12-27-11

I don't know why this types highlighted, just the way the letter came, but it's still an amazing letter!

Hey fam!

       Hey fam!  How was Christmas?  Tell me everything!  I hope you had a great day and that every body felt the true love of Christ.  I can not say that I never wanted the presents or that the food and games and everything were amazing, but I can honestly say now that after giving all that up and focusing on our savior that I have never felt his spirit this strong before on Christmas.  The second that Elder Bednar stepped into the room the spirit was so strong and I couldn't deny what I felt.  He hadn't even spoke yet. It was absolutely amazing to hear him and his wife speak.  I had never been in the same room as one of the twelve so this was an experience that I will never forget.  He talked about how we need to start to search the scriptures and learn OF Christ not learn ABOUT Christ. We need to focus on the characteristics and the things that he felt and believed in his life. not just look at all the things he did and say wow that was amazing!  One of the things that hit me the strongest was when he compared the natural man to the cookie monster.  hahaha he made the voice and everything and said "I want cookie NOW!!!"  He didn't want to wait.  He didn't care what he had to do to get it, all he knew was that he wanted it right then and there and did not want to have to wait for it.  I realized that I am that way some times with my prayers.  I want the answer or the gift right then.  I don'twant to wait for God to make it his time. I wanted it now!  But as I sit back and thought about it, that's not fair. He has done so many things for me and has given me so many chances in life.  I need to be patient and just keep praying to God and show him my faith that I am willing to wait but also that I know that in time he is going to give it to me.  But out of all the things that he said on Sunday the one thing that I will never forget is when he quoted Elder Holland.  He slammed his fist down on the pulpit and pointed straight at us. (it felt like he pointed right at me)  He slammed it down and said "YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT!!!  YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO INACTIVE AFTER YOUR MISSION!!"  I had never thought about that. I don't plan on going inactive when I get home, but the way he said that, him being Elder Bednar who is so soft spoken, really made me realize that he was right.  We as missionaries are symbols of the church.  He told us that if someone didn't know much about the church and someone asked them what they knew, most would say that they knew we had missionaries that walked around teaching people.  That's about all they know. All they know is what they see.  We as missionaries are what they see.  So saying that, what would they think if after ten or twenty years they look us up to thank us or they see us on the street and realize that wearen't even active in the church anymore!  What does that say about all the things you taught them?  We don't have the right to go inactive! We don't have the right to not do exactly what we are asked.  I wish I had realized that three years ago when I was not the best example to people.  I didn't have the right to not have the name ofChrist "tatooed" to my chest.  To stand as a witness to his gospel and to be the one that is the example of the believers.   The next topic that he hit, was how having a testimony of the gospel is no longer enough.  Missionaries used to be able to come and have a testimony and do fine. That is not the case anymore.  If you have a testimony but am not fully converted to the lord why are you there? You must be fully converted to this.  As I thought about that, I realized that yes I do have a sure fire testimony of the gospel.  If anybody asked if it was true I would stand at gun point and tell them that it is!  But I realized that that is no longer enough.  I need to be converted and not only be able to tell someone it is true but to show them that it was true!  I need to start acting like I know that the churh is true through the things that I do and by the way that I act.  Now don't get me wrong I am not acting bad. But there are a few things that I have done or acted like that is not fully converted or that is an example to the other guys.  The guys here really look to me for advice. Even though I am the worst at the language for things like how to deal with their comp or how to study their scriptures in the best way- they like to come to my room and talk to me about it.  So I don't have the right to not be the best example possible for them!  I need to be the one that even if I'm not thought of as "cool" I'm seen as the one that is the example of exact obedience.  That is what matters most to me now.  I dont care if people here think that I am cool or that I'm the best.  I care only that God sees me as one of his elect and that he could call on me at any momment for anything and I would do it! no questions asked no hesitation.  I would be there to do anything and everything in my power to get it done!

