The Field is White: Monday, P-day! Is everybody happy? Well I should say!

Snow in Valdez

Hey family!

First off, shout out to the nerd squad- Breanna and Bryce! Sounds like you both just killed it at the Math Competition! I'm a proud big sister! 1st place for Bryce, and Breanna getting 3rd, AND placing above all the high school freshman! Ya'll are geniuses. :) It sounds like Manti High School just must have the best math teachers. ;)

Some how I guess I made it sound like I was training, I'm actually not. Haha. Sister Dotson was in Valdez previously so I'm just joining her here. :) And things are going really well! Valdez is beautiful! It reminds me so much of Manti it almost freaks me out.. even the city code is 835... yeah. Trippy! I would say it feels more like a small town than Manti though. There are a lot of people that live a few miles out of town, but for the people that live in town geographically it seems much smaller than Manti! Valdez is also known to be the snow capitol for the world-i.e. there is a lot of snow! It's April and the snow is still taller than me in some places. It hasn't been too cold though! Definitely not as cold as Fairbanks, and at times even warmer than Anchorage!

We flew to Valdez in a tiny plane.. it was a 21 passenger plane but there were only 12 people on board.. including the pilot and co-pilot!

We volunteer here a lot like we did in Sitka. It's been a really good way for people in the community to recognize us and realize we're just ordinary people with an extraordinary message. :) We volunteered this week at the city museum and food bank. Everyone has been so nice, I've been really impressed!!! There are a lot of churches here for being such a small town, but we are known as having the largest congregation so that's kind of fun!

Since the missionaries that are going home next transfer won't have a Zone Conference they're all coming to Valdez next month with President and Sister Beesley and putting on a fireside with us and volunteering in the community! It should be really neat! I'm a little intimidated since they'll be all coming into our area and we're in charge of finding things to keep them busy...but I know it will be good, and the ward council is all brainstorming on things for them to do!

Transfers were this week as you know! It's always sad and hard to see friend go, there were a couple elders in particular that I was sad left, Elder Hancock that served with me in Fairbanks, and Elder Van Bibber that was the one that chopped off his finger! After transfer meeting we got the opportunity to help clean the temple which was really neat. We cleaned the light fixtures in the sealing room and it was pretty neat. It's amazing all the details they go into maintaining the temple!

Tuesday night after transfer meeting we always have Sister Training. Sister Bullen and I helped plan and orchestrate everything, and since it was on a April Fools we joked about following up from the previous sisters training on modesty. A lot of the sisters weren't thrilled to be talking about modesty so to lighten the mood we wrote a song, I though you might would get a kick out of the lyrics:

One More Toss

What am I doing with my clothes? Am I wearing them, or tossing them, or sending them home?

Clothes can weather rain or snow, but when they get to tight, you've gotta let them go!

Why did I gain so much weight? These clothes are all I had at first, but now it's too late.

Maybe I'll try some self control, watch me if I don't! I'll eat another roll!

Oh.. I will change my clothes and cry, let myself, slowly die!

Soon these shirts will be far away and my closet will be so bare..

but at least I'll still have my hair!

What have I learned from Sister Beesley?

Obedience can be so tough, but nothing will beat the Savior's love!

The sisters closet gives one more chance, to slowly change my wardrobe and have a testimony at last!

Oh.. I will change my clothes and cry, let myself, slowly die!

Soon these skirts will be far away and my closet will be so bare..

but at least I'll still have my hair!

Sister Beesley have pity on me, these clothes are all I have, I can't change that quickly!

Soon my pride will be far away and my closet will be so bare.. but at least I'll still have my hair.. and maybe my companion will share

What am I doing with my clothes? Am I wearing them, or tossing them, or sending them home

The sisters seemed to love it.. lots of laughing. :)

I loved General Conference! We were the only ones that were at the church for the four general sessions... haha I think Elder Bednar's talk was my favorite. It's easy to get discouraged when our load seems too heavy but I know each challenge can be for our good if we humble ourselves (Ether 12:27)- always a good reminder!

I love you all so much,

Sister Hedelius