Letter 9 Mesa, AZ December 26 2016

Hi everyone!

I hope you had an amazing Christmas! I always have loved Christmas time, because it seems like everyone is more open, more loving and happier. It was so awesome to be able to Skype my family yesterday! They are so amazing, and I love them. 

This week was an amazing one! Sister Irizarry and I were able to be tools repeatedly in the Hands of the Lord this week. There was a woman whose car died in the middle of the highway the other day. Sister Irizarry looked at me and said, "Let's go help her!" I was shocked because we were on a busy highway! She pulled the car over, and we jumped out. We ran into the street and asked her if we could push her car. She almost cried and told us we could try. Together, Sister Irizarry and I pushed a car down the highway... 2 girls in skirts, and one recovering from a broken elbow haha! I don't know how, but we were able to push the car by ourselves... but really, we know that angels were helping us the whole way. I am so thankful Sister Irizarry felt impressed to help her! I hope we were able to help her feel of God's love that day! 

We have a family we are teaching. They are the sweetest people on earth, and have been through so much. The mom expressed to us that Christmas was going to be really hard this year money wise. Sister Irizarry and I felt very strongly that the Lord needed us to help her. We talked to our Bishop, and he felt so as well! We went to the Bishop's Storehouse on Christmas Eve morning, and got everything she would need. We delivered the groceries to her that night as a Christmas gift. She was so thankful, and her heart was full of the Light of Christ. After we left, Sister Irizarry and I agreed that this has been the best Christmas ever, simply because we have never been able to give so much - give groceries, give our time, but most importantly give of ourselves. 

This time I am spending out here in Arizona is truly for the Lord. I want to be able to help as many people as I can for the rest of the 14 months I am here. I love the Lord, and I love sharing this beautiful Gospel. The Gospel is simple. The Gospel is love and service. 

I am so thankful for Christmas, and for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Let us not forget why He was born. He was born to redeem us all, and to help us back to Father. Remember Him always. He is the reason for the season. 

As you give of yourself, the Lord will bless you. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone! Stay warm!

-Hermana Abigail Valenta

Mi familia  

We live with a member here in Mesa, and she has a dog named Sugar! 

This was Sugar's Christmas present!!

It's a Christmas miracle!! Sugar doesn't let anyone hold her expect for

 her owner... but, she let me hold her yesterday!

Sister Irizarry and I got some cool Christmas socks!

We went to the Christmas Lights with some investigators and friends!

 Bishop snapped this picture during our lesson with them outside!

Letter 8 Mesa, AZ December 19, 2016

Hello Mother!

I am so glad you guys are finally on Christmas Break! I bet it's nice to finally relax a bit!

I am so sad to hear that Annah and the whole family was sick! That's so weird, because I had the stomach flu 2 weeks ago too! We're all weirdly connected!

Yeah, I totally met Sister Shumway's mom at our Christmas conference as a mission! She introduced herself because she helped make the food. She told us she had a daughter serving in Louisville KY. I ran up to her after the dinner we had, and she freaked out!

So the rules for Christmas Skype are pretty simple. 40 minutes, whenever time you want. Sister Irizarry and I were thinking 2:00 your time, so 12:00 here. Is that okay?

I hope all is going well!

LOVE you all!

Abigail with the mother of a sister missionary (Sister Shumway)

that was serving in our ward and Abigail knew when was home! 

Abigail with her companion, Hermana Irizzary, in front of the Gilbert Temple

Arizona Tempe Mission

A close up of the mission picture to actually see Abigail!

Questions from Mom

Did you open the package with the stockings for your companions in Gila Bend we sent to the mission home?

I saw Sister Chavez and Sister Edmondson at our Christmas conference, so I gave them their Christmas stockings! They loved them! But don't worry, I didn't look in mine haha

How was your Christmas gathering at the mission home?

It was amazing! We got to go to the Mesa Temple for a session at 7 am! It was so awesome! We met as a Mission at the Gilbert Temple and took a picture! We had a dinner, and then each zone performed a skit! My zone won the skit contest! We sang the that missionary version of Adele's song Hello! It was so fun!

How is PT going?

