Elder Valentine and Daddy Valentine - May 1

Hey dad!

Way to go on the Joseph Smith activity! That's so awesome. I would have loved to be there. But I'm somewhere better! (just kidding but almost!) The picture of Kimber and Kevin is really powerful - I can just imagine how the Spirit was in real life. 

It's been a good week. We're working hard to find people really ready to recieve the Gospel. That's always the goal, but sometimes we forget to be focused on not just finding people to teach, but working in such a way that we will find people who will help build the kingdom of God on earth. 

You'll get to baptize a man back into the church - that will be an amazing experience. Take a picture! 

I wrote mom a big letter and didn't leave time for you... sorry! But I'll be able to write more next week, plus the week after I'll see you guys on skype! I read your letter very attently (is that a word?) so don't worry about it haha.

Talk to you later dad! Love ya! 

Love, Elder Valentine!

On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 5:03 AM, Stephen Valentine <ValentineSJ@familysearch.org> wrote:

Dear Elder Valentine,

Hey, Elder! I hope you’re doing great in your new area. It sounds like a beautiful place. I did the Google Earth on it and thought it looked amazing! I’m happy you get to spend some time there.

So we concluded our Joseph Smith activity yesterday. Did I tell you I was doing it again? You remember how awesome it was last time. I think that this time was even better. I made several adjustments to the program to really improve it. I was able to include a lot more people in the program, including some new ward members that weren’t here when we did it last time. Last time I held it for two nights, one for the youth and one for the ward. This time I held it over three nights, which was nice because a lot more people were able to come. We had two sets of full-time missionaries there and an investigator, plus lots of family members of ward members who are struggling with their testimonies or who had gone inactive, etc. We had a really great turnout all three nights.

As for the changes to the program:

I started the evening immediately with the new First Vision video that was recently released. It was a powerful way to start. I didn’t speak or have a prayer or anything just launched right into the video. After that video we had our opening song and prayer, then I talked about Joseph Smith and why we need to get a testimony of him, and talked about HOW we gain testimony and HOW we feel the Spirit, etc. Then it was the Joseph, Emma, and Lucy Smith narration same as before. I then showed an updated video—same as the one you were in when the kids receive the First Vision, only now updated with the new youth in the ward. Then we released the groups to go around the church.

I add two new rooms and this made a huge difference. I added a “tar and feather room” which depicted Joseph tarred and feathered and Emma cleaning him and the two of them being very tender and loving and emotional. The best part is that the actors in this room were Kimberly and Kevin! It was so awesome and the did an amazing job. Everyone who went through it said that this was their favorite room. Then there was the Liberty Jail in a new room and the Nauvoo room was new, and then we had a Carthage room with Jared Beckstrand singing inside the jail. We came into the chapel and had Jared sing the full song (same as last time). Then I added a new thing with Brigham Young and his family coming into the chapel and saying that the church did not end with Joseph Smith, because it is not his church, but the church of Jesus Christ, and the work moves on! I closed with a new video that Nate Picket made that had President Hinckley and Monson talking about the modern day church and how Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. It was so powerful! I then closed with my testimony, and two of the three nights a member of the stake presidency talked. I also had a few testimonies at the end which were really powerful.

The Spirit was so incredibly strong each of the three nights. Oh, also, Ethan was the 14 year old Joseph in the First Vision room on Saturday night and he did a GREAT JOB! I had so many people tell me how much this event strengthened their testimony, not only of Joseph Smith, but more importantly Jesus Christ. I feel so honored to be part of this yet again. I know that many hearts were touched and lives changed, and it made me feel happy to do a bit of missionary work right there in Layton! 

So that pretty much dominated my life Wednesday-Saturday. Today was a very long but excellent day of church and meetings and ministering. I started at 7 with bishopric, then meetings and appointments until 1. In sacrament meeting I called several people up to bear testimony, and the whole meeting was powerful. Then I visited Barry and Debbie Brown, went to Ethan’s Court of Honor and then visited an older couple in our ward and gave them a blessing. I got home about 8:30! Sounds like just another day for you on the mission! And now it’s time for bed!

You’ll be interested to know that I FINALLY finished the trampoline!! On Saturday Blake and Ethan and Anna and Kevin and Spencer Knavel worked for about 5 hours the backyard and got it DONE! I now just need to finish leveling it and buy some sod. Aren’t you glad that will be done before you get home and you don’t have to help me do it???

