March 16, 2011
Hi Family,
It is pretty crazy that Shalese is, or will be very shortly, in the MTC!!! I loved the MTC a lot. I felt like we had no time, but really it was the easiest part of the mission...we just had to get used to it.
I hope we will get to see Jim Laingen!!! That would be so cool!
Someone asked me how my parents were taking having two kids out on the mission now...How are you? I just figure it will be a double party when we get back. Time is a funny thing...it moves slowly when things are rough and too fast when things are going great. Hey, if everything goes so well in the eternities, I guess they will fly by ;) Today I would say time is flying by ;)
We we´re going to go to Segovia today but we missed the bus...bummer...so we have compensated by getting treats at the bakery that we are in love with on the corner near our house.
Thanks for sending the pictures of Cyle´s wedding. I liked the one where they just came out of the Temple and Cyle still has this look on his face like he is in the middle of telling a joke.
I have a feeling there might be changes at the end of this transfer and Hermana Smith might not live with us anymore...that is pretty strange cause we have lived together for a year. I don´t think I have ever lived in once place for so long at a time since high school. That is funny because I thought that people had to move all the time on the mission.
We are teaching a woman named Katya and we taught her at the university where she studies. She seems very open and prepared. She has started the Book of Mormon from the introduction and has prayed about it. She is really sweet. We hope things can work out for her to get to church. A lot of our investigators and recent converts have been facing opposition in coming to the chaple (Grant says using the word chapel instead of church is very common in Spainglish - neat) ..whether it is work or family, it has been difficult. Now they are changing the church schedule and Carolina might not be able to come. I have a lot of faith that things will work out though. In Mark 12 (I think) Jesus heals a child that His disciples couldn´t heal and He said that it is by prayer and fasting that miracles happen. If the Lord can work miracles, He can help people get to church!
Well, I love you all.
Hope Josh and Sharah had Happy Birthdays!!
Love Shayla
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Transfer 8, week3
March 9, 2011
Dear Family!!!
Yeah!!! Cyle´s getting married!!!! Dear Karin, thanks for the update on your girls. "I can see two moms!" Haha. I can´t wait to meet Charlotte!! Thanks for the email.
I am super excited...we had interviews with the president yesterday and I learned that we have a new plan to work much more closely with members. I guess they must have had problems with missionaries spending way too much time with members just before I got into the mission because early on Hna Smith and I understood that we we supposed to visit almost entirely investigators and we felt guilty to accept even a dinner invitation from members. That means that often, instead of thinking of visiting a member who we can help inspire to help with the work, we stuck to contacting in the metro, meeting people that may or may not be home when we pass by their homes. We´ve seen miracles from contacting for sure...but I am so excited to start making short visits to every member of the ward. References we receive from them have an automatic support system and the member can be a lot more involved from the beginning. There have been a lot of times lately that I have been walking around in the metro thinking, "There´s got to be a better way...how can we get to be friends with the members without visiting them?" Truth be told, Preach my Gospel would definitely support the new plan and we should have gone with it all along. I am also happy that Shalese will be in Barcelona...where we got the family mission plan calendars that we have started to use...so she will learn this system from the start.
Moral of the story: Every missionary has different ideas and different success stories and things that work for them...sometimes these suggestions compete. I, being a person that takes things literally thought I had to be obedient to every suggestion...which is difficult because plans always change and suggestions adapt every other month. My advice to myself and to Shalese would be....just try to implement what Preach My Gospel teaches. You can think outside the box and learn from the experiences of others...but never feel guilty for not doing exactly the same things. Pray about it, follow the Spirit, use your head. It would be bad to spend hours in the house of a member and lose focus, but we feel comfortable asking for help from the members that we know well...and we should do what it takes to get to know them and gain their trust. The new plan is to make short spirit filled visits to get the members on our team and to inspire them with faith to think of people they can share the Gospel with. I feel like I am saying obvious things that every missionary should know but it finally got into my heart and head. Hna Bell and I are super excited to plan for this week!
-hope that all made sense.
Okay out of time, Hope you all know you are great and I love you.
Love Shayla
P.S. One of the best things that happened this week was the letter I got from Sharah saying "and I made Davis Frenched toast cause he was at our house... And I am going on a mission." Loved the thought process and loved the goal. I have the best siblings ever!
Dear Family!!!
Yeah!!! Cyle´s getting married!!!! Dear Karin, thanks for the update on your girls. "I can see two moms!" Haha. I can´t wait to meet Charlotte!! Thanks for the email.
I am super excited...we had interviews with the president yesterday and I learned that we have a new plan to work much more closely with members. I guess they must have had problems with missionaries spending way too much time with members just before I got into the mission because early on Hna Smith and I understood that we we supposed to visit almost entirely investigators and we felt guilty to accept even a dinner invitation from members. That means that often, instead of thinking of visiting a member who we can help inspire to help with the work, we stuck to contacting in the metro, meeting people that may or may not be home when we pass by their homes. We´ve seen miracles from contacting for sure...but I am so excited to start making short visits to every member of the ward. References we receive from them have an automatic support system and the member can be a lot more involved from the beginning. There have been a lot of times lately that I have been walking around in the metro thinking, "There´s got to be a better way...how can we get to be friends with the members without visiting them?" Truth be told, Preach my Gospel would definitely support the new plan and we should have gone with it all along. I am also happy that Shalese will be in Barcelona...where we got the family mission plan calendars that we have started to use...so she will learn this system from the start.
