I'M STARTING TO MELT

Spring has started here in good ol Cancun and I'm starting to miss "winter". Ha I love the sun though just not the ridiculous heat.

This week I got a huge surprise! On Wednesday night our zone leaders called us and told us that my comp Elder N. and an Elder named Elder O. are going to trade areas. SPECIAL TRANSFERS. I don't want to talk bad about the situation but all I know is that Elder O. hasn't had one transfer that hasn't been just a normal transfer. The night I heard I was going to be companions with him I knelt down and pleaded with God that He would help me be a good comp so that we wouldn't have any problems. What happened next? He's here now, and so far so good! I should be really nervous, but I'm not! I'm entirely at peace because I'm leaving it all to the Lord. Now I'm listening better and treating people with a lot more charity. 

Me and Elder O.

Yesterday was the ward split. It turns out that the ward boundaries have already been this way for ten years but people just got confused ha. The sacrament meeting was one of the most spiritual that I have attended. I already love this ward! They had the ward youth choir and everything! It was pretty sad too because an awesome investigator (the one we found who cuts our hair) is going to another ward now. It's all for the best!

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

Conference is coming!!!

Juan 14:21 Read the Bible!

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

Ello America! Happy SAINT PATRICKS DAY!

I conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood to one of my good friends yesterday. It was sweet!

Nope nobody knows about it here ha and I lent the only green tie I have to an Elder forever ago and still haven't gotten it back ha. Yup we are still spending tons of time teaching the members, but this weekend we had stake conference which helped a ton. Elder Lopez (Area Seventy in Mexico) came and taught us that it's way easier to think of references when you think about specific groups of people one at a time. Like for example, coworkers, neighbors that you haven't talked to about the church, friends from school, etc. We got a big list of names thanks to this!

Mormon green jello is universal!

Elder Lopez focused on talking about the importance of members being converted to Christ and not the church. What's the difference? You can have lots of callings and the church and still yell at your family members. True disciples of Christ take advantage of the Atonement EVERYDAY. He taught so clearly so that even the non-members and children could understand the importance of repenting daily. He also talked about how members shouldn't teach non-members about the church, because then they are going to be way closed off. To open them up all we need to do is talk generally about God and then share your beliefs and your testimony. Then they will ask you more. It works!

Ancient Mayan graffiti drawings of Nephi writing upon the gold plates

SHOUT OUT for Souer Sarah! I got a postcard from her from San Francisco sent from the MTC ha. MUCHAS GRACIAS

Have a good week everyone! Alma 29:9

Love,

                         Elder Shurtliff

It's a Mardi Gras Miracle!

Ha I would say that it's a Christmas Miracle but Mardi Gras was a lot closer. I finally got my lost Christmas package!!! God answers prayers! Thanks Shurtliff family! I got to share all my goodies with all my zone. It was the best!

I'm sorry all you Americans lost an hour. I guess daylight saving time is different here because we gained an hour back in November. Elder Nevarez and I are getting better at teaching together. I'm trying to teach him that you don't have to talk a ton to get the message across. It's easy to talk someone. We need to actually listen and teach them. Nothing is going to come from just joyful conversations. We haven't been doing very well in talking with people on the street, but we have found some new investigators that way. The ward isn't getting us very many referrals though. It's weird how they are so dedicated, but at the same time they say they don't know anyone.

We are spending tons of time teaching the members so hopefully it will all pay off. Right now we are receiving special training to share family history work. I have never realized how important it is! It's like helping people get baptized and go to the temple that already have had all the lessons and are literally waiting to make covenants with Heavenly Father! It's a huge and important part of the Work of Salvation.

And now for the mission drama. So when I left my last area they actually closed it. Well they actually gave it to the other missionaries in my old ward which made their area HUGE. After two weeks they ended up having two other missionaries to pick it up again. I pray that my old investigators are in good hands. In other news, my stake is changing the ward boundaries this week which means that some awesome members that I already love here are going to other wards including the bishop. We all just need to obey and everything will work out in the end. Good things are happening here!

I love you all! Do your family history work!

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

p.s. I promise pics next week.

Happy March everybody!!!

These are Tortas Goyos Sandwiches. They are HUGE. I can't believe I ate it all.

My comp, the ward, and I are doing awesome and we got our first confirmation this week! I say confirmation and not baptism for a reason ha its kinda a long story. When we got here the first week we found one of the old investigators and found out that he got baptized even without the elders here ha. Pretty cool huh? His name is Emmanuel and was a drummer of a rock band about 8 years ago. He decided to start out new here in Cancun even though he didn't know anybody. How crazy is that? Going to another state without a place to go or anyone to see. Long story short he found the elders and even ended up renting in the house they used to live in. Now he lives there with his wife, kids, his wife's brother and sister and law. He didn't go to the church to get confirmed until now though because of family problems. He's so awesome though! Satan is just there attacking him strong. We were talking about what he needs to have more faith and he thought for a sec and said, "Ok, I'm going to fast." He called his brother in law (who's an active priesthood holder who breakdances) from the other room and asked him to fast with him. Then we gave him a blessing and yesterday he was confirmed!

