CANCUN BOUND

These last few weeks Elder Reyes and I have been working pretty hard to make sure our investigators are getting ready for their baptisms next month. The sad part is that today was transfers and now I'm in Cancun! My area is called Bonompak and I haven't met my new comp yet, but his name is Elder Ramirez and we are going to open up an area that has been closed for a couple transfers just like Tizimin. Ha so I guess I have some experience plus Elder Ramirez is getting ready to go home in four months or so.

I'm excited to start fresh in a new area and to meet new people, but at the same time I was just getting really comfortable with the ward and area in Tizimin. I was enjoying actually knowing where things are and now I have to start all over again. ha I'm ready for it though. The saddest part is that after working hard with Elder Reyes, I'm not going to be able to see the baptisms that we have lined up for every week next month. One member I really love just had a new baby boy and she asked me to bless him next week. I would have given a baby blessing the same day as my big bro Travis to his first baby girl! It's a bummer, but God knows what He's doing. 

I'm really going to miss good ol Tizimin. Cancun is going to be a whole lot different. Everything is HUGE here! Well maybe it's normal and I have just gotten used to the little villages.

One SHOUT OUT this week for my Grandma Shurtliff! I just got your letter from a month ago and it gave me just what I needed! I love you!

Thank you so much everyone for reading my blog, and for all your love and prayers. Keep em comin!

Pics next week!

HAVE YOU READ THE BOOK OF MORMON TODAY?!

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

Another week in good ol Tizimin!

WOW the heat is starting to jump big time and I'm sick of drinking boiling water haha. I put on a ton of sunblock everyday and people still tell me that I'm red. I guess my face just isn't meant to get tan.

Well this week has been pretty nuts because Elder Reyes and I are now learning our lesson from using all our money on taxis. We took a ton of taxis at the beginning of the month and now pretty much the only food we have is the candy the Shurtliff family sent me. I'm not sure but I don't think eating nothing but candy is a good idea. I'm going to be sick! Ha funny story...I didn't want to say anything, but I got really sick this week. DON'T WORRY. I'm good now, but lets just say I'm now officially a true missionary. Ask a RM if you don't know what that means.

The work in the Lord's vineyard is going along pretty great! Yesterday we had a miracle because three different investigators we have never met came to church out of nowhere and we are going to start teaching them this week. Also one sister that we stopped teaching because she wasn't progressing finally told us she's ready to prepare for her baptism again which literally made my comp and I rejoice together haha. Things are as good as ever!

Thank you so much everyone for all your love, support, and prayers! HASTA LUEGO!

Pray with your family!!! 

Love,

       Elder Adam Shurtliff

HOLA MUCHACHOS

This week has been really busy like the last, but I'm lovin' it.

Elder Reyes and I are doing awesome! We are getting a ton of new investigators that are mostly references from members and family of less active members. Yesterday we had our first three investigators in church for the first time in about a month so I'm feeling energized and ready to work hard for these people who really want to learn about the restored Gospel. Now that we have lots of new people to teach the problem now is finding time to teach them all. It's been hard for us to not get carried away in lessons and go overtime so that we dont arrive late to our next appointment. It's especially hard when people are feeling the spirit and speaking from their hearts and you have to wrap it up without cutting them off, but I'm thinking it will come with practice.

Last night we had a pretty sweet family home evening. We brought a piñata (only in Mexico) and filled it with Candy and pictures of Christ. Everybody (even the old sisters) had fun breaking it open and after we shared a message about the Atonement. We asked how many of them realized that the pictures of Christ fell on the ground until after they gathered the candy. We explained how our Savior suffered for every single one of us so that we can have joy in this life. I felt like everyone learned more about the power of the Atonement and are for sure going to remember the crazy missionaries who related a piñata to the Gospel haha. It was also really cool to do it at night outside.

 No news on the misión split except its going to be in July. President Salinas got called as a Seventy of Mexico though which is pretty cool and makes me feel lucky to have him as a misión president right now. Elder Reyes is pretty chill. He understands a lot of English and likes a lot of the same music I do. The thing is, that its hard for him to stop singing songs other than hymns ha. He's from D.F. like Elder Gutiérrez and has the same amount of time on the misión as me.

 

WELL thats all for now!

 

SHOUT OUT for everyone who gave me my HUGE Easter package full of jellybeans and pretty much everything I love! (foodwise) haha YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

 

Also thank you everyone who's writing me emails! Keep em comin'!

 

Love,

        Elder Shurtliff

HAPPY CONFERENCE EVERYBODY!!!

This one is going to be really short, but I hope everyone had the best conference weekend and got pumped up by the pure Word of God. I know I did!

 

I had a lot of favorites, but I loved a lot of the talks from the Saturday morning session like Elder Ballard's and Elder Eyring's. I also loved President Monson's and Kristofferson's. It was cool to see the trend of topics like Obedience and Standing Firm in the Light of Christ and His Gospel. Conference goes by so fast as a missionary! I feel like the people in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi who were so sad when Jesús said he was going to go when President Monson gave his last talk.

 

SHOUT OUTS

Happy Birthday Melissa and Gaven! I hope you both had the best birthdays ever!

Thank you so much to the Shurtliff family who sent me the best Easter card and to Brother and Sister Henretty who gave me an awesome little package full of Easter candy like STARBURST JELLYBEANS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

 

Nicole Wills also sent me a pretty sweet letter which I was surprised to get and a big SHOUT OUT to Robbie because I always get compliments when I wear the tie he sent me. Also THANK YOU Jill Shurtliff for all the choose the right wristbands. Everyone loves them and wears them 24/7.

BEST FOR LAST...

Thank you so much everyone for all your prayers, love, and support!

 

THE CHURCH IS TRUE

Love,

        Elder Adam Shurtliff

Feliz Pascua!!!

So for Easter yesterday nobody really recognized it which was kinda a bummer. We didn't have talks in church about the Atonement or the Resurrection or anything, but Elder Cromwell gave a farewell talk. Just as good! Ha ya the only Easter stuff that happened was the Easter egg hunt activity us missionaries organized last Sunday. We got all the makeshift Mexican egg painting supplies and I showed them the tradition and explained the symbols of the eggs and rabbits and everything. The members really loved looking for the eggs outside of the church and I got to use some of the supplies my mom sent me to give for prizes like pictures of Christ and pencils that say I'm a Child of God in Spanish. After the hunt we talked about the Atonement and watched the movie, Finding Faith in Christ, and had horchata and empenadas after. I felt like everyone loved it and felt the Spirit. It was also just really fun to have an activity all together with the ward so they can sense the unity we have as members of the church. We all love and care about each other and that is one of the things I love most about the church. There's no other place like it.

Elder Cromwell left this morning so it's just me and Elder Reyes right now which is a relief. I'm going to like having someone with less experience so we can have more unity in learning things together instead of the teacher student companionships I have had before.
I'm so excited for General Conference this weekend! It makes me think about my last one in the MTC. I can't believe that was six months ago! There's a rule though, that we can't go watch the Saturday sessions at the church unless we bring investigators. If that's not some good motivation I don't know what is!

SHOUT OUTS FOR EVERYONE WHO WROTE ME A EMAIL THIS WEEK like Sarah and Tommy! Sorry if I didnt get to answer this week, but I'll try the best I can to get to it next time.

ANOTHER SHOUT OUT FOR MY BROTHER ROBBIE WHO HAS A DATE TO PROM! Haha I'm proud of you hermano!

Everyone have a Happy Conference! Take some notes!

Love,

       Elder Adam Shurtliff