Hey family!
So here is the big news!!!!! We are going to be having another baptism on Saturday!!! I realized that I don't think I have even talked at all about Tyler. I have been so caught up in all the negative things that I guess I completely forgot to mention that we have been teaching a 19 year old guy who has been progressing for quite some time now. He hasn't missed a Sunday in about a month and has been working so hard to be worthy of baptism. His interview by the zone leaders will be this Thursday night after they have Thanksgiving dinner and then he will be baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! We are so proud of him and the choices that he has made. His family is completely inactive but have all supported him through his choices and are even going to be at his baptism. His mom and sister are not members so we are hoping that this change in their son and the spirit that they will feel at the baptism will soften their hearts and change their views on the church! I will send pictures next week and share more after the baptism.
Me and Elder Makaya have been doing much better. I have had to really learn how to be an example through the small and simple things. He is the type of guy that if you ask him to do something he will do the complete opposite just to upset you. But we have had some really good talks the past few weeks ha and a few fights but have come out on top of it all because of the fact that we have one thing in common. We both love the Savior more then we love ourselves. We both want the exact same things from our mission, he just never had the right example or training on how to succeed on his mission. I have been so very blessed to help him through some really hard times and to be able to help him see that through obedience great blessings come. There are still days where I just want to give up and do everything myself but then I think back to the Savior and I am sure that he wanted to step in many of times when the apostles tried to heal someone but didn't have the faith to do it. The Lord let them try though and then used the experience that they had to help them see that they needed to change a few things and to have more faith. I have given him plenty of opportunities to teach even when he didn't feel completely comfortable and he didn't do great, but he walked away learning from the experience. President talked to me and told me how proud he was that I am being patient with him. He talked about the fact that come January is when our mission will start to get in the 18 year old elders that will only have been in the MTC for 2 weeks. He said that they will not know how to be a missionary and that he is going to need people who know how to work with others and to help them without making them feel dumb or inadequate. That scared me a little bit because the idea of training is a little overwhelming to me. I hope that he is not going to call me too quick because I have a lot of things that I need to learn before I feel I could train properly. I know that they Lord will help me through what ever callings I am given!
Thank you everyone so much for your love and for your support through my mission. I have come to feel of my Saviors love in more ways then I can even imagine. This being the Thanksgiving/ Christmas holiday my mind has been taken back a few times on what I am thankful for. One is that I am so thankful for the fact that I get to be back on my mission. I can't even explain the pain that went along with my first calling in the Philippines but even through all of that and what should have been a very deadly sickness the Lord carried me through it and helped me back on my feet. I am also thankful for a great family that was so loving and supportive as I struggled to regain my strength and my desire to serve. It's a scary thing to return to something that almost killed you the first time but as I was given friends and family that talked me up and gave me great advice I was able to return to the greatest job I have ever had- to be a direct minister of the Savior! He is my life right now and I can't explain enough the joy that comes from serving him every second of your life! I am so thankful for the love and prayers that I feel from everyone back at home. Please know that I return the prayers and ask Heavenly Father every day to keep you safe and to feel his love!
Thanksgiving is coming fast. We will be spending it with a family in the ward. They are a very traditional Hispanic family and we have heard that they don't have turkey usually so we will see what happens. We will be thankful for the food no matter what it is, because we don't have to buy it or prepare it! hahaha Please have an amazing Thanksgiving and enjoy the time as a family! Just think- Kailei will be home for the next one and then the next one we will all be back together! Can't wait. Hey Preston would be home for next Thanksgiving also- so grandma maybe you could invite him over to fall asleep on the floor again with his shirt half way up!!! =P hahahaha good memories good memories!
The activity went pretty well last week. No body wanted to throw horse shoes so I only got to throw for like 5 minutes. It was fun though, we roastedmarshmallows and talked about our missions and stuff. It was a good time.
Guys I love this gospel so much and I have such a testimony of it! I love my Savior and the chance he gives us to become better and become the people we are meant to become! Please stay close to the gospel this Christmas season and stay tune for Mormon.org/christmas that will be coming online starting Saturday! It will be a great opportunity to share the gospel and invite friends and family to check it out so make sure to go online Saturday and get to know the website! Love you all so much!
Love,
Elder Shelley
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