Birthday Month Starts TOMORROW! :D

Just in case you forgot... October is here TOMORROW!! And we all know what that means!! General Conference, and my birthday!!

Well, here goes the weekly rundown. Hopefully I'll be able to remember everything!!!

Monday: It felt like FALL again!! Beautiful weather. Loved it. Also, we had yummy ribs, corn, rice and gravy for dinner. Mmmm-mmm. Also, little Allie (known as Allie-Kat) drew me a picture of a unicorn and told me to put it up on my wall. She knows me too well :P

Tuesday: Well, it was a very interesting day. We gound a Recent Convert's apartment finally, and a man answered the door in his boxers. He seemed very... glazed. Like, something was up and it smelled soo weird. So we left a mormon.org card with our number on it and left! I don't know if he'll even remember that we stopped by... But we tried! We also tried to contact some referrals that live in town, but we just didn't feel good about the area. Its interesting how the Spirit will warn you that you aren't supposed to be in certain places. So, we didn't even bother getting out of Antonio because we both just felt very... weird about the whole thing. So, onward we went, trying to find a new referral! We drove out to the middle of nowhere. Literally. We hit a dead end and had to trun around by a sketchy, gutted out mobile home. I found out that I laugh when I'm extremely nervous. It didn't help that as we were trying to get out, a HUGE, and I mean GINORMOUS, grasshopper jumped up right onto the middle of our windshield and scared us. Yes, we are scaredy-cat girls sometimes. I named the grasshopper "Hopper" from A Bug's Life and told it to get off. Sister Jones was smart and turned on the windshield wipers. What a smart companion I have! Needless to say, I was a bit freaked for a minute. But, thank goodness for Antonio because we were perfectly fine and safe. So, we finally calmed down and then, as we were driving to find a different referral a few minutes later, saw this huge.. thing coming towards us on the road. It totally looked like a Transformer at first. Then, about .02 seconds later, I realized it was a combine and yelled "There's Frank!" (Cars anyone?) and Sister Jones- who is freaking out because of this huge thing headed towards us- yelled "WHAT is that? Who is Frank?!" So I explained that it was a combine, not a Transformer, and reminded her about Frank from Cars and we both pulled off the road a bit as we passed, and were fine. We even waved at the guy driving the combine, who was very nice and waved back.
After all that... we had no luck finding people. Sister Jones and I needed a break for a minute, so we went back to our apartment to de-stress. We colored some very cute ponies in the coloring books my mom sent. I colored a beautiful picture of "Princess Celestia."

 After a few minutes, we made a thank-you card for Vicky, who made us some lovely candy bouquets, and took it over to her house and visited for a while. She doesn't come to church but was baptized, and she's the only member. But man, her husband is funny. They also love having us over, which is AWESOME.
We ate dinner with Jan, who is a marvelous cook. I'm talking amazing. She had cooked two, whole, entire small chickens and stuffed them with a deligthful mix of fruits, and then we had some yummy rice and cookies for dessert. DELICIOUS. I like the people in this branch :P
After, we went to the activities going on at the church, and rode with Jen to go get some cow milk from her in-law's house. Which was interesting because the cows were out on the driveway, and were very scared as we drove through them.

Wednesday: One month until my birthday! Its weird to think that I'll be 20 soon... No longer a teenager. I finally met our investigator, Marsha! She is just wonderful. We had an amazing member present lesson with her. She really liked the 1st Vision. She said, "Oh wow. That felt really good to hear. I haven't cried yet (reading the Book of Mormon) but.. that came real close. That felt really good." It was really amazing, and she said that she hopes to find out for herself that the church is true, and wants to be a Mormon. No baptism date or commitment, yet, but we are sure its in the near future. She is super stoked about general conference happening and will be watching it because she has the BYU channel. She's just so cool. Plus, she has the cutest Australian shepherd puppy ever. And he gave me a kiss. Don't tell President Pingree!...
Then, we went and visited Dan who got the Priesthood last Sunday, and his mom, Margaret. They're just wonderful, humble, good people. Debbie, Dan's sister, lives with them and is not a member, but we keep missiong her! She's been starting to ask questions, though, and is always really nice to us. We're hopeful that something will happen soon there.
We finished with dinner at Mary's house. She has a gate and a fence around her property, and accidentally forgot to unlock it for us. But, we told Mary we would not be late. So what did we do? We climbed over the fence in our skirts and trekked through the wooded wilderness driveway to her house.

Also, Sister Jones was wearing heals and a longer skirt. Can I just say that Sister missionaries... we get stuff done! (I am woman, hear me ROAR!) It was another lovely vegetarian meal. Tacos! With soy meat. It was pretty good, actually. All the strange things I'm starting to like eating... I'm basically a new person now.
Then, on the way home, we almost got hit by a young buck! It missed us by maybe a yard. Sister Jones had to slam on the brakes too. So that made us a little jumpy. Then, a little while later, about 5 young bucks decided to cross the road in front of us. Good thing we were far enough away to stop in time. Conclusion, the deer are still after me. (Remember last September, when I got hit 2 nights in a row??) Then, we almost hit an armadillo and a racoon. Let me tell you, nature is a pain sometimes. But, we arrived home safe and sound. Hallaluyer!

Thursday: Weekly planning. Woot woot. That took a while. Then, we headed over to the Mitchell household and helped out Jen because her elbow has been really bothering her- she had surgery on it years ago that should have prevented this from happening again- so we helped her make cupcakes, cook dinner, and rearrange her bedroom. She was very appreciative. We had really yummy dinner too. All homemade: chicken fingers and fries, and peas! Yum. The chicken fingers were breaded, and had curry powder and coconut mixed in with the bread crumbs. It was realllllllly good. See, again with the food!

Friday: We had district meeting, and it was Elder Anderson's 19th birthday! So we had yummy cake as well. We were pretty hilarious, singing to him and such. After, we ate lunch with the Binghams at a Mexican restaurant called La Bamba. It was really good. I had some pretty yummy enchiladas. Plus, we mixed salsa, melted cheese, and guacamole for our chips. It was pretty delicious. Again, the food I am eating.
We tried to find some more people who haven't been coming to church, but no such luck until we found Sister Goodwin! She's actually pretty active, and has just been having problems with her allergies. But we finally met her and had a very nice visit with her. She's actually really hilarious, and is such an incredible woman. All these people that live out here are truly an inspiration to me, and I'm so glad that I've been able to get to know some of them!

