5 things Shelly did this week

I am the worst sister ever. Every time I write Michelley I just talk about all the fun things we'll do when she gets home. Oops! Enjoy :)

Here are 5 things we did this week:

1. Right as we were inviting Lucresia Rodriguez, a really great new investigator to get baptised on the 20th of November, her neighbor a Jehovah´s witness came through the door and sat down. Started bickering about who knows what, wanting us to recite the 10 commandments from memory, challenging everything we said, and being a little devil! I was so mad! We really just listened and didn´t contend, but as we were leaving I said, ¨you will be judged out of the words of this book (holding the Book of Mormon), thanks, we have to go!¨. It was kinda funny. But really annoying! She was going to say yes!! And since then, we keep missing each other and haven´t been able to teach her again yet. Don´t worry, we will. Appointment tomorrow.

2. We helped a drunk lady get to her house, took her liquor away from her and dumped it out! She was super old and so cute, poor thing. She was so grateful and kept hugging us when we got to her house. She probably would´ve gotten hit by a car out there on the street stumbling around.

3. Talked to a member of the church who was asking us what he can do to someday become the Prophet.

4. Spent almost all day Saturday making phone calls for 5 sick missionaries that called us, one we had to call his family and send him to the clinic for chest pain, which now is apparently an inflamed nerve? Good news is, all is well with them. And, we got some action for Hermana Rodgers.

5. Had an amazing Stake Conference on Sunday where I got to see all the Iñaquito people. An area seventy came Elder Mestre, and he held a meeting of new converts before the general meeting. Hermana Sloan said that El Eden ward (our ward), had a really good showing and everyone was there on time. Our ward is so great. The members helped all the new converts know where the stake center was, etc. I was proud :)

two months out!

Shelly just got her replacement companion, a gringa! And also a nurse. We are getting excited for her to come back to us but know she'll be sadddd when it happens as well. Anyway, happy reading! There are a few pictures as well.


Hi Fam!

Well, I got my new companion Hermana Rodgers! It has been really fun being with her. We understand each other in so many ways! We have the same calling. We have worked hard and really pushed ourselves to find new investigators, as well as trying to learn the ropes of the nursing stuff. As we´ve conversed I have really realized how much I have learned. Thinking about being in her position, I just remember having no idea what to say to the missionaries when they called. Now, I kinda know what to do! It´s cool. I´ve also been telling lots of stories, and it has made me realize what a fun experience it has been to be the nurse. I really do have some pretty good stories. I´m trying to convey to her all I can, although I know that she will have to gain her own ¨tribal knowledge¨ just getting out there and doing it.

We will be traveling the mission during November, so she can see all the different climates, meet all the missionaries, and see the clinics as well. It is so crazy to be with her. But it´s really fun. I haven´t given her the cell phone yet, but every call I get I go over afterward with her. She will be getting the phone in the next couple weeks, and I will just sit back and relax. jk She is very quiet, but super super smart. And such a sweet person. She did her capstone at Primary Children´s, just before she came on a mission, so we have that somewhat similar background.

Believe it or not, my time is almost up. It seems that recently my personal emails to you are more interesting to me, and I run out of time to write about the week! Well, I´m attaching the photos of Michel´s baptism. She was very happy. Her family was there, we are working on getting her Dad baptised but it will require two more divorces...........grrrrr

Being with a new missionary is really great. We have a goal to make a baptismal invitation in every lesson. Including our first with people. It has really helped us exercise our faith. Sometimes during the lesson in my mind I resist it, but I am so certain that we must invite wherever we are. Otherwise I am wasting my time here, just traveling around Ecuador, but I am not a missionary. I love living my mission with faith. Have you thought about what it means to live with faith? I think everyone should live with more faith. No regrets! Follow every prompting you get, even if it seems weird or uncomfortable. If we are comfortable in our lives, we are not improving! We have so much potential to be instruments in God´s hands, but we let those opportunities slip by because of fear, laziness, or conformism. We should be the best we can be! And do what we know we should do. In every calling we have, including home visiting teachers, moms, grandmas, dads, brothers, and friends! We should live with faith. It is a long process, but we can do it!

Anyway, gotta go.

Love you all!

Hermana Shelly G