September 22nd 2014

Crazy miracle before I left Leeds. JAck is a less active member I love
with lal my heart. His step son is serving in Phoenix, and since then
he has been more open to us coming. He cooks us awesome meals every
Sunday and has a lesson. The past few weeks he has been keeping his
commitments to read from the Book of Mormon. We committed him to go
through a BoM and highlight meaningful verses to him and write his
testimony in it. He texted us Tuesday morning (my last day in Leeds)
and asked if he could take us to lunch before I left. At lunch, we
asked him what kind of person he wanted us to find to give his BoM
too. He said someone like him.
Sometimes last week I dreamt about a place in Leeds--it is going up a
mountain (they call it a mountain here) and very curvy. I dreamt we
biked up there and found someone. We had appointments for the rest of
the day, which thankfully God canceled for us so we could find someone
like Jack. I asked Sister Madsen if she wanted to go to the place I
dreamt of. It was a good bike up there, and I prayed telling God that
He would have to direct us pretty clearly since our time was short,
the area was big, and we didn't know where to go. As I was biking I
hear someone playing electric guitar. I stop and start talking to him,
he's smoking, has got tattoos, piercings--looks just like Jack before
he joined the church! it was beautiful. The spirit was strong as we
testified of the restoration and he told us he wanted to read the BoM.
I told him there was a bible study every Sunday after church at Jack's
house, and that Jack also wanted to quit smoking. His name was Curtis.
He was excited at the prospect of having someone to help him quit
smoking. I'm sure Jack won't mind that I invited him to his house, and
I'm sure Jack will also decide he wants to quit smoking. As we were
walking away from that, feeling fantastic, we saw a styrofoam cup on
the ground that said "JACK'S" (Southern fast-food restaurant). The
whole thing was a great miracle.

Pres. and Sister Hanks called Monday to tell me he was releasing me as
a sister training leader. The three of us had a great conversation in
talking about all the work we had done, the miracles we had seen, and
just thanked each other for all the service.

I was double transferred with a new missionary into Alabaster! Sister
Hall is awesome. Struggling with lots of health things, but I know we
are where God wants us to be, and already seeing awesome miracles.
I'll have to write later, the computer is going to kick me off.




Sister Hall is from Castedale, Utah. She's 19 and did rodeos,
swimming, and stuff. She has an incredible background. She was trained
for 6 weeks in Scottsboro by someone who lived in the same apartment
as I did when I was double transferred to train Sister Warren in
Madison. Poor thing only got to work for 3 weeks as she has been sick.
I was miserably sick for a few days starting Tuesday night, so we were
sick together. We were still able to work hard. She is SUPER excited
for this transfer, because in our first full day working together, she
said she taught more lessons than she had her whole mission. God is
blessing us. I'm so grateful I get to be here with her.
The ward is awesome. The ward mission leader is super cool and wants
to work closely with us, and everything is focused on how we as
members and missionaries can work as a greater team. I love it. There
are over 30 youth. HUGE! It's so fun, I'm so excited! We met some of
the part member families, and committed the not-yet-members to take
the discussions with us. We've also been doing lots of finding on our
own. After Wednesday when we went shopping together and I went hard
talking to everyone I could and inviting them to have us in their home
for a message, she said "Oh my gosh, I didn't even know contacting
could be like that! It's not even awkward!"  We've had plenty of
awkward since then, haha, but we are going hard when we go, and
letting her recoop since she is still getting over the doctors don't
know what. We aren't to ride bicycles, so we have to walk, drive our
limited miles, and work with the members. It's going to be so great.
She is a champion and she makes me happy. As we were going to bed we
were talking about how she is already coming out of her shell. She
made a store contact all by herself while I was getting someone's
information. We were so proud of her! While we were talking about it,
she told me again how excited she was for this transfer and encouraged
me to give her feedback. "Sister Sheffer, seriously, if you tell me do
so something I will DO IT. I've only been out for 6 weeks and you have
no idea how much I have heard about you, you're a mission legend!"
Tears. It's humbling to see how God can use us as His instruments. I
don't know what she has heard, but President has taught us recently
that we make a much bigger impact than we think we do for either good
or for bad. I know each of y'all have made an unforgettable difference
in so many people's lives and you aren't even aware of it. I know that
we are not the source for people, but merely the resource to draw
people to the Savior. I love Him. I love how greatly we can rely on
Him through everything! He is working shoulder to shoulder with us and
the work is so rewarding. And so fun! I remember how scared I used to
be to be bold, to invite people to be baptized, to talk to people, and
I'm still scared sometimes, but God has taken away so much fear. I am
so thankful to be exactly where I am at.
We get to work closely with some other sisters, and it is awesome. I'm
so grateful for them. They go him at the end of this transfer and are
true champions for the Lord. They are so sweet and considerate and
kind as we try to find the balance in working and getting adequate
rest. This mission has the greatest people serving in it! I just love
this so much!
God blessed us to find 7 new investigators since Thursday including
three teenagers, three older black men that gather every afternoon to
talk about Jesus and are searching for more truth.--we had a GREAT
lesson with them. I was surprised at how sincere and receptive they
were.
God also blessed us to have an investigator at Sacrament meeting. We
walked in late as she takes care of her two grandbabies, and we went
to her house early yesterday morning to help her get everything ready,
and she followed us over.



