Will you ask God what the truth is right now?

2-27-2012
Familia,

Looks like its that time to write another weekly email. Man, I never know what to write in these things.

Well, I've successfully survived two weeks in Cicero, I'm finally starting to figure out the area well enough to not always use the GPS. :) This past week has been good. We've been working hard, trying to build up our teaching pool, but playing pretty hard too. We had to celebrate Hermana Veliz's one year mark, and Elder O'Dell's two year mark. :)

We've had some really awesome lessons with new investigators. I am really excited about whats going to happen in this area over the next couple of months, I think it has a lot of potential. First of all, we found two awesome new families. One family from Puerto Rico (man, are they hard to understand) and their across the street neighbors. Both have been taught before, but not for a very long time, so I decided to go over and see if they have any interest. And yes. Yes they do. The Puerto Rican family consists of an Abuelita, her daughter, and a son in law of the daughter. They are Carmen, Nereida, and Pedro. Carmen is super old and sick, but wants to be baptized- just can't come to church because she's so sick. And Nereida and Pedro are both really open to the gospel. And then their neighbors, are the familia Guzman. They consist of Rita, Tony, and their ex gangbanger son Chris.   Rita WANTS to be baptized. She really really does. And she wants to come to church, but she hasn't felt any support from her family and she's afraid if she gets baptized they will reject her.  I straight up asked her husband why he doesn't come to church with her and he said its because its boring. Haha, but he's cool, he wants to learn, he's just intimidated because he feels like we know so much, like we've been studying all our lives. But I straight up told him- if you want to learn, you will. "Si quiere aprender, va a aprender." I was pretty bold with him, and Chris loved it. He thought it was funny. I don't know much about Chris, but from the looks of him he lived the thug life. But now he's trying to change, and he's going to a Christian church. We gave them a quick run down of the Book of Mormon and they all said they'd read, and pray. I'm really excited to teach this family, they are awesomeeee.

Also, we got a super legit referral from church headquarters the other day. We got a referral for a man named Agustin, and the text message just told us that he had been to church before and had a Book of Mormon. So we stopped by his house, but he told us he was just heading out the door, so I gave him our number and the address to the chapel, and set up a return appointment with him. Within 15 minutes he called us asking for more detailed directions to the capilla, and came to church the next day! We had some other investigators there and the elders took care of him for us during church, because they got to know him during priesthood, which is first in our ward. But I finally snagged him after the meetings and set up an appointment earlier during the week than the one we had before, and he seemed really excited. Elder Findlay who had been sitting with him told me he is awesome, so I'm really excited to see what happens with him.

This week to come should be good. We have zone meeting tomorrow, and I think on Friday we have exchanges, and I get to go to Aurora with Hermana Maughan!! Yayyyy! :)

I'm glad to hear everyone there is doing well. Keep it up.

Les quiero muchisimo,

Shaelyn

PS!     I forgot the most important part of this week! We are teaching a man named Erasmo, and he is a super super deep thinker. His religious views are kind of all over the board, from Christian to Eastern Religions. But he is searching for what is right. His wife and all of his kids are actually Jehovah's Witnesses, but he says he knows that that religion isn't true. So we are teaching him. And it has been a little frustrating, I'll tell you the truth, because he asks SO many big questions and has some really interesting ideas. But in our last lesson he had read from the Book of Mormon, and we basically really just taught to his needs and ended up covering a lot of different principles, from the fact that God is our loving Heavenly Father, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the Priesthood. He said that he really likes what we teach, but it doesn't exactly line up with his thoughts. We kept telling him that the only way he is ever going to know the truth is by asking God. And finally I just said, Hermano, can we pray right now? Will you ask God what the truth is right now? And we knelt down and he said the most sincere, heartfelt prayer to know the truth that I have ever heard. He just asked to be given wisdom and to be guided, and the spirit was soooo strong. When he was done praying he had tears in his eyes, and I asked him, "Hermano, how do you feel?" And he told me he felt a heat in his chest, and a peace. I testified those feelings are God's way of telling him that our message is true. He accepted a date to be baptized on the 31 of March! We still have a long way to go with him, but if he's willing to keep praying that way and keep reading, he will definitely be baptized on that day.