      So now a little bit about the language.  It is still one terribly hard language and some days I just want to call it quits and ask to go English speaking. But I read my call and my patriartical blessing every night and I know that this is where I am supposed to go! I don't care how long it takes I am going to speak this language!  My teacher pulled me out of the class room one day when I was just kinda zoning out and told me that I need to not do that anymore.  He said elder you don't realize what I see in you do you? I asked what he saw and he told me that out of all the missionaries he has taught for the past four of five years he has not seen a mssionary that can teach with the spirit as well as I can. He said now yes your Cebuano is not where it should be, but you are so above everyone with the spiritual lessons that you need to understand that.  The people in the Philippines are not going to want to be lectured about gospel topics.  They aren't going to want to sit there and have you just tell them what you know and understand.  These people are poor and have nothing.  They just want a friend. Someone that they can talk to about their problems and that will listen to them.  They want to feel the spirit and know that it is real. They don't care if you can say it perfectly in Cebuano. But if you can help them to feel the spirit and the love that our savior has for them, they will be converted for life. They will love you for bringing them that spirit.  So after we talked we said a prayer and I feel much better about myself. Yes I struggle with the language but who cares!?  I need to keep working hard at it because when I do my teachers believe that I am going to be able to change lives!  I am going to be able to go over the the Philippines and leave a name for myself that will never be forgotten. I am so truly excited to go serve these people!  I have been so humbled already by the stories that I hear and the pictures that I see that I cannot wait to be able to go and spread this word of good cheer to that nation!

    It is my prayer that we will all strive to be fully converted to the savior through our actions more than our words.  I always struggled with that, but I hope that through my emails and through my testimony that you will all be able to feel and see the change that has come upon me.  I am not the person I used to be nor do I ever want to be again.  I am a servant of a just God and I am like a kid in a candy shop.  I know without a dout in my heart that this church is true.  We were asked the other day how we would feel if we got word that one of the 12 fell away from the church. We all said that we would question things after that. The guy that was giving the talk told us that it would not faze him at all because his testimony is not of the 12.  His testimony is not of the people in the ward or of his wife or kids. His testimony is of Jesus Christ the son of God and nothing that happens in this world could make his testimony fall.  Guys we have the truth and we have the power! I have given a few blessings while here in the mtc and have been given some.  I have seen the miracles of the priesthood and know that we have the same power that Christ had as he was on the earth. All we need now is the faith that he had that what he said would be given. This is my humble prayer to our father that he will bless me with the faith to stand and that you all will feel of the truth and of Gods love for you. He knows you personally and has felt your pains everyone of them! Please always stay true to yourselves and know that I love you and pray for you every night! Love you all.

 

With much love,

Elder Mackay Dale Shelley

12-25-11

Dear Family!

It is Christmas day here in the mtc!  It has been a day to remember, and a day that I will never forget!  Today for sacrament meeting Elder David A. Bednar spoke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was absolutely amazing!!!  Never have I felt the spirit so strong before in my life.  It was mind blowing to hear the words that he spoke to us as missionaries!  He talked about putting on the natural man and becoming truly converted to the gospel.  He said how having a testimony is not enough! We need to be fully converted servants of the lord!  I have taken the challenge and am prepared to work hard and never quite! 

 I love you guys so so very much and wish I was there to spend the day with you.  But I know that I am where I need to be and it has actually been a very spiritual day for me.  Thank you guys oh so very much for the thoughtful gifts that you have sent and the letters that have been sent.  They were amazing.  Grandma and Grandpa thank you so much for all the treats! I'm going to get fat- but oh will it be worth it!  Mom and Dad thank you for the razor! It was exactly what I wanted.  The bathroom kit was sweet too. I already have my stuff moved over into it!  Now kadon, wow! That calender was super awesome!  I loved the family pic collection!   Unkey, Aunt Lissa, and kids, thank you so much for the gifts! Spencer your the man! thanks for the money bro. I actually really needed it at that point in time.  Aunt Kim, Shane and family- thank you so much for the stamps! It was an answer to prayers because i was down to three stamps when you sent them! Now I won't have to try to buy them from the crazy busy book store! hahaha you all are so amazing. Mom, Lynett sent me a box with two beautiful ties, a home made snow globe, some gloves and hat! It was so nice and thoughtful! I'm going to try to write to her tonight and thank her. She didn't have to do that!  The Clawson's sent me a box also that was way thoughtful and had a really cool tie in it!  Well I better get going, they gave us a few minutes to send a quick email home.  I love you guys and will send a longer email Tuesday for p day.  Eat a sausage for me this year grandpa! I'll be home soon to eat one myself after I am done serving my amazing God!  I love this work so much and cannot wait to get to the Philippines!  If you get this before you talk to Kailei tell her I say hi and that love her! I think I remember you telling me that you talked to her in the morning.  I'll send her a quick I love ya email before I have to log off.  Love you guys so much!  Have a good time chillin with the family! I'll write to ya Tuesday!

