Birthday Week "22" on 22/2010!!!!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry my email is so late today, they were spraying the building where
the family history library is so we are all here late trying to get
our emails out. But I have THE craziest week to write about so here we
go:

1) THANK YOU EVERYONE!! For all the birthday love, cards and packages!
It sure was a birthday to remember! Thanks Alisa, Family, and the
grandma's for being so thoughtful and all the sweet emails and letters
and cards! Today was a wonderful birthday and Sister M did so much for
me along with my district to make it so great! She woke me up with
GREAT renditions of birthday songs including primary, the original,
and "Go shawty, it's ya birthday", it was great! Then she wrote me the
nicest card ever that made me cry, cleaned the apartment, took me to
breakfast, made me a crown and sign that embarrassed the heck outta
me, gave me a present at EXACTLY 11/22 which was stuffed Scuddles so I
can snuggle him at night, we played TONS of games at one of our
awesome member's house (who bought tons of snacks for all of us in the
district), and then called the member who we had dinner with that
night and asked them to make cherry chip cake (my fave)! She was so
sweet and all the Elder's wrote me a card and it was just too great. I
just love her so much and we pray every night that we can stay
together for AT LEAST 2 more transfers. We are having a great time!
Thanks again everyone!

2) Tuesday was a really spiritual experience for me personally as we
got to watch this couple go through a temple class in Sign Language.
Brother Harnish has leukemia and also Hepatitis and is not doing well
and they don't know how long he has. They have been preparing for a
while to go to the temple to be sealed, but are now just getting ready
to go and are taking an accelerated temple prep class. They had 4
lessons in 4 days and so it was just really amazing to watch them.
Sister Rees taught and the spirit was so strong, and what a comfort as
his life comes to a close that they will be sealed forever! I just
loved it so much and cried the whole time. I also really understood
the sign language which was so exciting to me! With languages I have
realized that I am pretty good at picking up when people are speaking,
but when I try to speak I have a much harder time....same thing in
Espanol. I will get there!

3) Wednesday we had a referral from a member in a different ward for
this family he met at the grocery store. I had a nervous feeling going
over there and I didn't know why but I sure found out later. They had
another guy who was there also and none of their kids were
there...they go to a church here and are born again Christians. Well,
we taught the Restoration and it went really well, and we taught all
out of the Bible. Well, the other guy that was there, Ron, had already
taken the lessons before and started going off on some really deep
doctrine. That was really hard to bring back because we wanted to
answer his questions but with the other people there we didn't want to
get that far ahead...it is like meat before milk. Well, then I look
over and notice that he has a tape recorder! Bah...nat good. Even
though we hadn't said anything we wouldn't have wanted to it just was
really uncomfortable. They started questioning everything and our
member got really, REALLY defensive and wouldn't even let us talk....I
was just dying. We were trying to get out of there but it just kept
getting worse and worse and worse and escalating higher and higher.
Our lesson went from 7:30 to 10 as we tried to get out of there. We
had to go back and apologize for our member and we promised them
another visit, but seperately because we wanted to answer Ron's
questions while still trying to help the others get the basics. We set
up an appointment with Ron at the Bishop's house so he could also help
answer some questions...we had it all set up that half of the lesson
we would teach Ron a lesson and then the other half he could answer
the other questions he had. We prayed really hard and came up with a
great lesson on revelation and we were all set to go....well, he
totally set us up. Here came the other guy who sat in the lesson AND
his Pastor. We taught the lesson and we asked what their intentions
were and I inquired about the tape recorder....well, Rick told me it
was a glasses case, BUT Rick doesn't even wear glasses. Fishy. I also
think the Pastor recorded us on his phone the whole time. After we
were done the Pastor wouldn't even TOUCH a Book of Mormon and said it
was directly written from the Devil, I said obviously he hadn't read
it then or opened it because there is no way that could be. He said he
didn't want to open himself to be deceived. He pulled out a sheet of
all Anti-Mormon and just went off and by this time it really got
heated. Sister M and I watched as the Bishop and the Pastor boxed it
out. It was so frustrating because it was all just a set up to just
try and tear us down, when not once did we tear down his faith, we
just built his up. Oh well, you live and you learn and the beautiful
thing to be is that at this point in my life it was nice to be torn
apart but still have my testimony not be the slightest shaken. That is
a great feeling.

