Answering Questions - May 8 Email to Mom

Hey mom!

I hadn't responded to all of your questions in this email, so I'll continue with just the last couple that you asked!

Who has written me that surprised me - (I don't remember if I already wrote you about this so sorry) well it's really awesome to get emails from aunts and uncles - Adam and Shaela (?) have written me a couple times, Uncle Blane wrote me a few weeks ago, the Saxtons wrote me a couple weeks ago too, and Grandma Folkman writes me maybe once a month. One email that was awesome to recieve was from a guy named Carson Brown who was in the grade below me in school: I knew him but we weren't like great friends or anything, but he wrote me telling me he was on his mission, and talked about a time when I was a UKnight leader (remember that?) and he was one of the students in the class that I was assigned to. He remembered it being a good experience and anyway, it was cool to hear from him! It's also nice any time I hear from ward members. Sister Talbot wrote me last week asking me to share my testimony for a young women's class she was giving. 

A fun package was my birthday package last year with the little cupcake things and cereal and the letters from the family and socks and the oil holder - it was just a fun package! I haven't really gotten anything from anyone but the family, a couple letters from Kimmy, and wedding invitations from different people haha! 

Traditions - Well, I don't really know what kind of traditions you are looking for... there is definitely a missionary "lingo" which probably changes depending on what language you speak. There are definitely words in Portuguese that, even though they have a translation to English, don't mean the same thing - I'll never have another time in my life where I can speak English and Portuguese together without worrying about people not being able to understand me! Things like "pois" and "fubeca" and "toma" and other things that we don't use. I definitely used to think that missionaries who came back from a foreign speaking mission who "couldn't speak english anymore" were talking a bunch of bologny (?), but I can totally understand what they mean. 

Alright! Well I answered all your questions! They were fun to answer! It made me think of a lot of stuff that I don't normally tell you guys about. :) Thanks!

I will have to leave early today because we changed up our schedule just for today, so just let me know if you get this in the next little while. :) Love you mom!

Love, Elder Valentine!

On Mon, Mar 27, 2017 at 6:23 PM, Spencer Valentine <spencer.valentine@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Yeah playing the piano went well! I definitely have big goals to get a lot better when I get home.

So for groceries - there are like 5 main supermarket chains in Portugal - "Continente", "Pingo Doce," "Mini Preço." "Lidl," and "Jumbo." Lidl and Jumbo are less common but are like the best. I've only ever been in Jumbo once though! And Lidl just a couple times. Continente feels like a Walmart but looks like a Target. If that makes any sense. It's the biggest and therefore has more stuff, normally, but is a little more pricey. Pingo Doce is my favorite; it has the best tasting food of almost everything. Mini Preço is the cheapest but it's for a reason. The food is lower quality and they don't have a lot of options for stuff. There is a Mini Preço right by our house, so we have been using that recently. When I was with Elder Yoder we went to a Continente which was part of a mall by that stadium I talked about and took a bus back home (there is a bus stop right in front of our house that makes it convenient to get back from the stadium, but it isn't worth it to get to the office). I get 160 euros per month to spend on groceries, a haircut, toiletries, stuff like that. This transfer we have been doing super well at buying food together, which makes it cheaper to make food! I probably spend like 20 euros a week on food. We've made so much stuff this transfer - I made Stew and Buscuits, and I made navajo tacos (which were super good, by the way), a spinach chicken pasta bake thing which was actually really yummy, and I made banana pancakes and syrup using the brown sugar syrup recepie you sent me! It was kind of runny but tasted super good. And the other elders have made soups and spaghetti and chili and a couple other things. We actually eat about ZERO meals in the apartment, because it is super inconvenient to stop working in the office, walk home, eat, and walk back. It takes too much time. So we have been making food either the night before or the morning of, and taking it to the office. It's worked out well! We probably eat at a members house like twice a transfer. Not that much. But they are good days when we do! Typical breakfast - lately I've been just having a bowl of cereal (totally not the same. The cereal is pretty bland and the milk doesn't help, but it works!) and yogurt and a fruit, normally a banana. I've also made omelets, and I made pancakes a few times, though not that often because they take long. 

