"And I'll Never Go Home Again"

This week has been interesting and super busy! I was a host for new missionaries, I was an example missionary at how to begin teaching, I met elder now brother christensen from the district, I went to infield orientation. said goodbye to my teachers etc. Oh and how lovely but I found out that my family is moving. Oh joy! (Just in case you couldn't tell that was sarcasm.) Pero there is nothing I can do about it, and everything is in the Lords hands so I guess I just have to pull up my muck-boots, deal with it and go to work. 

the other night i was reading a letter from someone and I just broke down. I realized I don't get to come home. One of the ways up till now that I have kept motivated when things get rough here at the MTC is by reminding myself that I would get to go home in July when the fireflies are out, and the stars shine bright, and I could go outside and play my guitar in the blanket of humidity. I had a dream, I had a dream, I just wanted to see the lightning bugs gleam, and with ever passing hour I'm not so glad I left my tower... this was my song for most of last week. 

The number one thing I have learned while being here is that it's all in God's hands, we just have to trust him and do what he asks even if it's super hard. 

Every sunday at the MTC we watch a church movie, this week it was the Joseph smith movie. In the movie there is a large portion dedicated to the Saints time in Zion I realized as I watched it that I was being slightly selfish. The Pioneers loved that beautiful place probably just as much as me, but they were sent away in much more dire, and sad circumstances. I started to think about what that might have been like. And it made me realize that I have it so easy, and I also realized that I have been so blessed to have enjoyed living in a place that they were so brutally sent away from. But look at all the good and growth that came from the early saints leaving. I know I can do hard things! 

When I broke down the other day this song came to my head "And I'll never go home again, place the call feel it start, favorite friend, well nothings wrong but that's not true...and all the things that we do for fun, can not be anymore..." Those words stung, I will never go home again. I wrote my name in that land, and I don't want that to change, but God knows what he is doing and I know good will come of it. 

this week has also brought me and the other sisters I live with closer together (don't know if that's a good thing as we all leave on Monday), but once when I was crying they all came in and sat on my bed and Herman T and Hermana L cuddled me. I am glad we are all friends now. Herman L reminds me of my Sister Smurf the way she tried to comfort me. It made me smile because God knows me and he knows how to comfort me. 

I also had the pleasure of playing "nurse" again this week. a sister from my zone got a really bad cold, I went over and took care of her and the next day she was a TON better. I love helping people. First Aid rocks!

I can't write a ton more, but one cool thing that happened was that my companion and I met our TRC investigator as a real person not as his investigator persona. He told us that usually he doesn't remember lessons or missionaries, but he will always remember the times we taught him because we showed charity, tailored the lessons to his needs, and didn't judge him when he told us about his "drinking problem". He told us he could really tell that we cared and he could feel the Spirit. I had also made a "bold promise" to him that if he would have faith in the Lord and read The Book of Mormon everyday that he would be able to stop drinking. He said that really hit him. We also introduced him to the ARP program. HA! Thanks Brother E back home! This work is all about humility and charity. 

I could write a ton more on this week but I don't have time. I love y'all! Joshua 1:9 

Hermana Shingleton

I Can Do Hard Things

This week has been pretty good. Last P-day I got to go to Jamba Juice with my district. 

Then on Monday we said goodbye to one of the districts in our zone, the district who taught us everything about the MTC. It was bitter-sweet. 

For gym a couple of times the sisters in my district and I went and played on the playground behind our house, it was fun. 

Last Sunday Mathew Holland came and spoke to us, he is Elder Jeffrey R Holland's son. He talked about Joseph Smith. It just so happened that it was siter Holland's birthday so Elder and Sister Holland were there and that was pretty cool. This last week my companion and I started TRC (training resource center)  that's where you teach a real or fake investigator and you have non clue which one they are. It's pretty nerve racking but super spiritual. I can't believe that I leave for Mexico on the 3rd! I really don't feel prepared Spanish wise. But I can do it, because I can do hard things. It will be an adventure as everything in my life seems to be, it will be a struggle, a process, and a trial, but it will also be a joy, a blessing, and a chance for growth, and I know that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Paul

"It's all right just wait and see your string of lights is still bright to me" Taylor Swift

Fall Face Forward in the Mud

Buenos tardes! This week has been CRAZY!

