She's home!

Tifa Kioa Arrived in Oakland! - Coming Home Thursday!!! - Homecoming Sunday 8/15 1:30 PM - Conference With Elder David A. Bednar

 

Well, I said I wouldn't write this week, but here I am. It's just a really big week and I have a few things to share, this is the very last email you'll ever receive from "Hermana Shauna ". Its weird to me that the end has come so quickly. Its hasn't totally hit me yet. It hits me a little here and there but I don't think it will completely feel real until they drop us off at the airport.

For those of you that wanted to attend my homecoming talk...

My homecoming talk will be on Sunday, August 15, at 1:30 pm. We will have a little gathering after the block, at starting around 3:30 pm.

Chapel Address: 5899 Bayshore Drive, Stansbury Park, UT, 84074

Let me know if you want my home address for the little fiesta afterwards.

There were LOTS of things that happened this week. So I'll just tell you about my 3 highlights.

1- We had departing activities for the missionaries leaving in August. The sisters got to hang out with sister kasteler for a while and she gave us some much needed life advice. Then when all 15 of the elders showed up we had testimony meeting. It was so tender to see how much everyone felt like their missions have changed them. We ate dinner and walked down from the mission home to the temple. We got to do an endowment session together. That's my 3rd time doing a session in this temple and my 4th time in total. I feel SO blessed because I know some people don't go in at all during their missions. In the celestial room I felt so much peace. I felt a confirmation that I'm doing the work of the Lord and it does not end when I go back to Utah.

2- The next day- y'all remember Tifa Kioa? My bff? Well for those of you who don't know she received her mission call to MY MISSION. She arrived on Wednesday last week!!! I got to be there when she got to the mission home and we got to eat together and take lottttttss of photos together. Then the next day was new missionary training. We got to go to that too...and Tifa was also there. Wild. Honestly having tifa here was a huge tender mercy in my mission. She brought a piece of home here.

3- but the third thing is by far the most exciting thing. You've all heard of David A Bednar? Well, he came to our mission on Friday. It was his first in-person meeting since before covid. He actually grew up in San Leandro, which is where I am serving and I live like 2 seconds away from his high school.

But anyways, I learned SO much during those few hours. SO many things. My biggest take away is that we all have ears and hear. When someone is speaking in church or in conference we can hear them. But that's not the message that matters. "What are you hearing that's not being said". Elder Bednar is pretty well-known for saying that. There is always a message that the Holy Ghost is trying to get through to us. And it probably isn't word-for-word what the speaker is saying. So what is the Spirit telling you? Ask yourself that the next time you listen to a talk at church. What am I hearing that is not being said?

In honor of my full-time mission ending this week, here are 18 things (one for each month since this wild ride began) I've learned during my service:
1- california is COLD
2- learning a language is possible
3- oakland has the best food
4- how to navigate San Francisco 
5- latinos love when a white person speaks spanish
6- getting mail is the most exciting thing ever
7- companions become best friends
8- kids that only speak Spanish are the cutest little people that exist (shout out to Leo)
9- fire season is literal pain to your lungs
10- the bay bridge is actually cooler than the golden gate bridge
11- when you serve your people, you are serving God
12- God qualifies those He calls
13- baptism is the beginning, the temple is the goal
14- I'm obsessed with the temple hah
15- there is a special spirit in the Visitors Center
16- it isn't a sacrifice, it's a privilege
17- Jesus Christ is the only begotten of the living God
18- the church is perfectly true

It's been a good mission. I'll be thankful for the rest of my life for the chance that I had to serve a mission. There's a lot more I could share but I will talk about that on Sunday. So if you want to hear some more stories, I'll see you there.

I truly appreciate all the support I've received from you all the past 18 months on this wild ride I've been on. I love you all and I'll see you in a few days! :)

Signing off for the last time,
Hermana Shauna

1- bowling for the last time before 3 of us head back to the promised land, utah.

2- the mini golf team (yes I did lose every time)

3- I was an honorary member of the Hayward district on exchanges:)

4- saying goodbye to some friends after the temple trip:')

5- the august departing missionaries

6- we've been in a trio with sister Martinez for a few days:)

7-found my BFF at the mission home and so we took pics at the temple <3

8- my cute girl sis kioa and her amazing trainer, sis lutui

9-sis martinez

10- me and tifa sitting together as missionaries listening to elder bednar!!

11- the empty chairs is where david a bednar and Susan bednar eventually sat jaja (we still don't have those photos) can you spot me and tifa???

12- san Leandro zone, best zone

13- part of the fam

14- tifa, best friend and fellow sister missionary:') 

See You in 10 Days! - The Mask Is Back - E. Dagal, Take the L. ["I am the L"] :) - Antonio Ordained - Beliza Baptism

 

The Bay area is taking a few steps backwards with covid. We have to wear masks again...it was a nice 4 week break :') 

I say it all the time but I really cant believe how fast it's going. I literally feel like I just got here and it feels like Mexico is all a blurry dream. I cannot believe that my time as a full time missionary is running so thin. Wild. 

So this week we got to go to the baptism of the elders friend, Beliza. She's the cutest little Guatemalan ever. I was asked to give the talk at her baptism about baptism. I felt honored to be able to talk to her about how special baptism is right before she got it in the font. And last week, I got to give the talk about the holy ghost at Antonio's baptism! That was so cool and special for me that 2 weekends in a row I got to testify and witness of the power that comes from those special parts of the step they both took. 

Yesterday during Sunday School we were talking about priesthood when the 1st counselor in the bishopric starts talking. Apparently our recent convert (literally of 1 week) went to him and set up his own interview to receive the priesthood (I was taken back by that as I have set up every interview and meeting with the people I'm teaching and church leadership in my entire mission. Then he continues to say that he was found worthy to receive the priesthood. Hermano Contreras literally pulls Antonio to the front of the class room and is like, okay we will just give him the priesthood right now. So he got the priesthood :) it was actually really tender. Antonio walked up to me right after and he was soooooo happy. He said that as soon as they started talking he felt this "power" on his back. Antonio is literally the coolest person. He was so prepared. I feel so honored to be part of his journey. 

My mission is coming to a close next week, but I'm excited to keep working for the next 10 days :) 

Not sure if I'll have time to send a weekly next week with all the packing I have to do so this might be it. thank you all for the love and support you've shown me since march 2020. It was noticed. 

My homecoming talk will be on Sunday, August 15, at 1:30. We will have a little gathering after the block, starting at around 3:30 pm. 

Chapel Address: 5899 Bayshore Drive, Stansbury Park, UT, 84074

Let me know if you want my home address to come eat some food and hang out with old friends afterwards :')

Love you all. See you back in the Bury next week!

Con todo mi corazón,

Hermana Shauna

1- this is elder tui. He is cousins with my guy Jerdyn from back home. Small world.

2- the acid facemasks again. So painful yet so satisfying 

3- a member has this cross taped outside his front door...interesting...

4- sis moore got me ice cream for my 1 year mark of being in California!!

5- sister moore will be training a new missionary next transfer so this was her role playing with me at new trainers training!!

6- Beliza's baptism 

7- this girl has given me so much advice. I owe her my life jaja

8- we all have watches and wilfredo wanted one, so we made him a watch out of a Martinellis cap

9- masks are back!

10- the BEST district I've ever had. Going out with a bang. The elder in the front is Elder Dagal. But here's the thing, his first name is literally L.Tom ...his mom loves L. Tom Perry...so we have all been putting L's in the air because of our guy, L.  We tell him to "take the L" and he responds with "I AM the L". Hilarious. 

11- the san leandro zone. My last zone testimony meeting :(

12- last time with the girls </3