Okay that's question two down! I'll answer more next pday. Love you mom!

On Mon, Mar 27, 2017 at 6:03 PM, Linda Valentine <lindacmemail@gmail.com> wrote:

That's awesome that the organ can play the hymns by itself. Some of the organs here in Utah can do that. Usually the newer ones. Before we moved from Clinton they had put a new organ in our building and it could do that. But ours here in Layton isn't one of those. I'm so proud of you for playing the piano!! 😊 I have the sheet music for that song "I'll Find You My Friend". It is a very old song from the 80's! 😄

On Monday, March 27, 2017, Linda Valentine <lindacmemail@gmail.com> wrote:

I love your description of the chapel! :) I am on so write more if you want! I have the day off today, and so do Anna and Ethan because it was end of term. 😊 It will be nice if you can go to a different place before you come home. But also very much a compliment that Pres. Amorim values you so much that he wants to keep you. It's a hard decision!

On Monday, March 27, 2017, Spencer Valentine <spencer.valentine@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hi mom!

Thanks for answering all of my questions! I liked your answers. They were very descriptive!

The parable of the good samaritan is so symbolic! That's so awesome! I had no idea about that. Have you ever read Jesus the Christ? I think you would really like reading it if you haven't. The book is just very descriptive and makes me think about the Gospel's (the books in the New Testament) so much more profoundly. But I have never heard that parallelism in this parable!

I haven't gotten the package yet. It'll hopefully come in this week! Also, I haven't gotten around to ordering the scriptures - but I gotta do it soon! (oh I forgot to mention about my interview with President Amorim that he basically asked me if I wanted to stay in the office or not - I said I would like to go to a different area, but it's still up in the air. He said that if it was purely his choice, he would keep me in the office until I leave!)

I like that scripture in Esther - I read Esther for the first time a few months ago out of curiosity but I didn't really study it intensely, and thus didn't even remember that scripture. I really like it! I don't know if I mentioned that I'm trying to read the Book of Mormon twice (Portuguese) , The Doctrine and Covenants (Portuguese), and the New Testament (English, because I've never read the whole thing, and the translation is hard to follow in Portuguese), all before July 5th That's the goal! It's going well so far! I started it at the beginning of this year. It's also mostly apart from my personal study hour, because I want to spend that time studying for the day for investigators and stuff. So it's mostly in the morning and at night after we get home.

Church building - the "chapel" that we are in is a renovated house. More like a mansion. It's got 2 floors and a basement, but it's really big! the top floor has like 8 or 9 rooms, the main floor has a big room where we have sacrament meeting and a kitchen and stuff, and the basement has a few more rooms, one for the high council and another for Gospel Principles. It's big enough for the 80ish people that show up weekly, but as the ward grows (which it will!) it won't fit much more than 110 to like 130 people. There is a stake center, which is an actual chapel built by the church, though it's smaller, I think, than most chapel's in Utah! I served there when I was in Porto 2 at the beginning of my mission, and we have zone conferences and other meetings there. It's hard to get to though - it's right on a freeway so walking is a struggle! My building is the Porto 1 ward now. Our building has a piano that I play (oh yeah, I play the piano for sacrament meeting. I can struggle through most of the hymns haha! There was two ward choir numbers for the ward conference yesterday, one was "a child's prayer" (in portuguese, of course. It's called "oração de uma criança") and another called "I'll find you my friend," a song that also has a portuguese translation. You can find it on youtube, I'm sure. I was SO nervous to play either of the songs because I can't practice the piano since that's not my duty and I'm just not super good, but I played both and it wasn't perfect but it was good enough that I felt the spirit there! It was a very real tender mercy that God helped me play as well as I did!) The Stake center has an organ that can play all of the hymns by itself! (do they do that in the chapels in Utah? I think they did it because they knew that there wouldn't be a lot of people who knew how to play the piano) I'll send you a picture of both chapels, if I can find them. Our chapel is basically on the same road as the office, which is super convenient, and it's around the corner from the mission home, also super convenient. It's on the very east of what people still consider Porto - it's up a hill from the big soccer stadium the "estadio do dragão" (dragon stadium) and any farther than the stadium and local people will use other names to describe where they live. There's a big catholic church and a mcDonalds on the street over from the chapel. :) Whenever a meeting house is a renovated home, the church does a really good job at making it look more church-y and put the big black plaque with the church name on it and it looks nice. 