Saturday: Well, it stormed all Friday night and we were going to go help out with the YW activity Saturday morning at the Mitchells (older Mitchells). It was still raining pretty hard but we went anyway because we were helping with the horses and I would NEVER pass up that opportunity! Sister Mitchell (Diane) knows that I've helped with horses before, so she relied on me a lot. I was a bit nervous (AHH what if I don't remember anything?!) but it went really well. I caught a horse named Grady, who was such a sweetheart, and was able to get him ready fairly quickly (with only a little reminder about how to cinch up the saddle) and help the other horses get ready. It was really fun. Grady was so sweet, and while we were waiting for some YW from the other branch to show up, I was just petting his nose and resting my face on his. I'm sure it looked totes presh. I may or may not have given him a kiss on the nose. Again, don't tell President Pingree! The YW showed up and were so excited! I got to help some of them get up on the horses, and they went in two different groups on a trail ride. While they weren't riding, they hung out with us. They really wanted us to be able to ride too, and were very sad for us because we couldn't. Apparently they even tried to convince Diane to let us ride! It was a lot of fun. That took a while, and then we went home, ate lunch, and got ready for the day. Diane's horses are hypoallergenic, because they're curly haired horses, so Sister Jones shouldn't have had a problem, but there were tons of cats around, and hay, and horse feed... All of which she was allergic to. My poor companion took some allergy medication and had to knock out for a while so she could feel better :( So I just read the Book of Mormon. It was quite fun. We finished up our studies, then went to the Relief Society Broadcast. We had a Mexican potluck dinner before which was AMAZING. I'm telling ya, the people here are incredible cooks. The Broadcast was amazing. I loved it. I loved what they all said about being Covenant Keepers, and what the Prophet said about the importance of prayer. He truly is the Prophet of God today, and you can feel it and know it every time he gets up to speak. I encourage everyone to listen to his words, and the words of his apostles and our other leaders, next weekend during General Conference. What they say is truly what God wants us to hear.

Sunday: Okay, Fast and Testimony meetings are AWESOME in a small branch. Every adult got up to bear their testimony, and a few kids too! It was such a cool experience. I've made it a goal to get up every single fast Sunday in the field, and so far I have kept that goal. Its been amazing. After, we visited Sister Arellano who is so cool and then went to Dan and Margaret's house because Margaret was feeling sick :( We watch The Lamb of God with her. It is such an amazing thing. The Savior lives.
After, we had dinner at the Mitchells. Yummy roast, and veggies! Just like being at home. And homemade rolls.

Y'all, I love it here.

The church is true. Being a missionary is seriously the best thing in the world.

love,
Sister Kirsten Shell

Fall weather is here!! At least for a few days.

Hello everyone!! Life is beautiful :)

Tuesday: We had interviews and specialized training. Thats where President Pingree, his wife, and the Assistants come to your area and train you on some cool stuff. We focused on what we call the "Powerful First Lesson" and it was really good. We also watched a talk about becoming a man or woman of integrity by Tad R. Callister. It was sooo good! I'd recommend it to everyone. Then, we each had our own personal interviews with President Pingree. It was pretty neat. We talked about Brian's batismo, and then talked about a few ways we could maybe find some more investigators in our area. He told me that I'm a really good missionary, and that the selfish side of him wishes that I will never get my visa! That felt pretty good. I feel like I'll be really missed when I do end up leaving. Especially by President and Sister Pingree. The first thing she did when I walked in was tell me thank you and asked how I was doing. Again, President Pingree said that he will let me know immediately after he knows about my visa. Pretty cool Mission President, let me just tell you.

Wednesday: We found a few people we were unable to find before, so that was AWESOME! We met with a really cute, sweet woman named Becky and she told us we could come back any time! She's a member, but her husband is not and she doesn't really come. Her brother that lives with her goes to the singles ward all the time, and recently got his Patriarchal blessing, which made her request a copy of her own! She is pretty cool. Then, we had dinner with Sister McKisson, a convert of 2 years who is already the Relief Society President! She is so cool, and amazing. She wants us to come eat dinner with her every Wednesday. The people here are so sweet and awesome.
While trying to find some people, Sister Jones and I had a strange moment. We stopped and yelled at some cows in a field because... well, why not? And then barked at them. I don't think they appreciated that. Then, we saw SIRIUS BLACK in dog form. True story.

Thursday: We have gotten so many referrals in the past week and a half, and got another one on Thursday! That made 3. So far, we've had no luck with contacting them but we'll keep trying, never fear! The cool thing is two referrals were given by people who aren't even in our area, but know somebody who lives in Caldwell. Isn't that cool? The members are really stepping it up here in Texas! Also, I had AMAZING chocolate chip pancakes for dinner. And bacon. YUM :)

Friday: IT RAINED ALL DAY! And it was awesome. We may or may not have sat outside under a covering for companionship study, and we may or may not have studied Noah's Ark... Sister Jones and also decided that day that bother of our Grandpas- Grandpa Shell, and her Grandpa Jones- take turns guarding our door at night. We feel pretty safe, needless to say. Plus, I decided that Aunt Carol probably follows us around too, and NOBODY will ever mess with that woman!
Sister Bingham called that morning, knowing we didn't have dinner, and asked if we could meet them at Dairy Queen at four so that she and her husband could buy us some food on their way back home! She is just so sweet and thoughtful.
Then, we came back home and wrote a cute "Get Well" card for Jan since she's sick, and delivered it to her. After that, we constructed our missionary bag! Basically, it has a bunch of our pamphlets, a Book of Mormon, mormon.org cards, pass-along cards, a dvd, "The Living Christ" and "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" in it. The idea is that each week, a member will voluntarily take it and try to pass something out if they're talking to a friend about religion. Nothing too pressured- just so that they feel prepared and do have the materials to do so. We feel like it will really help us find new people to teach.