4) Cheryl is doing SO great! We got to teach her and it was so
wonderful! She felt the spirit really strong as we taught the Plan of
Salvation. We are so happy and she wants us to come back again.

5) Last night we FINALLY got to see Shalaun. A lot of our
investigators are kind of surfacey because they are so new, but when
we got to see her it went really well. The best part of all is that
her Aunt Leona sat in and I could feel her spirit so strong. We
watched the Restoration and talked about the Book of Mormon and they
both accepted it and knew that it happened. They keep asking when
church is and are both so excited to go....uhm OK! Awesome.

6) Our area is really picking up and we hit some of our goals this
week. We are working really hard to keep improving everyday!

7) This family in our ward the Carman's are so awesome and had an
early Turkey day and invited so many people over from the ward
including us. So many of our 15 were there and even one of our
investigators who I saw come out of her shell so much! IT was such a
blast and I loved it so much.

Well, I have to run, it is getting late and we can't miss curfew! I
love you all so much and am so grateful for all being such a huge part
of my life!

Papa and CuCu, PLEASE get feeling better. No more falls or icky
sicknesses. I pray for you so much everyday!

Uncle Shay! Happy birthday! I love you so much! Also that girl Kenya
that talked to you on FaceBook, I see good things. You should add her!
COOLEST girl ever...just even to be friends. I love her so much!

Linds! Thanks for your sweet email. I dus love you!

The gospel is true! Christ lives! That is the BEST news EVER!

Love Sister Sheltz

Learning Spanish AND Signing! Can she Sign in Spanish???

Fireside way AMAZING!!!

Hi Family and Friends!

I don't have tons of time this week to write but I just wanted to give
a few updates. The work is going so great and I am so, so happy! The
Lord has blessed us so much and we are really able to see alot more
success in this area.

1) The fireside yesterday went AMAZING!! We had 20 investigators there
at least that I was aware of and packed chapel and overflow. I
couldn't believe it! Everything went so smoothly and I am just so
grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing us with a successful evening.
The ward said the same thing that Sister Griffiths said they did in
mission hills where they said, "Well, if we would have known it was
going to be that good we would have brought someone with us!". Now
they want to do it in Feb. again and I think we have really brought
the confidence level up in the ward and have increased the missionary
spririt.

2) Unfortuantely we had a lot of cancellations on us this week and
with new investigators sometimes they are surfacey, we haven't gotten
to teach them enough to really hook them. We contacted a lot this week
and invited a lot of people to the fireside and had a good time as
always. I wish I had another good story this week about contacting,
but nothing too entertaining.

3) We had a wonderful 8 hour training (crazy huh?) on thursday. It was
really, really great and President taught us a lot of really wonderful
things. We also have some great AP's who trained us also and we got a
lot of great ideas for contacting and how to teach people and not
lessons. I love the Preach My Gospel way of teaching because it is all
about utilizing the spirit and and really teaching people to their
needs and not a rote discussion. I can't tell you how wonderful that
program is and how much I have learned about teaching the gospel. One
of my favorite scriptures about this is in Alma 34: This is where
Korihor (or as Hannah Goo would say Korihorrible) is really telling
Alma that he is stupid for believing the things that he does and
preaching it also. It says :"And he did rise up in great swelling
words before Alma...accusing them of leading away the people after the
silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the
labors of the people." (Alma 30:31)  Alma's response: "And now, if we
do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it
profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth,
that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?" (Alma 30:34)
I had a dream about this and about me contacting. I love in contacting
to tell people that we are not there to sell them anything, that we
don't receive anything for what we do, and in fact we sacrifice a lot
to be there. I mean how crazy is that? Why would someone in their
rightmind give up something to try and tell people about this message
that we have? Because as alma says, "what doth it profit us to labor
in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have
rejoicings in the joy of our brethren..." I can't tell you the joy of
seeing someone gain a witness of the truth. That is why we do it! That
is why I do it. Nothing is so great as this gospel and to see the
change that happens when someone realizes that it really is true. That
we get nothing out of them changing except joy. That we are not there
to drag people to baptism for a number, or for membership...but purely
because it is Christ's church.