Don't worry - I'll continue this letter in a bit. I just wanted to send it now to let you know that I'm on and if you want me to wait to respond to more questions I can, but I a little extra time today so I will probably be able to write more! love ya!

Love, Elder Valentine!

On Mon, Mar 27, 2017 at 8:32 AM, Linda Valentine <lindacmemail@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Elder Valentine/Spencer/Son,

It seems like I'm always cramped for time when I write you, or it's very late, or something. So even though today is still the day we just heard from you, and you won't get this for a week, I decided to write to you for your next Pday. :)

Did you ever read those talks I sent? Did anything stand out to you? It's ok if you didn't get a chance. I know you're busy!

You asked me some questions I haven't answered yet so I will answer them now. 

Your questions: What is Ryleigh like? And Porter? I don't really know them haha! What is your favorite Bible story and why? (Either old testament or new testament or both) Can you pinpoint a moment when you really knew the church was true? Or that the Restoration was true? 

What is Ryleigh like? Well first of all, it's the strangest thing how genetics work. Each person is unique and individual, mostly because they are a 50/50 blend of two people. But I swear that's not always true, and it's amazing how similar children can be to just one of their parents! So in a nutshell, Ryleigh is just like Amanda! Like it's weird how much she is like her. It's like she was cloned. Ryleigh looks just like Amanda did as a baby, sounds like her, and acts like her. She is so adorable and sweet, but then at the same time she can be really stubborn and has tantrums sometimes, and when she has a tantrum, watch out! She is loud. She is really super friendly and affectionate. She loves attention. She warms up to new people really fast. She has a cute laugh and a big smile! She isn't talking much yet, but she walks around pretending to talk- her babbling is so stinking cute! She HATES baths. We don't know why. And she is afraid of loud noises, and gets very afraid of a lot of things easily. For instance, when Ethan was in the play and he had to wear wolf makeup, she was SO afraid. Like crying so hard she didn't take a breath for a second. She was afraid of the mannequin heads we used for the funny dance we did at the valentine social. (They are just plain white...) Oh, and she's afraid of Ethan's millennium falcon toy. She cries every time he turns it on. Things like that. It's sad and funny at the same time. She also knows who things belong to and she likes to pick things up and give them to the person. She will sometimes go into the mudroom and get shoes and take them to their owners. Or if my purse is on a chair she'll see it and try to bring it to me, sometimes taking things out of it one at a time and bringing them to me. It's cute. We love her. She's a sweet little spirit. 

Porter is the cutest baby boy! He was very attached to his mama for a long time, but now is his daddy's buddy. He was also a really quiet baby, but now that he is almost two his personality is coming out and he talks a little bit and laughs and runs around with Lincoln and is really friendly. He looks just like Kimberly did as a baby/toddler. He's very sweet. His eyes are so big and blue. He just looks up at you with those eyes and has you wrapped around his little finger. He's also very heavy! He is like a brick. He was pretty chubby for a while, but now that he's a toddler he is more normal, but he just is solid and heavy. He knows how to make all the car noises when he plays and he is all boy, but he is sweet and cuddly - he has a stuffed doggie that he has to have to go to sleep.  