I’ll send you some pictures of the Joseph Smith event. It’s been a spiritual feast for me lately! I’m so envious of you having these types of experiences every single day! 

Well, this is long and it is late so I’ll go now. Have a great week!

Love

Dad

May 1st Email to Mom

Hi mom!

Dad sent me a couple pictures of the Joseph Smith activity. Sounds like it was a big success! That's awesome! I like the addition with Kevin and Kimberly doing the tarring scene. Haha yay the tramp pit is done! I can't believe it took two years!! That's really funny. 

Like I said in the email, we had a cool missionary-work sacrament meeting. It went well! I sang "I know that my redeemer lives" and a sister accompanied me on the piano. It was a pretty arrangement that I've heard before but I couldn't tell you which one haha!

We've been working hard in our area - Santarém is so much smaller than Porto, so it's really different. This area has a few different people who could be baptized, but they all need to get married and are all not from Portugal (they are all from Romania; Portugal has a TON of romanians. Most of them are gypsies), so it's kind of a long process. But we're trying to get them married and baptized! I really really really really want to baptize... like, a lot of people before I leave. I haven't baptized since Gaia and I'm kind of tired of not baptizing. There isn't anything big landmark wise, besides the fact that the main part of Santarém is on the top of a big hill, which is our area. The chapel is down the big hill in a little offshoot of the main part of the city called São Domingos, so we climb this hill a lot! Being a zone leader is good - it's not super different from anything else, really; we call the district leaders (we have 3) and talk about their districts and their progress in their areas and ideas to get the work moving, we gave zone meeting last week; it's a three hour meeting where we talk about mission and zone goals and share new ideas from president for the things he wants us to focus on (this time it was planning and finding new investigators) and it's pretty fun! It was both Elder Carrelo's and my first time giving a zone meeting, so it started a little rough (just technical issues) but was fun! We also do divisions with the district leaders, and the AP's do divisions with us. And besides that, we are free to do whatever else we feel will help and bless our zone. We do competitions and send spiritual thoughts and things like that. And do baptismal interviews. We did one last week. I really am enjoying not being in the office to be honest! I like not being cooped up all day. It's hard work, but it always has been! Like I said, this area is a whole lot smaller. The buildings are smaller, the streets are smaller, the branch is smaller, stuff like that. We only go up to Porto for mission council once a month, so we'll probably go back up to Porto sometime in May. Yes I have a phone! We have one for each of us for zone leader stuff. The Santarém branch has been struggling the last couple years - the branch president, President Barata, wasn't very liked by some members, from what I understand, and the sacrament frequency dropped from about 100 to what it is now, about 50. So by half! But yesterday, actually, he was released and a new branch president was called, and just from yesterday we can tell that he is really pumped up to help the branch, so we're excited! Because the branch is smaller, the members are affected by little things like gossip and stuff, which is like the main issue. Members talk bad about members and then someone stops going to church. It's so sad! So we're trying to help the branch grow! We're really lucky because the church building a new chapel and is only 2 years old. It's really pretty! Elder Carrelo is great - there was no problem starting to work with him. From my experience, the only reason why it's hard to get along with a new companion is if one works harder than the other. If both comps aren't on the same hard-work page, there is contention. But we both want to work hard, so there's no problems! We have had different ideas for different ways to teach and to find new investigators and stuff like that, but it's just a matter of trying out what works better and sticking with it. No problems!

Wow! It's weird that it's close enough for Amanda to already be choosing a dress. My temple recommend expires in June, so I'll have to have an interview with President Amorim so that I can renew it before I get home. 

Yeah so for mothers day... I'll have to tell you more next week. Elder Carrelo will skype next Sunday because Mother's day is next week for Portugal, but on our Mother's day there will be 5 missionaries wanting to talk to their families, so we'll just have to coordinate it. I'm not worried about it - everyone will get a fair amount of time! President is letting us have an hour this year, which is cool! Just as long as Christmas!

Okay! I gotta write some other people. Love you mom! You're the best!

Love, Elder Valentine!

On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 2:31 PM, Linda Valentine <lindacmemail@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi, Elder Valentine! What a great week this has been! The Joseph Smith activity was a huge success. Anna opened another show, and is amazing as usual. I had a choir concert in the Salt Lake Tabernacle- we sang the most beautiful music and we got a standing ovation! We finally finished the trampoline pit you helped start two years ago! 