After that, we made a bunch of paper hearts and wrote things on them to heart attack the Mitchell Family's door because they do so much for us! They feed us twice a week and let us do laundry at their house, and check up on us. So sweet. Then, we met with the Branch President to talk about the Missionary Bag and he gave us another referral, and Sister Jones a talk! The work is moving forward, slowly, but surely. Woot woot!

Saturday: We went to Paige Mitchells volleyball came for a little while and she was SO CUTE. She's 7 yo and had little bows in her hair, and actually passed the ball quite a few times. Then we left early so we could heart attack their door while they were still at the game.
We did service at the Gambles. We just moved a bunch of bricks around and sang to our hearts content. It felt sooooooo good outside! Plus, their new puppy Maggie decided that she likes me and snuggled on my lap. So "totes presh". Then, their 18 mo Henry sat by me, and gave me leaves, and sang to me. It was too cute! Then, later, he started throwing a tantrum and screaming and Grace couldn't get him to stop. So I mimicked him and screamed back, exactly how he had just yelled. He immediately stopped because he was so agog. He didn't really know how to process what had happened. It was hilarious, and I knew it would work too because I've done that with cousins before. Sister Jones and Grace thought it was so funny, and a strange yet effective new technique. Then, we had YUMMY curry for dinner. I even got the recipe! So delicious. I know, you're all so shocked that I'm liking all these strange new things here.

Sunday: It was another BEAUTIFUL day, and church was wonderful! Sister Jones did really well on her talk, and then Dan (who's coming back to church after a lifetime of being away) got the Aaronic Priesthood! It was such an amazing experience. He's really trying to learn all he can, since the last time he came was when he was 13 and he's in his fifties now, and he's trying so hard to be a stalwart member. He's a really good guy, and just wants to serve anyone and everyone he can.
Sister Mitchell came up to us at church and told us that she had a "STINKIN' CUTE DOOR!" and that her kids were fighting to get out of the car first so they could look at it first. No injuries for them, though, don't worry. And the kids won't let her take it down... EVER! Haha
Then, we had a huge branch lunch at the Branch President's house where we had some really delicious food- mac and cheese with meat, baked potatoes, homemade pizza, banana pudding, and much more. Then we had a meeting about teaching that lasted for a while. It was pretty great.
That evening, we went and saw the Arellano family and they are so cool. Sister Arellano loves animals, so they have dogs, cats, chickens, goats, birds. They do have a nice piece of land too, and they're building a tree house. She told us to come by whenever. People here are so nice and friendly!

So, yeah, that's basically how my week went. It was pretty awesome, and so I'm stoked for this one! Being a missionary is the best, y'all.

love,
Sister Shell

Two months in the field and a batismo?!

Hello, everybody!!

First off, I officially finished my first mission journal. No big deal but... its a pretty big deal. :P Here goes the weekly rundown:

Monday: We bought a cheap white board for our apartment! We put that up, and then I cut out several inspirational pictures from the Ensign and put them up on the walls. I also put up the picture of the yegua. Now all missionaries who live in Caldwell will be aware of them :P Then we just kind of chilled at our apartment until it was time to go do laundry at the Mitchells, and eat dinner. We had yummy Navajo tacos. They were pretty great.

Tuesday: We couldn't find ANYBODY. Obviously we were looking for the wrong people. We were driving on all these dirt and gravel roads, and one time a road covered in sand. Good thing we had Antonio! It was quite an adventure. We finally decided to find this one lady named Vicky. She is AWESOME! She breeds Persian cats, and has a huge habitat built for them in her backyard. No big deal. The house they live in was built in WWI times, and needs a bit of fixing up. So, of course, we offered to help with that! She told us to come over for dinner any time because her son-in-law (who's family is living with them) is a great cook, and so is she! PLUS her son-in-law speaks Portuguese, and so I could practice the language! Vicky can pretty much do anything and everything under the sun. After her, we ate dinner at Jan's house. She is just so adorable, and she too is a very good cook.

Wednesday: I went on exchanges, and the first thing we did was have a moment of silence in memory of September 11. I'll never forget what happened that day. I love this country!
For exchanges, I went to College Station with Sister Newhouse. We got along pretty well, and visited a lot of people.

Thursday: Weekly planning... YAY! Hopefully we can build up our investigator pool.. which is now at ONE because Sister Jones taught a member present lesson on exchanges! Her name is Marsha, and apparently she is golden. I cannot WAIT to meet her! We also got TWO MORE referrals to contact! Hopefully we will be able to meet them this week.

Friday: THE THIRTEENTH!! D: *Gasp* No wonder it wasn't the best day :P Okay, our day was actually pretty good. So we went to District Meeting, which was pretty entertaining. I have some very interesting elders in my district. We had some awesome food for lunch, though. One of them is basically a master chef. He made pasta salad, unlike any pasta salad I have ever seen before. It did not even taste like pasta salad. I'm pretty sure it was just cold pasta. But whatever he wanted to call it... And jalapeno hot dogs. And ice cream. And pie. And chips. Don't worry, it was just a miniature feast. Also, today Sis Jones wrote something I said into her journal because, apparently, it was hilarious. I don't exactly remember the conversation, but here's what she wrote down (that I said); "I don't usually go traipsing through the getto, saying 'I'm going to make a friend today!'" She almost died laughing.
Snippet from my journal about the batismo; "SO STOKED!!!!!! I. CAN'T. WAIT!"

