Monday, June 27, 2011

Hey,
Conference was awesome. President spoke about references and how the members can help more. It was really good. We were really blessed this last week with 5 people at church. So we have 4 possible for this week to be baptized. I am so excited and hope everything goes well. Well thanks for everything. My week was a little better. My comp is a little hard though. He does not agree with some things that we do on the mission and so that is really hard. Well things will work out.
Mom,
Well that is good that camp went well. My week was okay not the best. We were definitely blessed to have 5 people at church and we have 4 possible to be baptized this week. Please keep in your prayers Josi, Aurea, Leiticia, and Bia so that they can be baptized on Sunday. I am so excited I really hope they get baptized because it has been a long time since I have had WATER. Well my comp is okay. He does not agree with some things that we are suppose to do on the mission and so that is hard. I have to really push him to work. Well the next transfer is July 24ish. I just want to help many people be baptized and receive the blessings of the Gospel. I just hope things go better with my comp. Well I kind of hope I get a new comp for Transfers because it is my last and I want someone that will work. Well our week was good. I am still plugging until the end. Well can you have the guys start thinking of what they want as a souvenir because here in a couple weeks I will be sending a package home of stuff. That would really help´. Is there anything I can do for you guys? If so just let me know.
Elder Shelley

Thanks mom,
It is true a whole lot of work. BUT IT IS WORTH IT. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! It will be sad to take off the name tag. Mom I am really trying my best and I hope the Lord can see that. I am trying to finish strong. Well I have seen many blessing come from being a missionary. I can’t wait to hear the new missionary cd. Well thanks for all the prayers, it helps. I love you and thanks for everything.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Dad,
Matt is a funny kid. I love him. I wish I could have seen the smile. Hope he had a good birthday. My comp is a little quiet but good. He is helping a little bit. He is still getting used to the mission. Today is Menezes birthday. We are going to have a barbeque for him. Well did not do much for the birthday. It was kind of lame. My comp bought a chocolate pudding cake but that was about the highlight. Well, things will go better and keep our investigators in your prayers. We have many good people that are preparing for baptism. Boy, I was mad at the ward here. We have an investigator, Josi, she is really interested in the church. We talked with her and she wanted to go to Stake Conference, but she was not able to because there was only one bus to go to Birigui. Dad there was supposed to be 2 buses but because the members put their names at the last minute there was only one bus so we had to tell our investigator that she could not, I was so mad because she really wanted to go. Well sometimes that happens. Well Stake Conference was good. Well it is a ton easier having the language down. Things are going a little better. Well please keep praying that our investigators will progress and will be able to go to church. Well I hope things are going well for you. Have a good week and I will try and do the same.
Elder Shelley

Monday, June 13, 2011

New Comp--Elder Vitor

June 13, 2011

Mom,
Thank you very much to Grandma and Grandpa G and Grandma Shelley for the money in my account. I really appreciate it. Well I got a new comp Elder Vitor from Recife. It is his second transfer. We will see how it goes. Yea I’m a little happy to stay in Lins. I just hope that we can baptize and really help the area. Peterson is in a city call Sao Jose da Bonifacio. He is training but not very excited about it.

That is really good about Matt. He is just awesome. That is really good that he can go and teach. I think that is just what he needed. Mom I will really miss being a missionary. I love being about to share my Testimony everyday. Mom our mission president challenged all the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon in a transfer. I took that challenge and finished, I read it all in Portuguese. Mom that was one of the best experiences that I have had. President promised really good blessings if we did that, so I really hope. Please pray for my new comp and especially the area that we can find really good people to teach. Good luck placing the Book of Mormon I will definitely pray for you guys. Mom that is one of the hardest things is getting people to go to church. We had one come yesterday, Bia, she has been taught by the missionaries, she is 16 and she is deciding between the Catholic and ours. She really likes ours. Well we are going to have the DL interview her. Well this last week was slow and we did not do as good as we should of. Mom the people here are kind of weird, they let you in to teach one lesson and after don’t want anything to do with it. They hate keeping commitments. Well keep praying and hope that many miracles can happen this next transfer. Have a good week and I will try and have the same.
Elder Shelley

Friday, June 10, 2011

June 6, 2011

Mom,
Don’t worry about the trip. That is just one thing that I really miss. I love the family trips that we go on. You know being here I have really gained a testimony on have strong family relationships. I can’t wait to go on some fun adventures here in a couple months. Mom things will work out.

Friday we had a mission tour with Elder Godoy. Mom, the mission conference was just what I needed!!!!!. It was really good. Very Spiritual. I really loved listening to him. He spoke a lot on our names and how they have a heritage. Mom the spirit was so strong and just an awesome time. It was just what I needed. He talked a lot about our purpose for being missionaries. To save others, to built the kingdom of God, and to save ourselves. It was just a really good meeting. He also shared a couple experiences on how a mission president is called and some personal experiences when his son got his mission call to serve in the south part of Brazil.

Mom could you get me Brian’s, Janice’s, and Mike’s house address? That would be great. I can’t believe how fast the time is flying by. It is crazy before you know it I will be home. Well I am really trying my best and trying to have no regrets. Mom this area is hard because people don’t want to make commitments. It is hard but we are doing our best.

Oh when we were coming home from the thing with Godoy the bus broke down and so we had to wait for a new one and that wasted the rest of the day. That was a bummer. Well things are going well. I sure hope that Jani and Juli can be safe with Joc and Jaq. Mom I know that Heavenly Father will watch after them and keep them safe. Mom I just don’t want anything bad to happen to them because I am getting close to come home and I can’t wait to see them.

Have a good one. Thanks for letting me know about the money and I finally got the package. Thanks!!!!

Elder Shelley