4) Thank you so much Grandma for the package! You are so sweet! Be
watching in the mail for something of your own :) Sure love you! Thank
you also to everyone for the early birthday wishes!! You are all so
kind to support and love me on my mission and for my birthday. It will
be fun to have my golden birthday! 22 on the 22nd! :) Also, people
have been getting my address wrong and so some stuff I have had to
pick up at the post office so I just wanted to clarify my address

Sister Chelsea Gould
44030 25th West St #7
Lancaster, CA
93536

Anyway, I just love all of you and miss you all so much! I love this
gospel with all my heart. Christ lives! I love this analogy:
Our Heavenly Father sends us to Earth to go to college.
Christ pays all of the tuition...he doesn't do the work, but he
already paid everything.
The Holy Ghost is the ultimate professor.
The Prophet is the T.A.
And we are the students.

Don't ever forget that the Lord already paid everything for us. Don't
let that go and push that gift aside, but work hard every day to live
up to that gift!

I LOVE YOU! This gospel is true and that is the BEST news ever.

Love always,
Sister Sheltz

 

#1. This was her prior district

#2. Their recent convert Rafaela. Funniest person ever and very eccentric!

#3. Loves her new district

#4. At the Painted Turtle where we make beds! So Fun!

Hello Family and Friends!!

I was so excited to hear from so many of you!!! What a great
week....so, SO great! The work has picked up so much and a lot of
really funny things happened this week.

1) The fireside is coming along really great and we could use all the
prayers possible to make sure it goes well! It is this Sunday and we
have a GREAT program lined up. It ended up making it to the stake
level so I think we should have a great turnout. People are really
excited and a guy yesterday bore his testimony on how he took our
challenge to find someone to bring the Lord put someone in his path
that he could share the gospel with. I don't know if he will bring
them, but it was a great thing to see people take our challenge. I am
getting ready to sing in it also and I think it will be good to try
and sing again. It has been a while and I am excited to do it.

2) We found A LOT of new potentials this week. I have really enjoyed
contacting for once and I love doing it with Sister Madubueze. It
feels comfortable for the both of us and we usually have really funny
experiences doing it. I have a few favorites of the week:

- We went to visit one of our referrals and there was a kid named
Chris outside. This is how our conversation went:

Chris: Oh missionaries! I know you guys.
Us: Oh great! So you have met with missionaries before?
Chris: Oh ya! I heard all of your stuff. I even got baptized.
Us: Oh really?! That is great! So you go to church and stuff?
Chris: Well, no, there are just some things I don't really agree with
in your church.
Us: Oh ya? Like what?
Chris: Well, I don't understand that if I picked up this grass right
here and decided to smoke it no one would say anything, but if I smoke
weed, everyone says I am doing something bad. I mean weed is the tree
of life!
Us: Hmmm....
Chris: Like my Grandma is a Mormon and she is like full blown. Like
she does the whole thing.
Us: Oh, so she goes to church every sunday and stuff??
Chris: Well, no. But she takes Vicadin and I tell her that that stuff
is really bad for her.
Us: Well, she probably has a prescription and stuff..
Chris: Ya, but some people when they can't afford it and stuff they
come to us..er...I mean dealers and get it off the street...
Us: Wow....
Chris: Ya and I just tell her she could just smoke away the pain with
weed. Weed is the CURE all. I mean, then she wouldn't be taking
prescriptions and eating away her stomach.
Us: Interesting....
Chris: Ya, (he sits down on the ground now so he can get really into
the conversation) I mean, if the government wouldn't be so stupid and
just sell weed like at Walmart this economy would be SO much better.
It really would fix everything. It would put some of us out of
business, but everyone has a price.
Us: Really? Hmmm....
Chris: Ya and I just can't be like God, God, God, God, all the time.
Everything about God. LIke I know there is a higher power but I am not
going to think before I make a decision, 'I wonder what he would think
if I would do this right now'..like I don't really care.
Us: Got it.
Chris: But I like how you guys care about families a lot!
Us: Sweet, well, thanks for uhhhmm...giving us your opinion! It was
really...great to hear. Have a great day!