Moral of the story: Every missionary has different ideas and different success stories and things that work for them...sometimes these suggestions compete. I, being a person that takes things literally thought I had to be obedient to every suggestion...which is difficult because plans always change and suggestions adapt every other month. My advice to myself and to Shalese would be....just try to implement what Preach My Gospel teaches. You can think outside the box and learn from the experiences of others...but never feel guilty for not doing exactly the same things. Pray about it, follow the Spirit, use your head. It would be bad to spend hours in the house of a member and lose focus, but we feel comfortable asking for help from the members that we know well...and we should do what it takes to get to know them and gain their trust. The new plan is to make short spirit filled visits to get the members on our team and to inspire them with faith to think of people they can share the Gospel with. I feel like I am saying obvious things that every missionary should know but it finally got into my heart and head. Hna Bell and I are super excited to plan for this week!
-hope that all made sense.
Okay out of time, Hope you all know you are great and I love you.
Love Shayla
P.S. One of the best things that happened this week was the letter I got from Sharah saying "and I made Davis Frenched toast cause he was at our house... And I am going on a mission." Loved the thought process and loved the goal. I have the best siblings ever!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Transfer 8, week 2
March 2, 2011
Dear Family,
Just finished an intercambio...which means I spent the last two days with Hermana McMurray. She is an awesome missionary with a very cool history. She is the youngest of eleven children. She lived in Tonga for a year, one month and one day because her dad was a mission president there ;) She served a mini mission there and learned a lot of the language...or at least enough to share her testimony, and then she learned more when she came back. She said it really helped her get into the hearts of the people because they speak English too and she could have settled.
I got a lot of great ideas from her and I learned a lot about what I should be studying. I just finished the intercambio feeling pumped to help our investigators. I have a lot of ideas to write down and sort through now. I am excited. It was funny how obvious some of the things that I learned were....like the fact that people really need to understand the Apostasy!! If they don´t understand that then it is impossible to understand why a Restoration was necessary. I also want to focus more on helping people understand and listen for the Spirit in the very first lesson. The cool thing about Hermana Bell, my normal companion, is that she is always looking for things we can do better and she isn´t afraid to change, so it will be really fun to practice these new ideas with her. Other cool thing about Hermana Bell: She doesn´t worry so much. She has fun and she is teaching me not to stress out so much. YES!!!
Back to what I learned from Hermana McMurray...I just think it is funny too think that I have been on the mission for a year now and I am still learning the simple things....I have a lot to learn and do!!!
Today we went to a park in Torrejón where they have replicas of many important monuments in Europe. It was very cool and it was nice to be with a bunch of people. At the end one elder took out a guitar and another took out a violin and played some hymns and we sang...we were all freezing by that point but it was my favorite part.
Dad, speaking of the violin you should definitely trade if Uncle Roy needs it. It want to save up and get a new one when I get home....just save the shoulder rest. This past week I took advantage of the violin we had in our apartment for a short time and I brought it to a couple of lessons. I love to play!!!
I should probably get off. I hope everything is well with you. Good luck with the eye surgery. I don´t think Mojo would make a very good seeing-eye-dog ;) I think I emailed Jacob to have fun on the Klondike...but it sounds like it is already over...I hope the boys are even more manly now.
I love you all. Thanks for being a wonderful family and for teaching me the gospel!!!
Love Shayla.
Oh yeah, one more thing...during the intercombio, we talked to a man and sat down on a bench to teach him for about ten minutes. He had good questions and a lot of interest. We are going to meet with him in a week. It was such a good lesson and such a miracle to me. I really hope it works out with him. It is funny how all the plans seemed to fall through when I was with a sister unfamiliar to the area, but we had a lot of unexpected teaching moments come up which is even cooler. ;)
Dear Family,
Just finished an intercambio...which means I spent the last two days with Hermana McMurray. She is an awesome missionary with a very cool history. She is the youngest of eleven children. She lived in Tonga for a year, one month and one day because her dad was a mission president there ;) She served a mini mission there and learned a lot of the language...or at least enough to share her testimony, and then she learned more when she came back. She said it really helped her get into the hearts of the people because they speak English too and she could have settled.
I got a lot of great ideas from her and I learned a lot about what I should be studying. I just finished the intercambio feeling pumped to help our investigators. I have a lot of ideas to write down and sort through now. I am excited. It was funny how obvious some of the things that I learned were....like the fact that people really need to understand the Apostasy!! If they don´t understand that then it is impossible to understand why a Restoration was necessary. I also want to focus more on helping people understand and listen for the Spirit in the very first lesson. The cool thing about Hermana Bell, my normal companion, is that she is always looking for things we can do better and she isn´t afraid to change, so it will be really fun to practice these new ideas with her. Other cool thing about Hermana Bell: She doesn´t worry so much. She has fun and she is teaching me not to stress out so much. YES!!!
Back to what I learned from Hermana McMurray...I just think it is funny too think that I have been on the mission for a year now and I am still learning the simple things....I have a lot to learn and do!!!
Today we went to a park in Torrejón where they have replicas of many important monuments in Europe. It was very cool and it was nice to be with a bunch of people. At the end one elder took out a guitar and another took out a violin and played some hymns and we sang...we were all freezing by that point but it was my favorite part.
Dad, speaking of the violin you should definitely trade if Uncle Roy needs it. It want to save up and get a new one when I get home....just save the shoulder rest. This past week I took advantage of the violin we had in our apartment for a short time and I brought it to a couple of lessons. I love to play!!!
I should probably get off. I hope everything is well with you. Good luck with the eye surgery. I don´t think Mojo would make a very good seeing-eye-dog ;) I think I emailed Jacob to have fun on the Klondike...but it sounds like it is already over...I hope the boys are even more manly now.
I love you all. Thanks for being a wonderful family and for teaching me the gospel!!!
Love Shayla.
