Thursday, March 30, 2017

March 27, 2017

As for your questions, this week is week 5 and next is week 6 of this transfer so it will end at the end of next week. I’m not sure what we are going to do about conference because they will broadcast the morning session at the chapel at 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday. I’m not sure if we are going to be able to watch the afternoon session or when.

None of our investigators came to church but we did receive and SMS that they couldn’t find a ride and their mom couldn’t take them so at least we knew they tried which is a step! All 4 of our investigators we found this week (2 families) and since we have not been able to see them in a long time they have slipped back into there old ways and backed off from baptism but after a little chat and D&C 20 about the requirements for baptism they are back on for the 23 of April but by then i wont be able to see them get baptized. Sad, but i really hope they continue to progress to there baptismal date! We had a really good week. Well i guess, we kept busy. We are visiting every active member cause there 100 that are active and 200 that are inactive. We are almost all the way through with all of the member and we’re giving them a challenge to bring one of their friends to church! NOT THAT HARD!!! Everyone back home should do it also! It’s super easy, all you got to do is ask. You’re never going to receive a witness until after the trail of your faith so chances are they are going to say no the first time but that doesn’t mean you should give up!

Love you all


Elder Shaw

Monday, March 20, 2017

March 21, 2017

I guess you could say it was a rollercoaster week. We didn’t spend much time in our area this week due to Zone training and interviews. Then we went to Stellenbosch (an town thats in our area but kinda far away) for a youth conference that a few of us missionaries were invited to teach at. It was so fun to teach the youth about missionary work and all the aspects of it. They even fed us breakfast and lunch which was amazing! That was the loopdeloop of the week. The spinning sickening part was we don’t know where some of our investigators went! They didn’t come to church and we haven’t been able to make contact with them in a long time and they both have a baptismal date for the 26.  I think we are going to have to move it back to the 9 of April. Pray that we can find them!!! This week was so tiring!  I went to bed Saturday and woke up the next morning remembering that i had to give a 15 min talk in church. haha Just winged it. Turned out to be 20ish minuets and then people came up to me after saying it was good and there was even someone from our area council that was there hahaha. I love missionary work but it’s hard and tiring. I have a feeling that’s not going to go away so i just got to learn to cope with it.

Well mom I’m super tired right now but i get to go golfing with some of the youth cause they don’t have school today and last p day we got to go to a trampoline park. I was in heaven but i went with a bunch of uncoordinated Elders and it was so funny like this one guy seriously couldn’t even jump hahaha i was laughing so hard inside but then realized to be blessed with such a athletic body, i think i would die if i wasn’t. 

Usually when a mission president is going home (like mine) the mission tends to get disobedient and I’m surrounded with a bunch a disobedient elders but my comp and i got the compliment form our zone leaders that we were like the most obedient in the mission haha. wish my mission was more obedient

Interviews were awesome with President Merrill, I love talking to him!!  I asked where I’m going and he said he doesn’t know yet but he did say i was leaving. i think i will be going to eastern cape so Port Elizabeth and Queenstown and East London. I’ve never been there but i heard a lot of good things about it. We also had multi zone training this week which was great as always but what we did pretty much was just watch the missionary broadcast as a multi zone and we already watched it before but it was good because we stopped and talked about some of the points. Jealous you get to go to Austin. We were driving along the beach to get to zone conference and there were people surfing and i miss water soooooooo much!! I almost got in a crash cause i was staring at the waves haha.

Elder Shaw

March 8, 2017

Well this week was rough!  We taught about 10 lessons the whole week and all our investigators that were suppose to come to church, didn’t.  We woke up early to drive around and wake them up, woke them and they said they will be there and not a single one showed. Then we had scheduled appointments with them after sacrament so we went to there houses and we could hear them but they wouldn’t open their doors Ahhh it was so frustrating so i don’t think they will make they’re baptismal dates anymore. We are always trying to find new investigators. Every tuesday, wednesday and saturday we tract from 10-12 cause the president want us in our area by 10. Then if we don’t have anything else to do in the mid day we usually contact some more. My comp and I get along fine. haha we have some pretty good laughs and then other times he freaks out at me if i leave a bowl in the sink or crumbs on the counter and he gets moody.   And I’m super good. i would say one of the best in the mission at being clean so that something he can work on haha. That all probably sounded negative but i really hope this week is a better week. i cant wait till transfers. We’re half way through and i really want a different area, i love the people here and don’t want to leave them but it is hard when all the surrounding areas around you are blooming and we are just stuck. We have interviews with president this week and im hoping he tells me where im going next transfer. One scripture i liked this week was in alma when moroni is talking to pahoran about fixing the problem in Zarahemla and he says that you have to clean the inner vessel before the outer is cleansed and its for realz!  Its starts with your thoughts and your intent and if that’s good, then you actions will show!

Thank you for all your prayers. South Africa is in a drought right now and there’s like less than 100 days until water runs out, kind of scary for them. The Lord could be humbling South Africa.

Love you all 

Elder Shaw


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

February 27, 2017

Ah that is soooo cool that Braiden got to start! i really really wish i could watch him! Hopefully he plays when i get home haha. Sad about grandpa’s fall. He didn’t look too good in that picture. Was Mark there this week? Tell him i say hi!! I still can’t believe Jaden is going on a mission. Im sure she will do well. I’m really proud of her. Did you see Spencer D.? i  miss him and wish he would email me.

Sorry this letter might be short This week was tough hahaha definitely the hardest week of my mission so far! So many appointments fell through and  Ifelt like we were just running from one place to another not teaching anyone but we still got quite a few other lessons. We did a ton of service this week! Which is a good thing because after serving, one of our investigators came to church! FIRST TIME EVER!!  Her name is zukiswa (zu-kee-swa) thought you might need that haha but were teaching her and 2 of her sons that are 21 and 18. They are both progressing and coming along but the sons haven’t made it to church yet. we might have to continue doing service for her so she keeps coming haha We built her a little garden. Finally my working skills came in handy hahaha when i say we i mean I made her an amazing garden but forgot to take a picture of it. i will try next time we go over. the sons names are Avela and senabo. Our other really good investigators are Richard and Nelly. they were suppose to get baptized yesterday but there not married!! i really hope they get married because they have been together for 10 years and have kids so they’re not splitting up. They are so ready to enter the waters of baptism!! Pray for them! its really expensive her to get married so we will see what happens. Yesterday i had the chance to confirm a little girl whos father passed away in our ward. It was a super cool experience. Pray for that family too.(lawrence fam) They are going through a rough time. The father passed away a while ago. She is a single mom with 4 kids under the age of 13. Her car just got stolen and there is fighting in the home. i feel for them sooo much. I have been super blessed to have been born in such a great community and a awesome family! love you all

Elder Shaw