9-9-13

Dear Family and Friends,

    We get to stay together!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited. We honestly didn't expect to be able to stay together, but I guess the Lord heard both our prayers and decided to give us one more! I can't believe that I only have three more!... I have been doing everything I can to just not think about it. We have been so busy honestly that  haven't had any time to think of anything but missionary work. 

     This past week has been so stressful but great at the same time! We hadn't been in contact with Deniella for almost a week until last night! We have been so worried because she wouldn't even respond to the friends that she has made in the church! Well we finally just decided that we were going to go over to her apt even though she had asked us before not to and just see what was going on with her! She opened the door and was really surprised to see us. We talked for a few minutes at the door but she felt awkward, and so we went for a walk and talked. Come to find out, she had been offended by a less active member of our ward, and there had been a lot of rumors started about her. She was really offended, and it didn't seem like she was going to be able to get over it. As we talked to her though, we felt very inspired to ask her all of the baptismal interview questions in a very non pushy and honestly in a way that she didn't even know that we were doing it. She answered all of them exactly right, and as we brought up the need to be baptized, she just laughed and said, "Ha you think that I am going to let a few stupid boys get me to not be baptized?! Your crazy! I follow God not the boys!" MAN!!! That was one of the coolest points of my mission thus far! She is still down for the 21 of September so that will be really exciting to see. We have a few more lessons to teach, but it is all going to work out. She was really excited, because she had asked Elder Fajardo to baptize her but we weren't sure if he was going to be able to stick around. She was really happy when she found out that he would be!

Harry is better then ever! He is super prepared for this Sunday to be baptized! He was set for this Saturday, but they are going river rafting Saturday, and so the bishop invited him to go and so we are going to be pushing it back a day. He is very excited though! I will be sending pictures of the past activity on Saturday! It was a Viking party and they did raft boat races in the Pool, and Harry joined in and just loved it! The ward has really put him under their wings, and he is really enjoying being apart of this ward! We are excited for him! 

We added one more date this past week for the 12 of October!(Sound like a good date?! haha) He name is Anna and she is from Brazil! She is here in the states doing a nanny job. She met a few of the other Brazilian sisters in the ward, and has just fallen in love with the ward! They all do zumba on Tuesday nights together and that is how she got hooked up with the church. She has a great testimony of Christ and the Bible so we are working on the Book of Mormon now! Should be great!

Well other then that the week was a little slow actually! I honestly feel super bad saying that we had a slow week when we still taught 12 member present lessons. I think that we are just way to blessed in this area! There is no room for complaining! 

Me and Elder Fajardo have decided to go really lean on our diets and cut out all of the soda, fast foods, and most red meats, unless a member feeds us! We have really stepped up our work out plans and work out 4 times a week, and play dodge ball on the other 3! We are both right around the same time going home, and have decided that it's time to get back into shape so we don't go home any fatter then we are now! haha. I don't think I have anything to say about being fat. Ha having used to be 280 lbs, 190 seems to be doing me pretty well. 

Our scripture studies this past week were so good! We have a few investigators that like to ask the hard questions, and it has been a pretty good challenge to have to answer them! They have been expanding my bible knowledge so much, and it has been fun to have to work at doing everything we can to truly understand the scriptures and understand why the bible says a few of the things that it does. It has been super inspiring to read the Joseph Smith translations, and to be able to see exactly what some of the words meant in their original Greek or Hebrew text! It really opens up your mind as your begin to study the true meanings and understand what has been removed in the past out of the bible. I have really had my mind opened on how to read and study the bible! 

I love you all so much! I am so thankful that I have the support that you have all given me! Thanks for the memories and the laughs that I get to think back to and remember! I am so thankful that I have such a close family that Kailei would surprised Kadon for his birthday! I am so pleased to be able to call myself a Shelley! May we all remember what the name means, and stand true to who we are! I have such a great testimony of this great work, and am so thankful that we have the full and complete Gospel in this day and age! I can't even begin to think about how it would be to have to live through this life without the simple truths of this gospel! It has been a great blessing to teach what I know is true. I have been more blessed then ever being able to teach the gospel! I will never go back to the person that I was! I know that the church is true, and that we are going to be able to be an eternal family! Love you all so much!

Much Love,

Elder Shelley

Pictures: 1. Harry at the Viking party!

              2. Elder Fajardo, Harry and Mackay

              3. Elder Fajardo as a Viking!

              4. Peter's baptism-Elder Fajardo, Peter, and Mackay

              5. As close to swimming as he'll get! (trying to pull the plug!)