Oh yeah, one more thing...during the intercombio, we talked to a man and sat down on a bench to teach him for about ten minutes. He had good questions and a lot of interest. We are going to meet with him in a week. It was such a good lesson and such a miracle to me. I really hope it works out with him. It is funny how all the plans seemed to fall through when I was with a sister unfamiliar to the area, but we had a lot of unexpected teaching moments come up which is even cooler. ;)
Transfer 8, week 1
February 23, 2011
Dear Family,
I´m glad you all made it through the farewell talk etc. That sounds way fun to have all the family over. I bet it will be a crazy big party when Cyle gets married!?!
Shalese I can´t believe it you enter the MTC so soon!!!! I´ll probably say that every week until you are there. At the MTC you only have 30min to email on p-days...so tell Mom and Dad not to worry about it if you don´t write much the first few weeks.
The mission is the best. For me it just gets better and better and easier all the time. Not because the nature of the task has changed... It is cool to see my own progress and my companion´s progress with Spanish and with teaching styles. The hardest thing to learn is how to ask good questions.
Miracle of the week: We had a ward mission activity so all the youth and young adults could get excited to go missions. We were going to visit a few investigators or less active members. I left the church with Jenifer, 19 yrs old, super smart, baptized in December, with an amazing testimony. For the twenty minutes we had on the way to see the investigator we had made an appointment with, she shared her testimony and insights and changes she has had in the process of her conversion. I love her!!!!! The investigator wasn´t there...so we went to another appointment early. That lady wasn´t home either...I felt bad it hadn´t exactly been the missionary experience we were hoping for. I suggested we contact some people in the metro on the way back to the church. Before we got to the metro, we stopped a woman and I said we had a message to share (it was a little bit awkward since I normally contact people with my companion.) Jenifer said..."um, are you going home? Can we talk to you for a few minutes?" The woman, Eli, said yes and we walked home with her. She told us how she´s been living with her boyfriend in Madrid for three years and it has been miserable for her. I think she has been in Spain for four years total...I don´t remember the details. She said she really needed someone to talk to and she liked the scripture we shared from the Book of Mormon about charity. She said she used to attend a church all the time in Bolivia but she hasn´t here and she has been looking for one to attend. Jenifer offered to pick her up the next day for church. The next day Eli came with Jenifer and she loved church. I gave her a Book of Mormon there and she has read a little since. We will see her tomorrow when we teach her in the home of a member that lives near her.
Jenifer and I got back to the activity pretty late, but it was definitely worth it. I think the leaders of the activity felt pretty good about it, especially the next day when they met Eli at church.
We are also working with a 20 yr old girl named Maida. She came to our English class the week after we got serious about publicizing english classes in our contacts. We have had two lessons with her with Carolina (who was baptized a week ago today.) Carolina took her to Noche de Hogar in the Stake center on Monday and she must have enjoyed it because she agreed to come to another ward noche de hogar tonight. She is from Ecuador and loves to read. She is hesitant about baptism and said she even told her best friend from another evangical church that she wouldn´t. I feel really good about her. We think Jenifer will also help a lot with her. I love that we keep meeting girls about our age to share the gospel with and they embrace it and love it and share it. We hope to have a great network of young adults teaching young adults before we leave. I am amazed at how easy it is to love all of them. Shalese, you are going to feel this too!!!
We have a new elder in our district who hadn´t learned any Spanish before the MTC...kinda like Dad ;) I am excited to see his progress with the language...it is a miracle! He is a good elder so I´m sure he´ll learn fast. Our former district leader finally left the ward after almost a year here. He was another great one and the ward will miss him, He is about 6ft 3 and blond. He went to Mostoles for his last transfer. Does that sound familiar Dad? Now Elder Stock is our district leader...he came into the CCM about three weeks after me so I met him early on.
Life is pretty great. Talking to people on the streets and in the metro gets more fun all the time...sure you have your occasional rudie but those guys just make life more interesting and a tiny bit funny. The best thing is when people really surprise you. Like the other day when we talked to a guy...maybe 20?...Dominicano, who actually had a ton of opinions or religion. We had a ten minute conversation until his friend passed by. We invited them both to a young single adults FHE tonight...hope they will come. So many people say they haven´t really thought about religion that it kind of takes me off guard when they start expounding on what the have learned. I think Internet and clothes and material comforts and other entertainment have separated a lot of people from their human frailty and we forget that we are dependent on Heavenly Father. hmm..
Well, like I said, life is great. Keep praying that we find people, and that we know what to do once we have!
I love you all so much!!! Dad good luck with the eye surgery. What is this about Mexico? Shalese, keep being awesome. Jake...run like the wind. Josh, derby it up. Sharah, I can´t wait to practice cutting your hair (I got my hair cut today)...hope you´ll let me. Mojo, keep being a dog. Mom, didn´t mean to put you last, you are the best one here. Love you allllllll!!!!!!
Love Hermana Moulton (1)
Dear Family,
I´m glad you all made it through the farewell talk etc. That sounds way fun to have all the family over. I bet it will be a crazy big party when Cyle gets married!?!
Shalese I can´t believe it you enter the MTC so soon!!!! I´ll probably say that every week until you are there. At the MTC you only have 30min to email on p-days...so tell Mom and Dad not to worry about it if you don´t write much the first few weeks.
The mission is the best. For me it just gets better and better and easier all the time. Not because the nature of the task has changed... It is cool to see my own progress and my companion´s progress with Spanish and with teaching styles. The hardest thing to learn is how to ask good questions.