Those are the highlights, anyway. What have you been doing this week? Have you been out and about teaching and enjoying your new area? How is being a zone leader? Is it hard? Or easier than being in the office? Fun/not fun? What is something that stands out to you about the new area besides that it's warmer? Have you seen any cool landmarks? How often do you travel back and forth to Porto? Do you have a phone as a zone leader? What is the ward/branch like in this area? What kind of building/chapel? Was it hard meshing with a new comp? Do you think you adapted to his way of doing things or did he adapt to yours, or is it not really like that- like everyone does things the same in the mission? That's a lot of questions! I know you don't have as much time, so answer what you can. :)

As you could see from the pictures, Amanda picked out her wedding dress the other day. It's crazy that you'll get home and the next day go to the temple with us when she gets her endowment, and then two days later it's her wedding!  

Mothers Day is right around the corner and we'll get to talk to you! I'm excited! It's kind of different this time though, isn't it- because you'll be coming home so soon! You should go last so that the other missionary moms who don't get to see their sons for longer get enough time in case time is short. I get you back sooner than them most likely! Just don't give away ALL your time ;) Let us know the plan!

I can't believe it's May already! April was gone in a blink! The kids will be wrapping up school and then you'll have a little sister who's a SENIOR, and a little brother who's in 9th grade!! (Technically high school! A Freshman!) Crazy. Ethan got his life scout award last night. 

We've been doing our scripture study as a family where we just take turns and share a chapter from wherever we happen to have read individually that day, and share something we learned from it. It's working pretty well for us. it will be fun when you're home to have you share scriptures with us!!

I started this last night (Sunday night) and finished it this morning before work so I could have written more or better, and include a spiritual thought, but I've run out of time! If I can I'll write more after I get to work. 

Love ya tons!!

Love, Mom

May 1st Group Email

Dear Everyone, 

We had a great week! We worked really hard to bring people to church this week because the missionaries were in charge of sacrament meeting; we have 3 companionships here in Santarém, so three other missionaries gave talks about missionary work, we had testimonies from recent converts, I sang a song; anyway, we wanted a lot of people to be there, and we got 7 investigators to come to church, which is great! Normally we only have three or four, so it was great progress. The zone had two baptisms as well; the work is really getting along here! 

We talked to an atheist for a while yesterday, and he said some interesting things. He said that part of why he didn't believe in God is because "all" religions are corrupt - priests and leaders are paid by the money of poor people, no one practices what they preach, things like that. I was so happy to be able to testify that God's church isn't like that! He also said that he had to see things to believe them; I told him to imagine that he had never seen an apple in his life. A neighbor gives him an apple tree seed and says that if he plants it and waters it etc. it will grow a bright or green red fruit, that is sweet, and you can make juice and pies out of it. So he plants it, and waits. He has to work to keep it growing, and won't see the results until the end; but when he sees the apple and eats it, he'll know that his neighbor was telling the truth! Basically Alma 32 modern-day edition. It's such a great application - God wants us to work, have faith, believe in Him - and after, He will show His hand. 

The work is going great! Have a great week everyone!

- Elder Valentine!

Santarem (April 24)

Dear Everyone,

I'm here in Santarém now! The train ride over was pretty long, and the wheels on one of my bags are pretty much destroyed (thanks to all of this portuguese cobblestone - it happens to every missionary at some point), so it was probably pretty comical to watch some american dragging around his squeaky bags. As the train pulled up to santarém, I got up and grabbed all my bags and was heading for the door, but there was a dog cage right in front of the door to leave; the owner had to come and pull it away, and by the time she grabbed it, the train started leaving! Dang it! The next stop was... Lisbon. In another mission. It was about another 45 minutes until the train stopped. I had to run out, find a train heading back (all of this without a cellphone to tell the missionaries waiting for me in Santarém that I took a detour, thankfully portuguese people are nice and let me use their phones), and head back to Santarém. I got there at like 10 PM when I was supposed to get there at 7:30 haha! But it was lots of fun!

Santarém is soooo hot. And it is only April! Whoohoo! But I can't complain - shoutout to Elder Jacob Jackson who is serving in Ghana, he's probably dying. The city is smaller than all of my other areas and is still one of the biggest cities in the mission - I've only had big cities! 90% of the areas here are in the middle of nowhere basically, but I've had all of the big places. It's definitely not as big as Porto, and it's a nice place! There are a ton of people from Romania here; it's hard to baptize a Portuguese person in this area, so I've been told. Challenge accepted.