Its great! I can almost extend my arm all the way! It still hurts pretty bad, but it's definitely progressing! 

How was your ward Christmas party where you met Sister Shumway’s mom? 

That was actually at the Mission a Christmas Conference! It was so much fun!

What was the best experience of your week?

We walked around a trailer park for about an hour just simply talking to everyone we saw! We were able to set several return appointments and get several people interested in the Gospel! Also, because the Mesa Christmas lights are so close to us, we get referrals all the time from there! So we were able to contacts several referral families this week! 

Letter 7 Mesa, AZ December 12, 2016

Hi everyone! This week has been a crazy one!

Transfers were this past week, and I got transferred to................... MESA! 

I absolutely love it here! I get to speak Spanish 24/7, and I see myself improving every single day! 

MIRACLE ----- so, last week I got a little envelope from my Zone Leaders. They said it was at the mission office waiting for me. There was no return address on it, just my name. I opened it, and someone sent me necklaces and earrings because I didn't have any! I don't know who it was, but I am so so so grateful. ALSO, another miracle. On Saturday, we were doing language study. Because I was in a new apartment, I hadn't unpacked like anything! So, I ran into my room to get my Spanish scriptures. I opened my suitcase, and sitting right on top of my stuff, is a little black bag. Sound familiar? I grabbed the bag, and looked inside. It was the bag of jewelry that I lost back in the MTC! I thought I was going crazy!! (Ahhh, she will now have LOTS of jewelry since we got her things for Christmas to replace wwhat we thought was lost! I had also bought a replacement for her jewelry bag but that can now be returned!) I had torn my suitcases apart looking for this little bag on several occasions! I have no idea how it ended up right inside my suitcase... there are definitely angels helping me, even with little things like this! I looked inside and actually teared up because I once again had all the memories that came with each piece of jewelry, like my YW medallion, beautiful necklaces my sister gave me, and a CTR ring from my parents. I am so thankful for little miracles!!

This is my new companion Hermana Irizarry! I love her!!! 

I love you all! 

Hermana Valenta

This is part of the letter she wrote to us....

Mother,

I got transferred to Mesa! My new companion is Sister Irizzary! (Pronounced Ear-e-zary). She so awesome, and actually was my previous companions (Sister a Chavez)'s companion in the MTC! She is from Orem, Utah! She is awesome!

We actually were in an apartment with 2 other sisters, but today we had to move in with a member! She is sooooo nice! I am not sure what her address is yet...

I started PT this past week... they are really great! They said I am wayyyyyy behind on my regaining the movement in my arm, wrist and hand. I meet with them every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday... for the next 6 weeks! 

For some reason she didn't answer my questions this week... :(  

Letter 6 Gila Bend, AZ December 5, 2016

Hi everyone!

This week has been insane, and I have loved every minute of it!

My testimony has really been strengthened this week. A few days ago, we received a referral for a woman in Ajo. We met with her on Thursday, and turns out that she is Muslim! It was so interesting to listen to her and learn more about her religion. We shortly found out that we were not there to give a lesson, we were there for her to give us the first lessons in the Muslim religion! She gave us pamphlets, and tried committing us to read the Quran after our missions! It was quite crazy haha! She talked about how she does not believe in the Atonement. I was shocked and didn't really know how to respond. After the lesson was over, I kept thinking about why the Atonement is important.

That weekend, we went to Stake Conference, where we met 2 members of the 70! All of the talks at the conference were about the Atonement!

In that moment, I realized why the Atonement is so important. The Atonement is what changed everything! We have the ability to change our ways, and come back to Him. "The Atonement wipes away every tear, heals every wound, and cures every disease." (A quote from Stake Conference). I am so thankful for my Savior, and all He has done for me, is doing for me, and will do for me.

I am so excited for what the Lord has in store for me next! No matter what comes, I know the Lord is carrying me on His shoulders.

Have an amazing week!

Hermana Abigail Valenta 💕🙃

One of my FAVORITE families ever! This is the Geottl Family! (Pronounced like gettel). Brother Geottl is our branch mission leader for Gila Bend! He and his family live in Maricopa, but have been called as a missionary family to the Gila Bend Branch! They're amazing! (He is the head engineer at the Mesa Temple, and is in charge of the Christmas lights!)