Miracle of the week: We had a ward mission activity so all the youth and young adults could get excited to go missions. We were going to visit a few investigators or less active members. I left the church with Jenifer, 19 yrs old, super smart, baptized in December, with an amazing testimony. For the twenty minutes we had on the way to see the investigator we had made an appointment with, she shared her testimony and insights and changes she has had in the process of her conversion. I love her!!!!! The investigator wasn´t there...so we went to another appointment early. That lady wasn´t home either...I felt bad it hadn´t exactly been the missionary experience we were hoping for. I suggested we contact some people in the metro on the way back to the church. Before we got to the metro, we stopped a woman and I said we had a message to share (it was a little bit awkward since I normally contact people with my companion.) Jenifer said..."um, are you going home? Can we talk to you for a few minutes?" The woman, Eli, said yes and we walked home with her. She told us how she´s been living with her boyfriend in Madrid for three years and it has been miserable for her. I think she has been in Spain for four years total...I don´t remember the details. She said she really needed someone to talk to and she liked the scripture we shared from the Book of Mormon about charity. She said she used to attend a church all the time in Bolivia but she hasn´t here and she has been looking for one to attend. Jenifer offered to pick her up the next day for church. The next day Eli came with Jenifer and she loved church. I gave her a Book of Mormon there and she has read a little since. We will see her tomorrow when we teach her in the home of a member that lives near her.
Jenifer and I got back to the activity pretty late, but it was definitely worth it. I think the leaders of the activity felt pretty good about it, especially the next day when they met Eli at church.
We are also working with a 20 yr old girl named Maida. She came to our English class the week after we got serious about publicizing english classes in our contacts. We have had two lessons with her with Carolina (who was baptized a week ago today.) Carolina took her to Noche de Hogar in the Stake center on Monday and she must have enjoyed it because she agreed to come to another ward noche de hogar tonight. She is from Ecuador and loves to read. She is hesitant about baptism and said she even told her best friend from another evangical church that she wouldn´t. I feel really good about her. We think Jenifer will also help a lot with her. I love that we keep meeting girls about our age to share the gospel with and they embrace it and love it and share it. We hope to have a great network of young adults teaching young adults before we leave. I am amazed at how easy it is to love all of them. Shalese, you are going to feel this too!!!
We have a new elder in our district who hadn´t learned any Spanish before the MTC...kinda like Dad ;) I am excited to see his progress with the language...it is a miracle! He is a good elder so I´m sure he´ll learn fast. Our former district leader finally left the ward after almost a year here. He was another great one and the ward will miss him, He is about 6ft 3 and blond. He went to Mostoles for his last transfer. Does that sound familiar Dad? Now Elder Stock is our district leader...he came into the CCM about three weeks after me so I met him early on.
Life is pretty great. Talking to people on the streets and in the metro gets more fun all the time...sure you have your occasional rudie but those guys just make life more interesting and a tiny bit funny. The best thing is when people really surprise you. Like the other day when we talked to a guy...maybe 20?...Dominicano, who actually had a ton of opinions or religion. We had a ten minute conversation until his friend passed by. We invited them both to a young single adults FHE tonight...hope they will come. So many people say they haven´t really thought about religion that it kind of takes me off guard when they start expounding on what the have learned. I think Internet and clothes and material comforts and other entertainment have separated a lot of people from their human frailty and we forget that we are dependent on Heavenly Father. hmm..
Well, like I said, life is great. Keep praying that we find people, and that we know what to do once we have!
I love you all so much!!! Dad good luck with the eye surgery. What is this about Mexico? Shalese, keep being awesome. Jake...run like the wind. Josh, derby it up. Sharah, I can´t wait to practice cutting your hair (I got my hair cut today)...hope you´ll let me. Mojo, keep being a dog. Mom, didn´t mean to put you last, you are the best one here. Love you allllllll!!!!!!
Love Hermana Moulton (1)
Transfer 7, week 6
February 16,2011
Dear Mom and Dad,
Mom, can you send me all the words of President Holland and whomever else spoke at that meeting of the MTC? I just love it. I´m not sure I know about the 8 steps and 3 phases.
Yesterday we had a Zone conference and I just loved it! We learned about having the faith to find, staying healthy (my comp has been sick for a week) and lots of other things, like keeping a good attitude. Maybe one of the most important things that I learned was that our work shows our Love for the Lord. It we love Him a lot we will work hard. I like that love can be so tangible.
Today is the big day for Carolina. I am going to play the violin at her baptism!! It has strengthened my testimony so much to see her understand and accept the gospel. People ARE ready for the gospel. At our lesson yesterday she said how it won´t bother her too much if her family won´t come (They aren´t against it, I think they just don´t understand) because she feels like she has a whole new family in the ward. She just kept saying: "I´m sure, I´m sure." referring to her testimony of the gospel, her baptism, of Jesus Christ. How wonderful. I hope we will all always do what it takes to make our wards into our families and take care of each other.
Dad, maybe in your talk you could share how important it is to be a ward family and to make friends with lots of people that aren´t members so that they have real support when they come to Church and see what it is like. If we have faith miracles happen. That is something I am working on and learning. The miracles of Christ were worked by faith. If He could heal, we can find by His same power.
So...I clogged the kitchen sink with rice. That is fun. Poured down some drain chemicals, didn´t work...Called Elder Jewell, stuck hangers down the drain, bought a drain snake, called the owner of the apartment (la dueña) and had her convinced the water wasn´t working in the kitchen because of my lack of plumbing vocabulary...she told me a clog didn´t sound very grave and that I should call my president. (the pile of dishes in the kitchen says it IS grave ;) So, talked to Elder Jewell at Zone conference who told me to call the plumber. Looked up the plumbing vocab that I had lacked and plan to call him today...oh yeah, as one final attempt I bought a toilet plunger to see how that works when I get home...I am learning to wage war against a sink.
That is it for me today. I love you all so much. Tell Sharah Josh and Jake that they rock...Shalese should already know ;)
Love Hermana Moulton
Dear Mom and Dad,
Mom, can you send me all the words of President Holland and whomever else spoke at that meeting of the MTC? I just love it. I´m not sure I know about the 8 steps and 3 phases.
Yesterday we had a Zone conference and I just loved it! We learned about having the faith to find, staying healthy (my comp has been sick for a week) and lots of other things, like keeping a good attitude. Maybe one of the most important things that I learned was that our work shows our Love for the Lord. It we love Him a lot we will work hard. I like that love can be so tangible.
