Houston We Have Lift Off!!

One day more.
Then, I'll be leaving to Brazil tomorrow.
And Sister King won't be coming with me.
How rude!
And Texas won't be coming with me either.
Ruder!
Gah. I feel like I'm breaking up with Houston.
But I also know that something really good is coming too. So all is well. Tudo bem.

Monday: We had a super fun Easter Zone P-Day! I took lots of pictures with some of my favorite people. Sister King and I decked out in TEXAS gear, because, hello, its Texas. And I'm leaving. Temporarily. We had to celebrate!

We dyed Easter eggs and some of the missionaries played a super intense game of dodgeball. Some of the elders still have bruises. No lie.
FHE was pretty good! We decided to see what would happen if we didn't go to the FHE that Frank went to so we went to one at Brother Day's house. That was super fun. We had a really good spiritual thought and then played the Word Game. I love that game!!
Yeah, you read that right. I love that game.
Then, we called Frank after to see how his FHE group went. It sounded like he had a blast! He said that the lesson was perfect for him, and that he got the most Easter eggs on their Easter egg hunt. Halleluyer!

Tuesday: It was super busy for us!! I think Heavenly Father can see how hard we've been trying to be exactly obedient and how hard we've been working, because it really has been paying off.
Frank had his baptismal interview at 10 am. He was super nervous, because Frank hates it when things are too serious, and he was like "What if I laugh and the elder doesn't laugh and then I don't pass?!" But, Elder Duvall interviewed Frank and all is well. Frank passed! Then, we practiced the song Frank wanted us to sing with his friend Erin at his baptism- Nearer, My God, To Thee. And we had a little lesson with him outside.
Then, we drove to Magnolia and did a lesson with the Magnolia 1st sisters. There's a member down there named Meridan that we can't see too often because of how far away she lives, so the Magnolia sisters joined our visit with her so they could start stopping by her house too. The Spirit was SO STRONG throughout that whole discussion. We talked mostly about God's love for us, and how it never goes away, no matter what we do.
Then, we came back and visited a hilarious member named Becky. We had a good chat with her about hope.
Then. We had an AMAZING lesson with Sandra!!! Seriously, Heavenly Father has been looking out for her so much. Sometimes, Sandra tells us, "I feel like he's looking out for just me!!" It was just... wow. He is giving her so many answers!! We talked to her about her Book of Mormon reading. She said that on Sunday night, she was sitting in her room for three hours going back and forth. "Yes, I'm going to read it. Okay. No. I'm not going to read. Yes I am! I'm going to! No I'm not. No way!" For three whole hours! Finally, she decided not to. She went downstairs at midnight to grab her purse, and sitting beside it was a letter her aunt had forgotten to tell her about, so her aunt just put it by her purse. It was from the sister missionary that had originally started teaching Sandra! Sister Harrison! In it was everything Sandra needed at that moment to give her the courage to read the Book of Mormon. Then, she told us that one day, she was on her computer and suddenly found herself googling mormonism. Yikes! The internet is full of lies, people. So as she read through some of the garbage about the church, she got a few questions. But, at the same time, she found herself defending the church saying "Thats not true!" We discussed faith with her, and talked about courage. I related her to Esther and told her that story from the Bible. She'd never read it before and wrote down to read it all later. I'm so glad that the Holy Ghost, if we let it, will lead every lesson and make it so much better than Sister King or I ever could.
Then, we had dinner with Francisco and Diana. They are so sweet! We had a really good discussion with them too.

Wednesday: We went and saw Ashley at "Chill..." and I got my last milkshake there for a long time. Sad day. Maybe I'll open one in Georgia, eh? Anyways. We planned to go to dinner with her and Frank another day, and then headed off to "The Mission."
Oh man.
After the sermon, we talked to some people, and then this guy came up. Later, I was informed that he was the founder of the group. And he is a philosophy major. And he has written papers on why mormonism is not correct.
So, needless to say, that was a sort of... intense conversation. We were just chatting at first, and then Sister King happened to mention the Book of Mormon while talking about her mission, and the guy jumped and said, "See, that's where we disagree."
Sister King said, "To each their own." And I said, "Yeah, we believe we have the right to worship how we believe and that everybody else has that same right."
It could have stopped there, but we had opened a can of worms. A huge can of worms. And it was smelly and gross. The guy said something like "ANSWER me this..." and then started off on this huge series of questions about  baptisms for the dead. So, we got it down to one question and started to answer. But every single time we started to answer, he'd let us talk for .03 seconds before cutting us off. Mildly frustrating. He told Sister King and I to show him the scripture, so we said okay. Then he said, "LETS put this in context." And he took it out of context to put it in context. To be honest, I felt like he was talking circles and I didn't really understand what his point was with it. But Sister King and I just sort of put away our scriptures because he asked us another question about the subject. Sister King started answering, and once again, he cut her off. I stopped him and said, "How about you let Sister King finish her sentence? That way she doesn't forget it." and Sister King said, "Yeah, I forget things easily.." and we all laughed and she finished her answer. Of course, it didn't satisfy him. He had an argument for everything. We answered his questions and did our best not to argue. (I just want you to know that the radio in the apartment complex just started playing the song Hit Me With Your Best Shot and I may have laughed a lot.)
I know that the Spirit was helping us because I honestly don't remember much of what we said. I do know, though, that I remembered things that I learned years ago in seminary, and from my Book of Mormon class at BYU, and from different talks. Things that I definitely don't think about ever, and I was able to remember them and bring them up when needed. Talk about the Spirit bringing things to your remembrance!! It was so cool. At the end, he started to walk away and I said, "I just want you to know that I know.." and I bore my testimony to him. The Spirit was so strong. And he couldn't argue with that. You can't argue with someone's testimony, you can't argue with the Spirit, and you can't argue with the truth.
It was such a cool experience!!! Sister King and I walked away with a firmer testimony. And usually, I'm the assertive and bold one, but this time, Sister King was being bold and assertive too! I know that the Spirit definitely gave us what we needed in that moment. When we got into the car, I turned to her and said, "I feel like the Spirit is just coursing through my veins right now!!" Seriously. I truly feel that Sister King and I were both mouthpieces for the Lord that day. It was an incredible experience to, as Elder Holland encouraged, defend our faith with "courage and courtesy."
This church is true! It is the true Church of Jesus Christ! Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet of God. Soften your hearts and ask God sincerely if there is something here for you. I can promise you that there is. I can promise you that you can have more joy and happiness and a better relationship with Heavenly Father than you've ever had before. We don't want to tear down anyone's faith- rather, we want to build it up. As our last prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Bring all the good you have and see if we can't add to it."
That night, Kevin took us to a fancy Brazilian all you can eat steakhouse place. It was so good! They were bringing out speared meats on fancy sticks going, "Excuse me, ma'am, would you like some quail?"
Yes please. Put that quail right on my plate. Oh yes, and the filet mignon. And whatever you just said thats a delicious part of a cow. Yes. All of that. Here please. Yes. Thank you.
Sister King was so happy when they brought out grilled pineapple that she almost cried. No lie. I felt like I was in a movie.