SATURDAY: So, we went to Caldwell's famous kolache festival. Its a huge deal, and a good way to get out there in the community so people will start recognizing us. We hung out with the branch mission leader and his wife, and their son. I did indeed eat a kolache, and it was good. Not as good as the sausage kolaches that I've had before, but still yummy. They had a "world famous" band playing at the festival called the Shiner Hobo Band. I'm sure you have all heard of this band. Who hasn't? Then, we went with Jason and Grace (branch mission leader and wife) to see the beagle puppy they will be getting in a few weeks!! IT WAS SO PRECIOUS. Definitely not as cute as Scooter, but a close 2nd. Its eyes still weren't open yet!! We got to know the people who bred the puppy pretty well, and I threw a basketball with their 3 year old son. Even though it wasn't really religious, I think it was good for them to meet us and to see that we're normal people too. Maybe we can go with Grace and Jason when they see the puppy again!
Then, we left for the hour and a half ride to the BATISMO! I almost had a heart attack on the way there. I just felt like I should check the phone, so I did and we had a message from the Montgomery sisters. They said they had some not so good news. Derrick backed out of being baptized because he felt that he wasn't ready, and because he smoked a cigarette. My heart dropped. But, they said Brian was still going to get baptized so onward we drove. Sister Jones started crying in the car as we passed through Montgomery to get to the baptism because Montgomery was her first area as well! We finally got to the church building, and everyone was really glad to see Sis Jones and I :D I was reunited with my old companions, and they told me I was giving the closing prayer and bearing my testimony. Brian was super happy to see me there, and super surprised! He was just really happy the whole time. The recent RM that's been going to their lessons baptized him. Chera (Brian's mom) and her ex-husband (Brian's dad) and Brian's grandpa all came to the batismo! Chera cried almost the whole time. I know she felt the Spirit. Apparently she also finally sat in on one of the lessons! And has been reading the Book of Mormon! Derrick didn't come to the baptism. There was another baptism scheduled at the same time, so we had to wait for them to go to the font before we could start. It was fun to see and talk with everyone beforehand. Then, we finally started and had some lovely talks. Finally, the moment arrived. We all walked into the baptismal font room and I almost lost it when I saw Brian and Jon (the RM) get into the water. It was beautiful. Brian got baptized and I was just so happy. It was beautiful. We all went back to the chapel while they were changing, and the missionaries in our district all got up and bore testimony. As I got up to bear mine, Brian and Jon walked in. So I was able to direct it a little more towards Brian. He paid attention to everything that was going on. It was awesome. Afterwards, I was able to talk to him and I told him that he had to be strong, and that he couldn't give up on this. He said, "Yeah, I won't give up." It was awesome. Then, Chera talked to me and said "I'm glad to see that you're doing well, and I truly mean that. I wish you the best!" It was so sweet. I think she's finally opening up a bit.
We tried to visit Derrick after the baptism so I could give him some words of encouragement, but to no avail. It just wasn't the right timing. But, I am going to try and send him a letter soon so that I can do so. Even though I was devastated that Derrick backed out, I know that he will be baptized and that it will happen for him. Its not about my timing, its about the Lord's timing.
That experience was amazing. I know I don't mention it a lot, but there are times when the mission is really hard and I get really discouraged and I wonder why in the world I am here in Texas. Then, miracles happen and everything is so much better. Its like... the good parts are so good that the bad parts don't even matter anymore. The good is so much better than the bad. And Brian's baptism reminded me of the whole reason I'm here.
It's all worth it to see someone in white, taking the first step that will change their life forever. It truly is.

Sister Shell, Sister Elliott, Brian, and Sister Kyles

Sunday: We taught YW to the only youth age person we have- the Branch President's daughter, Rachelle. Her little sister (5 yo) Larissa and I are besties, so Rachelle and I get along pretty well. I flipped open to the Christlike attributes in PMG (Preach My Gospel) and told her to pick one she would like to learn about. She picked virtue. Somehow, Sis Jones and I taught in perfect unity about virtue for an hour. I thought it was a very good impromptu lesson!

Y'all, I love this gospel and I love being a missionary! Alma 36:25-26 "Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors; For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God." Right now, only a few have "tasted as I have tasted" but more will come. My mission is just starting. There are so many more people the Lord wants to hear the gospel.
And they will hear, and they will taste as I have tasted :)

love,
Sister Shell

Olá, meus queridos!!

I know, I know I often call you my dears in Portuguese. Deal with it. :P

So, Caldwell has been going great. Ready for the weekly rundown? Hope so 'cuz here it goes!

Tuesday: Our main goal was to find a library in our tiny town of 4,000. We went to a different area when we couldn't find anything (don't worry, still in our zone) to College Station. NO GOOD. Too many college kids and college kids only libraries. We went to a library in a place called Bryan after that. Sketchy. No good. Finally, we headed back to Caldwell to try and find a library there again. Turns out that the library is literally right in front of our apartments. No big deal. We can walk here. Its whatever... Awkward though. Yet hilarious. So we emailed and then went and met/ate dinner with the Gambles- the branch mission president and his wife. Super AWESOME people.

Wednesday: We went to a town we cover called Somerville. We visited the Binghams and the Farmers and then came back to meet with the Fosters. President Foster is our branch president, and his brother happens to live in Montgomery ward with his family! Crazy huh? Sadly, President Foster wasn't there. So we just got to know his wife and kids, and did a little object lesson with them.
Also, we FINALLY finished constructing our bookshelf! Blood and sweat went into that thing. Literally. They gave us a bookshelf to construct without any tools. We tried, and didn't quite finish. But we got tools from the Fosters and finished it. It is beautiful. We were quite proud of it. Are quite proud of it still!

The Amazing Bookshelf!

Thursday: I was OFFICIALLY out for THREE whole months! Crazy how time flies. It was weekly planning. Weekly planning makes us a little... CRAZY. We took some hilarious pictures of us giving up. For just a few minutes, not permanently of course. Then, we got a map. Halleluyer! (Thats how we say it here in Texas). We saw the Smiths/Moores who are AWESOME people. Brother Smith has a super long ponytail. His hair is longer than mine. And a rebel earring and tattoos. From his rebel years. But they are truly amazing and sweet people.