Today is the big day for Carolina. I am going to play the violin at her baptism!! It has strengthened my testimony so much to see her understand and accept the gospel. People ARE ready for the gospel. At our lesson yesterday she said how it won´t bother her too much if her family won´t come (They aren´t against it, I think they just don´t understand) because she feels like she has a whole new family in the ward. She just kept saying: "I´m sure, I´m sure." referring to her testimony of the gospel, her baptism, of Jesus Christ. How wonderful. I hope we will all always do what it takes to make our wards into our families and take care of each other.
Dad, maybe in your talk you could share how important it is to be a ward family and to make friends with lots of people that aren´t members so that they have real support when they come to Church and see what it is like. If we have faith miracles happen. That is something I am working on and learning. The miracles of Christ were worked by faith. If He could heal, we can find by His same power.
So...I clogged the kitchen sink with rice. That is fun. Poured down some drain chemicals, didn´t work...Called Elder Jewell, stuck hangers down the drain, bought a drain snake, called the owner of the apartment (la dueña) and had her convinced the water wasn´t working in the kitchen because of my lack of plumbing vocabulary...she told me a clog didn´t sound very grave and that I should call my president. (the pile of dishes in the kitchen says it IS grave ;) So, talked to Elder Jewell at Zone conference who told me to call the plumber. Looked up the plumbing vocab that I had lacked and plan to call him today...oh yeah, as one final attempt I bought a toilet plunger to see how that works when I get home...I am learning to wage war against a sink.
That is it for me today. I love you all so much. Tell Sharah Josh and Jake that they rock...Shalese should already know ;)
Love Hermana Moulton
Transfer 7, week 5
February 9, 2011
Dear Family,
Thanks for the emails. So good to hear from you this week. It sounds like you are doing well. The last two nights I was on exchanges with another sister in another area. I learned a lot. She is going home in two weeks...down to Andalucia.(In Spain) Her name is Hermana Moraza. Dad did you know an Elder Moraza when you were here because we figured out you might have been here around the same time. I really liked the examples she used when she taught the lessons. they really help people understand and personalize the things we teach. I also learned that I should be speaking Spanish more with my companion. We went to district meeting which was interesting because it was almost completely native speakers. I hope to have a native speaker for a companion sometime...weĺl see though, there really aren't that many.
Hermana Moraza also taught me about how important ward involvement is with people that are new to the church. She said, "what would you do if someone invited you to a party where you wont know anyone there?" Everyone needs friends. I also saw that she has had a lot of fun on the mission and I realized that this really can be the funnest time depending on how you view it and how you do it. I always enjoyed my callings at church and the mission should be the same way. One morning Hermana Moraza took breakfast over to a girl´s house before church and then they went all together. The girl, Odali, hasn't missed church since. I met her and she is so happy and bubbly and great. She is 15 and loves the young women program. She wants to be a missionary one day and she already is with her family. She reads the scriptures to them everyday. wow.
Today we got to go to the temple again. I sure love the temple. It hit me that I was really there in my Father´s house and I should relax and enjoy being there with Him, as though I really were at home. I am also really excited to be there one day with you.
I hope to be able to play the violin for Carolina´s baptism on Wednesday. Shalese: Be glad you play the piano...it is a lot easier to find than a violin when you are on a mission. Dad, Good luck with your talk at Shalese´s farewell. I don't know what you should say ;) Iĺl try to think about it. Maybe something that would help everyone would be to know that the first step in sharing the Gospel is real friendship. When people can see that it comes from a source that really cares about them personally it really helps.
Things here are great. The more I learn the more fun things become. Talking to people on the streets and in the metro is difficult but like many hard things it is also one of the most rewarding things we get to do. Even if someone doesn´t have time to meet with us, it feels great to have a meaningful contact. Too bad that so many people work so many hours here. It is a big problem. They either work every minute or they are without work. Tough stuff.
I hope you are all well. You know I love you un montón.
Love, Hermana Maültown...thatś how they say it around here.
PS Hermana Watkins has made a blog: www.spainmadridmission.blogspot.com
Dear Family,
Thanks for the emails. So good to hear from you this week. It sounds like you are doing well. The last two nights I was on exchanges with another sister in another area. I learned a lot. She is going home in two weeks...down to Andalucia.(In Spain) Her name is Hermana Moraza. Dad did you know an Elder Moraza when you were here because we figured out you might have been here around the same time. I really liked the examples she used when she taught the lessons. they really help people understand and personalize the things we teach. I also learned that I should be speaking Spanish more with my companion. We went to district meeting which was interesting because it was almost completely native speakers. I hope to have a native speaker for a companion sometime...weĺl see though, there really aren't that many.
Hermana Moraza also taught me about how important ward involvement is with people that are new to the church. She said, "what would you do if someone invited you to a party where you wont know anyone there?" Everyone needs friends. I also saw that she has had a lot of fun on the mission and I realized that this really can be the funnest time depending on how you view it and how you do it. I always enjoyed my callings at church and the mission should be the same way. One morning Hermana Moraza took breakfast over to a girl´s house before church and then they went all together. The girl, Odali, hasn't missed church since. I met her and she is so happy and bubbly and great. She is 15 and loves the young women program. She wants to be a missionary one day and she already is with her family. She reads the scriptures to them everyday. wow.
Today we got to go to the temple again. I sure love the temple. It hit me that I was really there in my Father´s house and I should relax and enjoy being there with Him, as though I really were at home. I am also really excited to be there one day with you.