THANK YOU, KEVIN!!!!
It was a nice little celebration of me going to Brazil :)
Although, I'm not quite sure thats how it will work in Brazil.
Oh well.

Thursday: We got to go have lunch with the Williamson family in Montgomery!! Yay!! Brother Williamson is now Bishop Williamson, and we set up an appointment to discuss the needs of the YSAs in the ward, since we cover that ward, and they wanted to feed me one last time. Sweet people :) I love them! We had delicious steaks that made me so happy. And yummy mashed potatoes. And other delicious things. And then we had fun discussing the YSAs. And there are a lot of "sheep" that need to be rescued, so Sister King and her new comp are going to have a lot to do! Then, on our way back (we were supposed to meet up with Amanda there but she couldn't come) we stopped by and saw Derrick so I could give him my email and say goodbye. He was so surprised and happy to see me!! And I was super glad that I got to say goodbye one more time before I leave.

Then, we had a church tour with Evan and Jesus. And yes, his name is really Jesus. Hay-Zeus. TWO MEMBERS CAME!!! :D Kaylan and Johnny,  and that made all the difference. The Spirit was super strong the whole time. Especially when we were standing in front of the painting of Christ appearing to the Nephites. And then, we walked into the room where the font is and we had the doors open and stuff and Jesus is all "Whats THAT?!" all excited. We'll tell you, Jesus. We'll tell you.
It was seriously amazing. It made us so very happy.
Then, we went to Chili's with Frank and Ashley. We had a little lesson with Frank about fasting and went over some last minute things for his baptism. And Frank was so super nice and paid for Sister King and I!! It made my day. What an amazing person he is.
After talking with Ashley some more (LOVE that girl) and dropping her off, we came home. And I threw a few things in one of my suitcases before I got really sad and had to stop. Then, we got a text from Jesus that said, "What does it take to convert??"
We have a meeting with him on Tuesday.
And by we, I mean Sister King and her new companion.

Friday: We had a really good District Meeting and discussed the Holy Ghost. I'm really going to miss District Meetings with Elder Duvall! I always learn so many things!!! And the Spirit is always so strong. We discussed who the Holy Ghost is and how he helps us know truth. It was just amazing. Thing about it- the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead! He is standing alongside Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. And his job is to help us out CONSTANTLY! How cool is that?!
We picked out a picture for Frank of the Savior for his baptism. And by we, I mean we called Frank because Frank is very picky about his art. He's kind of a perfectionist. So we wanted to make sure that we'd get one that he would love and not hate because "that line is crooked and the colors are so bad!"
That night, we visited Kristin! Poor lady was in a lot of pain :/ She was super amazing, though, and helped us make a cd for Frank. We put a bunch of uplifting music on there, because Frank feels the Spirit the strongest when he listens to music.

Saturday: FINALLY!!!!! IT WAS HERE!!!!!! The day that Frank got BAPTIZED!!!!! :D
It was a busy day of scrambling around to get things ready. After seeing a few people that morning (like amazing Vicky) and lunch, we scrambled. Frank wanted to meet up at 3:30 to practice. His baptism was scheduled for 5 pm. Yeah. We got the programs all copied and set up the room and called everybody who was participating and practiced the song with his friend Erin. It was good. But as soon as Frank showed up, we stopped practicing. We didn't want to spoil it! The ASL elders were at the building when Frank got there, so they showed him where he would put his hands and what was going to happen. We met the guy that opened the room where they store the baptismal suits and found one that fit Frank. We finally found a pianist for our musical number. Everybody finally got there. And then. Kevin gave an amazing talk on baptism and then. Frank and Elder Frandsen went into the font, and Frank was baptized. It was incredible and super happy. And slightly funny, because Frank forgot that he was supposed to plug his nose, and as he started leaning back, remember and sort of slammed his hand into his face in a last minute effort to plug his nose.
Thats Frank. He's awesome.

Then, while they were getting dressed, we had a mini testimony meeting. The Spirit was so strong! When Frank came back in, we sang Nearer, My God, To Thee. We sang the 1st, 3rd and 5th verses. The first verse we sang in unison. The third in parts. And the fifth, we sang the first two lines a capella and then with the piano for the last two lines. It was very powerful. The Spirit was super strong. And Frank really loved it.
Ivan gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. Then we ended the baptismal service and celebrated at Denny's. Ivan got us all to sing "Happy SPIRITUAL birthday!!" to Frank. Frank was super embarrassed. But it was funny.
Then, we had to return the keys to the building and stuff.
It was an amazing day.

Sunday: I finally got to see someone that I taught receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was beautiful. Frank asked Elder Valdez to confirm him and give him the Holy Ghost. It was just beautiful. The Spirit was tangible, and I know that the blessing that Elder Valdez gave him came straight from Heavenly Father. It was simply amazing. And Frank was different afterwards. Still Frank, but different. There was a brighter light in him. The change was something you couldn't help but notice. It was incredible. Heavenly Father truly can change us for the better if we let Him.
After church, we taught Lauren about baptism and about the Priesthood. She has come so far!! She used to have to have an answer for everything, but now she is relying on faith more. She said that she feels like Heavenly Father is telling her "Let go and let God." Which is something we all need to be reminded of every once in a while. She prayed for us out loud for the first time, and told me she is really going to miss me.
It was amazing.
Then, we had dinner with the Allen family. Brother Allen served his mission in Brazil, so that was fun.
After that, we headed over to see a few sisters to help them out. Sister Trainer Leader-ing with Sister King. Its fun. :)
Then, I packed a suitcase while we were reporting numbers and getting ready for bed. At this point, I just have a few more things left to throw in there.

Next time y'all here from me, it will be from Brazil!! Crazy concept, huh? Its been a wild and amazing ride in Texas. And I don't want it to end. So.. its merely an interruption for now. I'll be back.
Meanwhile, I'll enjoy Brazil while I can.
I love y'all!!
Eu amo voces!!

com amor,
Sister Shell

Happy Easter! :)

Well, life is so amazing!

 This past weekend was so great. I hope everybody watched that "Because of Him" video because it is truly accurate, touching, inspiring and spiritually uplifting.