Abigail with some of the Geotll children

Ivan at Stake Conference! He got to meet Elder Cornish (of the 70)! He just recently spoke at General Conference! He's amazing! He knows Spanish as well because he served in Guatemala! Ivan was SO SO excited!

For Stake Conference this past weekend, we spent the night in Maricopa instead of driving around everywhere! We stayed with the Patriarch and his wife! He is such a wise man, and gave us amazing advice!

We handed out hot chocolate during the Gila Bend Christmas parade!

Sister Edmondson and I right before the Christmas Parade.

One of my FAVORITE families, the Harwood Family! 

Brother Harwood is our ward mission leader in Ajo! We watched the Christmas Devotional with them! The kids are constantly begging to have us over every single night haha! Sister Harwood is the RS President in Ajo! They are a powerhouse family, that is for sure!

 

Us with Ruth! She lives in Ajo, and has been like a 

best friend/aunt to us! She's incredible!

I am including part of the letter she sent to us as she gave more insight into her time as a missionary and the mention of her possibly facing her first transfer. 

Hi Mom!

This week has been crazy! We have had Meeting after meeting, in Maricopa like every day haha¡ crazy stuff. In my interview with President, he told me he might transfer me... 😔 I am probably going to be starting PT sometime soon, and there aren't any trustworthy PT places around Gila Bend or Maricopa. So then we would be wasting miles to drive to another city every week, so they'll probably transfer me on Wednesday. We will find out on Tuesday night!

We were eating with a recent Spanish convert named Ivan! we eat with him every Tuesday and Wednesday and Tuesday night.

I am so glad you invited the missionaries over! That is one thing I will do consistently when I am older. It really helps missionaries to go to a good family who loves you and just distress from the day for a second. I'm glad you took a picture with them as well! I bet their moms loved it!

I did get to watch the devotional! It was soooooo good, and I loved President Eyring's talk too!

We had a Stake Confernece in Maricopa Saturday and Sunday night, where the Stake presidency was released. We were very, very close with the Stake President and his first counselor. The Stake president actually lives in Ajo, and we always stop and say hi to their family. He even comes out teaching with us as well! He is amazing! He is the one that we always go to his house to grab ice cream too haha!

I have a lot of pictures this week! We took a lot of pictures because I might be transferred 😔

Questions from Mom

Did you get to see the First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Sunday evening?

Yeah, I did! It was so enlightening, and taught me so much about the Atonement!

What kind of a week did you have?

It was a crazy one! We have had meetings and interviews all week because transfers are coming up this Wednesday!

How is your arm doing? Any news on when you might start PT?

I can bend it a lot more now! The problem is that I am clumsy, and run my elbow into a lot of things like walls haha. Not for sure yet, but I sure hope it starts soon!

Are you teaching any investigators that you feel might be baptized?

We have 4 on date right now who will be baptized this month and next! They're all Spanish except for one!

I wondered how far away from the chapel area you? Is it in Gila Bend or in Ajo?

We are about 20 seconds away from the chapel in Gila Bend.

Is it weird getting ready for Christmas in Arizona where there is no snow and it’s relatively warm? :D

It is SO freezing here!! I had to buy a winter coat today! I sure am going to freeze and die in Rexburg, Idaho in 2018!

What are you studying in your personal studies each morning?

We study things that our investigators need! So it changes every day! But right now, our President has challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by Christmas and mark all references to the Savior! So I work on that as well!

What has been the best thing about the past week?

I have seen the power of the Priesthood over and over. My testimony has definitely strengthened about the Priesthood!

Letter 5 Gila Bend, AZ November 28, 2016

Hi everyone!!

Happy late Thanksgiving! This week has been a crazy one! 

This past week, I FINALLY got my cast off! I actually lost all motion in my right arm. It hurts a decent amount, but that will subside soon. Because the ligaments in my arm won't allow it to move, the doctor gave me a fancy brace thing. It is to help me regain movement slowly but surely. My companions say I look like a robot haha! But it definitely draws more attention from people on the street, and they stop and ask what happened. Then, we're able to slip the Gospel in the conversation haha!