I and my companion taught the district meeting this week on the Fe en Jesucristo y sus expiacion, or Faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement. It was a really good lesson. My companion Hermana J talked about faith, and I talked about the atonement. At the end I sang one of the songs I wrote call "The Rescue" which I have actually revised since being at the MTC. It was really scary without my guitar, but it was good, and you could feel the spirit. 

Who knew that that song and theme would be the theme for this week. I have been really dropped in the dirt and humbled. But I know Christ is always there for us to pick us back up, and the atonement really can help us conquer anything!

 I have been sick for most of the week with a bad cold, and the medicine I took for it during the day made me a little loopy. It got so bad that I ended up asking the elders in my district for a blessing. I am doing alright now.  

At the beginning of the week my companion and the other sisters in my district went to Boise. It was good because it gave me some time away from my companion. I spent most of the day with the elders. 

At one point I was with some other sisters in my zone and while they were changing after gym I just started singing like I tend to do all the time, and they were all like "woah who is singing?" and "wow if you lived with us we'd make you sing us to sleep every night. If you ever make an album we all want it" Ok so I am not crazy, I do actually sing well. I was beginning to wonder because my district always tells me not to sing, and quite honestly I rarely sing here compared to home.  

I started TRC this week which is were you teach a volunteer investigator. The first time SUCKED! But it got better from there. My investigator ended up telling me and my companion some really cool stuff about Mexican holidays. It was really neat, like Santa Semena ...I think that's how it's spelled. It means holy week. It's the week before Easter and it sounds crazy. He also told us about some really cool things they do during Christmas, and if I had more time I would write about them. 

This week was a total roller coaster. It actually made me cry in front of one of my teachers at one point, which is saying something, because I don't cry like that. Luckily only the elders were there. At the same time I have had a lot of growth and have taught some of my best lessons yet. My companion has also been a bit more chill lately.

PLEASE write!

Hermana Shingleton

LET IT GO!

This has been the week of frozen quotes. All the elders keep singing "Let it Go" it's kinda weird. 

That song is pretty neat, and powerful.  If anyone feels nice and they want to mail me the lyrics, i would love them forever, that way I can get it out of my head. 

This week I went on an adventure to go and get my visa, and I got to ride a train which was pretty awesome. while on the train I got to take a small but much needed nap. YAY! I could use onne now, I hate how tired I am all the time especially when I go to the temple and start falling asleep (like today) and when I'm studying. 

I have been learning a ton about prayer this week, I have always had a strong testimony of prayer but recently I have been learning things about it that have made my prayers more meaningful. I don't know what I would do without prayer. 

I really wish I had more time to write, because a lot goes on here that I could talk about. 

Funny story; yesterday one of the elders in my district came up to me and started singing "Do you want to build a snowman?" and I said uh no then he said "Ok bye" then he went outside and built a snowman. It was funny. 

I have really had to try and let a lot of things go this week, so I can really identify with this song.

Well I'd love to hear from y'all! TTYL

Hermana Shingleton

p.s. I sometimes really miss being called by my first name. :/

I'm Like a Bird

"I'm like a bird , I'll only fly away...I don't know where my home is." Nelly Furtado 

Dear readers of my blog. I don;t have a lot of time this week so this will be brief. The MTC is HARD! I have at least one struggle a day but they are really helping me come unto Christ and rely on him. It's hard to function as a missionary me I feel like my skin has been peeled off and I have to reconstruct who I am. I  am still loving learning though. PLEASE write me! Love y'all!