Okay. Here we go.

Monday: Our district met up and had a fun P-Day activity. We played "The Word Game." Yes, I played. I like words. Plus, nobody really wins or loses. So that made me pretty happy! Then, we met up with the elders at a place called Kiosko and I ate Mexican ice cream. We went over the ward list again and then headed off to FHE. We broke off into small groups, so that was pretty fun. That's what we'll be doing from now on. Only, tonight's FHE is a pool party for the group that Frank, our investigator, is going to go to... So we'll have to find a different one to check out. Oh well! We'll work it out.
Oh, and Sister King found out that there's been another Sister Training Leader in our zone this whole time that she's been Sister Training Leader, but nobody told the other girl and nobody told Sister King... So she's been stressing out with doing exchanges with everybody when she didn't actually have to!! Oh man, that was funny. Its Sister Schellhouse serving in the Magnolia 1st Ward. And we were planning to do exchanges with them that night.
Sister Schellhouse was very shocked to find out that she's Sister Training Leader too.

Tuesday: We had exchanges with the Magnolia 1st sisters! Sister Schellhouse came here with me. We did some research on some unknown ward people at the computers and then we visited a member named Sean. We had a really good discussion with him about the sacrament and the Atonement, and a member named Jennifer came. It went so well! The Spirit was super strong, and I know that Sean felt something. Then, we went and visited Kristin and told her that I got my visa. She was shocked, excited, happy and sad. All at the same time. It was pretty funny. Then, we had to exchange back early so Sister Schellhouse could go to a Relief Society activity.
We visited, well, tried to visit, a few members in Magnolia and got some quick dinner. Then we drove back.
When we got back, we started knocking doors. However, we realized that it was late and people would probably think that we were creepers instead of missionaries. So we were walking back and had about 15 minutes left. We prayed about what we should do, because we've been trying to be super obedient lately and are trying to use our full missionary day and not come in until it is 9 o'clock. So, we were praying about what to do. And I got this prompting that we should drive to the temple. I kind of pushed it away because, honestly, who is going to be at the temple at 8:45 at night? But I kept thinking it, so Sister King and I decided to drive to the temple. We got there and got out, and sat down by the fountain in the front. I looked up at the beautiful top of the temple with it all lit up and how it represents that Heavenly Father is always home and always there for us. Then, we both said our own prayers quietly. I was silently praying, saying, "Okay, we are here... I'm pretty sure it was a prompting to come here. And we're here so... Let me know what we need to do and if we need to talk to anyone... Yupp, Just let me know what I should do... Please?" And I could feel the Spirit very strongly but I wasn't really getting an answer or anything. I opened my eyes and... how do I describe this? Okay. So, a ways behind us in the parking lot was a very bright street light thing. We were sitting on a bench facing the fountain, with our backs to the light. When I opened my eyes, I saw our shadows on the ground with this bright, radiant light around them, like some angel was standing behind us illuminating everything. Even though I knew it was just that light behind us, I couldn't help turning around to see if someone was there. It was just the light. I turned around again, feeling like Heavenly Father was literally right there with us, even if I couldn't see Him. I started praying, asking why we were there again and such. Finally, I got this prompting; "Just appreciate the beauty!!" So I laughed at myself and did just that. And when I opened my eyes the same thing happened with the light and our shadows. It was just a beautiful moment. Heavenly Father really is always there, whether we see Him or not. And so is the Savior.
We didn't find anybody at the temple, but I know that it was a prompting to go there. Sister King and I needed to go there for ourselves. And I think Heavenly Father was testing me. Like, "Alright, I'm going to give you a prompting.. Are you going to follow it? Show me that you are willing to follow My promptings."
I love the temple!!

Wednesday: We caught Ashley at "Chill..." on our way to "The Mission" and had a nice chat with her, and set up an appointment with her.
Then, we went to "The Mission." That Christian group we always go to. And I'm going to be completely honest. I did not appreciate the sermon. It was directed at us, the members of the church that were there, and the Spirit was not in the atmosphere. I can't really even remember a specific example, just that the sermon seemed to be all over the place and they were just saying things like they were trying to prove us wrong. And the natural man inside me got a little angry, I'll admit. I was so close to standing up and saying something, but I decided to follow the example of the Savior and hold my peace. The Spirit wasn't there, but it was in my heart telling me that what he was saying was wrong. He was calling us out without using our names or the name of the church, but we knew. So did the member we were sitting by. And the guy giving the sermon couldn't even look at us. It was so frustrating. But, we held our peace. Because they are just good Christians trying to bring people closer to Jesus Christ and trying to save us. I just wish I knew how to help them see the truth that we've laid down right in front of them.
Agh.
Anyways, then we had a really good lesson with Evan, an investigator that goes to "The Mission." Johnny, a member that also attends the group, came with us and it went really well. Evan asked us a  bunch of questions and agreed to take the official lessons. He even took notes and was super excited about this talk we gave him by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the Godhead.
After that, we went to "The Waterway" and contacted a few people.

And something cool happened. This lady passed by us jogging. I heard something and for some reason looked back, and saw that the lady had collapsed! I said, "Oh my goodness!" and Sister King turned around and we ran over to her. She was a bit scraped up and very shaken up. She told us that her name is Andrea. We calmed her down and talked with her, and prayed with her. She has a lot of friends that are members. We got her phone number, because she is always looking for "good Christian friends" and have been in contact with her throughout the week. It is so neat how Heavenly Father uses us to help others, and has the timing worked out all perfectly. Even if it doesn't seem perfect to us because we are late for our dinner appointment.
He watches out for all of His children. He truly does.
We had a nice dinner with some YSAs and their family, and they gave us cute little Easter bags filled with candy.
Then, we had a really good lesson with Sandra at the temple. Courtney came, who is also a convert and had some of the same concerns that Sandra has right now. Sandra was just very confused, and was refusing to read the Book of Mormon because she knows that if she reads it, she WILL get baptized. And she's very scared about that. She felt good when she was reading it though, and whenever she prays she feels good about it. Then, suddenly, I felt like I should tell her a super embarrassing story from my life. And I was like NO. But then, I thought, okay. The Spirit must know better than I. Here goes.
The Parable of the Challenge Pole
Once upon a time at Girls Camp, Sister Shell was on the Ropes Course. Everybody was doing the "Challenge Pole" or the "Leap of Faith" except for her, because she was so darn terrified of heights. And the "Challenge Pole" is a 30 ft tall telephone pole that one climbed up, stood up on the tiny 2 ft long platform at the top, and jumped off, trusting the harness and the belayer to catch them.
Terrifying, right?
Sister Shell really wanted to do this. But sister Shell is terrified of heights. But she really wanted to do it. She talked to her mom and got all harnessed up to do it. With tears streaming, literally streaming, down her face, she climbed the pole because she really felt like she should, would and could do it.