Cicero is definitely much different than Aurora!

2-21-2012
Familia,

Well, first week in Cicero has been fairly uneventful. I've been sick, so a lot of this week has been spent moving in, and recuperating. Cicero is definitely much different than Aurora! Basically we are in the city. And I am now for the very first time in my life, a minority. The population is about 80% hispanic. Its pretty sweet. And driving is something else too, luckily I'm a boss, so there was no problem adjusting. Speaking of driving though, when I got transferred here the area also got a new car! And Hermana Veliz can't drive, so I am now driving a brand new 2012 Subaru Legacy. Yeahhhh buddy. Its awesome. I'm in love.  It makes up for the super ghetto apartment we're living in. Yikes.

As for teaching. . . , coming into the area they didn't have a big teaching pool, they are only teaching like one person. . .  So I've been trying to build that up. Its definitely a different experience being transferred here than it was being transferred to Aurora. My new companion doesn't really know whats going on in the area either, so its almost like whitewashing it. Pretty stressful. . . But I've been going through the area book, and found some old investigators that have interest in being taught again. We did have a pretty cool experience with that though. To tell the story I need to back up a few months. . .  Back in like November we went on exchanges with the Westchester Hermanas, and I came over to Cicero with Hermana Haws. While I was here we had an appointment with a girl named Jenny, who had had cancer in her knees when she was younger and the missionaries had come by and gave her a blessing and taught her a little bit, but she hadn't been taught in a long time since then. So we went by and met with Jenny, and Jenny is now completely healed from her cancer, and is looking for something for her and her little boy. She went to a Christian church for a while but they offended her and told her the reason she had cancer was because God was punishing her and if she ever fell away he would punish her son too. . .  So she left. We had a really really good lesson with her. And then I went back to Aurora, right? Well after that the hermanas here started teaching her more and set a date for her to be baptized, but then they lost contact with her. So my first day in the area I wanted to go and see if we could find her. We just stopped by the house, and her mom, Maria let us in. Turns out that Maria's brother and sister in law had just gotten here from Mexico, and they are members! They are Hermano y Hermana Ortiz. So they let us in and we start chatting. Turns out that that morning Hermana Ortiz had prayed that they could somehow find a way to make it to the church this Sunday, and find a way to help them get work. And then we knocked on their door, knowing where the chapel is and knowing lots of people that can hopefully help them find work! While we are there Jenny shows up. It turns out that she doesn't actually live there anymore, but we got her phone number and said we'd be in contact. Since then we have started teaching Maria, and we picked Jenny back up last night, and they are all going to come to church this Sunday! Jenny says the reason she didn't end up getting baptized before is because things got hectic with her moving out, but now that things are settled she definitely wants to pick back up. And now they have the support of Hermano y Hermana Ortiz living with them, and I honestly feel like the timing is perfect for this family right now.

I have a lot of hope for this area. I'm planning on working my freaking butt off to get it up and going, I want to get a big teaching pool, get more progressing investigators, and get them baptized! When I met the bishop and his wife, he told me that this area hasn't seen a lot of success for a while, but he can tell when a missionary is a missionary that wants to work hard, and he thinks we'll see some baptisms soon with me here. I hope he's right, and that I can actually see success without Hermana Maughan.

Yeah, a Mexico vacations sounds SWEET for as soon as I get home. Hope you plan some time in there that I can visit some people. . .  :P Guanajuato? Puebla? But whatever you've got planned I'm sure will be awesome. I can't believe that we are already planning a trip for when I come home. I can't believe that I'm at half way. . . that is sososososo bizarre. yuck.

Good news for Aurora though!! Irma got Sundays off to come to church! She came last week! And Luis has two little brothers, and he told says they want to be baptized! YAY!!! You don't understand how big of miracles both of those are. Just trust me. Legit miracles. Like parting the red sea caliber.

Anyway, here are some more pictures from saying good bye, and arriving in Cicero.

Victor

Irma y Monico

Maria Guzman y sus nietos, Ryan, Angela, y Caitlin. They are Cruz's kids!