SHOUT OUT TO MY BIG BROTHER AARON. He completed a year yesterday! FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!! I love you!!!

Read this scripture! Luke 6:27-35 its pretty much all you need to know.

Dogs either hate or LOVE my comp haha

THE CHURCH IS TRUE

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff

Happy Walking Feet and Hard Work

An awesome family that I left in my last area (Naranjo Family)

I’m doing just awesome here in my new area! Elder Nevarez and I make a great team. He can talk for hours about the weather with somebody, always with a smile on his face and the face of the person he’s talking to. Ha. We have a couple of investigators that we had to go and pick up, but mostly we met with tons of members all week. 

This week has surprised me a ton. I have opened two areas before this one and the first weeks were super hard and full of walking and let downs. This first week here in Maya was full of walking for sure, but I still loved it! Sure it was hard, but I have lots of faith that this ward is going to grow a ton. The members are way unified and excited to work. I can’t believe how many active members there are that are newly baptized. 

This says it all

I’m still the senor companion and the district leader of my zone leaders and another area that’s a little village kinda far away. The funny thing is that Elder Hernandez is in that area, haha. So the ward is awesome because they have a little tiny church, but they fill it up. They are all way friendly and funny. After ward council yesterday the Relief Society president’s husband gave us sandwiches and brownies...BROWNIES! I miss them sooooo much haha it was soooo good! It’s just like home here!

Best Package Ever!

SUPER DUPER GINORMOUS SHOUT OUTs for the following: Kirk & Julie Phillips! The best parents ever! The best grandmas ever! Aunt Lyn and everyone else that loves and supports the work of Salvation! We have the best boss ever! He loves us so much! THANK YOU AMIGOS!!!!

Have an awesome week and do a good turn daily!

Love,    

       Elder Shurtliff

Making wishes.

Transfer Day!

Well here I am in my new area in Cancun! I stayed in the city but I'm in another stake called Kukucan in a ward called Maya. My new comp is Elder Nevarez who's from Durango, Mexico. He's 24 years old and awesome! Ha. He says he was less active for a while, but when his grandma died, his mom started taking him back to church and now here he is! He's way nice and I can already tell we are going to work awesome together. He was in another area last transfer too, and so we are opening the area again after only two weeks without missionaries. President told me that I have a special challenge to recover the ward's confidence in the missionaries after some bad experiences. I love a challenge! Here I go!

We got to the house and it took us forever to open the door. Ha. My time is up! I love you all! Shout outs to everyone!!!

Love,
       Elder Shurtliff

Feliz Dia de AMOR

Valentine's Day is this week! It was the first holiday I had here in Mexico!

 I feel really good about where Elder Brewer and I are heading. When we started together we did awesome, but then something happened that made us crash. Now that we have started over with the fundamentals we are more unified and we have better lessons with the Spirit. We still have a ton to work on, but I'm proud of the progress we have achieved. I'm seeing more and more blessings for the simple little things that we are doing to get better. We worked hard to get 40 contacts in the street and we got it pretty much at the last second ha.

Sharing the Joy- A Mexican's first bite of a grilled cheese

Makin milkshakes with black bananas

I have learned that it's so much more effective for people to listen if you give them quick and powerful parts of your testimony and how it can help them in their own lives. Once they start staring off into space you know you have talked too much. We are hoping that one couple can get married on Valentine's Day. It's going to be a miracle because the husband going to get divorced just two days before ha. Transfers are next week and I hope I stay here or train someone. There are like 12 sisters coming and only 4 elders. What's going on?!
This week an old inactive lady finally went to church after a long time. She has like 3 handicapped sons and daughters who are already old and that she has to take care of. We went to go see here a couple days after she went to church and I saw one of her handicapped daughters walking a little. I was like, "Oh I didn't know she could walk because she's always in a wheelchair." The inactive lady was like, "She just started walking this morning!" The miracle of the story, GO TO CHURCH. We also had a new family come to church yesterday and everyone was so nice to them that I didn't have to show them to their classes or anything. Awesome!

SHOUT OUTS for what I'm thinking are the last of my Christmas cards ha. Thank you sooooooo much Family Jolley and Sister Henretty for the inspiring letters! I love you all!

Have a good Valentine's Day this week everyone! If everything goes as planned Ill be giving the gift of love to a newly married couple. AND THEN off to their baptisms!

Love,

       Elder Shurtliff