She got to the top, finally, and knelt on the tiny platform.

Suddenly, she was frozen with fear. She  thought, "I can't do this! I'm too scared! I can't do it! I want to just climb back down! I don't want to jump, I'm too scared!" Yupp. She got all the way up to the top and almost climbed right back down. However, everyone cheered her on and encouraged her and told her she could do it. And that it would be worth it. "But don't you know I'm scared?! What if its not worth it?!" she thought.
Still, she finally stood up, clutching the rope.

After a moment, still unsure but determined, she called out to the belayer. "Falling!" she yelled as loudly and bravely a she could muster, voice cracking, tears clouding her vision and covering her face. Everyone went "aww she sounds so scared!" "Duh!" she thought. "I told you I was afraid!" And then. The belayer called back, "FALL ON!  And since she'd committed to doing it already, she did it. Before giving it any more thought, she threw herself off of the top. And a terrified shriek escaped her lips.

And she had fun! She did it despite her fears! And it was worth it! She didn't die! She did the "Leap of Faith!"

The end.
So... I related that to Sandra. Its like she's at the top of the pole and wants to climb back down instead of taking a leap of faith. She really related well to the analogy and understood it. I told her that now she can either climb back down and be safe and never know what would have happened, or she can take that leap of faith and jump and have the time of her life and find out that everything was worth it.
So she committed to writing down every time she feels good about getting baptized, and every time that she feels the Holy Ghost telling her that its okay, or whenever she gets a little answer or a little sign.
Having Courtney there was so perfect, too, because she was able to really help Sandra by telling her story.
So, people. Follow the Spirit, even if it means telling a super awkward and seemingly unrelated story from Girls Camp. Because the Lord knows better than we do.

Thursday: Weekly Planning! And, I had my last interview with President Pingree. It was rather sad. Both of us cried a little, and he bore his testimony to me. That was really special, and that is something that I will treasure forever. He also told me that Heavenly Father is proud of me and the work that I am doing, and is grateful for me service. That was really good to hear. President also told me that he and Sister Pingree will miss me a lot.
Man, I love this mission. I'm gonna miss Texas a ton.
That night we had a really good lesson with Frank on the temple grounds. We went over the baptismal interview questions and got him prepped for that. Then, since it was 8 and it was dark, we pointed out the light at the temple is always on because Heavenly Father is always home and is always there for us. He liked that. Later, when we were writing down who he wanted to baptize him and who he wanted to speak and such, I caught him looking up at the top and muttering with a smile, "Always there.."
Also, speaking of Frank, here's a funny little text conversation we had with him. F=Frank, M=missionaries, aka, us
M: How's your Book of Mormon reading going?
F: Me and Nephi are building a ship. With our skills :)
M: Haha how's that going?
F: Pretty bad so far.
M: Darn Laman and Lemuel...
F: Yeah I know right!!!! Lemuel and Laman question our skills too much :/ They need Jesus.

Haha, oh Frank. Yes, they do. We all do.

And, I had a good panic attack about going to Brazil because I realized that I was planning my last week in Texas. And, since I got a lovely package for Easter from my lovely family, I put the box over my head as I lamoni-d on the floor.
And Sister King got it on video.
Jerk.

Friday: We had a super beautiful and Spirit filled District Meeting. It started with Elder Duvall saying "Today we are going to be talking about Jesus Christ" and slamming a box of tissues on the table.
Yeah, wise choice.
We discussed what Christ did while He lived on the earth, and, of course, discussed the single most important even in all of history- The Atonement. It was beautiful and we felt the Spirit the whole time. I was asked to give the closing prayer, and I think that that might have been the most sincere prayer I have ever offered in front of people.
I just feel so grateful for the Atonement and for what it means for us.
Then, we went to The Waterway in The Woodlands and finished planning, contacted and wrote our testimonies down in copies of the Book of Mormon and left them for some people to find after sincerely praying about where we should leave them.
Then, we tracted in the neighborhoods behind us. Ran into some interesting people. At least the nice agnostic guy listened to us and thanked us for sharing our Easter message about Christ. Its so funny, because a lot of the Christian people we asked if we could share an Easter message about the Resurrection of Christ would say something "I'm already Christian and I know about the Resurrection. Thanks!" Like... okay, can we talk about it anyway?? We have something here for you!! I promise!!
Then, we did some family history and watched that "Because of Him" video which I loved and Sister King loved. Its beautiful!

Saturday: We were so blessed to be able to do service at the temple for a few hours. It was neat to be able to do that on Easter weekend. What better way to celebrate the Lord than to help His house look beautiful? It felt like we were preparing His tomb.
I love the temple!
Then, we had dinner with Kevin and ate some yummy barbecue. Although, I will say, that I prefer Barbecue Street.
After that, we tracted a bit more and tried to contact some people.

Sunday: Happy Easter!!

 We put in our "Lamb of God" cd on our way to church. Its all about Jesus Christ and focuses on His Atonement. Its by Rob Gardner and its part narration, part singing, and part orchestra. Its beautiful. It was so perfect for Easter, and really helped us to feel the true meaning of the holiday. Its not about bunnies and candy, people. Its about the Savior of mankind suffering for us, and conquering everything for us. He is risen!
We had a really good church meeting where I talked with Sandra and she told us that she is going to start reading the Book of Mormon again, and that her list that she promised to start making is bigger and longer than she thought it would be!!! So that was a pretty cool miracle. I gave her an assignment to read.
Then, we went to the Jones' for dinner, the family that we typically eat at on Sunday's, and had a really good spiritual message. We used one of the songs from the "Lamb of God" cd called "This is He" and it facilitated a lot of good discussion about the Savior. And, of course, we watched the "Because of Him" video. The Spirit was so strong!
He lives! I know that He lives, and that He loves us, and that because of Him, we can do anything. We can conquer all. He is real. He is love. Turn to Him. Embrace Him. He is right there, waiting for you to do so.

Also, here's a challenge that Elder David A. Bednar gave our mission president, that President Pingree in turn gave to us, and I, in turn, give to y'all.
"1. Find a paperback copy of the Book of Mormon.

2. Read the book cover-to-cover and highlight any passage that helps you answer the following question: “How can I use the enabling and strengthening power of the Atonement?”