Junior

Nury

Nury y la familia Solana

CRUZ!

Jenny, Hermana Ortiz, Hermana Veliz, y yo

Hermano y Hermana Ortiz, Hermana Veliz y yo

I love you all! Hope everything is going well, and you start seeing spring soon!

Les quiero,

Shaelyn

The week was spent saying goodbye to EVERYONE

2-13-2012
Familia,

Buenos dias! Things are going well here. I do have some news about transfers for you all though. Manana I am getting to tranferred to Westchester- but I think the area that we work in the most is Cicero. Al Capone's final resting place. :) My new companion is Hermana Veliz, from California. I am way way sad to be moving from here, Hermana Maughan and I have been the basically the best companionship ever, but I'm sure everything will be awesome in Cicero.

My trip to the city last week was SO fun. The best. We visited the mag mile, the water tower, the John Hancock building, navy pier, rode the the ferris wheel at navy pier, millennium park, the bean. Everything. It was exhausting. :) Unfortunately by the end of it something crazy had happened to my foot- apparently I have plantar fasciitis according to one of the members in the English ward. Yay, I'm so glad my body functions so well.

This past week has been good. I went on exchanges to Westchester actually, and spent the day with Hermana Veliz there on Wednesday. We also put Ana, la esposa de Alejandro, on date to be baptized the beginning of April! She is so legit, I am so sad I am leaving her. We had another AWESOME lesson with her on Thursday that was just like the last one we had, where she told us about her reading and had all sorts of good questions and input. Oh man. She is awesome. She is going to Texas for a little bit again to visit her son, and she asked us if she can find our church there, and if the missionaries can come teach her son. So cool.

Another MIRACLE that happened this week is that Roberto, one of the Sarmientos, came to church! We thought that would be next to impossible, because even though he wants to be baptized he has been refusing to try to get work off, he just doesn't seem to think church is important. But he came! and it was so exciting to see him walk through the door. Just the best thing ever.

The rest of the week was spent saying goodbye to EVERYONE. We were pretty sure I was leaving so we started the goodbyes early so I could get everyone in. And yesterday at church the Bishop asked me to share my testimony before I leave, and afterward a lot of people who I didn't even know knew who I was came up and told me how they are going to miss me. I really felt a lot of love from the ward. I hope that I can find that in my next ward. And we have lots of offers for places to stay when we come back to visit. :) I even had to pinky swear some members that I would come back and visit, so I hope you are ready for an awesome trip to Chicagoland after I get home.

I think thats about all I've got for this week. But I do have A TON of pictures for you today. :) They are pictures from the city, I found Al Capone's grave when on exchanges, and saying goodbye to people. and some last pictures here in the best area ever.

I'm glad everything is going well at home! I love you all!

Les quiero,
Shaelyn


pictures:

watertower

mag mile

Hershey store

Hershey store

Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier!

Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier!

The bean, with the millennium park skating rink and the city reflected in it

Riding the Metra

Riding the Metra

Al Capone's Grave

Al Capone's Grave

Al Capone's Grave

La Familia Esquivel

La Familia Esquivel

La Familia Esquivel

La Familia Velasquez

La Familia Velasquez

Kiki

More Pictures

2-13-2012

more pictures:

La Familia Sarmiento

La Familia Sarmiento

La Familia Sarmiento

La Familia Sarmiento

La Familia Sarmiento

La Familia Sarmiento

Analis and Luis

La Familia Monarrez

The Somers Family

The Somers Family

The Somers Family

The Somers Family

 I found a band of Marriachi's and their horse. They were kind enough to let me take a picture with them

Her name is Ana, and she fell straight from investigator heaven.

2-6-2012
Familia,

Hey all! I hope everyone is doing awesome! This week has been a pretty good one for me. Especialmente porque hoy estoy en la ciudad!! I'm sending this email from DOWNTOWN CHICAGO! YAYY!!!! We are going to go to the Willis (formally Sears) tower, and to Navy Pier, and the Magnificent Mile, and Millenium Park, all of that good touristy stuff. Its also awesome here because of the weather. I mean its not warm by any means, but it is now nearly the middle of February and we have had snow on the ground like three times, and it all melted by the next day basically. Crazy. I thought Chicago winters were supposed to be miserable? I really hope I'm not jinxing it by saying that. . . .  Don't get me wrong, I'm plenty cold.