Besides that, Elder Carrelo is great! Hard working and happy. It'll be a great transfer!

Have a great week!

- Elder Valentine!

Missionary Living!

What Happens When the Bunkbed Breaks!

A Few Googly Eye Photos

Elder Valentine sent us about 50 "googly eye" photos! Rather than take up the whole blog with these pictures, I'm adding a representative sample!!

Easter Email - April 17

Hi Mom!

So I haven't gone to my new area just yet - I stayed this first week of the transfer showing Elder Peterson how to do all of the executive stuff, and I'll be leaving today, at like 3 or 4 or something. It's about a 3 hour train ride down to Santarém. I heard it is SUPER hot there, so maybe I'll finally be able to lose some of this office-weight, haha! (I'm not really all that fat, but I definitely have some improvement to do.) I'll be back up in Porto this Thursday for a Mission Leadership Council (MLC). I've been going to them since I came in the office; they happen once a month, and include the Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, APs, office, and President Amorim, obviously. So I'll still be around Porto. We had a pretty good week - it's been really fun with a 5 way companionship! Elder Peterson will do really well here in the office. He picked up everything really quick and knows a lot about computers, so he has basically already surpassed all of my knowledge! That being said, I'll probably get a lot of calls from him with questions on how or when to do things for the next couple weeks haha! I know a couple things about Elder Carrelo - he's Portuguese (from Lisbon) but speaks fluent English, and is a super hard working missionary! He's also the shortest Elder in the mission. I'm excited! 

There are a couple equadorian missionaries here in Portugal! (I say that in response to you guys going to the Old Spaghetti Factory) I know most of the missionaries pretty well and basically 99% of the missionaries decently because of the office. I know everyone's first names which is funny since you normally just know their last names. Stuff like that. Hey, singing would be fun! Also, you're tough for being the only one to not get sick! Easter was good here; we contacted a bunch of people by reading the resurrection account in Matthew, which was fun! It's fun to switch things up when you work. Portugal loves to use any holiday to take off a bunch of days of work, so basically Thursday-today has just been a big holiday here and no one is around!

So with my card - I can't call to the united states for personal stuff. Is there any way for it to be activated not by me? Because there are only two options, either call the number in the United States or find a chase bank, which are both not options for me. I'm sorry!

Oh yeah, one of your questions was "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?" So it's good that I can run some of this by you! I wrote down a list as IU was packing my bags today, and I totally left it at the house. Super lame. But I'll try and think of all the stuff that I have, because I want to know if what you think that I should leave behind at the end of my mission, because my bags are currently about 2 kilos (like 5 pounds) overweight. I have:

• 6 or 7 longsleeved and 4 shortsleeved white shirts, 4 pairs of slacks, I want to leave 3 of them that have gotten really old. 
• a whole ton of ties (I hope to trade some of them in kind of a 2 or 3 for 1 deal to get better ties and have less ties haha!)
• 5 t-shirts from home, I only use 2 of them frequently, 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of white shorts that I've never used because you can't wear shorts on the mission unless you're exercising (didn't know that before the mission!)
• 3 exercise shirts, 2 exercise shorts, and my exercise shoes. I kind of want to leave the shoes at the end.
• 2 waterproof jackets, one is the green one from grandpa and another is one I found. I'll for sure leave the other one.
• 19 pairs of black socks. Lots.
• 11 or 12 pairs of garments
• 2 pairs of church shoes - I'm planning to leave the black ones, since they are getting destroyed. 
• the big overcoat that I have
• 2 suits
• 2 belts

I kind of feel like the other stuff is miscellaneous - letters from home, a couple souvenirs that I've already got (portugal is big into scarves but not in a fashion way - they are part of the soccer culture, so I have two, one that I bought for €5 and one was given to me, and a couple gifts that I will bring home for the fam) a bunch of very colorful socks acquired through various means, lots of church books (I'll have to decide what kind of stuff I'll leave, because somehow I really just have a ton of books and paper), the two family picture albums (should I bring those home? I want to but I don't know if it's something I should leave if I needed to free up some space), etc. I gave away a pair of tan slacks to Elder Wait that I told you about a couple months ago, the ones that are HUGE on me. Besides that, I don't think I've really given anything away except ties, and those I traded. 

So yeah that's the gist. I will probably make another similar list later. 

Love you mom! 

Love, Elder Valentine!