4-24-12

Dear family,

I am finally getting much better and am really really close to full
health. It has been a crazy few months but I am finally full health
and ready to lead this area!!! Yup that is right Elder Garver is
transferring and I am going to be being follow up trained by a new
missionary that is going to be the senior comp and the district
leader. I was told by Elder Banzon that he is known for his
disobedience but that president is going to give him one last chance
to go home on a good note. I was told that pres. has confidence that I
am the missionary that is going to help him get back on track and to
teach him the right way to be a missionary. He is a Filipino and
sounds like he is a great guy. I am really looking forward to meeting
him this Friday and to start working with him!  This has been
something that is very scary but at the same time I feel honored that
president has this much respect and thoughts of me. I have really
worked hard and am not going to stop just because Elder Garver is
leaving. I am going to continue to be the best me I can be and to put
my trust in the Lord!

So great but sad news at the same time... We got 5 baptisms last
Saturday!!! Yes I know we were supposed to have 6 but Brother Borlaus
lied to us and has never quit drinking.. He was so sad when he told us
and said that he promised that he would never drink again and that he
would follow behind in a month after staying clean.  I know that he
will be able to do it! I have faith that he has already been converted
it's just that old scratch has got a pretty good hold on him right
now. It will all work out and he will be getting wet here soon!

So to wrap up this letter real fast before we go to help Elder
Garver pack. I want to talk about one of my personal studies last week.
It was in Alma 5 verse 14. I read that verse and read that verse and I
just realized that I really need to figure out how it is that we
become spiritually born of Christ and how we get his image on our
countiance and how we get this mighty change to come upon us. I
started studying and realized that three days later I was still
studying the same verse! I had been in ensigns and liahonas and cross
referencing things and really just digging down deep. I came to the
realization that to do these things we must sanctify ourselves. ha
then that turned into another few day study and I feel like I am
getting so close to being ready to try to really truly sanctify myself
as a missionary.

Well I need to run but I forgot to tell you that I got to play
tennis with Ranyel Sanchez, Randy's brother and destroyed me!!!
Filipinos are crazy good at tennis and he was even in flip flops! I
guess I need to get to practicing haha.  

But family the church is so true!!!! I love my work and I love the Savior! 

He has truly helped me out and started to open my mouth with the language! 

I have been so blessed the last few days and Elder Garver has even been surprised

about how well I have been doing. This may be the beginning of the end
on my language suffering! I hope so. But please continue to stay close
to the church! We see what can happen with people because of the
gospel through Mr. Quamo! I am still just so proud of him! Tears came
to my eyes as I read dads letter about it! So awesome and also about
Landon and Shawna! Not going to lie still always hoped that Landon
would be my older brother one day, but hey as long as that kids happy!
I love them and please tell him that I am hoping the best! Love you
guys so much and thanks for the prayers! They have been crazy good!

Love
Elder Shelley

4-17-12

Dear Family,

I first off just want to let everyone know that I am alive and doing very well!  Yes I still have worms and actually spent the other day in the hospital getting checked out because of how much pain I was in and the weight that I have lost so quickly.  Come to find out I have worms, amebas, and a parasite... That is why I have dropped so much weight so fast.  But please don't worry about me I just wanted to give up an update. We realized that the filter in our house was over like three years old and so that is where they think I got all these joyful gifts! 

Sister Labigan was supposed to be baptized last Saturday but got called into work and so she couldn't come. But she is on track for this Saturday to join the Borlause family to make it a six person dunk! haha this is going to make our baptism total 8. The coolest part about all these numbers is the fact that this area has been dead and hasn't had a baptism in over a year and a half.  We are about to get 8.  The Lord sure has blessed us as missionaries for our obedience and faith. I love this work so much!

So here is one other real quick, funny story.  So we had my big bug bites checked out at the doctor while we were there and come to find out they were not just mosquito bites... I had bed bugs in my bed and have been getting eaten alive for the past two transfers. Ha lets just say the mission bought me a new mattress that day! haha well I always said that I wanted to be able to tell my kids some crazy mission stories!  And man will I have some! 