3. Write a one-page summary of what you learned.

We were promised that if we would do this, we would come to know the Savior better, learn to access added strength from the Atonement, and become more effective servants of Jesus Christ."
Here's something I got from it. When I was reading 1 Nephi 8, I replaced some of the words while I read.
Tree=Christ
Fruit= Atonement
Anything about water= waters of baptism (except for verse 32 which is waters of sin)
Iron Rod= Strengthening and enabling power
It brought so much meaning and symbolism that I hadn't thought of before.

So, yupp. Those are my thoughts.
I love y'all!!

com amor,
Sister Shell

Houston, we are cleared for departure!!

That's right folks! In case you haven't heard yet, I, Sister Anna Kirsten Shell, have obtained my visa!! I'll be headed to Brazil on April 29th! Miracle of miracles :'D Haha, I'm pretty excited. :D

Monday: At FHE, we got to talk to Sandra who had some pretty AMAZING experiences during General Conference!! We talked about them and what they meant, and she agreed to pray about a baptismal date :D

Tuesday: Well, Monday night we headed off to start exchanges with the Windrose sisters! I went to Windrose with Sister Christensen and Sister Liljenquist came to my area. It was pretty fun! We visited a member named Autumn who is hilarious and super sweet. I visited her last time I was on exchanges too, so that was fun to see her again! Then we went and visited Grandma Norma at an old folks home. When we got in the elevator, a deaf man that I saw last time got in the elevator with us! I waved hello and he told us that he was deaf. So I signed "How are you?" He signed that he was good but tired, thank you. I then signed and introduced myself, signed that I was a missionary and then the elevator doors opened and we went our separate ways. The whole time we were playing rummikub with Grandma Norma, I kept thinking about Andy, the deaf man. I really felt like I needed to invite him to learn about the gospel from the ASL missionaries, but I had no idea how to do that! Plus, he is a custodian at the home, so I also had no idea where he was working at in the building. However, I decided to act in faith. During someone else's turn, I wrote a sticky note that said, "Hi Andy! We have church completely in sign language every Sunday and missionaries that know sing language who would love to meet you! Please text them at #" and wrote down the ASL elders phone number. I had it ready as we were leaving. Nothing. We got in the elevator, and who else would get in with us but Andy!! I gave him the sticky note, he read it, and asked for a pen to write something back. He wrote "Thanks for that, I do believe in God and the Bible, but I'm not very religious. Its between me and God." But he signed thank you, and kept the sticky note! I told the ASL elders about him and they were so excited! Hopefully something will come of that. Its really cool how Heavenly Father uses us to invite people to come to Him in any way possible, even if its through choppy sign language (by me) and sticky notes.
Then, we had some yummy dinner and I got a cute pen that had a duct tape flower on it that the little girl there made for me. I forgot how cute and adorable little kids are to missionaries! After that, we were supposed to have a lesson but the investigator cancelled on us :/ We were already at the members house though, that the lesson was going to be at, so we just talked to her son about missionary work. I don't know why I asked him about a mission, but I know I was prompted to do so, because we were able to motivate and encourage him to go on a mission when he told us that he wasn't really planning on it. It was a neat experience, and his mom was just smiling ear to ear the whole time.

Wednesday: We went to "The Mission" and Stewart, the president of the Christian group, introduced us to a lady named Lauren. We had a really long and super good discussion with her. I think Stewart thought that she'd help sway us away from "mormonism" because she's investigated the church THOROUGHLY and isn't a member. But, if that was the plan, that failed. We were not confounded in our words. The Lord kept His promise, as He always does, and gave us everything we needed to say. My faith and testimony were actually strengthened by that experience. I came away saying "Wow, this church is so true!!"
Then, we taught Sandra! We planned to teach about repentance using Alma 36. We got there and asked her how praying about a baptismal date was going, and she told us that she was a bit confused and didn't know what to do as far as the church and being baptized goes. So we talked about that, and while we were talking, I felt that we should read in Ether with her. So, we completely changed our lesson plan and, as Sister King and I often do, "winged it by the Spirit." We read about the 16 stones and how the Brother of Jared didn't know what to do and was confused and that the Lord solved one problem, then let the Brother of Jared come up with a solution for the other problem. We also talked about the scary winds that blew the Jaredites on the sea, and how those winds were actually pushing them in the right direction, not just pushing them down. She loved it! She even bookmarked the pages so she could read it again later. I know that the Lord used Sister King and I as instruments to help Sandra out.
Then, we ate dinner and did some ward list cleanup, and helped a member named Jennifer pack up her stuff. During that time we missed a call from the Windrose sisters. We called back, and they needed to talk to Sister King as STL, and because I'm her companion, they needed to talk to me too! I'll leave out the details, but the gist is the Sister Lq. and Sister C. were pretty upset. Sister Lq. received a pretty mean letter that really diminished her confidence in herself, and needed some guidance and love. We talked with them about it on their little apartment balcony and Sister King said a very inspired prayer that I know came straight from the Holy Ghost.  After the prayer, we were talking, and I knew that Heavenly Father wanted me to say something. So I opened my mouth and I don't really remember everything I said. But I know that the gist of it was "Heavenly Father is so proud of both of you and loves both of you!" We hugged them for a while and then, the mood needed to be lightened. And, because I learned to be a bit of a jokester from my dad, I took it upon myself to lighten things up! I grabbed the letter, declared the contents of said letter void, and (with permission) ripped it right in half. Then, Sister C. got a pan and some matches, and we burned it. It made Sister Lq. feel so much better, and we were all laughing a lot by the time we were done. The best part is that Sister C. found a tiny little bottle and preserved the ashes of the letter in it! I then bequethed it to Sister Lq. as an award, and we gave Sister Lq. a standing ovation (like we did at that one girls camp years and years ago- remember when we would all give everyone standing ovations??). Sister Lq. is going to label the bottle "The Diseased Letter from Hell." SO FUNNY.

