June 4

Oh my goodness Mom! Noah is incredible! I should read his story again.

I have found that doing is even more important now. I didn't think it would be this hard but being in a new area this late into my mission is actually really difficult for me. I don't have the flow of the work here in my veins yet and the active members are still very unfamiliar to me. I know...I've only been here a week but it still feels weird. It's been an adjustment.

Speaking of adjustments, my companion, Sister Bassett, needs to go to the chiropractor three times a week for her back. There is a chiropractor in Huntington Beach that does adjustments for free so guess who gets to get adjusted too. I'm still not sure I like it...I don't like getting cracked and popped all over. Plus I don't feel any better afterward, only worse because I feel swollen. Oh well. It's supposed to be good for my shoulder too so we'll see.

But anyway, I was talking about doing. Sister Bassett and I had an interesting experience where we normally have been biking everywhere all week. I had the impression that we needed to walk to an appointment and simply take the time to stop everyone and talk to everyone. We made it to the appointment with no success. On the way home, however, we met a girl who had recently decided to come back into activity. She told us her story and after some words of encouragement, we parted ways. We didn't think anything of it until this girl's mom called us to ask us if we could go to lunch with her. How amazing! I'm excited to work with this girl and get her more involved with the work. That was one simple but great example of why we need to act on the impressions we receive, no matter how little sense they make.

I have also learned the importance of being myself. I find when I am just being myself that I actually feel the power of the Spirit when I teach. When I teach from my heart, the Spirit is there confirming the words I speak.

I love this work. I'm glad I was transferred to a new area for the last bit of my mission. This means there is tons of work to do and no time to get homesick or lazy. I can't afford to do that when there are so many people here that need this gospel.

Love,

Sister Shavonne Fielding

P.S. Did I tell you I have the best mission president in the world? It's true. :D