Dear Family,
This is going to have to be short since the whole zone has to use the stake center since the library's are closed for MLK day. First off I still just can't believe that Kailei is coming home tomorrow! Sure wish I was there to see her off the plane and to talk to her about all the amazing experiences that she has had over the past year and a half. She is going to be so spiritual and so humble that I look forward to when I come home in a year just so that I can talk to her. It's been a great experience to be able to come on a mission the same time as her and to be able to share in the experiences that she is having. I have sure been praying that she will have had her baptisms that they were hoping for and that she left her mission with the comfort in knowing that the Lord has excepted her work and that he is thankful for her service. The Lord has a very special way of thanking his missionaries and so I am sure that the experience that she is going to have on that plane is going to be life changing. I am glad that Aunt Kim could be there to share in her experiences and to be there with the family!
Yes Colby was baptized on Saturday!!! I was able to perform the baptism like she had asked and two of our priest aged young men were able to witness it! Colby was so happy on Saturday and her entire family was there! Her dad and brother are not members and so to have them there was truly a blessing. We were so thankful for their support and they even came to church yesterday to see her be confirmed! She had a few cousins that came also. Ha one of them I swear looked just like Randy Sanchez and I had to double take when I saw him standing there. It was fun to have Filipino people around at a baptism again. It brought back some really good memories and feelings. The water was super cold again because we are having problems with the pipes.. Haha you should have seen her face when she went down into the water and came out. Poor girl was shaking. We just told everyone that she was shaking with excitement. Good times. Good times. Everything went perfect though other then that and she said that she really felt the spirit. She has grown to really have a strong testimony of the Gospel. That is my favorite part of the mission. To see someone who had no knowledge of the gospel or of Jesus Christ 6 weeks ago and to now be a member of the church and to know that she is really doing well. She invited a few different friends to come to church with her and to work towards taking the discussions! She is going to be a great missionary for us.
Dena and Reina came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so perfect that they came this Sunday also because we confirmed Colby and they were able to witness that and to learn what it was all about. ha we were really nervous about half way through the service because we had these two little kids that kept running up and down the row next to them screaming and yelling. They then went on to have a fight over whether the lights of the chapel should be on or off!.. Finally these two young women went and grabbed them and took them outside. Their parents just sat there in the back like nothing was wrong. haha The member that we were sitting with told me that he was about to drop kick each one of those kids. It was super funny. Thankfully they told us after that they LOVED church and that they really felt the spirit. We said that we were so sorry about the little kids and that that doesn't usually happen.. They said that they liked how family oriented it was and how simple it was. We were so happy to hear that they enjoyed it and that they were planning on coming back next week. We were blessed this week for sure!
We had interviews with President on Saturday and those went soooo well! He is really proud of the work that we have been doing here in Brentwood. He told me that he was very proud of the work I am doing as a district leader and that he couldn't ask for any more. he told me that the reason that we are having so much success in this area is because we are obedient, diligent, and worthy. He told us to keep up the good work and to keep doing what the Lord wants and to just watch the blessings role in! He is such an amazing man! He talked to me about my release date and a few things about college and those things and is going to be calling Salt Lake this week to talk to them about it. I may get a letter off this week to you about all the things we talked about but just plan for now for me to come home around February 8th. That may change but we are not sure yet. I am thinking about going into forestry after the mission. President's job was he was the highest up person over all the national forests and parks. He told me that he thinks I would be a great person to go out and track and tag buffalo or elk. He did tell me how to do it but it involves a lot of science and things like that. hahaha science huh? He said that he sees me moving up the leadership line in that industry very quickly. We shall see what happens. Right now I am a missionary and he is going to work on the post mission stuff in the next month or two so that we can start looking into schools and my future in time.
Yes I did get the grapefruit and have been eating them like crazy. I had to put myself on rations though so that I can try to make them last two more weeks. The family that I shared them with told me to tell you thank you and that they have never had anything that tasted like that. I gave them like 5 or 6 and they were gone in a day. haha good times. They said that they would keep it on the down low that I had them and so I wouldn't have to share any more. haha mom yes I could use some shampoo. I am about out of that too.. Other then that I think I am doing well! Well other then I need new clothes. I put my baptismal pants on for the baptism and realized that I still had 42 inch pants. They wouldn't even stay up!.. Sister Meredith brought me a pair of 34's that I wore for the baptism and she said I could just use those for the next year. But president said that he would like me to get new shirts and slacks. He said that they look like I let the air out of them and that I need to get some that fit better so that I look more official and so that I can be more comfortable and not have to fold my pants at the sides every day. He said to talk to you guys and see if we had the money to buy some new things and if not to call Sister Meredith and come in and she could try to trade me some pants. I was thinking next Monday I would go shopping if we had a little extra money. If not just let me know and I will go and try to find some in the mission home.
Thanks again for all the support and love that you send my way! Tell Kailei hi for me and to make sure that she knows how much I love her and look up to her! She was one heck of a missionary and I know that she is going to be an even more amazing mother and wife when all that comes because of what she learned on her mission. We have some great sisters here in this mission and I just look at all the things that we as missionaries learn out here and have a very strong testimony that returned missionaries learn more about how to be the best husbands and wives that she is going to do great things! Love you all so much! I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith really did restore the church and really did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! We have such a great opportunity to share this amazing blessing with others!
Love
Elder Shelley
Pictures: Colby's baptism
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