Dear Family,
Since Kailei stole my time to skype I guess I'll have to move it... hahaha totally kidding our member is so flexible it's not a big deal! Let's plan on me calling in at 3 then so that everyone is already there and that will also give Kailei time to talk and some give for her companion to figure everything out. Not a big deal. Elder Makaya has to call home at midnight on Christmas eve. Well I guess technically that is 12am Christmas morning! hahaha should be a great day to only get 4 hours of sleep. We found a ysa aged kid who was willing to let him come over and use his computer. That should be a good time.
Well first off I just need to make sure that everyone knows that I have the most amazing family of all time!!! We had to go to the mission home on Friday after Elder Makaya's dr visit to pick up our new car (more details on the way). We walked in and there were Christmas boxes piled from the counter to the roof! Elder and Sister Lyman had just left that morning to go home and so the mission home was a little bit in panic and not running on all cylinders! So we had some extra time to help, so we helped organize the boxes. I found one for me and saw that it was from grandma and grandpa! Thanks by the way! Then next to it I saw one from mom and dad and kadon then saw that it was for Elder Makaya. I said elder this one is for you. He got kinda upset with me and said elder that's not funny!... I said no seriously look it has your name on it! He seriously jumped over the table and grabbed the box. He said elder it is for me and it's from your family! I could tell he was holding back tears and said I have never gotten a package on my mission!... When we came home he ripped it open and went through it super fast! I got him to leave the wrapped boxes for Christmas but we played with that stuff for over an hour! He kept saying wow this is so nice this is so nice! Thanks for sending that to him. He was like a 7 year old Christmasmorning!
So just so you all have the story, yes we have a car now. Elder Makaya had his elbow checked out and found out that he broke it! It's not a terrible brake and thankfully the bones are still in line so it won't have to be casted or surgery so that is a blessing. But he also can't ride a bike with one hand so they gave us a car for the next month, month and a half! That has been such a blessing since it has been seriously cold and rainy here.
Peggy has not contacted us for over a week now. She is in contact with our member that she is friends with but won't return our calls or texts and hasn't been coming to church. We are going to be dropping her date tonight if we can't get a hold of her. It is always so hard to see someone that you thought was so solid back away from the church. She knows it is true, I just don't think she is prepared to make the changes that she needs to make to be baptized. I still have faith that somewhere down the road she is going to be baptized. The seed has been planted and elders or sisters down the road will harvest her. haha
Colby is making steady progress. She is really trying to grasp the concepts that we teach her. She has been given a lot of mixed info from her parents since one is catholic and one is lds. She has a really open mind though and is really praying and studying it out with us to see what she believes it true! That is all that we can ask of her. She is going to start coming to church next week hopefully. She is a ref for basketball and so she works on Sundaysbut is trying to get the hours of church off. We hope to set a date with her this evening during our lesson so wish us luck!
My back is doing much better! It still hurts a lot but at the same time is making progress. I have one more appointment with the chiropracter tonight and if its not better in a few weeks I may have to go get an mri just to make sure I haven't done too much damage to it. It will all work out though. The work has really been moving forward!
We had zone conference last week and man was it amazing!!! The spirit that we all felt was out of this world and we all learned so much! We are really focusing on raising our vision as missionaries and trying to help our districts grow and feel the spirit more and more in their lives. It has been a really stressful week with trying to plan some trainings that I have been asked to do and then district meeting and going on splits with other missionaries. haha it has been a big job being a district leader! I hope that this is as far as the Lord has planned for me to go leadership wise because I see what the Zone leaders have to go through and it is nuts! I am definitely a prime example of the lord not calling the qualified but qualifying the called! He knows that I am in need of help and blessings and I love receiving them! Me and Elder Makaya have been trying to keep track of all the things that the Lord has blessed us with and it blows our minds how many miracles and blessings the Lord has seen fit to give us. I love this work sooo much and am so happy that I have had so many experiences serving the Lord! I have been able to share stories from the Philippines as well as stories from here in Cali! I am so blessed to be able to have served in two countries and to be able to enjoy the cultures and the people. I love teaching Colby because I have gotten the opportunity to talk with her and her mom about the Philippines and to enjoy their stories and their experiences as well as share a few of mine with them! Such a tender mercy of the Lord!
Well family, I love you all sooo much! I love the Lord, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and all the things that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with! I hope that we all can remember the true meaning of christmas this holiday season and enjoy being together as a family both in person and through skype! I wish that I got to see Kailei, but hey Mothers day is coming soon and she will be there on the screen then! I can't wait!!! I have such a testimony of the Savior and his teachings! He has blessed me and carried me through so many hardships but has givin me the opportunity to grow and progress through the gospel and through out life! Thank you all for your examples and for the love you have sent my way! I got Uncle Mark and Aunt Pams Christmas card along with Sarah Welches families and have really enjoyed seeing all of the families joy and love this season! Remember who you are and who you represent and I love you so much! I am not sure how email is going to go next week with Christmas eve and some things that we are going to be doing next week but I hope to be able to at least get a short email off so that we can confirm skype and things like that! love you all so much! God Speed!
With so much love,
Elder Mackay Shelley
pictures: 1. roasted chicken Mackay fixed for dinner
2. Merry Christmas from Antioch, California
3. True companion love!
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