. There is a sweet lady in the 6^th ward with special needs and back last March she asked when Sister Sheffer's birthday was. She told her January. This ladies name is Gayle Gentile. She thought it was wonderful that she had the same name as Sister Sheffer. So, when January came again she asked Elder Sheffer what day of the month her birthday was. She remembered all this time. She called and made an appointment to see us on the 16^th and she had purchased a cake, and paper goods to serve it on, in Sister Sheffer's favorite color. She was so sweet and so excited. Gayle helped teach and fellowship a man in her group home who was just baptized.

We had a call about a sister in the 2^nd ward Alice Talbot. We first met her in October 2011. That was a first month of our mission. She was shopping in Wal-Mart with her grandson Chris. She chased us down with her motorized shopping cart because we had name tags on. She introduced herself and asked us to come to her home and teach lessons to her son Cecil, who was less active. We did that and during the next year visited several times, we even help decorate her Christmas tree. She was an amazing sewer and repaired missionary clothes for us and others often. Chris, her grandson, called to say she was in the hospital and we rushed down to give her a blessing. Elder Sheffer was concerned when he left. He was only able to give her a blessing of comfort and assure her that angels would be there to watch over her. He anointed and sealed. He was the only one that they let in before taking her to the ICU. He wanted to come the next day to give another blessing. The next morning Chris called to say Alice past away and he was at the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital he was being asked to go with the deputy to identify the body. Chris said, "I can't do that." He was alone. His father is a truck driver and was heading home as fast as he could and his aunts were traveling to get there. Chris asked us to identify the body. Of course we did. We had just taken a picture of Alice holding one of the many Christmas stockings she had created for her family. She will be greatly missed. She was always a joy to be around.

We had an enjoyable opportunity to train another senior couple the Powell's. They were here when Elder Sheffer served his first mission. We know they will serve well and touch the lives of many people. They have a daughter Maci, who was just married and has a blended family. When we visited her sons reminded us so much of our own sons. We will be having family home evening with them soon.

We spent Saturday in the vineyard pruning grapevines. Elder Sheffer bought Sister Sheffer the perfect birthday gift, Corona hand clippers. He heard that these were the best clippers. He did his research. Everyone laughs when they hear about his purchase but those of you who know Sister Sheffer would understand that she loved her gift and used them the whole time we were at the vineyard. Elder Sheffer is the best.

Sunday we were called upon to help an Elder. On Monday we were asked to drive north to take this young man to an appointment. The specialist was in Stockton, which is out of the mission boundaries. It was an eight hour trip but we were able to be back in time for our evening appointments.

This morning we fed the first ward Elders the traditional farewell breakfast of eggs in purgatory. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is eggs poach in tomatoes. Elder Sheffer loves to cook this. One Elder is returning home and the other is going to Turlock. They call this being doubled out. The First Ward will have Sisters now. Sister Sheffer will no longer be the only Sister in the Zone. We took some pictures at our last district meeting. The whole Zone was there for one last time. We put our cameras on a timer and run for the seats. Our camera only has a 10 second pause.

We are so happy that Grandpa Bert "D" Sheffer had a wonderful 85^th birthday party and today is his birthday. Happy Birthday Dad, we love you.

God Bless You All   Elder and Sister Sheffer

PS Thank you for all the cards, phone calls and the fun birthday puzzle from Japan. 

 

               

 

Holding On to Christmas

Holding on to Christmas                                                                                                                                January 14, 2013

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

Dear Family and Friends,

                Elder Sheffer wanted to have a picture of our Christmas tree and we have been busy so this was the week we were plugging in the lights and thinking it was time to take it down. We finally made the long walk out to the car to get the camera. We took a picture of our dollar store tree. We had it taped to the counter so it wouldn't tip over. In the back ground are oranges that were given to us to enjoy and share. The weather here has been very cold and the fruit growers have been up in the night keeping their wind machines blowing the air to keep the cold from settling in the orchards and freezing the citrus. It has been about twenty-eight degrees. Okay, we know that doesn't sound that cold if you are in Utah were they are having a record cold of minus five. Please stay warm.

                We received a referral from a member, actually the bishop's wife, at Christmas time. It was for a Russian lady. She is progressing very well and we hope she will be baptized soon. It has been an amazing experience because we wanted her to be taught in Russian if that were at all possible. We were blessed to find two men that had served their missions in Russia and one of them is in the ward where she lives. Last night we taught her a lesson and she has internet now so we were able to have her listen to the prophet's Christmas devotional talk in Russian and teach her about how important prophets are. She was touched by the spirit and committed to follow the prophet. It is truly a tender mercy of the Lord that she has the internet.

