Shaylyn Christiansen to me, kschris
show details 9:32 AM (7 hours ago)
It's back to the normal Monday P-day and I gotta say.. I love it. It is a little weird to e-mail ya'll since I just did it a couple of days ago but here are some highlights from this week.
New Years Eve
We went to the Jones' house for a new years celebration.. too bad we had to leave at 9:00... I felt like some lame old person! Oh wait.. I am some lame old person!.. thus is life! I met some new friends and I had a blast! Not to mention that I got to see Christina!!! I love her so much! She even told me that I am her favorite and that she has officially adopted me into her family... so I hope that's ok.. She said that she can't wait to meet all of you! And I promised her that I would come back and visit her. She told me that she is going to take me to Charleston NC and show me her home town and I told her that she will have to come see me in Utah and I would show her my hometown!! Oh, and then she said that we have to go to Wisconsin because it's supposed to have the best water parks around! I am so excited!! haha! I was so good to be able to see her spirits lifted a little as she has struggled to endure this holiday season. But she is doing well!
New Years Day
Sister Stapleton and I went to the mall and just looked around. It was a lot of fun.....oh that reminds me of a night a couple of weeks ago. We were at the mall trying to do some finding becuase it was just too cold to be outside anymore. We were walking and a lady came up to Sister Stapleton and shook her hand and placed a $20.00 bill in her hand. She said that she is a member that just moved here from Utah, Eagle Mountain in fact! And she said that she wanted us to get a drink with the money or something! She said that was her way of wishing us a Merry Christmas! It was such a sweet gesture of kindness. Sister Stapleton and I were speechless. It is always nice to know that there really are people out there who care about us missionaries. After we went to the mall we met up with a bunch of the Elders and we went bowling! And guess what??! I won!! (well the second game anyway!) It is always fun to meet together with my mission family, especially when I can't be with my real family!
I am so excited for this new year and for all of the fun that it will bring! I am excited to see where I will go, who I will meet and who I will be able to teach! I love being here so much! It is truly becoming home to me!
I forgot to tell you that on Christmas I tried 2 true southern dishes! Fried turkey and grits! They were both really good actually. The grits were cheezy and spicy and I loved them. I even got to watch how they make fried turkey and I also got to watch Brother Smith put out a small fire after putting the turkey in the oil and then it lit on fire!! haha oh man! You gotta love it!
So this week we went out to Butler to teach Silvia McCranie again! It is a really long drive, but totally worth it! She is so commited to living the gospel. Her and her husband talk about it all the time! I am so excited for her to be baptized on Friday! Her husband is a less-active member and we are hoping that this will help him be re-activated. They have 3 kids, not really sure about their ages... but they are all so cute! I love them a lot. We are going out to Butler tomorrow to teach her again and I am excited to see them! P.S.. I never told you that our Relief Society President's name is Sister Christiansen.. haha people get us confused all the time.. like the other week I had to give a talk, and on the program they put sister Linda Christiansen instead of me.. I thought I was gonna get off the hook.. too bad the bishop caught the mistake.. haha jk
As for Anton, Ebony, and Phyllis... We haven't been able to get back in contact with them which is a HUGE bummer because they were all so promising.. We are hoping that we have planted some seeds and that we will be able to teach them sometime in the near future.
The Shelton family is so awesome! I love them so much! We taught Charley the Plan of Salvation last night and we extended the invitation to be baptized but he said that he needs to pray about it. I pray that he will be able to recieve the answers that he is looking for and that he will be able to be baptized and continue toward the temple so that he can be with his family forever. That is my greatest desire is to see families not only be baptized.. but to go to the temple and receive the fulness of the promised blessings that the Lord has in store for them. We are going to be meeting with him again sometime this week! I am excited to continue to teach him and to help them come to church.
I love fast Sunday! It is my favorite day of the month! I love being strenthened by others testimonies and to be able to feel the spirit so strongly. This week Sister Stapleton and I were fasting with Christina to be able to set a baptism date.. She has to wait until she talks to her lawyer today to find out what the time frame of her divorce is. I pray that all will go as smoothly as possible for her and that she will be able to feel peace and comfort in this time of great trial for her. She came to church yesterday and she recieved a beautiful blessing from Brother Jones of faith and enduring the trials. She really is such a strong woman! I look up to her so much! I am so grateful for the chance that I had to bear my testimony and I know that it helped her know that I love this gospel and that it is possible to make it through anything if you put your trust in God.
I have been thinking of the words to as song called "Stones in the River" It's and EFY song and the words have been running through my mind for days.
It says..
"like stones in the river
we are tossed and turned
when the current moves so strong
but stones in living waters over time
are shaped until the edges are gone
polished and smooth, that's what we will be
if we put ourselves in god's hands
each day of our lives is a gift from the giver
to smooth all the edges
like stones in the river"
I feel like a stone. I am continually being tossed and turned. All of the experiences that I am having here are polishing me. And sometimes it's not easy. Sometimes it hurts, but underneath all of the edges, I know that there is something beautiful that the Lord is creating out of me. I know that he is making me into a beautiful priceless gem and that if I put my trust in His hand, he will make me into what I need to be. I am so grateful for the chance that we have to come to earth. To be able to experience this life and to become like God is. I am so grateful for His hand in my life and I am so grateful for this new year. To be able to look back and see if any of my rough edges are maybe a little smoother and to look forward to the new year. I pray that the Lord will help smooth some more of those edges and that I will be able to be like He is.
I can't belive that I have almost been out for 5 months now.. The time has gone by too fast! Transfers are next week and I think that I will be leaving... I am sad to go. I have bonded with so many people here and I love the ward so much! I will let you know if I am being transferred next Monday. I won't find out where I am going until Wednesday(1/12)
well gotta go! We are going to Kingsport for a Zone activity today. We are playing volleyball, basketball and playing games! I am excited to see everyone! I will have to take pictures and send them to you!
Love you to infinity and beyond!
Sister Shaylyn
oh ps I forgot to tell you that the ward gave us a late christmas present. We got called up after sacrament meeting yesterday and we were given this huge box that was wrapped with a big red bow on top. The bishop told us that the ward wanted to thank us for all of our hard work and that they wanted us to know that they love us! I am so grateful to be here! They are so generous! We got like 4 walmart gift cards, 2 subway giftcards, candy, socks, lotion, nail polish, journals, and so much more! It is so wonderful and I am so grateful for everything that I have recieved. I don't know if I have ever felt so loved!! :]