Thursday: So we got up, and at 6:33 am, we got a text from President Pingree. It read "Sister Shell, we have just received word that you will be flying to Brazil on Apr 29 at 3:41 pm. Congratulations! It has been such a blessing having you here and we will miss you! We can arrange details as your departure date nears, but in the meantime there are many miracles to be had."
#biggestlamoniofmylife
I was in shock. Sister King had just finished praying or something and had flopped on her bed in protest of life, and I just walked in and sat on her bed and shoved the phone in her face. And my eyes started to sweat a little. That woke her right up! I was seriously in shock the whole day. Sister King made a video of me and I'm kind of just sitting at the table in shock. Its not a very exciting video. Here's part of my journal entry for that day; "Holy cow. I just don't even know how to process this information right now. Holy cow. Like... I'm excited to go to Brazil, but I'm sad to leave TX. This IS my mission. This is my "holy land" in a sense.
Do you know how many prayers and fasts this has answered? God listens, and God answers. But He answers in His time."
I was in shock like all day. I don't really even know what happened. Weekly planning happened. Thats what happened. Yeah, weekly planning.
Then, we had a Mexican Fiesta Barbecue with Frank and like 20 members of his family! It was so fun!!! We invited the Hermanas in that area along so that they could do the spiritual thought since Sister King and I don't know Spanish and half of Frank's family doesn't know English very well. The Hermanas taught the Plan of Salvation and it went really well. The whole thing was super fun! Frank and his sister Deisy (aka Daisy) were super sad to find out that I'm leaving soon. Frank said "Maybe we'll move my baptismal date up so you can be there! I'll find out when Erin comes home." Sidenote, Frank told us that his dad told him that I "really know how to eat" and Frank told me that's a good thing, whatever that means. I'll go ahead and take that as a compliment. And, we found out that Erin is coming home the 24th, so Frank moved his baptismal date up to April 26th!!! I'm super happy about that!!!! :D He also told me that I've helped him change and made a difference in his life. I'm not even gonna use the excuse of my eyeballs sweating this time, I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I cried.
Also, this is how I feel about the whole Brazil thing a bit. In song lyrics.
"I couldn't be happier! Simply couldn't be happier! Well.. not simply. 'Cause getting your dreams, its strange, but it seems, a little, well.. complicated.... But I couldn't be happier! Because happy is what happens when all your dreams come true! Isn't it? Happy is what happens when your dreams come true!!!"
-Thank Goodness, Wicked
Yupp, I use song lyrics to describe my life. So thats how I feel. A little. Mostly I'm just really excited and a bit nervous. WOOHOOOO!!!!! :D

Friday: We did some detective work to do some more ward list cleanup and burned a dvd of mormon messages. Then, we went to the park to do some contacting. Sister King was having a bit of an off day, so we sat down on a bench and talked. Her eyeballs may or may not have started sweating a bit because it was so hot outside, and because I was telling her how she was awesome and has totally changed my mission for the better.
Then, we visited Allison, Jenn's sister, and that was fun. We used our snazzy new mormon messages dvd and that worked really well! I recommend watching the "Patterns of Light" series with Elder David A. Bednar, especially the third one. Its really good!!!
After, we ate dinner at Chili's with Kevin. That was pretty fun, and I'm glad I was able to eat at Chili's one last time before i flee the country!!

Another designer to-go-box by Sister King

Then, I dunno why, but I was kind of not okay. We tried to do a few more things, but nothing really panned out. So, since Sister King and I were both kind of "off", we watched The Testaments after doing our nightly planning. That was awesome and cheered us right up. Oh, and we also had to call Frank and ask him something about his baptism, and he asked us how we were. We told him it had been a rough day because Satan had been trying to get to us because Satan is a jerk. Frank just said, "Aw, sorry. Well, you guys should just pray. Then you'll feel better."
I'm so proud of our stinkin' cute investigator Frank who reminded the missionaries to pray!!

Sister King and Sister Shell sharing a "pinky swear" over the phone!  

Saturday: We both felt much better! We helped Jennifer move, and I got to talk to a guy about the church! He got another member's number and said he was going to contact her about church. Woot woot! I explained a few things about church to him and said goodbye. Awkward thing was... Later, I found out that he'd asked Jennifer if I was single because he was interested in me. Jennifer of course, explained that I am a missionary and don't date. And then I had that conversation with him about church. But I know that he really was interested in the church too!! #missionaryproblems #ysawards
Then, we ate at CiCi's Pizza with some of the people who helped her move. That was pretty fun! And by fun, I mostly mean funny. Then, we visited with AJ because she's leaving for BYU-I this week! We used our snazzy new dvd again, and we all celebrated that I got my visa together for a minute. They invited us to their huge family dinner again on Sunday so I could share the good news :) Then, we did some more ward list cleanup, and had a cupcake with Diana and afterwards visited with Janae! That was super fun :)

Sunday: Church was super good! We went to PEC and had a really good meeting. Sacrament meeting was really awesome- the talks were just perfect. Frank a dressed up for church!! He wore nicer pants, a white shirt and a suit jacket! I was just so dang happy it was ridiculous. Sandra came to church again, but I think she's still feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything. We're teaching her again this week, so hopefully we can help her resolve her concerns. After church, we did some more list cleanup and then headed over to AJ's family dinner. They all clapped for me when I told them I got my visa and was headed out, so that was nice :) I felt like I was at home!

Last picture with AJ

We visited a member named Chelsea and she is just so cute!! I love her!!
After that, we headed home and tallied up numbers for the week and I lamoni-d on the floor because I'm still in shock about my visa.

This morning, we super cleaned our apartment and it now successfully smells like blech, clorox, and febreeze. But hey, its cleaner than ever and looks spectacular! And now, here I am, emailing y'all and still in shock about my visa!!

Life is weird, especially as a missionary. But I love it :) I wouldn't trade this for anything in the whole wide world!!!

Eu amo voces muito!!! Tchau for now!

com amor,
Sister Shell

PS Happy Easter everybody!!!! :D Please remember the reason for Easter. In fact, here are a few beautiful videos to help you remember:
To This End Was I Born
The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane
He Is Risen
None Were With Him - this one is one of my most favorite videos of all time

Enjoying a refreshing shake!

YOUR days to stand strong

"These are your days- to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."
-Neil L. Anderson

Can I just say that General Conference is my most favorite thing ever? If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, I promise you that General Conference can and will enrich your lives if you watch it, and it can and will answer your most soul searching questions. Please watch it if you haven't already! To watch online, please click here.

