Give em Heaven boys

I feel like that quote basically sums up the whole MTC experience, aside from everybody under the sun being sick, but hey! We've accepted our reality that well probably be sick for our whole missions as long as you're foreign!

Every week Ive tried doing a group email something goes wrong so here we are, finishing week 4! Let me tell you, the time has FLOWN by unimaginably fast. My spanish has been coming along really well, I am nowhere near fluent, but at least with my teachers, I can understand pretty much everything they're saying!

My ankle is healing better, but its still hurting a bit, but no worries, Im sure itll heal up in no time!

Another Elder in our district pranked us and told us he was going home early, and he got SUPER into it, and started crying and everything saying he was having a health issue, and when we found out it was fake we were all SO mad, but hey, it keeps class from being boring. 

Its really hard already to think of stuff to write about, our 16 hour days consist of meals, and class, and that's pretty much it, but our district is awesome, were constantly laughing so the days go by quick! 

I cant think of much else to write, so Ill just write about some spiritual insights I felt prompted to share. EVERYONE PLEASE READ MOSIAH 2, 21! Its just one verse, if you dont have the scriptures you can just search the scripture on Google and itll pull it up! This scripture struck me HARD, basically it says that God lends you daily breath, breath to choose of your own free will, to disobey him, to spite him, to stray further from his love. He gives us life to choose what we want to do. It mentions that if we were to try to repay him for allowing us to have that choice by being his servant every moment of our lives, it would be impossible to pay God back, the more we obey him, the more he blesses us, I know that to be true.

Ive come to realize that on this mission, Im not serving God, God is serving me. God can not take away our agency to believe in him or not, but he could easily perform signs and wonders to the point where it would be absolutely insane not to believe in him, but instead, he allows us a chance to do that work for him. He allows us to bring his children back to him, not only allowing us to form a stronger testimony and relationship with Him, which is the source of true and lasting happiness, but help others, allowing us and them to receive salvation. It amazes me at how loving God is. 

There is a quote someone shared this week from an Apostle that says, `I am asking that we spend less time focusing on the storm, and more time focusing on the sunlight`, and I feel like that is really powerful. Our happiness depends little on our outward circumstances, and more on our focus. 

There's also another quote that says, `If we knew the price our prophets and Apostles pay to receive revelation, we would have less doubts concerning what they say`, Elder Christiansen, and I feel like its very prevalent with General conference coming up

Well that's just about it for this week, but I want every single one of you to know that I have developed an unshakable faith that God is so very aware of each one of us and loves us with a love we can scarcely imagine, he is begging for us to turn to him so he can help us. 

Also, I invite those of you with concerns or questions to visit Church Of Jesus Christ.org and check it out! I hope everyone is going oh so well!

Hermana Shirley 

If you were a Sith Lord, I would be a Jedi and totally kill you with my skills

Hola everyone,

Thats just some of the few interesting things I hear daily at the good old CMM.

This email will be brief, because I went to the temple this morning and just got back but wanted to give a slight update. Sorry I cant respond to every email but i appreciate SO MUCH all of them It makes me feel so loved!!!

First of all, Im feeling better and not sick but on Sunday I annihilated my ankle and sprained it super bad and it got HUGE and super bruised up. Luckily its feeling better now though! Since I got here about 4 of the elders in my district have told me I remind them of someone, but this week an elder told me I remind him of Anna Green Gables. Apparently shes from a show or movie but when I sprained my ankle he freaked out because apparently that happened to her in the movie as well. Now I want to watch this movie and see the resembelance. 

Our district has been having about 1720374982 health issues. First the food wrecked everyone so bad that the elders had to go to the infirmary, then an elder had BAD health issues and told us he had to go home and Hermana Sjoquist and I started crying because weve all bonded so much in this short time, starting this crazy and confusing adventure together where no one knows what theyre reallly doing, that we were so sad, and once you become a missionary, you finally start to understand how painful it would be to return home and come back out, but then he told us HE PRANKED US and hes actually okay and got treatment. Then two elders got parasites and the food just flat out isnt doing us any favors, so thats been interesting. 

An elder in our ward is EXACTLY like Jim Carey and its actually kind of scary but I have so many laughs in our 16 hour days with my district that it definitely pushes me through, I think Hermana Sjoquist and I got blessed to be able to make some friends here. 

