September 15 Letter--The Last Sprint!

Hello Family!



Ready... set... go! I am back in Zhunan with a new companion. Her name is Sister
Price. She is from Utah and she seems really nice. She has two younger sisters.
One is getting married in December. I think she is up for working hard and she
seems really sweet. I am excited. And ready to get things going. This last week
has been slow with my new short term and the typhoon... it just made a bad
combination. There were lots of tears on my short terms part. She didn't really
understand that the work doesn't stop for anything... not even a typhoon. So it
was just hard to keep her going. And it is hard when you yourself are struggling
and soaking wet and you just kinda need someone there who gets it and knows this
may not be fun, but it is what we do! So I am just excited for this next move
call and hope to make it the best one yet! So pray for me!


Wow, Ali's birthday party looks like fun. I cannot believe she is 8! That is
crazy! She is going to be getting baptized. How fun is that. And Amos is almost
one... man oh man! Time has gone by so fast. Thanks for all the pictures. Amos
eating apples was pretty cute. And weird to see Carrie so big and brave jumping
off the diving board all by herself! Not quite the same little girl. She is
getting old. Aren't we all though?


I think I am getting to be the oldest. I am almost a returned sister missionary.
I remember thinking they were so OLD! And now I am almost one... blah! Ha ha...
maybe I can just be a sister missionary forever. I don't think President Hoer
will let me stay...


Zhunan is good. I love my new members here. They really make everything all
worth it to me. We didn't have church on Sunday because of the typhoon. A couple
new members called and made sure we were ok. You would think it would be the
opposite way around... but nope! They really help me a lot. Seeing their change
and lights turning on is such an amazing experience. Everytime I begin to wonder
why am I riding my bike in the pouring rain with the wind blowing me backwards
or such I just think of a new member and it gives me that extra burst I need.
There really is a joy in missionary work that is hard to explain. Really being
able to see people making such big changes for the better is a humbling
experience. And really makes me want to change more. Sometimes I feel like I am
not keeping up with them, but then I remember everyone's time and change is
different. And that gives me comfort. I've learned to not get discouraged and
focus on myself more and then the changes can come.


I am really working on being nicer. I have been working on it my whole entire
mission and I think I am finally beginning to make some progress. Heavenly
Father's patience with me is amazing. I feel like I keep making the same
mistakes and He keeps forgiving me and keeps helping me. It is neat to see how
much He wants me to change. I have felt His love for me and really felt His
desire for me to be better. So pretty much, I hope you all can have the same
experience and can keep progressing and becoming better and better... just don't
get to far ahead of me... I am a little bit slower. And well we have a rule on
the mission we have to be in hearing/seeing distance. So make sure I am still
there. The other day I was talking to a member and she was telling me that
people who need to change the most go on missions because on a mission we learn
and change in a year and a half what it would take us to change 10 years in
life. So I guess she was trying to tell me I need to keep going! He he!


One thing I know has changed on my mission is my testimony. I want you all to
know that I KNOW Jesus is the Christ. I know He knows us. He knows what were are
going through and He knows how to help us the best that anyone could. I feel so
humbled to have felt Him by my side more than once on my mission telling me to
keep going and not to give up. He wants us to succeed more than anything. But He
knows for the success to be the most it can be there will still need to be
trials and hardships. And I know that these trials and hardships can be overcome
because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If we rely on the Lord and let Him
lead us He will! One of my favorite words in Chinese is yi ding (definitely) and
one of my least favorite words is bu yi ding (uncertain.) I want you to know
Jesus Christ yi ding knows who you are and knows what you need. We just need to
get on the same page. It isn't a matter of Him turning to our page as it is a
matter of us turning to His page. So start turning... =>! I love this Gospel. I
know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. That he literally saw God the Father
and His son, Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. And can
give us all the answers we need in life. One of my favorite footnotes I have
come across on my mission is 2 Nephi 32:3 footnote d. It is talking about the
words of Christ can tell us all things what we should do. The footnote for tell
is problem solving. So right there in the scriptures we learn when ever there is
problem solving to be done we need to turn to the words of Christ (the
scriptures.) So once again start turning... =>!


Well, I am sorry this e-mail has been so here and there and everywhere. I hope
whoever needed whatever got it out of this e-mail!


I love you all and miss you! Keep going hard!

I love the church!

Sister Shaver