I hope to be able to play the violin for Carolina´s baptism on Wednesday. Shalese: Be glad you play the piano...it is a lot easier to find than a violin when you are on a mission. Dad, Good luck with your talk at Shalese´s farewell. I don't know what you should say ;) Iĺl try to think about it. Maybe something that would help everyone would be to know that the first step in sharing the Gospel is real friendship. When people can see that it comes from a source that really cares about them personally it really helps.
Things here are great. The more I learn the more fun things become. Talking to people on the streets and in the metro is difficult but like many hard things it is also one of the most rewarding things we get to do. Even if someone doesn´t have time to meet with us, it feels great to have a meaningful contact. Too bad that so many people work so many hours here. It is a big problem. They either work every minute or they are without work. Tough stuff.
I hope you are all well. You know I love you un montón.
Love, Hermana Maültown...thatś how they say it around here.
PS Hermana Watkins has made a blog: www.spainmadridmission.blogspot.com
Transfer 7, week 4
February 2, 2011
Shayla had a lot to say in a letter to Shalese. Some she didn't want us to post.... however, being the "poster".... I think some things are pretty awesome.
I felt a lot of peace at the temple and I took a minute to pray in the changing stall. My eyes were opened to the fact that everything we do on the mission is or should be enjoyable. We get 8hrs of sleep every night...I think that is more than I got at home. Then we get to study for an hour, which you will come to love.(Speaking to Shalese) Then you get to study with your companion. Then we get to talk to people on the streets and in their homes and at church, have a bunch of meetings with other missionaries and ward leaders. All of that is pretty pleasant. We don´t even have to worry about money or going to work every day. Everything is how you choose to see it. A big part of our happiness on the mission is determined by our relationship with our companion. No One is perfect, but if we just decide to ignore faults and not care about who is right and live a life of forgiveness and love you have an awesome time!!!. That is about how Hna Bell and I are right now. We laugh a lot. Sure we disagree but we apologize quickly and laugh about it.
So I have been wearing one pair of boots ever since the end of October...three or four months. Lets just say they smell like corn chips. As I was putting them back on at the temple, the zipper which has been threatening to break for a long time finally did. I am super smart though so I took my smelly old knee high and tied it around my leg so my boot would stay up...CLASSY. (That's my girl!!)
Ok. better go, you are the best for painting the house ;) (That would be Shalese!)
Just know I pray for you all the time. The mission is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Love Shayla.
Shayla had a lot to say in a letter to Shalese. Some she didn't want us to post.... however, being the "poster".... I think some things are pretty awesome.
I felt a lot of peace at the temple and I took a minute to pray in the changing stall. My eyes were opened to the fact that everything we do on the mission is or should be enjoyable. We get 8hrs of sleep every night...I think that is more than I got at home. Then we get to study for an hour, which you will come to love.(Speaking to Shalese) Then you get to study with your companion. Then we get to talk to people on the streets and in their homes and at church, have a bunch of meetings with other missionaries and ward leaders. All of that is pretty pleasant. We don´t even have to worry about money or going to work every day. Everything is how you choose to see it. A big part of our happiness on the mission is determined by our relationship with our companion. No One is perfect, but if we just decide to ignore faults and not care about who is right and live a life of forgiveness and love you have an awesome time!!!. That is about how Hna Bell and I are right now. We laugh a lot. Sure we disagree but we apologize quickly and laugh about it.
So I have been wearing one pair of boots ever since the end of October...three or four months. Lets just say they smell like corn chips. As I was putting them back on at the temple, the zipper which has been threatening to break for a long time finally did. I am super smart though so I took my smelly old knee high and tied it around my leg so my boot would stay up...CLASSY. (That's my girl!!)
Ok. better go, you are the best for painting the house ;) (That would be Shalese!)
Just know I pray for you all the time. The mission is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Love Shayla.
Transfer 7, week 3
January 26, 2011
Dear Fam!!
Thanks for the letters and the pictures. Shalese I got your package right on my birthday as well!!!! I love these headbands! I´m wearing one right now. They are so cool! Who taught you how to make them?
I also got a card from Sister and Brother Weed. How great that they got called to preside over a mission!! We all spent the day in the mission home today. So fun. Sister Smith and I snuck away with hermana Watkins to buy hamburger meat and buns for sloppy Joes. So fun...we bought it at a place that is a lot like Costco...my favorite place in the world. hermana Smith and I ended up cooking meat for about 60 missionaries, but it was pretty fun. We got a round of applause for it and then everyone sang happy birthday to me. On Monday I was given cake by four different people and I bought myself a Palmera before I knew how much cake was in store...I didn´t let the stomach ache or sugar rush slow me down from eating.
I got to play the violin at the Bishop´s house after a great lunch of fish!!! Yeah....my fingers are a little rusty after 11 months. He just got released as Bishop....sort of sad because he was amazing. His wife told us the story of how they met and got married..Super funny and she is a very animated person. Her parents were not supportive and when he said he wanted to do things right and ask her father for her hand she asked why he wanted to do that when he didn´t just want her hand but the whole thing...she said he shouldn´t have to ask for her hand or arm or leg or anything else. Super funny.
I still have a big question: Where is Kai Fsher serving? Any other mission calls in the ward I should know about? Didn´t Sarah Whitaker go on a mission? Shalese I am so excited for you to go through the temple on Saturday!!! Yeah!!! It is crazy how soon you will be here in Spain.
Other important updates: Carolina is doing great! we are trying to figure out how to help her get her answers.
I am doing great!!!! Thanks for the love!!!
I love you all so much and I am proud of you all!! Which you already know ;)
Love Hermana Shayla Moulton.
Dear Fam!!
Thanks for the letters and the pictures. Shalese I got your package right on my birthday as well!!!! I love these headbands! I´m wearing one right now. They are so cool! Who taught you how to make them?