Monday: Had a good P-Day, relaxed, had fun at FHE. Then, we had a great lesson with Frank!!!
We talked with him a bout swearing, and why we shouldn't swear, and honestly, I don't remember much of what I said. Which is a good thing, because that means that the Spirit spoke through me. I remember having Sister King and I stand and demonstrate the Holy Ghost being a constant companion after baptism, and when we do things like swearing or smoking or drinking, etc. it pushes the Spirit away. Sister King was the Spirit, and I did literally pushed her away. Silly example, but I think it helped him understand. We told him that we cared about him, and then we asked him if he needed anything before we left for home. He said that he just really wanted to feel the Spirit. So, we went into the chapel for me to play the piano and sing soprano while Sister King sand alto.
And my heart was thumping and I was so nervous.
Because, people. I don't really play piano. I don't play hymns. I can't play and sing at the same time.
But we knew that if we tried, the Spirit would be there and would make ALL the difference. So, there I was at the piano again to play and sing and try and help someone feel the Spirit.
I was so nervous! But, I prayed in my heart and we began. We did "Nearer, My God, To Thee" and it wasn't perfect, but the Spirit was there. We did "Lead Kindly Light" and the Spirit grew stronger. I was able to sing and play at the same time. It wasn't perfect, but that didn't matter. I remember singing "I Am a Child of God" and "I Know My Father Lives" and "A Child's Prayer" (which was a capella because we didn't have the music). But somewhere in the middle of all that, I played. I gave our voices a break for a few minutes, and played some of the only melodies that I remember. They weren't church songs, but the Spirit was still there because those songs are inspiring. I played "Jessica's Theme" from Man From Snowy River. Well, part of it. Then, I played part of "River Flows in You." And then I played part of "Go the Distance." Because I don't have those whole songs memorized, I could only play parts of them and I was slightly concerned I would just stop playing and that it would ruin the Spirit. But I played anyway. And I don't know how, but when I couldn't remember how they went, I kept playing. I added my own part and finished it. I put all of the songs together, somehow meshed them into one. I don't know how. I'm not a perfect piano player by any means. I know that I still messed up. But I also know that I was led by the Spirit. I know that at times, keys just stuck out to me and I knew that I should play them.
I know that for those brief few minutes, I was literally His hands.
And as we finished with "Be Still My Soul" there was a stillness and beauty in the air that outdid and standing ovation. There was a Spirit and feeling that I couldn't replicate on purpose, and the only thing that comes close in comparison is the feeling we all got after playing in Carnegie Hall back when I was a Junior in high school. But this time, the only member of the audience was Frank. That performance, imperfect as it was, was totally for him, and it was totally given by the Spirit. It was precious. The moment is gone, yet it is infinite.
It was a glimpse of eternity.

Tuesday: Sister King had MLC, so I had a Hermana with me again- Hermana Hill this time. So yay for a good, thorough language study! We visited with Jenn Hoff. Every time I talk to her, I am inspired and amazed. She is so strong. And hilarious, despite everything she has gone through and is going through. At the end, I told her that I had some scriptures that I'd like to share with her, that I'd been studying hope because I was thinking about her a lot. I told her, "I found a scripture in Moroni 7 that made me think of you, Jenn, because it says
And what is it that ye shall hope for?'-" and she sat up a bit more, eyes HUGE and said, "That's exactly what I asked you last time!!! Read it, read it!" So I laughed and told her that I would. Its Moroni 7:41 and it says;
"And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold, I say unto you that  ye shall hope through the Atonement of Christ and the power of His resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in Him according to the promise."
She loved that. I pointed out that she could not only have hope IN the Atonement, but hope THROUGH the Atonement to eventually gain eternal life, or eternal happiness with God, Jesus Christ and her loved ones. She really liked that, and I know the Spirit spoke to her.
Then, I shared Moroni 8:3 with her because that scripture just describes how Sister King and I feel about her, and I told her to listen to it as if I and Sister King and her family/friends were saying this to her. It says;
"I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of His Holy Child, Jesus, that He, through His infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on His name to the end."
I got all choked up and stuff, and I told her that I love her and that tons of people are praying for her to see this through with Christ to the very end. It was a very touching moment.
Then, we didn't have too much luck with our other stuff.. But we exchanged back, visited Ashley and a lovely member named Sheena.

Wednesday: We went to "The Mission" and had a gazillion lessons there. They weren't super long, or formal, but we were able to testify to a lot of people there, and we invited everyone we talked to to listen to General Conference. "Come, listen to a prophet's voice!!" We were able to withstand any and all questions, and answer them with "courtesy and courage" as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland encouraged us to do. Every time I go there, my testimony is strengthened so much, and I am always so grateful that I grew up in the church with the truth.
Then, we had a completely amazing lesson with Sandra! She is so prepared. We read part of Alma 32 with her, and she loved it. And she was pulling out things from verses and likening them to herself personally! She understood it so well, and it answered a lot of her questions. She is amazing. Heavenly Father is truly blessing her life. She is here for a reason.
We spent some time at the Family History Center, which is dangerous for me, because Family History work is completely addicting. I think I found like 4 people that weren't in my tree before. It was a pretty rewarding experience :) People! Please send me some family history stories!! I love my family, and General Conference has motivated me to learn more about my ancestors.

Thursday: During personal study, I read the talk "Teaching With the Power and Authority of God" by David M. McConkie. It was so good! Here are some things I took from it:
1. We are on the Lord's errand.
2. Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ
3. Teach principles as found in the standard works, conference, and from the Holy Ghost.
How to do the above?
1. Live so you can have the Holy Ghost as a guide and a companion
Most important part of teaching is spiritual preparation
2. Seek to obtain His word
Knowing is half the battle- therefore, PREPARATION is half the battle
3. Learn to listen
"If we'll listen with spiritual ears... our investigators will tell us what lessons they need to hear!" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
4. Be willing to LET GO
Follow the Spirit, no matter what notes say- then it becomes the Savior's lesson.
5. Stand as an independent witness of things you teach, not an echo of the manual or thoughts of others- this allows the Spirit of revelation to go to both YOUR heart and THEIR heart
All of this starts in the Sacred Grove. "Because of what took place on that beautiful spring morning not so long ago, you are entitled to teach with the power and authority of God."
Ask "What would the Savior say if he were teaching _____ today, and how would he say it?"
He would say "I am the Savior, Jesus Christ, and I love you!"
So, that helped me prepare for our lesson with Frank at the temple. We told him that if the Savior would here, he would tell Frank that he loved him. We got him pumped for conference, and I think he really enjoyed the lesson.
Then, we did some weekly planning. Woot woot.
After that, we saw Jenn again because her family was out of town and she was alone all week. I love her. I gave her a little thing that I made way back in Montgomery that says "HOPE" and wrote the scripture Moroni 7:41 on the back of it.

Made us a gourmet dinner. YUM.  And....MIRACLE OF MIRACLES!! We finally had a lesson with Erick, our long lost investigator! He seems really sincere. He apologized for not meeting in a while, and told us that he wants to continue coming to church and learning and changing and progressing. It was a lesson filled with the Spirit, and it was a good way to end the day.

Saturday: 10 months out!!! Freaky. Weird. Let's not dwell on that.

Picture Kirsten drew on how she feels about being out 10 moths!

