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!

Hello everyone!

    

Thisweek has proved yet again to be an interesting one! This transferhas just been so odd! I have been really sick this week with a Kidney
infection that went crazy I guess you could say. They thought I was
passing a kidney stone, the apendicitis, and then back to infection
with possible kidney stone. No fun! We have been in the doctor's
office a lot this week and spending a lot of down time. Luckily I am
with Sister M so it hasn't been completely miserable and we got
permission to watch LDS movies. Well, after we went through THAT
entire library they gave us permission to watch G and PG
movies....soooooooooo basically! We are living every Elder's
dream...kidding, but seriously. I feel hardly like a missionary this
week, but have been forced to stay down.

We still have seen some really cool miracles  and we have a lot of
work waiting for us. I don't know what transfers will bring but I now
hope I stay here so we can keep things rolling. Our fireside is coming
up on Nov 14th so that has been good because we can work on all the
logistics for that while we have to stay home.

Well, sheesh, you would think my body would stop acting up on me
already! But we will keep moving forward.

This week is stake conference and they are gettin a new stake
president and so we have Elder Rasband coming, that should be
exciting!

Well, keep me in your prayers and I always keep all of you in mine!
Hope everyone has a Happy Halloweeny!

Love Sister Sheltz

Learning to Sign and Road trip to the Temple!!

Hey Everyone!

I can definitely say that this week has been much better, yet still
hard at the same time. We are definitely in an overwhelming situation
because first of all, I don't know sign language, nor did I ever think
I would ever learn it...but I am learning as fast as my little hands
can! Also our area has been so dead this transfer that we are really
trying to work so hard to get it going. It feels great to actually BE
a missionary again. Can you believe before this week we only taught 8
investigator lessons....EIGHT! WHOA! I will kill someone. But already
it has picked up and we did some contacting and our first house we got
a potential....that was awesome and helped restore some of the faith I
lost because we contacted 9 hours in 3 days one week and got a big fat
zero even mere potentials.

1) We got a special trip to the temple this week thanks to President
and we were SO excited!! Don't worry that I drove clear to Anaheim
though....223 miles later we were where we needed to be. I got on the
5 and just kept driving when I was supposed to merge to the
405...California freeways are so confusing...you get on the wrong one
and you are clear away from where you need to be. We also stopped in
Santa Clarita at BOOK CASTLE! Whoa...sounds exciting right?! It was.
It was like our little Beehive Books in Lancaster on steroids and we
were like kids in a candy store. It is no where near Deseret Book, but
it was still great for the mish. Then after a very LONG detour we made
it to the temple where we went to this AMAZING state of the art
visitors center. Wow, it was so cool. It is one of the first ones like
that and it had amazing displays: these huge screens with sliders
where you can put it over someone's face and it tells their story and
testamony (it looks a lot like the new mormon.org), also a huge
humanitarian display (my fave), a big display on families (made me
bawl my head off), and one called Savior of the World which was so
cool. It was like Mormon Disneyland I tell ya! Also they have this
huge section for kids and places where you can email videos to your
friends and stuff. Any investigator that goes there, I know that would
be the clincher. You can feel the spirit so strong and many of the
computers answer questions about all of the weird things people hear
about Mormons. I saw one of my friends Elisa Tittle that I went to
high school with and she is there on a mission. I envy her because her
mission is LA and it half visitor's center half proselyting...in other
words, she can take her investigators there! IT would make our lives
so much easier...that is really why Sam Chee got baptized. Anyway,
then we did a session and some initiatories and it was really great!

2) I talked to Sister Griffiths last night and found out Sam Chee has
a calling and got the priesthood! How cool is that?! She said he was
going to wet his pants he was so excited hahah, I can just imagine. He
is ward choir director!  I died, because he did all the music at his
old church! Also they are teaching one of his friends. So great!

3) Delmy moved because she broke up with her boyfriend...I am so sad,
but I hope maybe this will be a good turning point for her.

4) Robyn, the lady we knocked into and couldn't get to come to church
went to conference and loved it, and then came to church and LOVED it.
I could kill her, we only tried 8 million times to get her to go!
Sister Griffiths said that they also taught her the Law of Chastity
which we were always nervous about and said she accepted and decided
to live it. I love hearing success from other areas even when we
haven't had it here.

5) Arcenio and Yolandra are my 2 favorite investigators we have right
now...so, so funny. They also have a dog named Chewey that looks like
a brown version of Scuddles so I couldn't be happier. The only problem
is we can't get them to come to church because their friends are
teasing them about going to a Mormon church and they don't like the
title. They also know that if they come, they will like it...and then
they will have to join...HA love that.

6) The Rees family (our relief society president that is like having
Grandma Gould with me all the time :)) is the best to us and takes
care of us like we were her children. She has helped us so much
through all of these rough times and so we spent a lot of time with
her this week and we went to Costco one day and she was buying up the
whole store. Anyway, we got to the saran wrap and tin foil and she
said "Oh! I definitely need some more of that, I am out!" So she
grabbed three things of the BIG rolls. We went off to go invite a less
active to take the lessons with her, and he hubby took all the
groceries to be unloaded. When we got home he was standing there with
THE funniest look on his face with STACKS of tin foil and saran wrap.
HAHAH, it was the funniest thing so I will send a picture with that
because it was definitely random, but our funny moment of the week.

7) We got it all approved to have our musical fireside on November
14th. Who knows if I will be here to see it through again, but I have
no idea what is going to happen. I think it would be best if either
this area was whitewashed, or if our companionship is split so that we
can both move on. We love each other a lot, but there is just too much
icky that comes with both our memories and so I duno we will see.

