The "Surprise" Email - Elder Valentine Temporary Reassignment to California

On Friday, August 28, Elder Valentine sent us the following email that announced a big change for our young missionary!

Hi family! 

So, I got reassigned to Santa Rosa California because my visa has apparently not gone through yet. I got the reassignment at lunch today and was told to email my family. I also got an email that I will forward to mom and dad that says to not call or try to see where the visa is, because it can actually slow down the process.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little dissapointed right as I found out about the reassignment. I've been waiting for six months to go to Portugal, and it was a little hard to find out that I am going to California. But I'm doing the Lord's work. My reassignment was also made by an apostle through the power of God. My testimony and ability to teach will serve the people well in Santa Rosa!

I am leaving on Tuesday still, but I leave at 9:50 instead of 8:00. I will probably only get to call home before I leave the airport in Salt Lake, so unfortunately I won't be able to call multiple times in other airports. But I might be able to call when I go to Portugal later, so that could be awesome to call more than once! I don't know how the calling works yet; I could call anywhere from like 5 AM to 8:30 or something. That's all, I guess! I know that Santa Rosa is where the Lord needs me. I am ready to teach and be an effective servant of the Lord wherever I am called. And, I'm not gonna lie, it might be kind of nice to be able to speak English for a little while! If you have any questions or whatever, I might be able to hop back on later, but I'm not sure if they just wanted me to let you know or be able to respond to the surprise or whatever. Anyway, I love you SOOO much! The gospel is true! Tchau, or goodbye, I suppose, for now!

Love,

Elder Valentine!

Photos from the MTC!

Here's a few awesome photos that Elder Valentine sent us this week! I like the MTC gang sign!! Our Elder--Zone Leader--missionary son is looking good! All the MTC food hasn't been too bad for him!

Elder Valentine and his companion, Elder Meza

One of Spencer's friends from High School, Elder Spedding

Missionaries in the District

From left to right: Elders Ploeger, Lewis, Meza, and Smart

The Whole District!

Elder Valentine Week 5 Family Letter

One of our last -- if not THE last -- message from Elder Valentine from the MTC!!

Oi minha familia! 

Hi family! It's so good to be able to write again! Unfortunately, I don't know if I have a lot to write about this week. Everything happens too fast! 

Although, one thing that I thought about a lot was the spirit I felt in that devotional last Tuesday. It was seriously the most amazing thing ever. I was so anxious and excited and ready to just go preach! I loved it! One of the things that I thought about while it was happening was that you guys should invite the Powells over for a family home evening lesson soon. I don't know how that popped into my head - lie. It was the spirit. I don't know why, but I had a really strong impression that you should do that. So, uh, do it! Tell me how it goes! 

I'm very glad that everything is going well at home! and that Anna can drive the van! And that Dad threw his back out! Oh wait. My bad. That stinks! Get better! I pray for you guys all the time! I hope that you can feel the blessings that come from the service of a missionary!

Dad, I would love it if you could send me some of your thoughts/scriptures/whatever about the Atonement. It's a big topic, but I feel like that's something that I want to be able to teach a lot better and would help me a ton. Or baptism if you can! Get better, home slice! 

Mom! do you remember that green jacket that Grandpa Folkman gave me for my mission? I think it's still in the closet! If you are sending anything else before I leave, could you send that with it? I would love it! And if you have anymore talks or whatever that you read, I love getting those from you! Oh, and thanks for sending that package last week! I love zucchini bread!

Ethan and Anna! Good luck in school! I pray every night that you guys will be able to be examples to the people you are with at school and that you can feel the spirit help you through this year as you read and pray daily to receive God's blessings. I love you! And Anna; I'm glad that you're taking orchestra! It will be so awesome for you! 

Manda: when is your baby coming?? I feel like I've been here forever, and everything just drags on, or goes incredibly fast, and I am just so excited for you, I just want it to happen already!

Kimber and Kevin: I hope that everything is going well for you guys! I miss seeing you guys and you kids, and talking to Kevin about missionary stuff, and everything. 

Like I said, I pray for you guys every night before bed. I really love you all so much and I am so glad to be able to talk to you once a week! 

Oh yeah!!!!! My flight plans!!! Dad, I'm assuming that my VISA went through because my flight plans say I'm going to chicago, then germany, then portugal!!!!! I get up at like 3:30 tuesday morning, and my flight is supposed to leave at 8:30. I don't know yet how it all works for calling and stuff; we have an orientation thing on thursday that should tell us more. So I'll tell you all that I know on monday hopefully!

I love you guys! Be safe! Don't throw out any more backs! 

Love,

Elder Valentine!

Elder Valentine Week 5 Group Letter

Hi everyone! 

I've been at the MTC for more than a month now! I love the gospel sooo much! I have had some really cool experiences this week feeling the spirit work on me as a missionary and working with others and all kinds of good stuff! 