I also got a card from Sister and Brother Weed. How great that they got called to preside over a mission!! We all spent the day in the mission home today. So fun. Sister Smith and I snuck away with hermana Watkins to buy hamburger meat and buns for sloppy Joes. So fun...we bought it at a place that is a lot like Costco...my favorite place in the world. hermana Smith and I ended up cooking meat for about 60 missionaries, but it was pretty fun. We got a round of applause for it and then everyone sang happy birthday to me. On Monday I was given cake by four different people and I bought myself a Palmera before I knew how much cake was in store...I didn´t let the stomach ache or sugar rush slow me down from eating.
I got to play the violin at the Bishop´s house after a great lunch of fish!!! Yeah....my fingers are a little rusty after 11 months. He just got released as Bishop....sort of sad because he was amazing. His wife told us the story of how they met and got married..Super funny and she is a very animated person. Her parents were not supportive and when he said he wanted to do things right and ask her father for her hand she asked why he wanted to do that when he didn´t just want her hand but the whole thing...she said he shouldn´t have to ask for her hand or arm or leg or anything else. Super funny.
I still have a big question: Where is Kai Fsher serving? Any other mission calls in the ward I should know about? Didn´t Sarah Whitaker go on a mission? Shalese I am so excited for you to go through the temple on Saturday!!! Yeah!!! It is crazy how soon you will be here in Spain.
Other important updates: Carolina is doing great! we are trying to figure out how to help her get her answers.
I am doing great!!!! Thanks for the love!!!
I love you all so much and I am proud of you all!! Which you already know ;)
Love Hermana Shayla Moulton.
Transfer 7, week 2
Jan 19, 2011
Dear Family!!!
Thanks for the emails! Even Josh!!! It sounds like home school is going to be a lot of fun. It seems like homeschooling taught me to love reading too! Thanks for the updates on everyone. Jacob and Sharah are playing the piano!! That sounds great. You two can help me get better when I get home ;) Sure wish I hadn´t stopped taking lessons when I was twelve (hint hint).
Thnigs are great here. Hermana Bell and I are doing great.Last night we taught a Muslim couple. Super nice. We were all there to teach the others. It was pretty neat to see that they study much of the same history that we do. They are from Ishmael, the son of Abraham, which I kind of already knew but it is really fun to talk about. They wanted to hear about miracles from modern prophets but we know that signs can´t convince people...only the Spirit can convince them. We talked about the Word of Wisdom and they have many of the same beliefs and certain customs about how meat should be slaughtered. Very interesting. It was fun.
Maybe you´d like to read part of my letter to President Watkins ;)
"Carolina está progresando muy bien...está trabajando ésta semana pero ella lea y le encanta los Noches de Hogar con JAS. Ella tiene 22 años y será una misionera extrodonair.
Anoche enseñamos a una pareja de Musulmanes y ellos enseñaron a nosotros también. En el fin, todos decidimos orar a las cuatro de la mañana para preguntar a Dios la verdad...los siguientes tres horas yo pasé soñando de ellos ;) interesante. Son muy buenos.
Nimia está progresando también. Ahora su duda es que tiene miedo de hablar o dar testimonio en frente de otras personas...por eso no quiere ser bautizada. Vamos a planear más Noches de Hogar para que tenga más amistades para sentirse más cómodo en la capilla. Su hijo Victor (11) también le encanta la capilla!!
Hermana Bell y yo estamos muy bien. Hemos aprendido mucho y hablamos abiertamente. Bonding!!
Piso: estamos limpiando aun más. No sé si tenemos tiempo para hacer Todas de las sugerencias en la lista de limpieza pero vamos a intentar ;)
Liderazco: nuestro barrio es fantástico y el líder misional del barrio es muy eficaz!!
Me gustó el mensaje que Ud. compartió con nosotros está semana. Estoy aprendiendo como medir mi trabajo, lo que he hecho y lo que debo hacer, de acuerdo con el Espíritu. Estoy muy agradecida por las cosas que estoy aprendiendo en la misión y por los sacrificios de otros para que yo pueda estar aquí. A la vez, sé que no empezamos como misioneros perfectos, ni tampoco terminamos así, pero muy más capaz en el fin. Cada ves que estudio nuestro potencial divino y el propósito de venir a la tierra, siento más feliz con el trabajo que hacemos, y satisfecha aun que tenemos mucho más de hacer."
Family!!! I love you!! The Church is true!!! You are great!
Love Hermana Shayla Moulton
big PS:
Where is Kai Fisher going on his mission?!? How long has Keilana been out?
Dear Family!!!
Thanks for the emails! Even Josh!!! It sounds like home school is going to be a lot of fun. It seems like homeschooling taught me to love reading too! Thanks for the updates on everyone. Jacob and Sharah are playing the piano!! That sounds great. You two can help me get better when I get home ;) Sure wish I hadn´t stopped taking lessons when I was twelve (hint hint).
Thnigs are great here. Hermana Bell and I are doing great.Last night we taught a Muslim couple. Super nice. We were all there to teach the others. It was pretty neat to see that they study much of the same history that we do. They are from Ishmael, the son of Abraham, which I kind of already knew but it is really fun to talk about. They wanted to hear about miracles from modern prophets but we know that signs can´t convince people...only the Spirit can convince them. We talked about the Word of Wisdom and they have many of the same beliefs and certain customs about how meat should be slaughtered. Very interesting. It was fun.
Maybe you´d like to read part of my letter to President Watkins ;)
"Carolina está progresando muy bien...está trabajando ésta semana pero ella lea y le encanta los Noches de Hogar con JAS. Ella tiene 22 años y será una misionera extrodonair.
Anoche enseñamos a una pareja de Musulmanes y ellos enseñaron a nosotros también. En el fin, todos decidimos orar a las cuatro de la mañana para preguntar a Dios la verdad...los siguientes tres horas yo pasé soñando de ellos ;) interesante. Son muy buenos.