Well, kids! That's all for this week. Keep us in your prayers so that
we can get the work really going again here. It has been so dead for a
while and so the more we can get investigators and get teaching the
better we will be! We found a lot of formers in our area book that we
are going to try and a lot of old potentials that were never
re-contacted. I love that there are so many missionaries in this area
(not all LDS) and so when you go contacting people have on their
doors: No Soliciting! I have been saved already!! hahaha....good
times.

I love all of you so much. I know with all my heart that this gospel
is true, Christ lives, and our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are so
aware of each and every one of us.  I promise I am doing my best and
working as hard as I can to tell as many people about the love our
Heavenly Father has for them. Our savior not only died for our sins,
but he suffered our afflicitions, lonliness, heartache....all of it.
Not many people know that. When we lean on him in hard times, he will
lift us higher. He descended below all so that he can lift us up. I
love the restored gospel so much, and I love being a missionary, good
times and bad!! It is true, I promise.

All my loves and smooches and hugs!

Sister Sheltz

Sister Altman and Sister Walton Transferred! New Companion Sister MADUBUEZE

Sister Walton, my new companion when I moved to Lancaster

We went to serve at a place called The Painted Turtle. We went and made beds there, it is a camp for kids with severe and untreatable conditions where they can go for free and feel like a kid. It had the most amazing facilities and there were over 100 beds that need to be made every week and only one lady goes and does it. It i great to give service there! It is like walking on sacred ground honestly.

Things got shall we say a little CRAZY for a bit. Onward and upward!!

Emergency Transfer!! One of the 4-some not doing so well, so now I have a new companion!

MY NEW COMP SISTER MADUBUEZE!!! Absolutely adore and love her!!!

Sister M and I get a special trip to the temple...I am literally leaping for joy because we don't get to go ever because it is out of our mission....and we are going to do like 4 sessions and initiatories...just kidding, BUT seriously. I have also had some really amazing spiritual experiences! 

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No more bikes! Pres. said this area wasn't safe for us to be out riding our bikes! 

Making a positive name for Mormons

We are  going to try putting together another musical fireside about the savior! Sister Griffiths said it was amazingly successfull and I was soooooooo bummed I missed it. It was a lot of hard work and I wished I would have gotten to see it. Speaking of Sister Punkin aka Griffiths, I miss her LOTS and LOTS! She goes home at the end of this transfer...bum deal.Conference was amazing!!!! WOW!!! I was so excited to listen and I learned so much. One of my favorite parts was that I wrote out a whole bunch of questions that I had....gospel related, missionary related, schooling, family, all kinds of questions! All of them were answered either by the speakers or through the spirit that was there. It was SO cool and I know that the Lord answered them for me! I challenge everyone to do that next conference. It is so great! Annnd I have to say Elder Holland, Eyring, Uchtdorf, and Monson's talks were my fave. Good times!

 

  One of my questions I had was how can I make missionary work more effective for this area? Well, the answer that I got is giving service and making a positive name for Mormons in the community. I actually hate that people call us Mormons because it takes Jesus Christ's name out of it and I REALLY dislike when people don't think we are Christian. Actually, few things make me more mad. Hahaha. Except maybe that even at gas stations there is anti-mormon literature and that people will read ANYTHING and EVERYTHING about why the church is not true, but won't even try...not even give it a second thought to just trying to read ONE VERSE of the Book of Mormon. Really. really RIDICULOUS. Annnnyyway, we are going to try going service tracting these next few days in like normal clothes and tell people that we are not there to talk about religion but that we are just there to see if we can even help them around the house. Many times over people will ask questions later, and if nothing else they can see that we are more than just convincing people of religion. We are also going to try serving at the homeless shelters and doing a weekly activity night with the elderly :) My favorite! And also singing hymns to them. I really felt inspired to try things this way for a little bit because contacting 4 to 6 hours a day has done nothingThank you for ALL of the letters last week! I cannot tell you how much I needed them and how much they came at the exact perfect time. I had an overwhelmingly amount of kind words sent to me and I love all of you so much! Hope to hear from you soon and I am writing everyone back today.

 

Well, I love and miss all of you with all my heart! Know that I am out here giving every bit of me that I can and that the Lord is guiding us and protecting us in all we do. Thanks for all of the encouragement and everything that all of you have done to impact my life. This gospel is true! Christ lives, and he loves each one of us so much. Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. He didn't go to start his own church, but to reorganize the same church that existed when he was on the earth. This is his work and his gospel. I love it so much!

 

Love Sister Sheltz :)

Goals!!!

09/27/10

Transfer Goals:

 

1. At least one baptism

2. 18 new investigators

3. Teach at least one family

4. Full schedules (20 lessons a week)

 

In order for these goals to happen we will:

 

1. Contact at least one hour a day.

2. Be on time to all pros. activities and missionary schedules

3. Teach one active family a week and challenge them for referrals

4. Ask for referals from everyone

5. Schedule a meeting with the Bishop so he can understand our goals and understand his expectations

6. Start a grattitude book where we recogize the Lord's hand in our work

 

What the Lord promises us:

 

1. Place people in our path who are prepared

2. create time where investigators schedules will open up

3. Inspire us where to knock

4. Give members missionary opportunities and courage to invite friends

5. Protect us from Illness and evil people

 

I know that the Lord will grant us these things if we do our part. Each night we return and report and already our schedule is more full than last week. So many appointments cancelled on us and I couldn't believe it...even our legit investigators didn't show up or come to church. My blessing was great last night also and I know that I can make it through this transfer and learn a lot in the process.