Sister Shell and Sister Jones Temporarily Giving Up

Friday: We had Zone Meeting and it was fun. Even if my zone is small-ish. There's an Elder in my Zone named Elder Wible (forgive me if I've already mentioned this) who is also a visa waiter for Brazil! In fact, I flew out with him. Anyways, we spoke some more Portuguese and it was fun to actually get some real practice in. Then, one of the little 18 yo elders asked if I took voice lessons because my voice sounded pretty. I just wanted to pinch his cheeks, he was so adorable and sweet! Then we came back and finished up our studies- they got cut short because we are so far away from EVERYTHING over here. Its awesome. In comp study, we studied the 2nd Coming. I AM PUMPED. Seriously, I have no fear at all. It is going to be awesome. and the righteous will prevail. Simple as that. If you are righteous, why fear? We finally met the Branch President that night, and told us that there are apparently tons of wild hogs here. He killed one a few weeks ago and showed us the tusks. Is that what they're called? I don't know.. Anyways, they were huge and terrifying. And you all thought that living in Texas would be much safer than living in Brazil, didn't you :P

Saturday: We were going to do mormon.org time, but the library here is apparently not open on Saturdays. So we went and visited the Mitchell family, who had already given us a referral and who we have an appointment with on Wednesday! Woot woot! I like their place. Lots of cows and horses, and babies of each! SUPER cute. Then, we ate dinner with their kid/daughter-in-law/grandkids and the Gambles.

Random stories that I don't remember which days they go on:
The other day, we were driving around and trying to find this lady, and we got chased by a small pack of dogs. Don't worry, though, Antonio kept us quite safe. He is more than a match for those mangy mutts. It was quite hilarious, really. Then, as we were driving away, we saw a water tower with this strange word on it. YEGUA. Sis Jones and I just looked at each other and said, "What in the world is a YEGUA??" Naturally, we envisioned up some terrible creature that haunts the night. Members have now told us that it means 1. Horse in Spanish (though I'm not sure if that's true or not) and 2. Indian. Sis Jones and I didn't fall for that, of course. We believe very strongly that the Yeguas have the humans living in Caldwell fooled about their true identity. So naturally, we drew a picture of one. I will send that with all my pictures. It is quite hilarious. And accurate, of course.

The newly discovered Yegua!

Also on Saturday: The Montgomery sisters called because I texted them, asking about Derrick and Brian. They have their baptism scheduled for September 14th at 5 pm. SO STOKED! I asked how the lessons have been going, and the sisters told me. They also said that a recent RM has been going to all the lessons and has really clicked with Derrick. Woot Woot! Jon Jarnegin is his name, I believe. Anyways. Here is what apparently happened when Derrick was talking about football on Sundays and how he might miss church.
Sister Elliott: Derrick! If Sister Shell was here, what would she say?!
Derrick: If Sister Shell was here, I wouldn't even bring it up!
SE: Yes you would! Pretend that you would! And when you did... What would she say?
D: *closes eyes, folds arms* Derrick. What is more important- eternal salvation or football?
Apparently it was hilarious. Jon started cracking up, asked if I'd really told Derrick that, and then said, "Couldn't have said it better myself! Its funny because I really WOULD have said that :P Then, later, this happened.
SE: So, who do you want to baptize you?
D: Sister Shell!
SE&K: *explain about Priesthood*
D: Okay, fine. Then I want Prophet Monson! Or Jesus!
What a character! haha, I just think its so sweet that he wanted me to baptize him! Anyways, I am SO SUPER STOKED FOR THEIR BATISMOS!!!

Sister Jones and I get along really well. This is her 2nd to last transfer, she's from Bountiful, UT and is awesome. I feel like we'd be friends in real life as well. We like to sing at the top of our lungs whilst listening to uplifting music in Antonio. The neighbors must think they have Broadway stars living next to them.

Sunday: I gave my second talk on my mission!! I found out about it the night before, and was going to write it down during personal study but didn't have much time because we had Branch Council. So I had a sticky note on it with 5 bullets, and managed to give a 15 minute talk. Apparently it was good, but I don't really remember all that I said. I know that the Spirit definitely helped me out! The stake patriarch was the other speaker, and I reallllllly liked what he had to say. It was all about obedience, both of our talks, and it was a really great sacrament meeting.
For the rest of church, we helped out in Primary because Sister Jones can play piano LIKE A BOSS. She is also really impressed with some of the piano music I have on my MP3 player that may or may not have been recorded by a missionary who may or may not be in Brazil. Anyways, their pianist wasn't there and their primary program is next week! So she filled in. And I am now known as the "child whisperer." Because I was able to control some of the crazier ones, and help out. I guess I've just had lots of practice with my super amazing and awesome little cousins!
We ate dinner with the Fosters and the Fosters. No, not the ones in Caldwell and Montgomery. There are two families with the last name of Foster in Caldwell in our Branch. One is the Branch President. The other is another family, and no they are not related. Although, Brother Foster is related to Ruthie Foster. Yeah, she's his big sister. No big deal or anything. I'm assuming mom (or at least Uncle Robert) know who she is. Singer, sounds amazing. Yeah, her brother just happens to live in a tiny town in Texas and is in my branch. Boy is he a crackup too! Some of his stories are just hilarious!

Well, I better send some pictures!! I love it here. A lot. The people are wonderful, the area is beautiful and there is work to be done.

Batizar todo mundo!! Eu amo vocês!!! Tchau TCHAU tchau!

Sister Kirsten Shell

PS We saw a peacock chilling on top of someone's car the other day. Who knew Texas was so exotic?

Hello, my family! Sorry I did not email yesterday- it was labor day weekend, and none of the libraries were open or anything. Yeah... But I am today, and that's all that counts. Here goes the week rundown:

Monday: We went to H.E.B. for the first time! It is a grocery store found only in Texas, and let me tell you, it is fabulous. I love. Samples of yummy food everywhere. I could totally eat a full meal there without actually buying anything! We stayed in Montgomery and chilled. We also taught our first lesson to a member's son Jaymin. They want him to hear the lessons before he is baptized.

Tuesday: We did service at Kaity's! So fun. Then we realized that we had 3 appointments that night. So we were like... Uhhhh, what do we do? Needless to say, we made it happen! It was truly a miracle. We called a few sisters last minute and did 3 way splits! Somehow it all worked out! All of our lessons went really well. That night was a miracle. Then, as we were getting ready for bed, our district leader called. OH NO!! Transfer calls! :O He told us that we'd all be staying in Montgomery. Woot woot!