Nimia está progresando también. Ahora su duda es que tiene miedo de hablar o dar testimonio en frente de otras personas...por eso no quiere ser bautizada. Vamos a planear más Noches de Hogar para que tenga más amistades para sentirse más cómodo en la capilla. Su hijo Victor (11) también le encanta la capilla!!
Hermana Bell y yo estamos muy bien. Hemos aprendido mucho y hablamos abiertamente. Bonding!!
Piso: estamos limpiando aun más. No sé si tenemos tiempo para hacer Todas de las sugerencias en la lista de limpieza pero vamos a intentar ;)
Liderazco: nuestro barrio es fantástico y el líder misional del barrio es muy eficaz!!
Me gustó el mensaje que Ud. compartió con nosotros está semana. Estoy aprendiendo como medir mi trabajo, lo que he hecho y lo que debo hacer, de acuerdo con el Espíritu. Estoy muy agradecida por las cosas que estoy aprendiendo en la misión y por los sacrificios de otros para que yo pueda estar aquí. A la vez, sé que no empezamos como misioneros perfectos, ni tampoco terminamos así, pero muy más capaz en el fin. Cada ves que estudio nuestro potencial divino y el propósito de venir a la tierra, siento más feliz con el trabajo que hacemos, y satisfecha aun que tenemos mucho más de hacer."
Family!!! I love you!! The Church is true!!! You are great!
Love Hermana Shayla Moulton
big PS:
Where is Kai Fisher going on his mission?!? How long has Keilana been out?
Transfer 7, week 1
January 12, 2011
Dear Family
I got the Christmas letters from the kids ;) I´m not sure what Sharah meant about the roosters. Thanks!!
I don´t have a lot of time today, Just want to tell you all that I really love you and things are going great. Carolina wants to be baptized soon. She is a miracle!! Other than that we have found a lot of new people lately (thanks for your prayers) and had some interesting lessons: One with a Muslim couple, and one last night with a woman from the Philippines studying with the Jehovah Witnesses. All very good people. Madrid is a different world than Fallon...but I love them both!
I love you!! Love Shayla
Dear Family
I got the Christmas letters from the kids ;) I´m not sure what Sharah meant about the roosters. Thanks!!
I don´t have a lot of time today, Just want to tell you all that I really love you and things are going great. Carolina wants to be baptized soon. She is a miracle!! Other than that we have found a lot of new people lately (thanks for your prayers) and had some interesting lessons: One with a Muslim couple, and one last night with a woman from the Philippines studying with the Jehovah Witnesses. All very good people. Madrid is a different world than Fallon...but I love them both!
I love you!! Love Shayla
Transfer 6, week 6
January 5, 2011
Dear Family,
It looks like you had a great New Years party this year. I´m glad the whole family got to go to the dance. Our family is a dancing family at heart.
So Cyle might be getting married? Where are the pictures? Where is the story of how they met?
Dad asked for tips on how to be a great ward missionary (Yeah Mom!!! That is the best calling in the ward!) My advice is keep doing what you have always done...make everyone feel welcome and needed at church. Have no fear because you can´t say or do anything wrong if you do it with love. Chapters 9 to the end of Preach My Gospel talk a lot about how missionaries should work together with the ward. (PMG is amazing) When the missionaries introduce someone to you, don´t wait for the missionaries to instigate every visit, you can invite investigators over for dinner or Family Home Evening. It is always better if a member is present in the lessons with the missionaries. As missionaries we are encouraged to involve the members as much as possible. It is so important that visitors feel comfortable at church so that they can also feel the Spirit- and if they have friends there, it is easier. One thing I regret from before the mission is that I was often too shy to talk to new people. Now I have talked to A LOT of new people and I can say that everyone has their own quirky personality (so I don´t worry if my quirkiness shines a little). Most people will like anyone who likes them (I didn´t know how to word that). -That just made me think of a scripture: We love Him because He first loved us. (Don´t ask me where it is...maybe in John?) Anyway, missionaries come and go and the saddest thing as a missionary would be leaving a progressing investigator or recent convert without a support system in an area. All that said, Mom, you are going to be great!!! and like Dad said, when Mom signs up, the whole family signs up :)
Thanks for the prayers!
I love you all!!
Love Hermana Shayla Moulton
Dear Family,
It looks like you had a great New Years party this year. I´m glad the whole family got to go to the dance. Our family is a dancing family at heart.
So Cyle might be getting married? Where are the pictures? Where is the story of how they met?
Dad asked for tips on how to be a great ward missionary (Yeah Mom!!! That is the best calling in the ward!) My advice is keep doing what you have always done...make everyone feel welcome and needed at church. Have no fear because you can´t say or do anything wrong if you do it with love. Chapters 9 to the end of Preach My Gospel talk a lot about how missionaries should work together with the ward. (PMG is amazing) When the missionaries introduce someone to you, don´t wait for the missionaries to instigate every visit, you can invite investigators over for dinner or Family Home Evening. It is always better if a member is present in the lessons with the missionaries. As missionaries we are encouraged to involve the members as much as possible. It is so important that visitors feel comfortable at church so that they can also feel the Spirit- and if they have friends there, it is easier. One thing I regret from before the mission is that I was often too shy to talk to new people. Now I have talked to A LOT of new people and I can say that everyone has their own quirky personality (so I don´t worry if my quirkiness shines a little). Most people will like anyone who likes them (I didn´t know how to word that). -That just made me think of a scripture: We love Him because He first loved us. (Don´t ask me where it is...maybe in John?) Anyway, missionaries come and go and the saddest thing as a missionary would be leaving a progressing investigator or recent convert without a support system in an area. All that said, Mom, you are going to be great!!! and like Dad said, when Mom signs up, the whole family signs up :)
Thanks for the prayers!
I love you all!!
Love Hermana Shayla Moulton
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