We had an amazing Thanksgiving! We had 2 different Thanksgiving meals, and they were so good! But now we're so excited for CHRISTMAS!  Check out Mormon.org to watch the new Christmas video the church put out!! 

The other day, we went to a member's house for dinner. She had 7 cats, 2 dogs, and a partridge (or a parrot) in a pear tree... it was so fun!!  

Cant wait to see the new adventures that lie ahead of me!

Abigail finally gets her cast off! YAY!
(I would say that is a bit of a nervous smile!)

Traded her cast for a robotic arm!

Abigail and a feathered friend!
(Is that the same nervous smile?) :)

Hermanas Edmondson and Valenta

Teaching kids 

Thanksgiving Day in Ajo, Arizona

(This is a picture that was sent to us -- thank you to whoever did that!)

Questions From Mom

How was it getting your cast off? :) Is your arm weak from being in a cast for so long?

It was seriously the scariest experience ever! The doctor had a little saw, and it was terrifying watching him cut sooooooo close to my skin! I only had one cut from the saw, so está bien! I have lost motion in my arm... so now I have my new weird robot arm!

What did the doctor have to say about your arm?

He said it would take about 2 months to get the complete motion in my arm back!!

What is your PT schedule and where do you go for it?

I don't have my schedule yet! We will have to drive up to Maricopa for it though!

What did you do for Thanksgiving? We got a picture of you and your companions that I think might have been taken on Thanksgiving Day! :) 

We drove down to Ajo for Thanksgiving! We had a Thanksgiving lunch, and then a Thanksgiving dinner. They were both so good! I am glad you got the picture! A member sent that right before the Thanksgiving dinner started! 

Did you get some pumpkin pie? :)

Yes!!! But pumpkin pie in Arizona will never be as good as good as the pumpkin pie my Mom makes!

I am stuck in the past thinking about your brother’s missions and how they had to go to a library to use a computer to send email. You have an iPad so do you have to go anywhere to have access to WiFi?

We don't have wifi in our apartment, so we have to drive to the church building to access internet. 

Do you have to write your mission president every week? What do you write about?

Yeah! We just update him on our area, our companionship, and how we are doing personally! I love President Christensen. He's awesome!

When you post to your Facebook page, do you see the responses people give? Are you allowed to answer then back or not?

I have to unfollow everyone that I am friends with. So I don't see what others post on their own timelines. I see the things people comment on my posts, but I am not allow to respond back unless it is for proselyting purposes.

How often do you post to FB?

Usually about 1-2 every week maybe? We usually don't have a lot of time to sit down and type something out to post though :(

Will you get to have a Christmas tree in your apartment? 

We will have to buy a little baby tree! But transfers happen on Dec 7th, so we don't know if we'll all still be together for Christmas or not :(

Should I send some peanut butter, taco shells, nutella….anything like that in your Christmas box? :)

ALL OF THE ABOVE. AND SNICKERS

What are you most thankful for this week?

The church just put out their new Christmas video initiative! We have been able to show it to everyone we see. We have had so much success with the video, and people are inviting us to come back to meet with them again! I love the spirit of Christmas!

Check out the video on Mormon.org and use the hashtag #lighttheworld 

Letter 4 Gila Bend, AZ November 21, 2016

Hey everyone!

I don't have much time to write today! But I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve a mission! I am truly learning more about the love of our Heavenly Father más y más cada día. I am thankful for all of you!

I get my cast off tomorrow!!!!

2 Nephi 4:20

"My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."

 Set up a lady's tree for her

This is a picture from exchanges! I love them so much!

      Sister Edmondson, Sister Chavez, me, Sister Cloward, and Sister Julian 

More food pictures

Abigail didn't say what this was but it looks like a 

coyote just walking down the road! 

Questions from Mom

Cast off tomorrow? :D :D :D

Yes, FINALLY! 

Do you know if they are going to transfer you closer to a place that you can do PT? You mentioned Casa Grande being where you had to go but that is quite a distance to travel.  Do you get more miles than the average missionaries since you are so far away from things?