So last week we had zone interviews with President Schmutz and he gave me a great blessing to get over all the sickness and in the interview he said how proud he is of me for only missing one day when most missionaries would have just laid in bed for the last few weeks and not worked. He said that he bets I have some amazing parents and an amazing father who taught me to just man up and get to work. I told him that he was so right and that I was always taught that we don't quit anything we start no matter how hard it gets. I'm not a quitter and there is no way in the world that I am going to start now!  I love this work way too much.  President said that because I have showed him how strong I am and how hard I work that he is sorry but I may have a few hard transfers coming up, because both him and the Lord have realized that I am the kind of person that has potential to help not so great elders get back on track. I laughed and said that I will work anyone that needs to be worked hard hard just send them my way!  I realized the other day though how much I am going to need the Christlike attributes while working with harder elders.  This is going to be a great challenge and a great growing experience. I have realized how much better of a husband I am going to be to my wife because I have had to learn how to cope with another person who knows just as much as you do, but still to be able to put your minds together and become great!  I am learning so many things here on this mission it blows my mind the blessings that Christ is sending my way! Just pray for me though please! We all know how my temper can get and how little patience I can have at times! I am going to work really hard though and keep my mindset that there is no such thing as a bad companion!  Ha we will see what I am saying here in two weeks after me and Elder Garver go our separate ways! 

I just finished Jesus the Christ today in part of my personal study and man did I get a lot out of that book!  I have learned more about the life of our Lord and the attributes that he carried with him.  I have learned how to better treat people and how to handle myself when people don't really like us. I had a crazy experience with a drunk guy and how he hates the Mormons and wants nothing to do with us.  That is ok because he wasn't the one that we were teaching but he just came up and started yelling at me! It was really funny.  I have made a lot of progress on the language, but man it sure is getting to be frustrating still not being able to have a normal conversation with people.  If anyone has time in their personal studies to really dig down through the gift of tongues maybe some talks or scriptures and could help me to add to my studies that would be great!  I have really grown to love to read! yes mom and grandma you heard right! Elder Shelley loves to read and may be joining the book club of Jo and Jana! haha I know you guys wouldn't really like the things that I have been studying though at nights. It is a lot of deep doctrine stuff that has just blown me away! I can't wait to be able to come home and to go buy a few of the books that they have at Deseret

Family, I love you so so much! I hope you all feel that through these emails. I live for p-days because I get to read your testimonies and to feel of the joy and love you have for me!  Thank you so much for that. Kadon I am so glad that you found that letter. I remember the night I wrote it to you!  I wish I would have followed through with what I said in it, but hey it's the past and this is now. I did realize though as I read your letter that I have been begging for your forgiveness but never have given you mine. Kadon I forgive you for everything!  You were a kid that loved life and just wanted an older brother. I should never have tried to make you grow up any faster then you wanted to!  I have no bad feelings anymore and I truly look forward to the day that we get to hang out again. Cause bro trust me!  I will have been craving chicken wings for two years! We are going to be hitting up native and catus moon like every day! I have 65 pounds to gain back! haha just kidding I love this weight being gone but we are so going to native! 

So this is my testimony that our Lord Jesus Christ lives!!! He loves us and wants us to come back to him!  Through my personal studies I have come to realize that we all have the ability to see the savior in this life!  There is a process to being able to though!  We first must have the spirit- which we all do. The next step is ministering angels. Then after that the Lord will minister to us himself!  It is all in 3rd Nephi when the Lord comes to those people. To me I hope my ministering angels will be Grandpa Shelley and our other ancestors!!! I pray to be able to talk to Grandpa every night! I know that if I live my life to the fullest extent that is possible it could happen. I don't know about all of you, but I would love to be able to have the savior minister and teach me here in this life!  It is possible, all we have to do is live our lives in a way that is acceptable in his eyes!  Joseph Smith said that everything that he experienced in his life we can experience in ours! I plan on seeing that promise through!  I love you so much and love this work and gospel! Shall we not go on in such a great a cause!?