                We received another referral, from the same sweet lady, and this was the daughter of the man who just passed away. She is from Oklahoma and she was touched by the kindness of the people in her father's church. She is now planning to move to Visalia and has asked for the missionaries to teach her about the church.

                We had an amazing Sunday. There were five people at sacrament meeting who are considered less active that we have been working with. One of these is Linda Butterfield. She is the wife of David who Elder Sheffer taught on his first mission. In Relief Society they asked if there were any visitors or new people. One lady said, "I have been gone for three weeks. So, I guess I am new." That is when Linda raised her hand and said, "I have been gone for 35 years. So, I guess I am new." She was asked to introduce herself and the response was electric. One of the ladies said, "You sewed my prom dresses when I was growing up. I have a temple dress that needs mending. Would you mend it for me?" Linda said she would be happy to help. It was so sweet. Elder Sheffer said that her husband was in tears most of the meetings and Linda said at the end of the meeting, "This is home for me."

                We had the sweet experience of baptizing Brittany and Rebecca Allen on Saturday and on Sunday they were confirmed. Brittany was befriended and fellowshipped by a sweet lady, Mandy Larsen, who just moved to Visalia and was reaching out to make friends. The members are the best missionaries. Once their friends accept the Gospel they have a support group to help them as they grow in the Gospel when the members share their joy of living the Gospel.

                What a wonderful start to a new year. Make the scriptures a part of your day and they will carry you through.                           

God Bless You all,  Elder and Sister Sheffer

Happy New Year/Legal Witness

Happy New Year/Legal Witness                                                                                                                 January 7, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

Sister Sheffer has been singing Christmas songs anytime we go to a home that still has their decorations up. When we don't watch TV or listen to the radio we don't hear the Christmas carols, so it feels like a part of Christmas is missing. It went by so quickly. Our New Year's Eve was spent teaching an investigator. She and her daughter are planning on being baptized on Saturday the twelfth. We are praying for them.

                This week was another amazing week. Sister Sheffer was asked to be the legal witness for a wedding. It started when we were asked to bless the home and family of an inactive member who had a boyfriend and twin girls. On our second visit we asked if Jason the boyfriend would be baptized he said yes. Then we asked if they would be married. He said yes. He works on an off shore platform drilling for oil and his next job would start on January third. This was Saturday December twenty-ninth, so the next time the county court house would be open was January second. We asked if they would be married on the second.  Yes! Laurel was eating the phone book she was so excited.  At 8:00am we met them at the court house and when they had a license in hand we called the Bishop and the Relief Society President to let them know the wedding was on. At 4:00pm they were married. It is such a joy to see the Lord's hand in people's lives.

                We spent Saturday morning in the Church's welfare vineyard propagating new grapevines. To do this you find a long grape cane and dig a hole and bend the cane so part of it is buried in the dirt next to a stake where you want the new vine to grow. It was amazing how many steps it took to mark, label, wire, and prune these new starts. We loved playing in the dirt and we learned so much.  Elder Sheffer has carrots and zucchini in his little garden.  We may not be able to harvest anything but he didn't want to bring the seeds back home. His tomato plant is still growing an loaded with tomatoes. He has had to go out a couple of nights to tuck it in. If we get close to freezing he covers it up. It has hit 32 twice already this year.

                We were dropping a bike off to the Zone Leaders and Elder Sheffer went out to the car to get something when the phone rang in his pocket. He thought that the Zone Leaders were calling to tease him and tell him he was too far away from his companion. He pulled to phone from his pocket while thinking of a clever response. He saw President Gelwix on the caller ID. While speaking as calmly as he could he rushed to his companion so she could hear. The President assigned us to mentor and train a new couple who have been assigned to Hanford, a town about twenty miles away. He said that this couple had been here one week and they were going to have an interesting assignment of going to the prisons to teach. There are several prisons in the valley; one of them is Corcoran a maximum security federal prison. We have been working with the 4^th ward and one of their ward missionaries, Brother Lewis, has been going to Corcoran every Monday for about six years. He and his wife went with us to Hanford to meet with the Gunns. They are a delightful couple form Magna Utah and Elder Larry Gunn was a printer for fifty years for church publications and knew Elder Sheffer's uncle Lowell Jacobsen.  

When we asked the Lewis' to come with us to Hanford and share some information with this new senior couple they asked for their name "Elder and Sister Gunn," we told them. "Well," Brother  Lewis replied, "They won't allow any Gunns in the prisons."

                We wish you all a Happy New Year. We have great promises in store as we live the gospel. The Lord is on thy side.       God Bless,   Elder and Sister Sheffer