They actually don't think they're going to transfer me... they said I would just have to make a trip to Tempe (2 hours away) every week :(  We get more miles than the rest of the mission because we're so far away.. we get 3,000, but we would don't get more to go to Tempe, so we just have to use them wisely

When do transfers happen?

The transfer started Oct 26th, and it goes for 6 weeks! But training takes 12 weeks, so I'll probably be here in Gila Bend and Ajo for another 8ish weeks

Don’t tell your companions but we’d like to put a little something in your box for them for Christmas. Any ideas? Favorite candy? Favorite anything else?

They both LOVE Reese Cups! I'll find some more things they like this week!

Is the person that you challenged to baptism still on track for an upcoming date? :)

She actually has unofficially dropped us. Each time we come up to her house, she sees us, grabs her grandson, throws out her cigarette, runs inside, and slams the door. Then she pretends she isn't home even though she knows we saw her... but it's fine haha

What the best thing about your area?

The stake president lives in Ajo, and he is a transporter for a huge ice cream business. He has dozens and dozens of ice cream pints in freezers outside his house that he saves for us! So on Saturdays (our final day in Ajo during the week), we go grab a bunch of ice cream!

I was thinking about how small your branch is and it reminded me that you have had an experience with a small branch when we were called to attend Monticello for 14 months when it was an hour and 45 minutes one way to get there!

I told my companions about that, and they were in shock! Hey are both from big parts of Utah, and have never heard of branches before they came to the field!

What was the best experience of your week?

I got to go on exchanges with another Hermana to Casa Grande which is an only Spanish area! I spoke in Spanish the whole day! It was really scary, but I loved it so much!

Tell us 2 awesome things about each of your companions, Sister Edmondson and Sister Chavez!

 Sister Chavez- she is so cute and sweet! She started training me the day after her training ended! She is a natural born leader! 

Sister Edmondson- she is so funny! She has a huge love for the people and just wants to serve! She hit her year mark about 2 weeks ago! 

Letter 3 Gila Bend, AZ November 14, 2016

Mother!

It is great to read your email. I appreciate them more than you know.

I am glad you got that picture! I looked pretty rough in it, but está bien. The lady who sent it is in the ward in Ajo! She is super sweet, and has her own daughter on a mission in Florida.

This week has been a game changer, for sure. 

Adjusting to missionary life is a pretty hard thing, and I was definitely feeling the effects of it. I was feeling pretty discouraged, and feeling like maybe I had made a mistake coming out here. But then, we had a member of the 70 come and speak to our mission on Friday. His name is Elder Pearson (he actually spoke in General Conference a few sessions ago! His talk is called Stay by the Tree... you should definitely listen to it!) (I remember this talk that was given in October 2015 General Conference!)

Elder Pearson's training on Friday was tailored completely to me, it was crazy! He explained that the first month is always the hardest, but don't take that one month and multiply it by 18. He promised that this will be the best 18 months/2 years of our lives, IF we let it. The Lord wants to bless us so much, but sometimes we get in the way of that. 

During a break in the training, the AP (assistant to the mission president) came up to me and gave me a slip of paper. The paper said that Elder Pearson wanted to have a one-on-one personal interview with me. I was 1 of 4 missionaries to be chosen from the whole mission. 

In my personal interview, Elder Pearson and I connected on a personal level. We cried together, and he gave me some beautiful advice that I will forever hold near to my heart. He reiterated some of the points from the training. He told me that he knows that the reason he came here to the Tempe AZ Mission to speak was because he needed to meet me. He said I reminded him of his daughter, and that all he advice he gave to me was the advice he would give his own daughter. (yes, my heart was melting and my eyes were leaking!)

At the end, he said that he felt impressed that I am very close with my dad, and he said that if my dad were there, he would give me a hug. So, he gave me a long hug, and kissed me on the top of my head, and promised that everything would be okay, and the Lord is watching over me. It was an experience I will never forget.

We met a lady yesterday, and I taught her the Restoration, and extended the invitation to be baptized, and she ACCEPTED! She even cried!! She is the first person who has accepted the invitation right off the bat! I cant wait to see how she progresses!

Thank you for all of the prayers. They are definitely felt.

I love you all!

Hermana Valenta 

 We were on exchanges with the Sister training leaders!