Spanish is coming along good, but I have a longgg ways to go, but I suppose Ill never truly learn it until Im in the field. Im super exxcited but a little nervous, but let me tell you. The first week here was the slowest of MY LIFE, but this week went by SO FAST im actually super confused. It seriously feels like Sunday was yesterday.

Some spiritual insights

1. The atonement is for the saints and sinners alike. We dont need to reserve the atonement for big mistakes, we should use it for all of our little mistakes so we can be clean everyday.

2. Our prophet is AMAZING, if you havent seen the devotional he did at BYU this week, go watch it!!!

3. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is perhaps the most miraculous thing I have ever experienced. I have watched how God has allowed me to teach about our church with about two weeks of spanish and have the words just come to me. I have seen how the spirit has given me insights and guided me in ways I never thought possible. How it has comforted me, supported me, quickened me, healed me, and held me in the time Ive perhaps needed it most, and worked the hardest.

4. This gospel is true. I have no doubt about it. Satan can immitate a lot of things, but he cannot fake the feeling of the Holy Ghost, and I have never in my life felt the Spirit more than I do now, at a time when it actually seems like it would be the hardest too. I have never had such peace and joy. The plan of salvation is truly a blessing, that we can make the most horrible mistakes but we can never ever ever in our lives stray too far from the love of our Heavenly Father. He only wants our happiness. This is an amazing Gospel and I am so beyong blessed to have the opportunity to bring this life changing message to others.

Yo oro mucho para ustedes, y yo quiero ustedes a conocen que yo estoy muy feliz, y que nuestro Padre Celestial da me muchos bendiciones y que yo estoy seguridad cuando yo estoy en el trabajo del Senor. 

I hope yall have an amazing week!

Adios,

Hermana Shirley 

No Se Preocupe

Thats what the elders in our district always tell us when theyre sharing stories they dont want us to know about. It means dont worry about it. 

Hey everyone! My first email deleted so Im too lazy to rewrite everyones email so this one is for the fam. Wow, now that Im here I realize how hard it is to find things to write about, and how it feels like there is no time to actually write but Ill try my best! Here are my highlights

Wow this week has FLOWN by! Last week was the slowest of my life, and there are some moments here where it is SO hard, learning a new language in 6 weeks, trying to learn the whole gospel, no breaks, no rest, a jam packed schedule, being away from your loved ones but oh my GOODNESS i have felt the mercy and love of our Father SO deeply this past week. I cannot fathom how deeply my testimony has grown in these past two weeks. I cant wait to bring souls unto Christ!

The birthday broaddcast from President Nelson was AMAZING and by FAR the highlight of my week. How blessed are we to have a modern day prophet, God loves us so much he wants us to never be in darkness, but to have someone tell us exacttly how to return to our Father. If you havent watched it, PLEASE do even if its just background noise. Sunday was really hard, I was super sick, and have been sick since I got here but am getting over it now, I was so stressed, exhausted, and I just didnt know how to make it, but I cannot explain how much Joy it brought to me, I was gushing for the whole hour until bedtime after about how blessed we are and how deeply God loves us.

We had a devotional about missionary work and it hit me so hard when Gary E. Stevenson said our call is divine. God specifically chose us to come here to this mission and at this time, and he called me by name, and a memeber of the 12 put me here because I have a special work to do amoung this people, as we all do, particularly Nathan and Levi, our soon to be missionaries. The field is white and ready to harvest.

Yesterday the teacher asked me to give an investigator lesson all in Spanish for the whole class. I did and afterwards the elders all stared at me. They told me I have the gift of tongues, and went on for a long time about their surety I would be a great missionary. It felt amazing that after 2 short weeks, I am able to preach Gods word. I know theyre not my words, they are Gods, and that it is because God promises if we make a sincere effort we will be blessed with the gift of tongues. I made sure to tell the Elders exactly that, that the Spirit was the teacher, not me, and that all of us can do the exact same thing. I wanted to make sure the praise was to God for allowing me to have the inspiracion, but I was so so happy that I am already able to see a glimpse into what I can do with Gods strength and power.

On a funny note, our elders told us the very first day one of their friends got to the MTC all they wrote in their journal was, I will recieve the gift of tongues soon, and that was IT. I dont know why, but it is the FUNNIEST thing to me. I wonder if hes recieved it yet.