So first off, our Tuesday devotional last week was by Elder Echo Hawk of the Seventy. (I thought that was a pretty sweet name.) He talked about member involvement in missionary work and how 1 in 10 referrals from a member get baptized! How amazing is that? That totally emphasized the importance of being missionaries outside of the mission: which I can't really do right now, but you all can!! Anyway, He also talked about... well I don't really remember, because while he was talking, I felt the spirit probably stronger than I ever have testify to me of the importance and blessings of my calling as a missionary, and the impact that my preparations and diligence as a missionary will have on the eternal salvation of the people I will teach. It was the most amazing thing! I was sitting in the big auditorium where we hold devotionals and I literally could not sit still because the spirit was so strong. I felt like I needed to get up and go preach the gospel! I had so many inspired thoughts go through my head about what I need to do and how I can help others and serve my fellow missionaries and love and... oh man! What an amazing experience!!!! I testify that our Heavenly Father loves us and will give us blessings as we serve Him! I just want to go to Portugal already!

Speaking of which! I got my travel plans this week and I leave on Tuesday morning at 3 AM for portugal!!!! I am SOOO excited to get out there!!! 

On Friday, we had the opportunity to teach a lesson to a guy from Brazil on skype! It was so neat! It was totally different talking to someone who literally knew ZERO English. We taught him a lesson on hope, charity, and love, but he was super scripturally educated, so he basically taught us the lesson! Haha it was so funny! He had us turn to all these scriptures and taught us what he had learned about the topic. He has a son out on a mission and had a daughter out who got home, and he also served, so he is super missionary oriented right now, and taught us all of this stuff for our missions. It was super cool! 

Anyway, I think that's all that I have for the week. But I'll bear my testimony to you about repentance, the Atonement, and our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that God loves us. He sent His son to Atone for our sins so that we could become clean and live with Him in Heaven. Repentance is not something we should be scared to do! It is an amazing blessing that we should be ecstatic to be able to use always in our lives. Heavenly Father loves us most when we repent of our sins and start aligning our will with His. Because Jesus Christ suffered for our sins AND our pains, He knows us perfectly. There is not a single trial that you will go through that He can't help you with. All that we are asked to do is live the commandments and the word of God, and do our best to become like Christ, and He will give us unimaginable amounts of blessings. I know that Christ lives. He wants to help you. You just need to let Him! 

Okay! I think (think) that I might be writing on Monday before I head out, so that's when I will send my next email. Thank you all for your love and support! Have a good week!

-Elder Valentine!

 Hi this is Missionary Mom, Linda! On Friday during a very busy day, I received a text on my phone that I almost waited to look at later. But I'm so glad I decided to read it right away because it was a text from a couple in our ward, Craig and Kay Hess, who just left on Monday for their mission. That text was more precious than gold to me! I had a brief, good cry and the whole rest of my day I couldn't stop thinking about it. Hearing from someone who had just been with Spencer just moment before somehow made him feel not so far away. It felt so great! Here's the texts:

Spencer Preparing for the MTC

Here's some fun pictures from July 22nd, that great and wonderful day when Spencer entered the MTC!

Elder Valentine Week 3 Family Letter

Here's Elder Valentine's letter to his family for week three:

Dear Family,

Hi!!! Thank you so much for sending me letters and emails and packages and loving me! I seriously love it! And thank you for all of your prayers. I can feel them helping me here at the MTC. I love you guys!

Kimber: Happy late Birthday!! I wish I could have written you on Sunday, but hey. I have a pretty good excuse. Your'e old! Para bens! (congratulations in portuguese!)

Dad: sup home skilly biscuit! That's cool that you got to do your offsite with all of those general authorities! you should tell me about it! I haven't heard anything about my visa, so I'm not sure how it will work out, unfortunately. I love hearing about your experiences teaching ward members and the talks in sacrament meeting (mom, too!) and everything! 

