Week 5

Hello Family and Anika! :)

Okay, So before I forget some stuff..... I need a couple more favors :) We have started doing "role plays" where we will act as a non-member friend from back home that we know really well and have the other 2 missionaries in our district teach us as that investigator. It needs to be someone we know very well and that we can know how they would act or respond. After some thought and prayer I think I should role play Evan.  I feel that He is truly my best non-member friend and I think I know him well enough to play his role adequately.  Thank you SOOO much for the charger and the SD card. The computers here still do not allow access to cameras as I have been able to figure out yet :( but the charger came in just in time! I got to snag some last pictures with my Companion before He left this morning. Elder Staheli was an AWESOME trainer and companion and I know he wil have great success out in the field because he is obedient, and knows how to work.

Okay.... now for the good stuff :)

This week has been fantastic! I have finally kicked the last bit of sickness over so no more runny nose and tissues! :) Like I said, the older cantonese district left early this morning, so I may never see them again since they are going quite a ways away from me, but that's what missionary work is I guess :) So this week I met an elder from Melbourne, Au. He is AWESOME!! He came in early (most international missionaries come in a day or two early) and we helped him get situated in his room and introduced him to the MTC, in return, he gave us Tim Tams. Hopefully Mom, you experienced these because they are basically heaven!! its like a neco wafer cookie covered in chocolate but 7x better! SO delicious! E. Staheli and I were chowing them down, but im glad that I didn't eat them all because guess what????? I'm getting a new companion on the 7'th of november (it's your bday present dad:) ) and He is going to my same mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I will train him here, and with how few elders go to Sydney Cantonese speaking, I will likely be his Compnaion there too!! I was so excited when I found that out! 

Until that date, I have a companion, elder Kimzi, who has to stay here until next week because he has walking pneumonia. He was supposed to leave 2 weeks ago, but the medical staff had him stay.  He's a good elder, He has come to grips with his situation and is still progressing well I feel. Yesterday I was released with E. Staheli as Zone Leaders and the 2 new ones I think will be even better than we were. they are great Elders as well. 1 of them was the Distric leader before and almost half of his district was at one point or another talking to him about going home. When he told us about that we were shocked! but through prayer and some extra love and attention to those Elders, they are in a better mood and I believe are more willing to serve. Guess it just takes some people longer to find their desire and fervor to serve. 

My heart and prayers go out to Aunt Bobby and Aunt Karen and their family back East. Sounds like this storm is a pretty big one! 

So this week I taught some lessons by myself and they were definitely.... different :) The teachers I think wanted to up the anti a little bit because they weren't the same investigators of when I was teaching with the Sisters. They were a little more questioning and not so willing to just keep every commitment I gave them. One of them actually, we just talked the entire lesson about why the Book of Mormon is so crucial in her conversion and that she needs to be reading with a sincere heart if she is going to gain a testimony. I bore my testimony of saying that we are not very good teachers at all when compared to the Book of Mormon, and our goal and desire is that she will pray about it and study it daily. I think this lesson went really well though because I dont want to just keep teaching her and having her accept commitments but not do it with her heart. She will read or pray with us but doesn't always understand and will just be okay with not firmly understanding everything. I want her to start gaining a testimony because as of now, she says she wants to know her relationship with God and her path, but I think she is expecting us to give it to her and tell her everything rather than her have to work for it herself. So I really hope that us talking about the Book of Mormon the whole time had an impact on her. I think that it did, but we will see in our next lesson I guess. It is a little weird to teach alone. I definitely would rather have a companion, but i know that me teaching alone while here will grant me more teaching time and experience as well as the other sisters. They said their lesson went well and they were very happy with it too, so I'm glad. We had an AMAZING TRC this saturday (trc= when volounteers come in and you teach them as they are, as members or less actives or whatever.) so we taught 3 different members about how they can receive revelation through reading and pondering the Book of Mormon and it was awesome! They seemed really to be affected by our message and stated that they could feel the spirirt and had a greater desire to follow Christ. Mission accomplished! :) 

The Cantonese continues to come along well. I have found that as I try to find words that I can use in prayer, and in my lessons, they just stick. For instance, I wanted to know how I could pray to have more humility, patience, love, and inspiration from the Holy Ghost. and so I looked up these words and others that I wanted to convey in Cantonese, and WABAM! they were some of the easiest words to learn :) I think I get the hint that when I'm trying to learn for the sake of becoming a better missionary and teaching the Gospel to His children, He helps me learn Cantonese. I also LOVE to sing in Cantonese. this language is so beautiful!! I can't wait to call and let you know how beautiful it is hahaha :) 

Thank you all for your love and support to me. I can go on and on about how much my testimony is developing and how much I love missionary work. This gospel is absolute truth. Anyone who willingly seeks knowledge and asks in faith will receive answers and an outpouring of love. I love you all and can't wait to hear from you!

Elder Shafer