I want all of you to know, that I miss you all so deeply, but I have felt the CONSTANT companionship of the holy ghost, one of my favorite things about being a missionary and something I hadnt expereinced before, and he has allowed me to feel SO much peace. Of course I get nervous and it isnt easy at all, but he has helped me to feel joy instead of sorrow when I think of home. I pray fervently eevery night that you all will feel the comfort of the Holy Ghost as well. Gary E. Stevenson said, the biggest blessing you could possibly do for your family, is to serve a mission. I hope you all can feel the blessings. I love you all so crazy much, and I want nothing more than for each of you to feel the complete Joy of the Gospel, it has made all the difference for me. Draw near unto God, and you CANNOT fail.

I love you all,

Hermana Shirley 

Hola a todos!

So Fridays are my P days but the first week they just give you a few hours on Saturday so I am still a little pressed on time and I wont answer as many things as I would like, but I LOVED all of the emails, also forward this to family etc. because I left my book of emails at my dorm because I was in such a rush to get to the computer lab. We dont have any phones or electronics, and were not allowed to take any pictures except on P day so I dont really have any to share but I might figure out how to upload some from the camera I have in a bit. My flight was delayed and no one was there to pick me up when I first got there but I only waited a few minutes and then i was on my way to el CCM. I am going to be completely honest, this is HARD. I have never done something so challenging in my life. We have absolutely no down time, when youre not in class youre trying to study an entire language in 6 weeks, writing an entire talk in Spanish, preparing an invesitagtor lesson entirely in spanish, memorizing scriptures, first vission, baprisimal initation, 42 topics and 42 refernces tambien en espanol. I felt absolutely one hundred percent overwhelmes the first 2 days, I had no clue how I would get through this. I didnt even have time to let myself even think about home too much, but of couse at night I started missing everyone so much. this is the hardest thing Ive ever done.

Yesterday things started turning around around though. weve been so focused on learning the language and adjusting, we have had no time to learn the gospel or read the scriptures but they gave me time yesterday to read, as well as have more gospel centered discussions which made a HUGE difference. Funnily enough, it seems that actual learning of the doctorine is less frequent that memorizing it. but mi companera y yo have been bonding, her nombre es Hermana Sjoquist, pronounced Show Quist. I was worried we wouldnt get along but she is great, the more we focus our efforts on Christ, the closer we become. Yesterday nuestros districto ate dinner with us and we bonded a lot. Hermana Sjoquist and I are the only sisters with 10 other Elders. All of them son de Estados Unidos y will sierven en Mexico, pero yo soy un solo misionera that will serve en Merida. Up until last night we hadn[t talked to them much but it has made class more enjoyable being friends with the people youre always with, and just having a lot of people to talk, practicar the language with, y hablar sobre nuestros casas. Everyday the MTC gets better, and I am feeling MUCH less anxious about it now. 

Ive realized I havent made much of an effort to talk in spanish because Im embarassed to mess up but when I remember, I try a escribo y hablo en espanol, pero es muy dificil a remember. Ive been thinking about yall a lot and hoping youre okay and praying so hard  that you would know that Im doing well and that I am doing the work that nuestros Padre Celestial has asked of me, i just CANT wait to get in the field and bring sould unto Christ, it makes me SO excited. Pero if you guys are still worried, everyone says that after Sunday, the time FLIES BY and gets SO much easier. 

Spiritual thoughts, I thought about the nametags we wear that say that yo soy un Misionera para La Iglesia De Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias and how we wear it on our right side over our heart. Our hearts have to be completely centered on Christ and he has to be what we dedicate ourselves to.

I realized that me worrying about the MTC being too hard isnt having complete faith in Christ. He led me to this point and i KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that this is the work that I was called to do. He will not let me fail as long as I put in my sincere effort. He will comfort all my pain and sorrow, and help me learn the language. 

Theres a lot of other things Im sure ive been wanting to say, but unfortunately, I dont have forever. Also, when I wake up in the morning and try to sleep, spanish just plays in a loop constantly in my head which is so odd. Spanish is hard but its going well! I MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH. Lean on Christ, he will never abandon you. Thank you for keeping me filled in on your lives, I love hearing all the little seemingly bboring details. It makes me SO happy! Dont you worry about me ONE bit, Christ is protecting me, quickening me, and strengthening me everyday. IM SO EXCITED to go teach and to get more emails.

Best wishes,

Hermana Shirley