That was the best. So funny and I was biting my lip the whole time so
I wouldn't laugh.

- Situation number 2:
* Knock, Knock, Knock.....
Us: Hi! We're missionaries from the Chur...
Lady: Oh listen hun, I don't want to waste your time but I am a
Southern Baptist and have been since the days I was born. But you
sweethearts are doing just exactly what you are supposed to keep
going!
Us: Oh well, thanks so much for the encouragement! Here is a card for
a free DVD about Christ that you can order though and if you ever have
questions give us a call.
Lady: Oh perfect! Then I can pass it on! Have a blessed day!

I just love nice people. We really don't try and push people at all
and I much like that way of contacting and leaving a good taste in
people's mouth. We have a good time and meet the craziest people.

3) We found a lot of new investigators like I said, Shaluan a 19 year
old single mom who is looking for a church. Good times! Love when they
say that and we have an appointment on tuesday. Also Cheryl is a new
one who is super nice and is really interested in the church. Steve, a
referral named Melissa, Alisa and Kirk, Hoepfully Arcenio's mom and
grandma, and we are working a lot with our focus on 15! We also got a
million referrals and I know the Lord is really blessing us with
success. He really is in charge! Funny how that works.

4) I also did a really dumb thing this week because we went to go
visit Arcenio (who is a hairstylist) and I had seen his work and he
said he could do my eyebrows for free. I didn't really understand that
he uses CLIPPERS and well, I raised my eyebrow and he shaved off a
huge chunk. BAHHHHH bad idea! So I have just been drawing it on. It
was PRETTY classic. I about died.

5) I am still studying in the New Testament right now and I just love
it so, so much. I love Jesus the Christ and I have come so much closer
to understanding the Savior than I ever have. I just love studying on
the mission. Some cool insights I got this week was in Matthew 10 when
he sends his disciples out to preach the gospel. He says, " I send you
forth as a sheep in the midst of wolves." That is definitely how it
feels to be on a mission. You really are in scary situations and
especially as women it is not always the safest thing. But he promises
us safety and I always feel a protection with the Lord with us. He is
so aware of us and I love in 30 when it says, "that the very hairs on
your head are all numbered." Last night we taught a lesson to a kid
named Artie who has been through a lot and was baptized at 8 but
didn't know what he was doing. It has been amazing to teach him the
restoration and last night we watched the Joseph Smith movie which is
always so powerful. After I challenged him to ask specific questions
to the Lord, because when we ask specific questions we get specific
answers. A time came to my mind when I was about 6 or 7 years old and
I had always heard that Heavenly Father loved me, but I remember
kneeling down and asking if he was there and if he loved me and I had
the most overwhelming feeling of love. That really carried me through
my life in gaining a testimony. As I bore witness of that I couldn't
help but get emotional and thought about this verse...."that the very
hairs on your head are all numbered." I keep gaining a witness of that
more and more as I watch the work pick up and how he is in the very
fabric of our lives. Also in vs 37-39 it talks about sacrificing all
you have, including your family to be disciples of the Lord. On a
mission that has been the hardest thing for me ever, missing my family
and thinking about them so much, but it brought comfort that I am
doing what I need to and that by doig this and sacrificing those
things is how we can become true disciples of Christ. And the last
thing I love is in verse 32 when it says "whosoever will confess me
before men, him will I confess before the Father." As we bear our
testimonies of the Savior we have this great promise that he will
confess us before him. I love that promise!!

Thank you so much for all the support! Also, I got a few letters that
were sent to the mission home and I just wanted to let everyone know
to send them directly to the apartment because the Elders NEVER go
down to the office because we are in boony land. So just send them to
the apartment.