Wednesday: We ate lunch with the Williamsons. Brother W. accidentally spilled a tidal wave of water all over me at the restaurant. It was HILARIOUS. And cold. We went home and changed, and Sister Elliott and I acted out Nacho Libre for Amanda Stallings, who likes to come visit us to learn what being a missionary is like because she's reporting in November for the Phillipines! We tried to see Lisa (the woman we found tracting on one of our first days) but she wasn't there. We dropped off cookies for Ryan and Kim (in our appartments) and then taught Randi an AWESOME lesson on the Plan of Salvation! OTIMO.

Thursday: Weekly Planning! .... Sister Williamson called that morning and asked if we could help her clean a sick member's apartment. Of course, we said yes! After service we were supposed to teach Randi again (for the 3rd time this week since Sister Elliott did on splits!!) but she was just dead tired from work. We visited Ryan and Kim, who said that they wanted to learn more but that they wanted to set up a time for a different day!! Woot woot! Then, we went and taught Jaymin the Plan of Salvation. He had already taken some of his medication so he was so tired. Bless his heart, he really did try to stay awake! We visited the Hartnetts who told us that they would give us a ride to church on Sunday if Sister Hartnett was feeling better by that time. They love the missionaries, even though they don't always make it to church :P Then Brother Foster stopped by to pick up a Book of Mormon. Awesome member missionary!

Friday: We had our first district meeting after the transfer! We now have 4 more people- ALL sisters!!! They are AWESOME. We ate lunch at Chick Fil A- which is an amazing place that is dear to my heart- and then visited Barbara in the hospital. We sang primary songs to her. Barbara's mother was there, who is a nonmember, and she cried! She really felt the Spirit. We took the sisters (the new ones who came with us to the hospital) to their next appointment, then went and taught Cheyenne. That lesson went pretty well! It was definitely not as all over the place as the last one. Which is OTIMO. We ate dinner with the Adams family, and stayed for Elizabeth's 11th birthday party. She LOVES One Direction, let me just tell you. They totally jammed out to all of their music the whole time. We helped paint nails for the party. A 13 yo babysitter came to pick up some of the girls, and Sister Kyles painted her nails while she was waiting for them to be ready to leave. She just started talking to Sister Kyles about her life, and was really impressed by Sister Kyles. She got our number and texted us that night! Asking when she could meet with us!

Saturday: In our studies Gabby (the babysitter) texted us. Because we aren't supposed to text during our studies, we decided to wait. She called us 20 minutes later! We set up a time to meet at the Adams house that day. Then Sister Kyles made cookies during language study. She made a huge 1D cookie for Elizabeth since her actual birthday was Saturday. I made her a card, and it was pretty clever. Here's what it said; "Happy birthday girl! You are amazing and beautiful. You know who you are- a daughter of God- and THATS WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for inviting us to your party last night so we could go CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY with you! YOU'VE GOT THAT ONE THING that makes us smile every time we see you!
love, the Sister Missionaries!"
Then we all signed it. Pretty great, right? Anyways, Gabby came to their house and we all talked. She got into drugs last year and really wants to stop. Her mom "used to" be an alcoholic and her dad "used to" be a meth addict. It broke my heart because she is such a sweet girl, and she is so young. She just turned 13. She reminded me of Alyssa, which broke my heart even more. She just desperately wants to feel loved and important and confident. We taught her that Heavenly Father loves her, and then we gave her a "letter from God to His daughter." It's beautiful. I'll send a copy home ASAP. Sister Kyles asked Gabby to read it out loud. As soon as she started, she began crying. After she finished reading, we asked her what that letter made her feel like. She said it made her feel really important. We talked about how the gospel can bring her what she really wants- true happiness, importance and peace. We taught her part of the Restoration lesson and gave her a Book of Mormon. Sister Adams offered her a ride to church, if she was able to come. Gabby left feeling a lot better than when she came. She is so beautiful and sweet. I hope she realizes that the gospel can help her change for the better, and for good.
That night we also taught Derrick and Brian. That was AWESOME. We showed them some clips about Jeffrey R. Holland speaking about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, since they still aren't 100% sure about those. They both PROMISED to be at church Sunday, and hopefully they are so that they can be baptized on the 14th of September!
When we finished our lesson, we saw that we had a missed call and a voice mail from President Pingree. Gulp! So we listened to the voice mail and he asked me to call him back- as in ME- because he needed to talk to me. Double gulp! So of course, I called him back immediately. By this time we were back in our apartments, and pulled over so Sister Elliott could talk to Randi who was walking her dog. So I called him back, and he asked me if I was sitting down. I told him that I was and he proceeded to tell me that they didn't have my visa. BUT. There was an emergency transfer going on. And that he felt that I should be the one to leave and be the sister- who's companion was moving closer to the mission office- be her companion. My heart dropped. But when President Pingree asked if I would be willing to do that, I said, "Yes. If that's where the Lord needs me to be right now, then of course." He thanked me and told me we'd do the transfer on Monday.
So I left Montgomery after all! However, President told me that I should still be able to attend Derrick and Brian's baptism. I had mixed feelings about this at first. But, its not what I want. Its what the Lord wants.
And I felt at peace with what was happening almost immediately.

Sunday: DERRICK FINALLY CAME TO CHURCH!!! Brian got sick and couldn't go, but STILL! I bore my testimony, and Derrick loved church. We had a linger longer- like a Break-the-fast- and Derrick talked to about 5 people that he already knew! I asked him what he thought of church, and he said it really helped him "just like you said it would Sister Shell!" Then, I told him that I was leaving. But that if he was on track for baptism that I could attend his baptism! He was sad, but understood that the Lord needed me elsewhere. "People need you there, Sister Shell. Just like I needed you here! You changed my life for the better. I believe because you do. You're gonna be awesome." It was so sweet!
The Zarada family found out I was leaving- because I didn't really tell anybody except the Bishop and people in the ward that I was close to- and invited us over for breakfast on Monday. They are so awesome!
We ate dinner at the Williamson's and the Assistants called that night. I answered and took the phone into the other room so I could hear.
"Hello, this is Sister Shell!"
"Hi Sister Shell this is Elder Meyers! How are you doing?"
"Fabulous! Today was awesome. One of our investigators finally came to church!"
"Thats great!"
"Yeah, life is good."
"... So President Pingree hasn't called you yet has he?"
"No, he did. Last night. He told me that I was being transferred. Right?"
"Oh, he did call! Oh, okay. Right, Transferred."
He seemed a bit surprised that I was so cheerful. Oh well. Anyways, we worked out the logistics of transferring.
So, that night I packed.