 

Love,

Elder Shelley!

12-20-11

Dear Family,


  Ok so more about the mtc.  Me and elder Francis are getting along great.  We have set some pretty high goals set for ourselves in both the language and the doctrine.  The language is really really getting hard. It is so  bad because it is what is called a jungle language so there really are no rules to it...  Can you say CONFUSING?!?!?!?!?! hahaha But I know that the lord is going to bless me and my comp here sooner or later.  It just takes time and we need to be patient so that we prove that we truly want the gifts that god can give us.


We just got word Sunday that one of the 12 is going to be at the mtc on Sunday for our devotional!!! I am so excited! To sit in the same room as an apostle of god is going to be a dream come true! I hope we get to shake his hand!  Ha I told elder Francis that I didn't care what was going on we were going to go camp outside the door of the entrance.  Ha He nodded and said ok sounds good. The funny part is that he still doesn't speak English very well so I'm not even sure he knew what I said.  But I know that he has one heck of a testimony and that it is killing him that he can't share it very well.  He prays in Marshales or however you spell it every other night for companionship prayer.  I can just tell by the tone of his voice that he truly loves our savior and that like me is why he is here.


But always know that this church is true! I have never been so sure of anything in my life!  If you don't know for sure, pray and read with a sincere heart and god will witness it to you! He has to me and I know that he will for you too!  There was a quote in a fire side this week that said this. "If you but remember these 6 magic words you will never fear, 'with god nothing shall be impossible!''' I believe this quote so so much! God truly loves us. Yes he gets disappointedwhen we make mistakes but he will never give up on you.  When the world is crashing down around you if you have built a sturdy foundation on Christ, you will not fall!  That is the key my friends and family.  We must all build our lives on top of the savior.  He will not fail you. He will not give up on you!  The world is a scary place and I have experienced the pain and the struggles that can come from it.  But I also know that if you will but build your foundation upon Jesus Christ our savior I know that nothing can touch us!  Like I told our investigator last week, yes we are all responsible for our sins and feeling guilt is never fun- trust me, but through the atonement of Jesus Christ that guilt and that sin can be washed free of our skin!  Challenge of the week is to read in Alma about when Alma the younger gives up the judgement seat and takes it upon himself to travel to the surrounding cities preaching the word of god.  Pay close attention to the different ways that the people react to his words, and also to the way that Alma follows the work of the lord.


 I love you guys with all my heart and want you to know that I personally know that our savior lives! No I have not seen him, but I have felt his spirit and I have seen his hand in my life!  I was asked the first week out here that if put in the situation would I be able to stand and testify to someone like the Prophets of old, knowing that if I continued to do so I would probably be put to death.  Sadly I had to think about that one.  Did I have the faith to stand at gun point so to say and to tell that person that they are a child of god that is loved and can be washed clean of his sins if he will but repent and be baptised?  I talked to my teacher after and told him that sadly I didn't know if I would be able to do that. He just smiled and said that he had the same question when he entered the mtc. He told me to go home and pray every night that god would put inside me that testimony and the fire in my eyes that I would always have the strength to stand!  Now I want to tell you all that I KNOW that if even at gun point knowing that my life would shortly end, I have the strength and I have the faith and testimony to stand!  I know that god loves me and the punishment that would follow would be far worse if I just backed down and didn't preach what I know! I challenge you to always be willing to stand! Like pres. Monson said in conference, dare to stand alone, Dare to stand alone.  Real quick a quote from elder Holland Let him push you that we may all FLY!!!


I love you,
Elder Shelley

12-13-11

Dear family!

     This week has been a pretty good one.  I was able to sit and talk with both Ryan Fisher and also Andrew from texas for a few minutes.  They are both doing very well and give their hellos!  Yes I did get my sandals the other day and I thank you! They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever put on my feet! well... other than my cowboy boots =P.   hahahahaha  Me and Elder monterio or doing much much better and me and elder Johnson are still best friends!

    A little about elder Johnson.  He is a great guy from Texas that has had a few struggles in his life but has worked with his bishop and family and worked hard to get here.  Although he doesn't like the idea of being away from his family for two years I can see his testimony and love for the work growing every day.  We talk every night just about life, friends, past girl friends and just have a good time together.  He is one that I know will be a life long friend.