Last week on PDay we had a zone service activity, and I was super not excited to spend my PDay doing service- I know, I'm selfish. But it turned out to be really awesome. We volunteered for this organization called Feed My Starving Children, and we packed boxes full of food for starving children. We did look slightly ridiculous wearing lunch lady hair nets though. . .  But itt was really really cool. Def would be down for doing it again.

Thursday was a really really good day. It started out looking like it would be awful, nearly all of our appointments cancelled, and we had a lot of stop bys planned, hoping that we could find someone and people would be home and let us into their house.  And the very first person we had on our list to stop by was Rosa. Rosa is the Bishop's niece, the one who told us she wanted to be baptized right before Christmas, we taught everyday for a week, and then disappeared. Well we can't stop by her house too much because its so far away from everything else, but we went over their and a man let us in. Turns out the man that let us in is the husband of Rosa's sister, who wants to be baptized, but her husband won't let her- so its actually SUPER surprising that he let us in at all. So he let us in and we met Rosa's sisters and nieces, and then waited FOREVER for Rosa to come down stairs. When she finally came down she was super awkward and told us she doesn't want to change religions right now. I mean, it was kind of disappointing, but she had basically already dropped us so it was nice to at least get a for sure response from her. And I honestly don't feel like this is the end with her or her sisters. I think a lot more is going on in that house than we realize, and it is just not a good situation for those women. I hope they can get out of it. But it was really good to see her, she was still friendly and everything, and I'm really glad we were able to find her.

Later Thursday night we had an appointment with la esposa de Alejandro, who we found last week. Her name is Ana, and she fell straight from investigator heaven. When we got there it was just super comfortable. We got to know her a little bit more, and she got to know us. And then instead of us leading into the lesson, she did! We were just chatting, and then she pulled out her Libro de Mormon and super excitedly told us, "I read!" We had left her Ether chapter 12 to read, and she went on to tell us all about it and what she liked about it and this or that part made her realize this and think about that. . .  It was amazing, I'm pretty sure Hermana Maughan and I were in shock. She told us that she felt a peace when she was reading it, but she recognized that it went away when she wasn't reading, and she wants to be able to feel those feelings all the time. We taught her about the first half of the Plan of Salvation and she was telling us how she has always wondered what happens to us after we die, and had all of these great questions and responses related to agency. She is amazing. I can't even explain it. We were there for about an hour, and I feel like we could have stayed all night and taught her everything and it wouldn't have been too much, she wouldn't have gotten bored or anything. The whole time we were there she was on the edge of her seat- literally. She is so prepared for the Gospel its unbelievable. I really really hope I don't get transferred next week, because I know that this woman is getting baptized soon and I so want to be there for it.

Bad news, Irma and Miriam's families are having some really rough times so we haven't been able to meet with them for a couple of weeks. There are all sorts of health problems and other stuff going on, I'm not even really sure on the specifics, but its really causing Irma some stress, and we haven't been even able to get a hold of Miriam. So if you could please please pray for them, I think it would really help. I still feel like Irma and Miriam have genuine desire to follow Christ, and to be baptized, but the adversary is attacking their families. And the fact that Irma still hasn't been able to get work off on Sundays puts a damper on her ability to be baptized as well. :(  Please remember them in your prayers.

On Friday Hermana Maughan and I were invited to go to mission council and leadership training. Its a meeting for the zone leaders and district leaders and they always invite two companionships of sisters. I was invited to go with Hermana Summers back in like September too. It was cool I guess. REALLY long. From 9 am to 4 pm, and the majority of it is sitting and when we weren't sitting we were doing roleplays. oh soooo fun. . .  But we got to learn some good stuff, and of course got free lunch and got to see other missionaries, which is always cool. Elder Nilsen who was in my district in the MTC was there! He is already a district leader and training. It kind of scared me to think that if he is training already, I could. Def don't want that to happen anytime soon. . .