This is this weird soup we ate. It is cow soup..... it had cow pieces in it, and chunks of bone the size of my fist! It was... interesting haha!

Questions From Mom

Any news on when you get your cast off and do physical therapy?

I go to the doctor on Nov. 22nd, in a town called Casa Grande and hopefully I'll get it off that day!! And then I have to drive an hour to Casa Grande for physical therapy probably once a week!

Do you have some place that you can go to replace your stolen skirt and your jewelry? That is sooo lousy to have your things stolen. :(

 We have to drive an hour to a Walmart, but that's about it haha.. but I'll look and see if they have anything there

What do you typically do on your P-Days?

 We play sports with our zone and district! Last week, we went bowling haha! Try doing that left handed!!

Do you have a lot of members inviting you to dinner through the week?

Más o menos (more or less)... we have about 3 nights each week where we have members signed up to feed us

Are you cooking anything fantastic on your mission? :) Are you cooking at all? :)

Noooope... we don't have any time to cook anything, and all the food we have is food that members made for us, and drop off to us!

This week I was most blessed by…………… 

The training by Elder Pearson!

Letter 2 Gila Bend, AZ November 7, 2016

Abigail sent a letter for the blog.... :)

Hey everyone! 

This week has been pretty packed! We had a double baptism on Saturday! Mardes and Robert are mother and son, and they couldn't be happier after their baptism! I loved teaching them along this journey of theirs! 

This week has had a lot of ups and downs. I think I am finally starting to adjust to missionary life. A mission is definitely hard, but when you're focused on helping the lives of others, it becomes so fun! Gila Bend and Ajo are my areas right now! They're both itty bitty little towns, but I love it here! My Spanish isn't exactly great, but I'm improving each day! 

My testimony of the Gospel has grown so much in these 2 short months. Families are so important to our Heavenly Father's Plan! I know that as we are part of our own families, we are also part of our Heavenly Father's Family as well. He loves you individually, and knows you by name. We are given trials and challenges to become strengthened, and to demonstrate our faith in Jesus Christ. His Atonement is real. I love this Gospel so much!

I love the scripture in 2 Nephi 4:20. 
"My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."

I know He has preserved me upon the waters of the great deeps in my life, and He will preserve you as well.

I love you all! Until next week!

Hermana Valenta



Questions from Mom

Last week you gave an address of where you are in Gila Bend but there was a street address AND a P.O. box…which one do we use?

You just put down that entire address, and it'll get to me just fine

What is your daily routine (time you get up, when do you tract?)

We get up at 6:30, exercise for 30 minutes, and we get ready until 8, and then we study from 8-11 or 12. Then, we drive to Ajo on Thur-Saturday for an hour, and then proselyte until we have to be home at 9!

Do you speak a combination of English and Spanish during your day? Which do you use more?

A combination of both, but a little bit more English than Spanish right now

How big is the ward or branch there in Gila Bend?

In the Gila Bend Branch, there are about 20 on a good day. But half of them are from Maricopa because Gila Bend is so small that they call members to be in the branch instead of their normal wards. (This is what we did as a family for over a year and a half! We traveled an hour and 45 minutes away each Sunday to attend a small branch. I am sure it reminds Abigail of the days that we did that very thing!) 

What is the weather like, still hot or cooling off?

It is pretty warm to me, because Mexico was so cold!! But everyone here is already wearing jackets and complaining about the cold haha

Will you send us more pictures? :)

Yes

What was your most memorable experience from this past week?  

We had a double baptism on Saturday!!!

I am beginning to think about Christmas….anything you can think of that you’d like?

I love Christmas!! Maybe some clothes haha... so funny story.... a skirt and all of my jewelry was stolen from my bag in Mexico I think.... my room in the MTC was completely empty when we left, we had everyone make sure. And I remember putting that white flowy skirt (NO! Not THAT skirt! UGH!) AND distinctly my foldable bag of jewelry in my suitcase. And now, they aren't there.... I am really sad... the mission president's wife has been searching for them everywhere in her house where I stayed the first night, and the car where our luggage was, but it's not there ☹️

Do I ask too many questions? :)

Never