Love,
Elder Shelley


pictures: 1. sunset in Bogo, Philippines
                2. Mackay with Pres. & Sis. Schmutz
                3. Borlaus family wrote on their walls in permanent marker: we love Elder Shelley 
                     & Elder Garver!

4-10-12

Yep that is right.... Elder Shelley has worms again or never got rid of them the first time or has an ameba or something.. I was in bed sick with the cramps and pucking all day yesterday, but Sister Schmutz got me on some meds and I am feeling much better.  The only crazy thing is I am dropping weight like you wouldn't believe! I am under 200 and am actually looking really good!  Haha I guess the Lord heard me when I said I wouldn't mind getting worms if it meant I would drop body fat! haha I just wish he would have caught my insane sarcasm!  hahahaha but no worries family I will be fine and I will get over it. 


 Ok so a little bit about conference! Holy cow our prophet and apostles are absolutely amazing!  I hope you all got out of it as much as I did!  Let me tell you after that conference I can not wait to be a dad and start a family!  But at the same time I can!  I honestly gained such a respect for my parents and how well they raised me during this conference. Parenting is nothing easy and ha they didn't have an easy child to raise.  But it all worked out and look where I am now.  Never would have imagined that I would be walking the streets of the Philippines with Christs name in big bold letters on my chest! I love every second of this work even the hard parts because that is what is going to shape me into the man that God wants me to be.  I also really loved how much they talked about spouses and the love that they must have for their children.  I am excited to follow the steps to finding a wife and beginning my family.  I have really grown out here spiritually and know that there is a girl out there being prepared for my spirituality too!  I have had many great prayers after conference about how precious families are and how important they are to this work.

As we moved on to the rest of this week we have continually been working hard and have found 5 less active members and all five have accepted an invitation to come back and to pick up the lessons to regain their testimonies.  4 of the Five are melchezideck priesthood holders which is exactly what our little branch needs. We are on our way to being able to fill all the callings and watch this branch take off. This Saturday also we have an absolutely amazing lady that is going to enter the waters of baptism and join her husband in the church!  She has been working very hard and I know that she is ready!  Then a week later if they come to church again our amazing family of 5 will be baptized!! The Borlause family is amazing and came to all sessions of conference and we have really enjoyed seeing them grow and progress!  If everything goes as planned me and Elder Garver are going to have 8 baptisms in an area that hasn't had a baptism in over a year and a half!!! It is amazing what hard work and obedience can do!  It has been a very humbling and awesome experience serving along side a man who loves the gospel just as much as you do and has the experience and patience to train a stubborn competitive Shelley Kid! hahaha He has been perfect for me and I know that he was placed in this area at this time to train me for a reason!

 A little about holy week.  Thankfully I was able to avoid the close up and personal things that usually happen but I did hear some pretty stomach churning things that I could have gone without.  Hearing a man get whipped is not a fun experience for anyone, but we got through it.  Up on a hill on our way to the church we looked up at the top and saw four crosses at the top. I looked away very quickly because I couldn't take anymore of this stuff. Mom, thank you so much for you thoughts and prayers though. I agree with everything that you said and actually had the exact same feelings while kneeling in prayer one evening!  It has been a wild ride. I almost forgot.

Thank you all for all of your support. I got Luis's email and honestly cannot tell you how amazing it is to have a friend like him!  Makes it really easy to be a missionary knowing that you have such support at home. I want you all to know that I miss you very much but that as of last week I am no longer home sick. Idon't want to leave or come home for anything!  I love this work and this land way too much!  Thank you for all the prayers and for the time and money you have put into me over the years!  The Lord lives. I know that he loves us. He has shown his hand in my life so much and has honestly matured me into a pretty strong man if I may say so myself. I have been put through some pretty hard trials both at home and on the mission but without those trials I would not be a man today. I cannot wait to walk down the airport row, hug my mom and grandma, pick up Kailei after three years of not seeing her, give grandpa a huge hug! and then look over and see my dad standing there looking at me and have him say: wow I dropped a boy off at the MTC and I don't even know who this man is that is standing in front of me! I'll give him a huge hug and he will say that he is proud of me and let's go home!  I wish you guys could see the change that has taken place in my life. I have learned to study HARD!  To be humble, Christlike and to use and honor my priesthood in the same way that Christ honored his priesthood!  I love this work and I love you all! Thanks for everything that you have given me! I know that this is absolutly the only true church on the earth no questions asked. All you have to do is read, pray, and ask and you will know! thanks again!