My favorite Bible story: I have more than one, but I think if I HAVE to pick a #1 favorite I will have to say It's the story of Esther. She saved her people by relying on Heavenly Father, even though she knew she was risking everything to do it. The part I love the most is the scripture that says:

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

We should never be afraid to do what the Lord asks us to do, because he raises us up to do the work we need to do. It's similar to 1Nephi 3:7  but with an additional layer to it. He puts us where we need to be to do a work and we don't want to mess up Heavenly Fathers plan for us and building up the kingdom by being afraid to speak up or move forward. Whenever we have to do something out of our comfort zone, we should think, "who knoweth whether I have been put here for such a time as this". I love that. I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. We just need to submit to his will in every situation.

Your question: Can you pinpoint a time when you knew the Church was true, or the Restoration?

For me it's hard to pinpoint, because I feel like I was born with a testimony of the Church and the Restoration. But I have also had many experiences when I have felt a witness that has confirmed it over and over again. For example: When I was a Primary age child, I had a picture book about Joseph Smith and the First Vision. I loved to read that book and look at the pictures. I felt drawn to it and felt a really strong spirit when I would read it. I felt the Spirit very strong when I was baptized. Seminary really strengthened my testimony. I took Moroni's challenge while in Seminary and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true, and I received a feeling of peace and joy after praying, and while it was not spectacular or obvious, I couldn't deny that it was the Spirit I was feeling, that my answer was, "you know its true, you have always known it." I feel such peace and warmth and happiness when I am at church, or at home reading scriptures, listening to Conference talks, doing service, paying tithing - I could never doubt of the truthfulness of the gospel. I wish I was like some who have some really specific day or time that they knew, but I guess I haven't needed that because I just know.

Well, Spencer, all of the above was written last Tuesday night. I didn't send it so I'm just going to add on to it now and tell you about the rest of my week. It was overall a busy kind of stressful week for me, but good. The stress was just from so much to do without a break, but you know all about that I'm sure. It was all good though.

The beginning of the week, Lincoln and Porter were staying with us while Kimberly and Kevin went to Las Vegas for a work conference for Kevin. I took care of them Monday through Wednesday, as well as watching Damian and Naomi, so it was a busy three days. Kids can wear you out! 

Wednesday night I went to choir (it was a nice break away from the constant kid tending!) and I did my solo in front of the whole choir and I wasn't even nervous.It went really well. (The concert is this coming week!) When I got home from choir at 10:00pm, Porter was asleep, but Lincoln was still up so I had to try and get him to sleep before I could go to bed. Kimberly and Kevin were getting home at midnight, so the boys slept in our front room so that they could just come in and take the boys without keeping any of us up.

Thursday I worked and then in the evening we went to Anna's violin recital. She's the oldest of Ann's students now! Crazy. You can't believe how much Ann's little girl and boy have grown! They of course play in the recitals too. It will be fun if you can come to the next one.

Friday I made another cake. The 7th cake in 8 weeks! That's a record. I made about $50 profit on this one. It still doesn't work out as a good hourly pay, because it takes a whole day to bake and decorate a cake, but usually I don't get paid at all, so it was nice to get something for a change! I also went visiting teaching Friday and tended Ryleigh a bit. In the evening, Dad and I went to the temple. We saw Elizabeth Tromlitz' mom and dad and talked to them for a few minutes. Sounds like Elizabeth is doing really well on her mission. They asked lots of questions about you and we love to tell how you are doing. Everyone is amazed when they hear that you'll be home in a few short months! That reminds me.....did you know that TODAY (for me tomorrow, today for you as you read this) marks 100 days left for you! Wednesday will be double digits at 99. Wow!!  So anyway, Saturday Anna went to Prom, and Ethan went to see the Lion King broadway show in Salt Lake with Grandma and Grandpa Folkman and cousin Robert. Grandpa took them for their birthdays. Ethan loved it! And Anna was jealous. :) I went with Kimberly to watch the Women's Conference Session at our stake center. It was a good meeting! I took some good notes on each speaker. I loved President Eyring's talk. It made me excited for Conference next weekend!The meeting got over at 7:15, so Dad and I still had time to go out to dinner to Texas Roadhouse. We had to squeeze in a date because I'm not going to see him much over the next couple of weeks. He goes to London next Saturday, and the days before that this week are really busy for him.

