Dear Family,
First off I still can't believe that Kailei will be home on Tuesday! Time seems like it has flown by for her year and a half. It's pretty crazy that on the8th of February I will hit my year mark and be on the downward slide of my mission. Things just seem like they go too fast out here. I know how Kailei is feeling. When I was told that I was leaving the Philippines I was full of so many mixed emotions. I loved those people more then words could describe and I didn't want to leave. But like she said, the mission comes to an end and we have to except that. That plane ride home is one of the neatest, hardest things she will ever experience. When she gets home after a day or two, ask her about the plane ride home. The Lord has a way of thanking his missionaries if they worked hard and were obedient. He makes sure they know that their work was acceptable to him and that is one of the coolest things we as missionaries get to feel. I guarantee she will experience it in one way or another! Please give her a big hug and kiss from me when she gets off the plane! And PLEASE take lots of pictures of everyone waiting there for her and as she comes down the hall and all that good stuff! I want to be able to feel like I was there to see her come home!
Well this week was a wild and crazy experience! We were able to take Colby to the visitors center on Tuesday and that was a day to remember! The spirit in that room was so strong and the members that we brought with us were perfect for her! She opened up to them like you couldn't even believe and it was very special! We went to the display of Books of Mormon in the back in all the different languages also. When we got back there Sister Kurtz, Colby's mom, found the book in ilango and started reading it. Ilango is another dialect of the Philippines. I found the Cebuano one and we were trying to read them to each other and see how well we could translate them to English. hahaha lets just say that when they told us in the MTC that Cebuano has no rules they were so right. We got a good laugh out of it though and it was really special to be able to talk about the Philippines culture and to understand exactly what she was talking about. The lord works in mysterious ways that is for sure. We met with Colby on Friday also to set up her baptismal interview with the zone leaders and to also get her program ready. She has asked that I baptize her. I was honestly really surprised and humbled by it. I am excited though. She is a very special girl and has come soooo far from when we started teaching her. To think, the first Filipino that I baptize won't even be in the Philippines haha. Sister Kurtz made Lumpia for us the other day and so that was a treat. I asked if she would make eiro (dog) for us but she just laughed and said that wasn't funny! hahaha Elder Makaya got a kick out of it since they eat it in their island also, but Colby will be baptized Saturday at 3 o'clock if everything goes as planned. She is still struggling a little bit with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon thinking that she needs to have a 100% knowledge of them before the baptism but we are going to work with her this week on all of that. She really needs your prayers though if she is going to pass the interview and be baptized. We all know that she is ready, but we just need to help her to realize that.
Dena and Reina are still doing well. They had to cancel again this week because of Reina's work schedule.. But they are still reading the Book of Mormon and are enjoying it. Hopefully they will let us come back Wednesday and teach so that we can try to get them to come to church. We have so much we want to teach them and just hope that they continue to progress through the gospel and to accept the invitation to be baptized when we extend it.
We were given two really solid referrals this past week and were able to set up appointments with both of them to start taking the lessons. We also were able to find a new investigator named Jon this week. The lord has blessed us more then you would ever know! We don't feel like we deserve as many blessings as we have received but are so thankful that he trusts us with these sweet children of his. We are still going strong in our companionship. This is the longest I have ever been with one person on my mission, and I am a lot like dad, I like change. It's been a little tough to stay with the same person, but Elder Makaya is amazing. There is never a dull moment with him and I enjoy that. We still have the car and so that is nice. I am afraid that when we go in for our interviews with president that they will take it back Saturday, but we will see. I need to get back on bike anyway so that I can stop gaining weight. I have gained about 5 lbs since being in car again. hahaha. No worries. Its probably all muscle anyways =P.
Well family, I have got to get going. Me and Elder Makaya are going to go get some lunch and then I think we are going to go play tennis with the zone leaders. I want you all to know that I stand next to Kailei on every word she said in her email. We truly are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ! That is the biggest blessing that I have ever received in my entire life. To be able to wake up ever morning and put a badge on that has his name in big bold letters is something that we look forward to. Taking it off for good is something I never want to imagine. I took it off once but knew deep down it would be back on sooner or later. I love this work so much. I love going into strangers houses and opening up to them and letting them see who I really am & showing me who they really are. Then being able to talk about Christ and his life and ministry is something that you wouldn't understand until you have done it. Ha we were laughing the other day saying that when we get home we wonder what would happen if in my wranglers and boots knocked on someones door and said that I had a message about god to share with them what would happen. We are blessed with even an extra spirit about us that people can feel. I am so thankful for the scriptures that allow us to read the words of the prophets and to understand them and be taught by them! I feel like alma the younger as he was away from the sons of mosiah as me and kailei have been away. But I know that our reunion will be the exact same as theirs were in the scriptures. We will be so happy to see each other, but more happy to know that we are still brother and sister in the Lord! I know that she is never going to stop sharing the gospel and I know that she will do great things! I love you all and pray for you every day! Keep going to the temple and reading your scriptures! We are so blessed to have all the resources that we do! I am humbled to know that Jesus is our savior and redeemer and that through him, we can become new people every day! We don't have to think about yesterday because today is here! I Love the Gospel and I love my father in heaven! I echo Kailei when she said shall we not go on in so great a cause!?
With all my love!
Elder Mackay Dale Shelley
pictures: 1 & 2-Elders Makaya & Shelley, Colby & Sister Kurtz (Colby's Mom) at the Oakland Temple
3. Colby and her mom at the Oakland Temple
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