I'M OFFICIALLY A YEAR OLD

To celebrate my year I made an American style breakfast with pancakes (with peanut butter and syrup) and BACON and orange juice. YUM. I also attempted to do a ceremonial pants burning, but it didn't really work out ha. I thought my bug spray was flammable and I ran out of matches. I guess God didn't want me to burn down the backyard ha.

Throwback Monday. Making it rain at the MTC.

Hola amigos! This week was pretty sweet! Elder Terriquez and I did a couple splits with other missionaries and I learned a lot from them like to be more direct with my investigators. A lot of times I let lame excuses pass by easily when somebody isn't reading or going to church, but now I know it's more important to get down to the cause which makes it a whole lot easier to help them do it the next time.

 

Elder Terriquez and area are doing awesome and there were a ton of investigators in church this week. Chemax is progressing great and I'm really seeing the desire of the family there to be baptized. I really want to go into detail, but I'll save that for later. Just know that I love teaching families!

Vallodolid! It's clean here!

We just had a ward activity where tons of members showed their Mexican cultural talents like singing mariachi, dancing with big dresses, and there was even one who imitated Michael Jackson. Ha it was pretty sweet. What was really cool was that when a little girl was singing and forgot the words to the song she got embarrassed and stopped for a bit, but everyone started clapping and she finished the song. It was so awesome to see how the ward supported her and how all the members are one huge family. That's one of the things I love most about the church.

SHOUT OUTS to Aunt Lyn for sending me the best tasting homemade rice krispy treats and a ton of awesome Deseret Book stuff that I can't wait to give out to my investigators. AND one for the Shurtliff family who gave me the traditional group card with all their little messages on it. AND one more for Nicole Wills who sent me an old fashion letter! WOOT GRACIAS

 

Have a good General Conference weekend everybody! NEW MISSION YEAR RESOLUTION. I'm going to start putting a scripture in all of my blogs this year. Today its D&C 88:119-126. READ IT!

 

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

Flooded streets of Cancun

 

 

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

I have some alarming news, but please try to remain calm.

I don't have pics this week either! 'so sorry! I just have been working so hard! Ha next week though I'll have some good ones though I promise!

So this week started pretty slow and not very awesome, but by Saturday we had a ton of miracles happen! Investigators that have never progressed with past missionaries (more than a year ago) are finally reading and going to church! I love it when people say that they have never felt so open with any of the other pairs of missionaries. It's the best! It makes me think how the missionaries who have taken my place in my past areas could be helping out my old investigators that I had a difficult time with. We are like a big team!

 

Chemax is doing great as always, but President gave us a new rule that if we baptize there we have to baptize the whole family. It was disappointing news at first, but I know it's the best for their conversions. You need your family to help you endure to the end, right?! Our goal is eternal families not just baptisms!

 

Well that's all I got for this week (all the time I got). 

SHOUT OUTS FOR EVERYONE! Stay safe and invite everybody you know to watch General Conference!

 

I turn a year old on Thursday! FIESTA!

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

¡¡¡¡¡VIVA MEXICO!!!!

Today is the Independance Day of Mexico! I'm missing out on the festivities though because they only have events going at night. It's a bummer, but I'll get over it. ha I'll try to grab a pic with a big flag or something. Sorry no pics this week! I've been working too hard I guess ha.

We actually have a lot going in Chemax (little village in my area) and we keep finding new people that want to be baptized everytime we go! Ha I want to train my son there, but it would be hard to open up a new area.

The biggest highlight this week was that Elder Johnson (Seventy and Presidente of the Area of Mexico) made the whole mission feel like the people of King Benjamin. Ha we really have changed the fundamentals of how we teach thanks to him reminding us how people not of our Church don't think the same way we do. Like when we say "God" they imagine a spirit of Jesus. Now we are making sure everyone understands the Godhead and what it really takes to be baptized and endure to the end. That last part is most important. There will be no more converts going inactive on my watch!

Shout out this week for two awesome family members of mine! It was the birthday of my late Grandpa LaDue the 12th and of my cousin Stephanie the 13th. FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!!

I hope everyone is getting ready for conference in a couple weeks! I can't believe its already time again! I want to invite everyone to read this months New Era that talks about how important the Prophets and Apostles are TODAY. Follow them and don't go astray.

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

ALLLLLLLLOOOOOHAAAAAAAA! Hermanos and Hermanas!

Well surprise! This week has flown by and I'm loving every minute of it! This week we got to go to one of our little villages named Chemax, with the first counselor and we had an awesome lesson with a sister there who started going to church with her son when her husband died. We went back yesterday for Sacrament meeting and we found two more people ready to prepare for their baptisms! By the way, my first Sabbath in a little meetinghouse was awesome! We had our Sacrament with pieces of cracker ha it was pretty different, but sweet! We actually taught our investigators during the talks in the back haha.

Cristina's Baptism!

Cristina's baptism was awesome even though it almost didn't happen! The Bishop or any of his counselors couldn't come and so my comp was getting all stressed out but I stayed calm and we called the assistant (Elder Vrska, my mtc comp) and he said we could still do it! And so, long story short, Cristina looked so happy and gave an awesome closing prayer filling the room with the Spirit. THE CHURCH IS TRUE.

A huge spider on the street!

Thank you so much everyone for all you love and support!

PEACE

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

HAPPY LABOR DAY AMIGOS

Sorry. This didn't get published last week. ~Monique

Our awesome baptism with Arcadia and the Bishop

There no Labor Day here, but my dad told me Ha.

This week was truly a miracle! Elder Terriquez and I have received so many blessings this week and are sooooo grateful to see how much our area is progressing. We went from having a third of the goal of excellence for lessons with members to one more than the goal in one week! I was also way surprised to see so many investigators in church yesterday for their first time. Our ward is getting more and more excited for missionary work and are helping us out a ton. A new rule started yesterday that says investigators need five times in church instead of three. This will surely help them be converted to the Gospel and not only baptized ready to become inactive after a couple months. I'm excited to see the results! Transfers are today, but I'm happy to say I'm staying here with Elder Terriquez! We have lots of work to do and we are excited for Cristina who is a married 17 year old who is getting baptized this week!

I hope everyone has an awesome week! Dont ignore those promptings from the Holy Ghost to share the Gospel! Trust me, its well worth it to change somebodys life.

Love,

       Elder Adam Shurtliff

Last pic of the transfer with my district in Valladolid!