Today at church, Laura Cleveland (the sister who Dad knows from work who just moved here and whose husband just passed away three weeks ago) gave the Gospel Doctrine lesson. First of all, not many women who are going through losing their husband would be taking on a calling like that so soon. But she is amazing!! She gave one of the best gospel doctrine lessons I've ever heard. Dad says she loves to read church doctrine books and is super smart. So she knows a lot. She talked about the parable of the Good Samaritan and gave insights that I've never heard before. I have a completely new understanding of that parable now. Usually we think of it in terms of serving others, doing our duty, "being a good samaritan". But it is totally an analogy of the Savior!! It seems so obvious now, but I never got it before. So I would like to share with you what I learned about it from her: 

"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho"  - Jerusalem = Holy City, Jericho = Unholy City, and to get to Jericho from Jerusalem, you had to go lower.

"...and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment..." - the raiment, or clothing represents COVENANTS (think of temple garments) I never knew that!

"...and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead." - half dead = spiritual death

"But a certain Samaritan...came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him..."  - a Samaritan is half Jew and half Gentile. Jew = Holy, Gentile = Unholy. The Samaritan represents the Savior who is half immortal and half mortal! 

"And went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine..." - Oil and wine represent the Savior in that he is the "Anointed One" (oil) and he atoned with his blood, hence the wine. She also explained that Gethsemane means "the place of the olive press" and when olives are pressed, the liquid that comes out of the olives is red before it is refined. So it is even amazingly symbolic that he was literally pressed like an olive when he atoned in Gethsemane and his red blood flowed just like the olives.

"...and brought him to an inn, and took care of him." The inn represents the church! We imperfect and spiritually wounded beings come to church so the Savior can take care of us! (they that are sick need a physician, not they that are whole, as the scripture goes.)

"And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." - The amount of money he had to spend was open-ended, or infinite = the infinite atonement! And He will come again.

Isn't that amazing???? Oh I love it. That parable will never be the same to me again. Yes we need to be good Samaritans to those in need, but it is a symbol of Jesus Christ. Wonderful!!!

I love the gospel, I love my Savior, and I know this Church is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter-Days, restored through the prophet Joseph Smith after a long apostasy, and because of the restoration we have living prophets today! They give us the counsel that we need to navigate through a wicked world, and they know the Savior and speak for him! It's so wonderful!

Have you received your package yet? Have you ordered your scriptures yet?

Here's some questions for you:

What is the church building like? How does it compare to size with ours in Utah - how many rooms, do they have an organ in the chapel, or just a piano or even just a keyboard? What does it look like from the outside? Where in town is it located?

Where do you buy your groceries? How much do you spend on groceries in a month? How many meals do you eat in your apartment and how many do you eat out or at members homes? What is your typical breakfast?

What is your new apartment like? Nice? Run down? larger or smaller than the last one? Do you have laundry machines in your apartment? What floor is it on? How's the view? What furniture do you have? what are your neighbors like?

Describe a typical Pday. List what you do usually, in what order, and what times.

Are there any items you brought with you from home that you never use? Have you bought any souvenirs? Have you given/thrown away anything that you brought with you?

Who has written to you that surprises you, who do you hear from the most (besides me and Dad), what has been your favorite letter and/or package that you have received on your mission?

What traditions do missionaries have that everyone does?

If you can't answer all of those right now, it's ok. It will give you some things to write about over the next few times. :)

Ok, it's late! I gotta go sleep. Can't wait to talk to you tomorrow! Love you tons!

Love, Mom