I promise you with all my heart that this gospel is true. I love
thinking that even by some crazy chance that it wasn't true, I know
that by living the standards and teachings of the gospel would make us
right with any God. It is the way to happiness. It is the way we can
be safe in this world of so much doubt and confusion. God is our
Father. He loves us SO much and just wants nothing for the best for
us. He is standing there ready to give us all great gifts, we just
have to ask. Know how much I love you and how much I pray for each of
you and hope everyone is doing well! Keep us and the work in your
prayers. We always need it!

Love you oh SO much!

Love Sister Sheltz

Hey Everyone!

Well, transfers were this week and Sister M and I are staying here in
Lancaster another transfer! That will be really good so we can redeem
ourselves from the rough one that we have had. I FINALLY passed my
kidney stone and so I am feeling much better. Still not eating much,
but 8 pounds lost I don't mind too much! Unfortunately it felt like
child birth and all I got was some crummy rock out of it. Heavenly
Father definitely tried my faith, patience, and endurance this
transfer.

- Sister M and I set a lot of great goals and things are already
starting to pick up. We had some cool things happen, like finding a
new investigator name Shalaun! She is 19 and has a little boy named
Jeremiah Isiah....any more Biblical? Anyway, she said she really wants
to find a church and we thought, uhm yes, we can help with that! She
loved when we came over and we have a return appointment tomorrow.
Yay! Also, while contacting we found this guy named Ken and when we
contacted him he didn't seem interested at all. But we set up an
appointment but that was the day I was really sick. We weren't sure if
we wanted to call and cancel because that always gives them a way to
back out of things. With Sister Rees' help we decided to call which
was the way to go. That night had been a big storm and a lot of the
phones went out and that is where he works. When we called he said, "
Oh! I am so glad you called! I had to work late and was so worried
because I didn't have your number to tell you I couldn't make it! I
was going to run home and leave a note to let you know that I still
really want to meet and I wasn't standing you up!" We were floored,
and really excited. Hopefully he read the pamphlet we gave him.

- We had Elder Rasband here yesterday to reorganize the Lancaster
Stake. It was such an incredible meeting filled with the spirit. Just
glad I can't ever be called as a stake president....STRESSFUL!

- They reorganized our district and zones and so now we are in a new
one with probably 2 of the funniest Elders as Zone Leaders, and a
really cool district leader. We are the only sister's in the zone and
so it makes things interesting. We have a lot of fun with them and on
Saturday we had a transfer breakfast. It was good times and the Elders
always remind us to lighten up and not take things too seriously,
because they sure don't!

-I finished the Book of Mormon this last week with doing all of the
markings. My testimony grew so much of that book in the way that I
studied it! It came alive and I enjoyed it so much more than I ever
have. What has been really great is studying the New Testament and I
am going to read that next along with Jesus the Christ as a help. I
have learned some fascinating things and am growing so much. It is so
clear why this gospel is true as I continue reading that book. Talmage
man, he must have had a lot of help from the other side if not Christ
himself helping him with that book because it is so powerful. I really
can't get enough of studying and learning out here and I love that I
get to do that every day. The only problem is an hour isn't enough.

- I just wanted to share really quickly a few things that I learned
and really loved this week. When I was learning in Matthew 4 when the
Lord fasts for 40 days. I never realized the temptations that followed
the Savior during this time.
Sometimes we forget that the Savior even was capable of sin in
general. But he was - it is like an honest man wouldn't steal, but he
is capable of it. However Satan tempts him with many things and one
that really stuck out to me was when Satan continues to say, "IF youa
re the Son of god..." He says this a lot to him! He is trying to get
him to doubt his divinity. The Lord was still learning line upon line,
precept on precept that he truly was the Son of God. Satan does this a
lot to us, me especially to try and forget our divinity. As soon as he
can get us to doubt that, it is a lot easier to make mistakes. We must
remember who we are!!

I love this gospel so much. It is so hard to be on a mission some
days, but how quick I am to be able to forget those and just really
feel how great it is to be here! I love it so much and I can't believe
I am able to do this. It truly is the best decision I have ever made
and I learn so much each and every day. Keep me in you prayers as I am
always keeping all of you in mine. This gospel is true, it is the way
to eternal life and happiness! Don't ever lose sight of that! I love
it.

Love Sister Sheltz!