10-22-12

Well, this week has been super hard. But it also has been a very good trial for me and I have been working hard. Elder Makaya is a great guy. He is not exactly obedient and so I have a little bit of work to do there, but that will be ok. His last three companions have all been on their last transfer and so they were super trunky and didn't teach him to work very hard. So I am trying to set a better example for him and to get us both going on the right track.

The picture is of the two of us. I am wearing the shirt that I bought with the 20 dollars from Grandma Shelley. Please tell her how thankful I was for that money! I love the shirt. Can't wear it as much as I would like- but I wear it as much as I can. If you can't tell by the picture I have been getting a LOT skinnier! But for the first time on my mission it has been in a healthy way! We have a gym in the complex and so we wake up and run and lift weights every morning plus we ride close to 30 miles a day on our bikes. Our area here has an area that we go to around 2 or so times a day that no joke is just like Las Sendez!... My legs and butt were so sore this entire week. Thankfully they are getting better. Yes I did buy a bike. It is not a very good one, but I works for me. It is only a 7 speed because anything more then that would have cost me over 5 or 6 hundred dollars. This was the only bike I could find under 500... That didn't come with a helmet or lock either and so I will still have to go and buy those things. Sorry.. I am going to buy a really cheap helmet and ask the mission home if I can use one of the spare locks there so that I don't have to spend any more money. I have to go buy 2 new tubes also because these ones were super cheap and popped within the first three days.. I am riding a spare that we have at the house that is an Asian persons size, because the elder who was here before me was Asian and they gave him a mission bike. I will have to go buy tubes today. I am going to try to get the ones with the green slime to help prevent flats. This area has a lot of thorns and things that we have to try to watch out for.

Yes I am going to be able to go back to Marlins baptism and baptize him. President interviewed him and said that he hasn't felt that strong of a spirit in someone who four weeks ago was smoking 2 packs a day ever in his mission. He loved Marlin and is even going to try to come for his baptism also! He is so prepared and has really gained such a testimony. I can't wait to be able to go back and see him. I have been asking members if they would drive us down since we don't have a car but it is like an hour and a half drive one way with traffic and so I don't think anyone is going to be willing.. We are looking into taking the Bart- that is like the light rail on steroids in California! We will see. Hope that won't cost too very much! Because of changing apartments I had to start over on food and am probably going to be living on roman noodles for the next 2 weeks until the next months support drops! haha no big deal though. I have really learned how to budget my money well and that has been a great blessing. It is going to be something that I use for the rest of my life.

This area is basically dead. I came in and they were teaching on average 2 to 4 lessons a week. They don't have any investigators or focus families that they are seeing and so I am having to basically start completely over from scratch. That has kinda been the story of my life for my entire mission though so I am excited about the challenge again. My district only has one other set of elders besides us and a set of sisters. We are small but we are ready to really work hard and try to put the numbers up on the board for the mission. We are setting great goals and have even gotten a few really good referrals that we are excited about.

My testimony is that God loves us! I have felt his arms around me so many times this last week. Being responsible for 5 other missionaries besides yourself is a lot of work and I have been really struggling keeping everything straight and collected. I have spent hours on my knees asking for support and help through this tough calling. And I have felt that love and that help through the times that I needed him most! Please continue to pray and to come closer to our Savior! I love you all so much and pray for you also on a daily basis. Thank you so much. Sorry if I didn't answer all the questions, we only have 50 minutes in this area because we have to email at the library!  Love you all so much!

Love,
Elder Shelley

oh ps. I met the guy who is the center snare for Blue Devils B corp last week. He lives in the zone leaders area and is investigating the church. His parents are members and he is trying to figure out where he fits in in the world! He was a great guy. He know Morgan Chan who drummed with him in that corp and who also was the center at Basha for a year or so! Love you all- just thought I would throw that out there. We drummed on his snare for about 10-15 minutes and that was a super cool experience. I didn't do too bad with him- but let me tell you I am not anywhere near Blue Devils material! hahahahahaha

Picture: Mackay and Elder Makaya