continuing, sorry, today is crazy.
So, the investigator is following us to the church and had to stop and get gas. I would've been mildly concerned about losing trust walking into our first Sunday in the ward late, but we were walking in carrying diaper bags and stuff, and the ward is awesome. We were trying to entertain the little ones during Sacrament meeting as best we could without holding them, but it was a struggle. I was thankful for an answered prayer when the Relief Society President came and offered help so happily. The investigator's name is Byra. We helped her move on Saturday and are going to teach her tomorrow. She is  super nice lady.

It's been kinda funny being sick with Sister Hall. I woke up Saturday feeling loads better than I had the three previous days, and I was oh so happy! My voice, however, was absolutely shot. I sounded awful! Sister Hall is still hesitant to teach, so it's me talking for the majority of it unless I explicitly say something like, "Sister Hall will share..." It's ironic that I feel great and sound like poop, while she looks like a model and feels like poop. My voice is a little better today, and I just have a lingering cough. She is doing a bit better, but still struggling with feeling queasy. We tried biking on Friday and she tossed her cookies half a mile into the ride. She is SUCH a champion! This is the very beginning of her mission and she really wants to just serve.

Okay, I'm going for real this time. The church is true. We've been focusing on the Book of Mormon as a mission, and are reading it together all the way through by December. It is so true! Can't wait to watch it change more people's lives!

Love y'all lots!

Sister Sheffer

P.S. Pray for Sister Hall that we can find out what is causing her health issues.

.
I have the utmost respect for this crazy kid. He was my first zone leader, and then served as my zone leader again when I was in Huntsville. He is stellar and has inspired me greatly as a missionary.

What Sister Hall and I look like tracting a trailer park in Alabaster. Alabama has so many trees, it's crazy.
I was able to extend the time for a few more minutes.



Pray for Sister Hall that we can find out what is causing her health issues.
I have the utmost respect for this crazy kid. He was my first zone leader, and then served as my zone leader again when I was in Huntsville. He is stellar and has inspired me greatly as a missionary.

Last PDay in Leeds. This kid's name is Brandon, he works at Walmart. I talked to him one day and told him he looks like the main character off of Hair. He updates us everytime we seem him about his pursuit of the girl of his dreams. He is working at Walmart to save up money to buy a car so he can take her out. He is seriously in love. It's just like a movie. He finally showed us a picture of her right before we took this. She is a gorgeous barbie doll, but look super nice. Hilarious kid.