Mom: HI mommy! I love ya! so on a regular day, I wake up at 6;15 and get ready for the day, then we have study time in the classroom from 7 to 7:45. We eat breakfast for 30 minutes, and then go back to class for another hour of personal study, at which point our teacher Irmao Regehr comes in. He is our investigator Gordon, So for an hour he will leave and we will take turns going and teaching him as Gordon. Then we have a lesson on Portuguese and some gospel stuff for 2 hours. We eat lunch, and then have 3 hours for personal, companion, and language study, split into 1 hour chunks.Then we have gym for like an hour, go eat dinner, and go back to class where our second teacher Irma Wells will do the same thing. She is our investigator Laura, and then she teaches a Portuguese lesson and a gospel lesson. Then at 9:30 we go back to our dorm rooms and get ready for bed! that's a typical day. On Wednesday we have service at 6:15, so that's early, and on Saturday, but besides that it stays the same. On Sunday,we have sacrament meeting at 8, study time for a while, i have a branch council meeting I go to with the ZL's, DL's, STL's, and Branch presidency. oh. Those mean zone leader, district leader, and sister training leader, if you didn't know! Then we have a priesthood meeting as a district, go and walk around the temple, another district meeting, choir practice at 5, and then our Sunday devotional for the whole mtc. Then we watch a movie like meet the Mormons or "The testament" or watch a super good devotional by an apostle (which is like what we always do) and then go to bed. I think that's most of my schedule! a lot of study and a lot of the Spirit! Thanks for sharing the sacrament meeting talks! I love hearing about stuff like that! I can't believe Christian and Brittney both got married! Thats crazy! Last week you asked about a CD from Emily: I honestly have no idea. I can't listen to any music here, and I don't know about Portugal. Sorry! Oh! you guys looked way good in the pageant! and going to the other pageant sounds way fun! My packages have been so awesome! thank you so much for sending them! We have SO MUCH food in our room right now. Its crazy. Elder Meza's mom sent him like a HUGE box of all of this junk food, so we are loaded. The donuts were way good, thanks for sending my licence, and the letters, and everything! It's hard to think about everything you guys sent just because I'm trying to go really fast right now, but I really do love getting letters and packages from you. I can buy some of this at the store if you want me too, but i need floss, and maybe some Burt's bees chapstick? Elder Meza is addicted and said I should get some. I can buy laundry detergent if you want me to. It's so hard to remember things I want or need because I never have time to think!

Anna: I seriously love your quotes you send. Way good! they mean a lot to me! You're driving???? Stop. That's all. Your letter about girls camp was way good! It's so cool that you get to have those experiences! I'm so glad the spirit was there and that you had a good time. It's a good thing you're good at shooting: a year from now, when boys start chasing after you for dates, you can put that skill to good use. I also like the picture of me and Elder Meza. :) I cant belive schools almost starting! I feel like I should be there! I'm glad your clothes are normal. So, I really like choir. But I honestly don't know how your school will be because your teacher is different. Orchestra would definitely be a challenge, which is awesome, so... I don't really know. My suggestion is that you make a decision either way, and then pray about it. You will know if your decision is the best if you pray and feel good about it, or you will know it's not if you don't. But you WILL receive an answer. You just have to make the decision first! Me and Elder Meza are doing a lot better! We just needed the spirit more in our companionship. :) Anna; I'm gonna give Ethan some advice, but all of it applies exactly to you too. so please read it. 

Ethan: Dude! Your comic is so good! It made laugh so hard! If you patent those bags, please make sure that I get some free ones. They look way good. So. You're a deacon. You have about six years before you can go on a mission, you're starting junior high, and there are a lot of things that can happen to you right now. You're, like, growing up! So I have some advice for you. Please please please read the Book of Mormon every day, and pray morning and night. It is such a good habit to have, and you will be so blessed for it. Try to maybe cut back on playing so much and focus on the gospel primarily (family counts as part of that), then school work, and THEN you might be able to goof off. But I think It's so important to put things in priority order. Your life will just get busier and busier, and if you play all the time, then you will be really stressed and life is gonna stink. Also, be an example for your deacons quorum and the kids you meet at school. Always be nice to everyone, and try and look for ways you can share the gospel, even if it's just talking about church on Sunday. Not that you don't already do these things. But as ;you share your testimony and show everyone what a REAL deacon and member of the church is like, people will seriously love you for it. Girls too. haha! For real though. I only kind of figured this all out Senior year. But once I did, it was almost funny how many people looked to me as an example and told me about it, and thought I was super cool; I didn't know it when people thought it, but when people said that they thought I was a huge example, they meant it. I was just trying to be nice and be a good kid and stuff, but people really look up to you. People would say that I was the kind of person they wished they could be, and they thought that I was on a "different level" than most people in the school. and girls like you a lot more! HAHA I knew a lot of girls who had a crush on me because of my happy and loving personality. (and since Kimmy was the same way, that was why everyone said that we should date and gross stuff like that. It was really annoying, actually.) But the point of this huge ramble is not to tell you how cool I am. Because I don't think I'm that cool. the point is that through your diligence in studying the scriptures, and serving your family, and then your friends at school, and by trying to serve and by being the best deacon you can, you will start to realize that you'd rather have this really good stuff in your life, rather than playing all of the time. It changes your perspective on who you are and what you can do, but only if you TRY to do better. Okay? okay. I love you, brother! You am smell like grass!

Saxtons and Farnsworths: Thank you so much for writing me! I am so glad to hear from you! I'm SO excited that Parker is starting his papers! It will be hard for him as the Adversary works on him in this decision, but it's a huge blessing! And the fact that Cameron is coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon is SO AWESOME! I love hearing that! I am so excited for you guys! Thank you Farnsworths for your advice and thinking about me! I for sure know that prayer is powerful, and thank you for testifying of it and making me want to pray even harder!

Okay, well, I think that is all I have to say for now. I wish I could remember evryting that people ask me about and stuff, and I try my best, but I get so busy that It's hard to think! so I'll try and remember more next week. I love you guys so much!! 

Love, Elder Valentine!!