Love
Elder Shelley

4-3-12

Hey Everyone, 


 Everything here has started turning around.  Members are starting to come back to church and we have a few solid investigators.  Julias sister was supposed to be baptized last Saturday but she is not married to her husband legally so we have to work on that.  We should have a baptism this next week or two.  We found an amazing family a few weeks ago and should see them in the water too in a month or two.  Five people in the family!!! We are so excited.


We don't watch conference till this Saturday because it has to be translated into Cebuano first.  I am so excited for it though!!


Ok- so a little more about the Philippines.  On p-days me and Elder Garver honestly just like to sleep. We almost kill ourselves every day at work and running around that when P-days come around we just sleep or throw the foot ball around for a bit.   Lots of times we will go to their "Pool halls" (outside and all the kids come and try to steal our Pesos hahahahahaha) or we will go look around the shops and sometimes will eat some dirty food or all that fun stuff.  Hahaha oh by the way, yea so balute.... Not too bad- but not my favorite. It gets better each time I eat it so I have a feeling I'm going to love it though after a few more times.  You just have to get past the beak and the feathers!  Haha my last one was an 18 day old one so the baby duck even had an eye and some pretty big bones! Delicious no? 

You guys absolutely blow me away!  Thank you so much for all the emails and for the prayers.  I feel them every single day and I am so grateful for them!  I couldn't do this without you!  My feet are getting stronger every single day and that is a blessing! Who would have ever thought that the 8 year old kid with Planterphasia would be able to walk and hike the Philippines for hours and hours every day without a pair of orthotics on. That's God right there!!!!  I can promise you that if you truly put your mind to it and if you can truly trust God and put your faith in him there is no such thing as impossible.  

We had a story told the other day by an Elder that is in a really Devilish area that the black magic is so bad out there and satan has such a hold on those people that through his faith and the Power of God he was able to cast out a Devil that was taking the life of a 12 year old boy.  It is sad to say but that stuff is still going on today.  Satan is real and we need to always be ready and worthy to use our priesthood so if the Lord calls us we are ready.  This next Thursday,Friday, and Saturday starts Holy Week here and it is not usually a fun experience for the Elders.  People here feel like it is their job to pay for the sins that they have committed and so it is nothing to be seen on the side of the road being whipped by somebody so that they go through a little of what Christ did...  It is also very big especially here in our area that there are some people who go to the extreme of even paying someone to Crucify them and they hang on a cross for hours for their sins... Mom and Dad you both remember the days of my nightmares about this stuff so please pray for me that first I won't have to see anything like this and if I do that I will be able to walk past and not be affected by it too much... More details about Holy Week will come in the next email.  Should be interesting.  

Well everyone, I hope that you all know how much I love you and how much you all mean to me. I do truly believe that God lives and that through his example we are cleansed from our sins when we live our lives in harmony with his plan.  Please always keep being examples and please help others to come unto Christ!  I am doing fine here.  Yes, I had a hard week, but I am doing well!  The Lord does truly love and take care of his missionaries!  When things go bad or you get news of something that is hard to swallow, I have literally felt the arms of the Lord wrapped around my body!  The Lord loves us all and wants the best for us! Stay true to yourselves and to who you are! I love you all so much and look forward to hearing from you next week!  Keep praying and living right!

Love Elder Shelley
ps. hahaha just got back from the barber shop with a number 2 and a half buzzed head!  Sick of the heat and humidity of the Philippines so it all came off!!!That's right I feel like I am 7 years old again and mom is telling Sister Houston how to cut my hair! hahhaha love it