August 6, 2018

This is such a random scripture but every time i read it i think it’s the perfect recipe to revelation.

1 Nephi 11;1

"For it came to pass after i had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as i sat pondering in mine heart i was caught away in the Spirit of the lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which i never had before seen, and upon which i never had before set my foot."

Nephi desired to know, he had faith, and he sat ponding (or acting and pondering.) The Lord was able to reveal the Mysteries of Himself! I’ve learned that pondering is pretty important (you know me just make up my mind and do something without really thinking it through) haha But it’s how the knowledge you have in your brain is carried to the feelings of your heart.

This week was alright. It was kinda frustrating cause we meet a lot of awesome people but they never hold through. You just want to give up on them, but they seems to have just enough light in them to motivate you to keep going. It’s kinda like a teaser hahaha My comp and i definitely saw some tender mercies this week. We are teaching quite a few children and we’re really not allowed to baptize them without the president’s permission so when he comes this week we will have to ask him if we can. If they don’t have enough of a support system he won’t say yes. They pretty much have to have an active parent in order to be baptized cause 95% of the members who go to university go less active. It’s kinda sad but that is just the way it is. The church really isn’t established in the hearts of the people here but that is part of the area plan here in South East Africa. We are teaching one child who has an uncle who is a strong member but her mother isn’t. Her mother, Michelle has been taught by missionaries for 8 years but can’t give up smoking drugs to be baptized but she wants her daughter to be baptized. We broke the news to her that we can’t baptized her daughter without her being baptized also. Demishe was devastated. She’s 12 years old and started to cry. It was so sweet. The mother then realized that her decisions are starting to affect her children so now she said she will try extra hard to quit. We gave her a blessing and now were going though ARP with her and her sister who is also less active going through the same problems. I’ve got some pretty good feelings about them but it’s going to take a while! Pray for them!!!!

Love you all 

Elder Shaw

July 30, 2018

Port Elizabeth hasn't had missionaries in 9 months so they were super glad when we got here. It's been a good week!

Love ya,

Elder Shaw

July 23, 2018

Man i love Port Elizabeth! This area is awesome but super dangerous haha. My comp is from Brazil and learning English. He only been out for 3ish months so he’s new.

When we arrived on Sunday no one had played the piano in months for their ward so i jumped up there being over confident in my abilities and just slaughtered it hahahah. It was really funny but they were all grateful i could just play! But i got called on to give another talk. Man, i swear i talk every single week!!! but that’s ok. The ward here is awesome. I’m pretty much whitewashing again cause last transfer the elders in the area got hijacked and they had to close the area so we moved here and there hasn’t been missionaries here in a while so the members are all excited to do missionary work and giving us referrals, which is awesome!

I had to say goodbye to my mission buddies this week and it was really sad because I’m going to miss them all lot! Many of the people in this mission are from other countries then America so i won’t see any of them probably ever again. It’s really sad!

There are a lot of elders here that have some anxiety and sometimes they develops into depression.

What you said “You should be the most skilled you are ever going to be as missionary in your last area.  Be a waste to spend 21 months learning how to be a great missionary and then not use those skills” Is great advice and i actually read that in the Book of Mormon which was really cool! I forgot to write about it so maybe i will next week but i realized that! I need to trust in my companion to display and be an instrument even though he has a hard time with English.

Love ya,

Elder Shaw

July 16, 2018

Soooooooooooooo another week down and I still don’t know what to say. Here goes..

Transfers this week and I was transferred to Port Elizabeth. It is beautiful. Google it. It’s a tourist and resort town that is big on surfing. I have been in Fish Hoek for 3 transfers and I’ll tell you my stats;

Investigator lesson: 304

New Investigators: 140

Member referrals: 6

Baptisms: 1

Now that one baptism is from a member referral. People why can’t you do missionary work?! it would be so much more fruitful. But i can’t complain since i rarely ever did myself haha But let me tell ya, if a member gives a referral, ahh it’s the best cause they are super likely to get baptized here!

I don’t know what it is but i think i contract every sickness in the whole world!!!! i was sick again this week and it’s the worst cause you don’t want to stay in but sometimes you just have to! Peeps, any advice on how to build my immune system cause I’m so tired of being sick!

Ok just a little update on those 13 investigators we found last week... ya we are only teaching 3 of them now.... but I’ll take them. They are the best!

As a missionary i feel confident at teaching but then my weakness would be compassion and patience, which go hand in hand. Ya i need to work on that.

Yes, i have thought about reading the Bible dictionary. I actually started it at the beginning of my mission but only got to the Gs and then we started this mission challenge of reading the Book of Mormon so i stopped.

Love you,

Peace love and blessing!

Elder Shaw