Anyway, I think thats about all I've got for you this week. Next week is transfers! Not too excited about the possibilities, but we'll get the calls this Saturday and then transfers on Tuesday, so I'll let you know whats going to happen next week.

 I hope that everyone is doing awesome! Love you tons!

Les Quiero,

Shaelyn

He asked us if he could be baptized! It was kind of shocking, but super sweet.

1-30-2012
Familia,

Hola hola! Glad to hear that things are going well there. Sounds like the girls are having a blast with all of their activities. Things are going well here. Not too frozen, and lucky for you all I actually have a few good stories to tell this week!

Firstly, I forgot to tell you the BEST part of last week! Last Sunday Luis blessed the Sacrament! It was awesome. And this Sunday the Bishop asked all of the men preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood to stand up, and it was so cool to see Hugo, Sotero, and Luis stand up. Just the best. Sotero just received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday, and Hugo and Maria got called as ward missionaries! Maria is super stoked to go with us to citas. :) and Luis has been going out with the Elders and loves it, he is going to be a bomb missionary.

On Thursday we went over to the Sarmiento's (Sotero, Silvia, y Nolberto) and their brother Roberto was there. We have talked to Roberto a couple of times, and he always has a lot of questions, but they generally seem kind of antagonistic. But he's a cool guy, just never seemed to have much desire to know if this is the church of Jesus Christ, but Thursday when we went over, he asked us if he could be baptized! It was kind of shocking, but super sweet. He said he wants to, he just doesn't know if he can come to church because of work. So it is still going to be slow going for him, he has to make a lot of changes and his faith has to grow a lot, but as for right now he is on date to be baptized the 22nd of March!

Remember Cruz? The investigator that took us to the city, and to sushi, and is generally the best person ever? Well, the last month or so we haven't seen her. Her phone has been acting up, and then she has also been avoiding us. We weren't really sure why, and it was super sad. We really missed her. But we have kept visiting her mom, who is less active, and we finally caught Cruz one day and set up a time that we could come visit with her on her day off. We really needed to know what the heck was going on, because she had kind of just dropped off the face of the earth. We went from seeing her like everyday, and if she didn't hear from us she was upset, to her disappearing, so we needed to find out what happened. We went over there on Saturday and it was kind of awkward at first. Like when you see someone for the first time after breaking up with them. But then it got more comfortable and finally she told us what was going on. Turns out that she felt like a hypocrite meeting with us and reading the Book of Mormon, because she was still going out and partying and doing things she knows God doesn't want her to do. The thing is, we NEVER taught her the Word of Wisdom or the Law of Chastity, she just could feel that those things weren't right after she started reading the Book of Mormon. And because she is scared to change, or something, she ran away from the happiness she was experiencing, and from what she was telling us it sounded to me like she has been super depressed lately. Also, she didn't want to get too attached to us because she knows the Hermana Maughan is leaving in March and that I could leave basically whenever, so she told us she was trying to do a "pre-separation" thing. Which is sad. But, she said we could start coming over again, and she told us when her days off are. So we're going to start slow, not just jump right back in, but she said she will read this week, and is still praying. So hopefully everything will get better. She will totes still be baptized, just not as fast as we were thinking before.