   The language is still so crazy hard but I talked to my teacher and he set up one on one lessons for me with one of my huge Tongan zone leaders.  hahaahaha Our first lesson kinda turned into  just talking and laughing about high school and the stupid stuff we did.  The second one on the other hand I actually learned quite a bit.  I love meeting with him and he is really helping me.  I can now pray and bear testimony by memory! I even prayed at a devotional last Sunday over the mike in front of the entire mtc in cebuano! What an amazing feeling it was. The gift of tongues is so real I just think Heavenly Father is making me work super hard for it.  Which I totally understand.  I need to prove through work that I am willing to work for his gifts just don't expect them! 

      So I forgot to tell you a little more about elder Francis. The reason that he hadn't gone through the temple is because there is not a temple in the Marshal Islands.  And his family is not active at all and so they wouldn't pay for him to go.  So we got the amazing experience to see him go through for the first time.  I wish you could have seen his face when I opened the door to the lobby.  I cried in the session as he kinda put his hand on my leg and said wow this is amazing.  I realized that we take advantage of the temple sooo much in Arizona with it literally two miles away... I challenge you guys to plan on Sunday night what day of the week you are going to go and GO! Going to the temple every week really is amazing. I go again today and can not wait.  I know that its a time commitment but if you really think of all the things the Lord has given our famliy over the years -2 or 3 hours a week is not much to give back.  You dont have to but I do really challenge you to try to do a session every week.

      The devotionals here are amazing!  Last Sunday the byu mens choir came and did a devotional by song.  I love music so much and it blows my mind how much your testimony can grow just from listening to good music. This may blow your mind but I have been singing a lot in our room and residence and my district told me that I should audition to sing in church because I have a great voice.  I just laughed but have since thought about it and may go look through the music library and see if there is anything that I think I could do.  I think it would be fun to show the mtc that I have more talents than just teaching.  We will see how that goes.

Guys I love you and I love this work.  As missionaries all the gifts of god can be ours as long as we work and ask for them! Trust me... I am begging for those gifts and blessings.  I love the lord and am so thankful for the atonement and for the chance I have to repent and be made clean through Christ.  Family and friends who see this, Please put your faith in Christ and know that he loves every single one of us!  You never walk alone in this world even though sometimes it feels like we do. Pray to god! Like I tell my investigators... He may not answer right away but he is always listening!  I love you guys and cant wait to hear from all of you.

    

 

Love always,

Elder Mackay Dale Shelley

 

 

12-6-11

Dear Family,

Hey guys how is it going? Hope all is well back at home, that you are enjoying the Christmas season.  Thank you so so much for the letters, you don't realize how much letters truly help you stay sane here.  It is very tough here at the MTC but also is so very special.  The spirit that is on this campus is indescribable.

So here we go. When I first got inside I did all the things that where asked. Took my picture, got my tag and did all that fun stuff.  Then I was taken to my room where I dropped my stuff off. Then went to my class room to meet my teacher.  My guide dropped me off and I was on my way.  I shook my teachers hand and asked how he was doing.  From that second on I had no idea what he was saying!!!!! The guy only spoke Cebuano to me!  Using his hands to help try to get me to understand he told me that I had two comps that I would be in a tri comp ship.  HAHA What a crazy first day not being able to understand a single word.  I guess the teachers aren't allowed to speak English to us because it forces us to learn the language.

   Now a little about the language.... HOLY COW!!!!!! IT IS SOOOOOOOOO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's been about a week now and sadly I am the worst out of the class of ten... I never thought that I would ever actually feel like I couldn't do this... but I had some really really hard times where Satan got me down and I wanted so badly to just give up and come home.   I was discouraged and the guys in my district are not very nice about things when they are better.  They really made me feel like a failure and that I would never be able to speak the language.  Thankfully one of the zone leaders pulled me aside and told me that he had a lot of faith in me and knew that I could be a very strong missionary in time.  I am doing so much better now.  Also I met Elder Johnson the second day that I was here and we hit it off like we had known each other our entire lives.  He is a drummer from his marching band and the center snare and he is from Austin, Texas.  haha small world.  Something even more crazy is that his middle name is Dale also!!!  We talk all the time and really get along and help each other with the things that we struggle with.

I love you guys so so much and truly hope that you are doing well.  I miss you guys so much but also know that this is the place that I am supposed to be.

I need you guys to know though that I KNOW that the church is true! I know that Jesus is our lord and savior and I know that with him, nothing is impossible!  We are his children and it is our duty to bring his other children back to the fold! 

Love Your Missionary,

 

Elder Mackay Dale Shelley!