Monday: CRAZY. We ate DELICIOUS breakfast at the Zarradas. It was awesome. They had pancakes AND bacon, and they even had CHOCOLATE CHIP pancakes! Amazing. Right? Totally. Then, we left! All my stuff was in the trunk, we drove and met up with my new comp- Sister Jones. WE HAVE A TRUCK. OH MY GOODNESS, I WAS SO DARN EXCITED!!!!! Like, I saw the truck and was like, "Heavenly Father knows I've always wanted a truck! This is gonna be awesome." We took pictures in the Kroger parking lot where we met up, exchanged sisters and I left! After many hugs, of course. Sister Jones is in her 2nd to last transfer and she is AWESOME!!! Seriously. She's so cool. And did I mention we have a truck? We drove and went to a Zone Activity, where I saw another Brazil visa waiter who I'd traveled with! Elder Wible! It was fun to try and speak some Portuguese with him. I remembered more than I thought I would, which was AWESOME. Then we went back, called some people in our branch (apparently we meet in a warehouse on Sundays) and I unpacked. We tried to set up a bookshelf without using any tools. Kind of a fail. And I injured my thumb. I kept working on it but then Sister Jones saw that I was bleeding and told me that I should go take care of myself :P So I did. Our apartments are in a bit of a sketchy place, but they have been dedicated. Also, we have no washer and dryer. It will be just like living in Brazil!!! :D Also, its okay because we have a truck!!!!

Today, we finally found the library- which, after much searching, turns out to be the big building right in front of our apartments- and here we are! We are still trying to find our way around and meet people since the only missionaries before us were an elderly couple. Basically, I'm whitewashing.

Y'all. I AM SO EXCITED!!!! I love being a missionary.


Gotta send pics!!

love,
Sister Shell

Sister Shell and her new companion Sister Jones

One more picture of Sister Kyles, Sister Shell and Sister Elliott

Sister Shell and the truck which she has fondly named "Antonio" (Don't really know why)

OLA!!! Transfer Week

Hello, familia!!!

I can't believe I've already been in Texas for one whole transfer! Well, almost. Its crazy! We haven't heard anything about transfers yet. They should begin calling people on Tuesday or even on Wednesday, and then we'll have transfers on Thursday. Still no word on the visa, but that's okay! Montgomery, and Houston in general, is a pretty cool place to be for now! Plus, I was called to be a missionary of the Lord first, and then I was called to Brazil second. So as long as I'm a missionary, its all good.
Congrats to Spence and Brady-Boy! I know that Spencer will be an amazing missionary, and I know Brayden will have so much fun at BYU! Gabi left for school already right? I know that she'll have an amazing time there! Both of my companions went to Utah State and they loved it! The only bad thing Sister Elliott said about it was that her nose hairs would freeze during the winter. Hee hee, thats a funny thing to picture :P

Alright, week rundown!

Tuesday: So our car was making a funny rattling noise, and we were told by our vehicle coordinator to bring it into the dealership so they could look at it. We only heard it when we turned up the AC so we figured it was a problem with the AC. We dropped it off there, then did a day of service at the ranch. SO FUN! Mucking stalls, being around horses, and WEARING JEANS! Some of the elders in our district picked us up from the dealership and drove us there. We also saw the biggest horse on the 65 acre ranch- Big Nat (or maybe its Big Gnat? I can't tell...) I was only as tall as the middle of his belly. My head could fit in his jaw. No joke, he was huge. And what a sweetheart too!! He was my buddy. Kaity, the manager of the ranch who is getting married in October (the best month, not that I'm biased) wrapped her arms and legs around his neck and hung there. It didn't bother him, didn't pull his neck down, and I'm really not sure if he even noticed. Yeah.

That night, we taught Derrick and Brian, and it was awesome. Sister McArthur and her son Taylor, who is 17 (Brian's age) came! Sister McArthur's daughter Kaisha just left for her mission to Ecuador, so she's very attached to us now. They were awesome in the lesson!! Derrick said that he probably wouldn't be coming to church because of some fantasy football draft at a friends house. Brian told us he was coming anyway! At the end of the lesson, I turned to Derrick and asked "What's more important- fantasy football, or eternal salvation and happiness?" He looked really sheepish and said, "The Lord. I'll be there on Sunday."
Oh, and so our car. Yeah, we got done with service at about 1:30 and didn't leave the dealership until about 3:30. They figured out it wasn't a problem with the AC and hadn't looked at it since. We were told by our vehicle coordinator to keep driving it and just trade it in during transfers. So that's the plan!

Wednesday: We went to see the Calderon family! Lisa showed us pictures of her first ultrasound (well, first for her 9th child- but they combined two families, so I think this is only her 4th time being pregnant? I dunno....) We also talked to her son Derrick, who was so excited that we were over. Which is awesome, and he said he would come to church on Sunday to hear me talk. He's 12, and feels a bit uncomfortable at church, so I was so glad that he decided to come!
Later we tried to find a referral, but no luck. Instead we found a less active member, Krissy, and her kids! She has social anxiety, and we're pretty sure that's the reason she doesn't come to church. She is a super awesome, super sweet lady and she's a great mommy. After that, we fed ourselves and taught the Rivera family (a part member family) a bit.