And then yesterday we had a straight up miracle. For sure. So before I got here, Hermana Maughan and Hermana Noyes found a guy named Alejandro who has a ton of potential, really wants to learn, but is just a workaholic and lives in like the very corner of our area they were never able to really teach him. They gave him a Book of Mormon, and we have stopped by his work and his home many many times trying to find him, but have never been able to catch him. Well yesterday, we got out of an appointment a little earlier than planned and were in like the farthest edge of our area with about an hour to kill. And I just kept thinking we needed to go see if we could find him again. Which was weird, because I have only met him once, briefly in the restaurant he works at. I told Hermana Maughan that, and then asked her if we should go to his work or his home. She didn't say anything and just asked me what I thought. Logically we should have gone to his work because that is where he ALWAYS is, especially around dinner time, and it was about 7:30- dinner time. But I felt like we needed to go to his house, and when I told Hermana Maughan that she said she was thinking the exact same thing. So off we went to Alejandro's house. and guess what!! He was there! He opened the door and asked us to come in, and we were both like, "oh man. . . now we found him, but we can't even go in because there isn't a woman at home. . ." But we asked anyway, "hay una mujer aqui?" and he said yes! Turns out the reason he that he was home, and not at work is because he left work early to go to the airport to pick up his esposa who just flew in from Texas. THAT DAY! Like 4 hours before we went over. And she wants to learn more! I can't even explain in email how awesome it was, because it just FELT so cool.  And Alejandro told us this crazy story about how he used to be in this gang in the city, the Kings, and he got a girl pregnant and then she kicked him out and he ended up living on the streets for like a year. In Chicago, in the winter, he was on the street. And SOMEHOW he got out of that and the Kings alive and miraculously met this guy that taught him how to cook, and liked how he cooked so he hired him at his restaurant. So now he has a job, and a tiny apartment, and a super super sweet esposa, and he knows that God exists and he really wants a better relationship with Him after all of this. He has even been reading the Book of Mormon! He takes it to work with him to read, and he has talked to his coworkers about us, and he told us one of his coworkers wants to learn more and gave us a referral! We left that appointment on a definite spiritual high. The spirit was just so strong in their apartment. It was legit.

So that was basically my week. It was sweet. I hope everything is going well for you! Keep up the good work team. Love you all!

Les Quiero,

Shaelyn

Because of the snow and the cold I think everything has just kind of slowed down around here.

1-23-2012
Familia,

Once again another uneventful week. Sorry everyone. . .  Because of the snow and the cold I think everything has just kind of slowed down around here.

The most exciting thing that happened this week is that it snowed a ton on Friday, and as a result we had a not so awesome adventure. It was snowing pretty heavily, and we had an appointment about 30 minutes away from Geneva, so we left at 2:30 to make it for our 3:30 appointment, trying to give ourselves enough time to get there. By about four o clock we still weren't even half way, because the roads were so bad and traffic was just ridiculous. And then because of all of the ice, our windshield wiper broke. The one on the driver’s side. So I couldn't see a thing. We pulled off the road, and made it to a target and called and cancelled our appointment, and then called the mission office to tell them our windshield wiper was broken. They told us that we needed to go to a pep boys to get a new one. Pep boys was 3.7 miles away, BUT I couldn't see a thing! But we somehow made our way over to Pep boys. It took us 45 minutes to drive 3.7 miles. So the majority of that day was spent wasting miles driving around in the snow. We had 4 appointments cancel that day due to it, but luckily we were able to meet with Irma and Monico that night. They are doing great, but Irma still can't get work off on Sundays. Which is a huge bummer. We had to move her baptismal date to the 25th of February, hoping she will be able to come to church enough before then. Unfortunately that date is after transfers, so if I'm moved I won't be here for her baptism. :(  That night Hermana Maughan and I headed over to the church parking lot and Hermana Maughan got to be a student in the Hermana Brown's Snow Driving Academy. She passed, but still refuses to drive in the snow while I'm here.

Saturday was another day full of cancelled appointments. We were really kind of discouraged and didn't know what to do, so we called the Bishop to see if there was anyone he'd like us to visit. They invited us over for dinner, and we talked and he told us about some of their neighbors that had been taught by the missionaries about a year ago, and maybe they would be good to see. So before we left his house, he said a prayer that we would be able to find a family, and we went straight over to his neighbor's. They let us right in and now we are teaching a family of five! I don't really know how much interest they have, but they are friendly and we'll see how it goes. It was at least an appointment, right?

Things are going okay with our investigators. None of the ones that are on date to be baptized have been able to come to church, which is really slowing things down. They could definitely use your prayers. But it’s good, they are all really awesome people.

Well, I think that’s about all I've got this week. I hope everything is going well for you guys! I hope you are staying warm, just be grateful you aren't out knocking doors in 8 degree weather like I was this week! :)

Les Quiero,

Shaelyn