GENERAL CONFERENCE!! Sister King and I were so excited. We watched the first session with AJ, a girl in the ward, and her mom. Here's basically my rundown
Elder Holland got it started off with a good Spiritual punch. I loved that he pointed out that the popular question "What would Jesus do?" will not always bring a popular response. "Now be strong. Live the gospel faithfully." I'm going to have to go back and read that because I just couldn't soak it in all at once.
I loved that Ronald A. Rasband continued the theme of discipleship, and I loved Carlos H. Amado's honest and simple testimony when he said, "I love Him with all my heart."
Then, Linda S. Reeves. Oh goodness, that was such a good talk!! I am so glad that a woman brought up the topic of pornography, because it desperately needs to be addressed in our world today. And she did such a wonderful job. I loved that she pointed out that our best filter is our TESTIMONY, and that the Book of Mormon carries power to protect our families.
Neil L. Anderson did a wonderful job. I loved the "whirlwinds" comparison! I also learned, from the Spirit, during his talk that I am on my mission for my future family. As much as I am helping others and learning things myself, I am here for my future family. Its as simple as that.
I loved that Henry B. Eyring pointed out that "the effects of choices are often delayed to promote faith."
*insert delicious lunch with AJ and her mom here*
3,050 stakes.
405 missions.
15,092,028 members
289,000+ converts
83,035 missionaries!
Russell M. Nelson started just as the Savior would have by telling us that he loves us. Are we securely tied back to God? WRONG IS NEVER RIGHT.
I gained a lot of personal revelation during Richard G. Scott's talk. I loved that he said that we must "first love them, and second trust them!"
Robert D. Hales did such a good job. Do not participate in "selective obedience." Do not rationalize disobedience. Confound your enemies. And remember, they will be confounded in His time.
Claudio M. Zivic did such an amazing job. I loved that he pointed out that we should keep the commandments without constant reminders, and that we need to accept correction, and that we should not fear man more than God.
W. Craig Zwick helped me remember that I need to make sure that my words are always in line with what the Savior would say.
Quentin L. Cook motivated me to do more family history work. "And the prisoner shall go free."
Then, Frank watched the Priesthood session with the elders at a church building! Because he was watching it, we wanted to watch it so we could answer any questions he may have that might stem from it. So, we went to Kristen's house and watched it with her. That was very insightful, and the talk that President Thomas S. Monson gave was directly to Frank. I am so glad we watched it because now I have notes from the talk that will help Frank the most!!!
Sister King and then went home, did the miles in our car, and then walked to our apartment. As we rounded the corner, we noticed some hoodlums smoking who knows what at the door of the apartment right below ours. We were walking towards our stairs on the sidewalk, and the hoodlums said hi. We, of course, said hi back but did not stop to talk. As we got closer to our stairs, I got a distinct and strong impression from the Holy Ghost; "Keep on walking!" It startled me a bit inside. I didn't turn towards our stairs, I didn't tell Sister King that we needed to keep going, I only kept walking, hoping that she would keep walking too. And she did! We walked around the corner together. We both got the same prompting and we both did not hesitate to follow it. We walked around the building back to our car and sat in it, staking out our apartment. When the hoodlums were finally gone, we reparked and quickly booked it inside.
I know that Heavenly Father was protecting us, and I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost. I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't listened, but I'm glad that we didn't have to find out. Just another testimony to me that Heavenly Father protects his missionaries. I know that we were escorted by angels as we walked past our apartment.

Sunday: GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! Here's how it went. We went to the church building and were waiting for Frank. He told us he was going to "dress up" but I wasn't really sure what that meant for Frank. And then, lo and behold. Here comes Frank in a nice suit, walking into the chapel! Sister King and I almost started crying. He looked like a Priesthood holder. He just needs to be baptized!

Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminded me that I need to develop an attitude of gratitude more, and praise the Lord all the day long. "Something inside us resists endings because we are made of the stuff of eternity... Endings now are simply interruptions... [we have] everlasting beginnings!"
M. Russell Ballard was so cute about his follow up story! It really applies for us missionaries, let me tell you. The follow up part.
Jean A. Stevens talked about how the gospel is not a weight, but it is wings. "The strong hand of the Lord is reached out to all of His vulnerable children."
"I pray because I can't help myself." -CS Lewis
"I am so much grateful to God!"
I loved the 4 minute performance analogy by Gary A. Stevenson. This life is our four minutes, and the clock is already ticking! Don't wait!! We will have eternity to think about what we did during this life.
David A. Bednar pointed out something that we all need to be reminded of at times- our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared to His (the Savior's). We need to act instead of being acted upon.
Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God. I loved that at the end, he said, "Heavenly Father, I am glad that you are always here and there."

*break for picnic lunch with Frank, where we talked about what he was learning at Conference and walked around the park*

Boyd K. Packer did such a wonderful job. I love that he echoed the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon as his own words "After the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony last of all which we give of Him- that He lives! For we saw Him, even on the right hand of God..." Sister King and I both got the feeling that maybe that was his last testimony at General Conference. He is a good and faithful man, and I will be forever grateful for what he's taught me.
William R. Walker reminded me that I do what i do because I know that I am led by a prophet of God!
I learned that I need to be willing to completely alter my course and walk by faith from L. Tom Perry.
Why did they not leave Him (the Savior) along? Because He is the truth and the truth will always be opposed! Why did they not leave Joseph Smith alone? Because he told the truth! The gospel will roll forth! Opposition and criticism is always a companion to truth. As Lawrence E. Corbridge promised in one of the talks that hit me the hardest in conference, if we ask God will answer!! If you are questioning whether or not Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw, and if  you are questioning whether or not all of this is true, watch this. And ask God if Joseph really saw what he said he saw- God will answer.
Michael John U. Teh reminded us of what is necessary, and what we can live without. Are my priorities straight?
Marcos A. Aidukaitis made me laugh at the truth and hilariousness of this statement; "One should not roam through garbage." How often do I let myself roam through garbage? And, I loved at the end how he said, "Thus I know it is true!!"
I loved D. Todd Christofferson's talk as well. I sort of just had to sit and listen, and didn't take too many notes. That is one I will definitely have to read a lot later. I love that he pointed out that Christ is justice just as He is love. All will know (the truth and reality of Christ) and it is MY DUTY to tell them about Him! Faith is more than imagination. IT IS REAL.
Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God. Let us resolve to do a little better than we have in the past.

Man. Long email. Hope some of that made sense.
The church is true.
We heard the word of God this past weekend.
Do we fully appreciate the fact that we have prophets and apostles who speak to us the words of Christ? Do we accept their words as scripture? Do we apply them to ourselves? I have been motivated by this General Conference and will try my best to use it to better myself. I challenge all of you to do the same. "Come, let us anew."
These are the days, my friends. These are THE days.

com amor,
Sister Shell