Thursday: Weekly Planning! Woohoo!! My favorite thing! Honestly, its pretty boring. But completely necessary. Plus, our power went out in the middle of it!! So of course, we all ran and got our flashlights and took pictures in the dark bedroom. It was hilarious. Anyways. We saw Rena after that, and she seemed a little... off.. Like maybe she was on something. I don't understand why she won't leave her drug selling/using boyfriend, especially when he's not very nice to her. Especially for her kids. But, it will all work out. Hopefully the church will help her. It already has a lot, and she's got her mother interested in the Book of Mormon now as well!
We were also supposed to teach Randi that night, but her boyfriend's parents were in town and so she had to work at their store late. We set up an appointment for Tuesday (tomorrow) night, so that's exciting!
We also went to the McArthur's to plan our next lesson for Derrick and Brian so that Taylor could help teach more. That kid is gonna be an awesome missionary one day!

Friday: We had a district meeting, which was super fun. We all made quesadillas after, then we left and visited a sister who's in the hospital named Barbara. She's so sweet. We prayed with her and sang "I Love to See the Temple" including a new verse that Sister Elliott made up!
Needless to say, Barbara loved it. After that, we taught a 10 year old named Cheyenne. She was ALL over the place, and kept talking about super heroes and couldn't decide if she wanted to be a "she-hulk" or "spider woman" more. That was a pretty fun lesson.
Derrick asked us to move our lesson to Saturday, so we did. We ate pizza with the McArthurs and told them the change in plans. They couldn't go on Saturday :(
Then, we got home and it was MAIL TIME!!! BEST DAY EVER! I GOT FOUR, F-O-U-R, 4, FOUR LETTERS!! I hit the back of the seat when I saw that my very own brother had written me!! Haha, anyways. Moving along!

Saturday: We were going to go to the KOA to work out, since its right across the street, but saw that we had a flat tire! So we just went to the gym in our complex. Later in the day, we went out to try and change it and a couple saw us trying to do it in our skirts and did it for us. They were so nice! It was a donut, though, so not very stable... We had Sister Williamson take us to a big lunch that a guy named Mike had. He is used to cooking for the offshore crew, so he cooked a LOT of food. Gumbo, mac and cheese, roast beef, yummy veggies, ice cream. It was so much. Oh wait! Okay, so with Sister Williamson, before we went to the lunch, we went to Walmart, and helped her buy some school supplies for a family in need. It was super fun! We also saw somebody we needed to visit, and told them we'd be stopping by with cookies! They seemed pretty stoked about that. Anyways, after lunch we took over the school supplies and a bunch of leftover food. It was really fun- the kids were so grateful! The parents weren't home when we first got there, and they were a little suprised to see people in their house.
After that, we went to Discount Tire! While we were there, this guy came and sat down by us, and because we are stellar missionaries, we of course started up a conversation. He was in his 20s, chewing tobacco (which is just gross) and clearly thought he was hot stuff. He kept trying to flirt and wink with us. It was pretty entertaining. He asked us to go dancing at a bar ("Y'all don't have to drink!") and we told him that we don't do those things, and told him a bit about what we do as missionaries. He kept flirting. And showing us pictures of his life and talking about what his job is. Then, towards the end of our conversation, this older guy with greasy hair showed up and asked "Can I sit THERE?" and pointed to a seat in between us and the guy we were talking to.. So we were like "Yeah, sure!" .... As soon as he sat down, he stared the three of us down and said "Do any of y'all know Jesus?" And you could just tell that he wanted to start something. We all told him yes, and Sister Kyles started talking with *cough* listening to him *cough* and he started asking her about what God had told her today, and told her that God showed him the next 20 years, etc. Aaron, the dude we'd been talking to before, kept talking to Sister Elliott and I and made the "he's crazy" sign. Then, a worker came over and said, "Chevy malibu?" and we all jumped up and were like "YES!" So we finished our conversations. Aaron had us write down his name and number and told us to call him. We were just like...................................................... okay...... The last thing Aaron did was say, "You should add me on facebook- I'm the muscular guy" and then he winked. It was hilarious. I was just like "Ohhh, he REALLY doesn't get the whole missionary thing does he??" Then, we left and Sister Kyles, because she's so stellar, gave the greasy haired guy a pass along card with the Elders' number on it. Tee hee!
We then went and taught Derrick and Brian with the Bishop! At first that made Derrick nervous, but at the end he said that Bishop was cool.

Sunday, I wrote my talk out during personal studies and then at church, I GAVE MY FIRST TALK ON MY MISSION! Pretty exciting stuff. It was on becoming a true disciple of Christ. I'll send it home in a letter I think. Derrick couldn't come to church because his sister came in town the last minute and so yeah..But Brian came anyway!!! Oh man, you should have seen my grin when I saw him walk in! He made his mom drive him- Chera! And she stayed through sacrament! Apparently she asked if she could clap after my talk. I suppose thats a good thing, right? Anyways, she left after sacrament but Brian stayed because the amazing Sister Williamson offered to drive him home! Taylor was his buddy at church and took him to all of the classes. It was awesome. Besides that, Taylor's family brought a nonmember friend with them and one of the youth brought his nonmember girlfriend! Tori is her name, and she came up to us after and told us she wanted to meet with us!!!
We went home from church with the Zaradas. THAT was exciting. So, as we're driving on this four lane road, this huge truck almost hit us trying to merge into our lane. Sister Zarada honked at him and slammed on the brakes, and he swerved back out of our lane. But he overcompensated and went into the OTHER lane, with traffic coming from the opposite direction! Then he almost hit us again, and then the 4 lanes went down to 2. He kept going from riding the grass to doing into the other lane, with the opposite traffic. He was drunk. And it was so obvious. Sister Zarada kept honking her horn at him, to try and help him not hit people and to warn people about him. We called 911 and they basically told us they already got some reports on him and hung up. So we called back with the license plate number and gave it to them, and followed him into a neighborhood- the Zarada's neighborhood! People kept having to swerve out of the way. We eventually decided it was safer to stop following him. But later we found out that the police were at his house.
Sister Kyles said that she was really scared, but I knew nothing would happen. Angels were protecting us, and I knew it. I said a prayer, and I knew that everyone on that road would be safe. And if there was a fender bender, I knew that Heavenly Father would help me to help those involved. I knew that we would be fine because the Lord protects His missionaries, especially when they are trying their best to be obedient. It was a testimony builder to me. The Lord really watches out for us.

Alright, picture time!!! Ahhh, gotta hurry!

Sister Shell