Whirlwind

It's a dangerous thing heading out your door, you step out onto the road and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you'll be swept off to.~The Fellowship of The Ring

Well the day finally came and I have embarked on my journey and entered the MTC. The first  day was a bit overwhelming and a bit boring, but the second day was great! I am learning so much and just soaking up the language. I had to teach a mock investigator with my Companion Hermana Jensen, the catch was that we had to teach the whole thing in Spanish! In the end I ended up giving the lesson because the "investigator" asked a question about something we hadn't prepared for and my companion knew none of the vocabulary for. So I had to rack my brain for words to explain the subject. It was hard but I know that the Spirit was helping me. I also said the first class prayer that was in Spanish, and also said my prayers in Spanish last night. It's amazing how much you can learn when the Spirit is present. The part of the MTC that I am in only has Spanish speaking missionaries so it's really fun because as you walk to class people call out "hola", "como estas?" and other greetings. We go to gym in a big weird bubble building, I don't like gym it stinks but the building is cool. Today was P day so my district went to the temple, it would have been nice except that I wasn't feeling good. the best part of P day is that I get to write to ya'll and be able to relax a bit. Most of the time we are running, running, running. It's actually kind of annoying. Random fact of the day I love my missionary tag, it makes me happy, and the cool thing is one of my tags is magnetic. I would post some pictures but alas we are having trouble getting the computer to recognize the card reader. hopefully by next week I will have figured it out. Oh and please people send me letters! I would LOVE to get letters! An easy way to write them to me is through www.dearelder.com and it's free. To get my address talk to my parents! Love Y'all! 

Hermana Shingleton 

Poison, Pain, and Promises

It's been a while since this experience happened, but it was a good testimony builder for me so I feel like sharing.

A few months ago I believe in September I had to face one of my biggest fears, one of the things that has been haunting me since I first heard about it...having my wisdom teeth pulled.

The day came and I was terrified, but everything was pushed back because I got sick! I was happy for about two seconds but then realized that I was not safe.  Eventually the real day was upon me and I was filled with complete dread.

 I am hypoglycemic; which means that if I don't eat often I get SUPER sick because my blood-sugar drops too low. I was not allowed to eat anything before my surgery, starting midnight the night before. So when I went to the Oral Surgeon I was feeling sick. I also HATE needles, so the idea of having an I.V. was making me freak out.

Well they pulled me into the surgery room and put me on laughing gas or something, what ever it was it was soooooo not fun! I am claustrophobic, and so having something over my nose like that totally freaked me out, then it started to make my throat ache, and I started to cry silently. I was scared out of my wits, and was strangely extremely aware of the hot tears pouring down my face.  Then I started to lose control of my own thought process, I hate not being in control of myself like that, it makes me angry. I started forgetting how to breath and had to remind myself to breath. I didn't know what to do.

 Then the thought came to me to pray, so that's what I did. I prayed hard, for the strength to get through this, that I would be ok, and that I would have peace. I prayed till the doctor dude came in and he started to get ready to put my I.V. in. He was talking to me and apparently I was being super sarcastic. Just in case you ever wondered, I.V.'s suck!

All the noises and the pressure on my mouth was freaking me out so I started to pray inside my head again, and then the thought came to me to start singing. So I started to hum "How Firm a Foundation" while they were pulling out my teeth. When I finished that song I started "Come Thou Fount" and the next thing I knew the doctor dude was singing along.

Finally it was over and they helped me to walk to my mom, I tried opening my eyes and then had to close them because I got so dizzy that I almost tossed my cookies. I just sat there with my mom sobbing and trying to sing "Ave Maria". I was soooooooooo sad.

On the way home I hugged my teddy-bear named Courage or Curry for short, felt super sick, and was very sad. My mom got me a chocolate shake and a smoothie for later to help my VERY low blood-sugar. I drank a bit of the smoothie. When we got home I threw it up.

The next few hours were brutal. Because of my low blood-sugar and the effects of the anesthesia, I spent my time sobbing, watching "Mako Mermaids",and barfing. I was miserable, I couldn't even hold down a glass of water. I even asked my mom to take me to the hospital to get an I.V. just so I could have some fluids in me. Yeah if I'm asking for that you know I feel like total crap. 

Normally in a situation like this my dad would give me a priesthood blessing, but he was out of town. My mom and I sat wondering what to do, when my boss texted me. My mom called my boss and explained the situation to him. He and his wife came over, and he gave me a blessing. In the blessing I was promised that by the end of the day I would be able to hold some food down, and not feel so sick. After the blessing was over my boss tried to talk to me but I got really dizzy and couldn't really understand what was being said, and I sat trying not to vomit. My boss and his wife could tell that I was not doing well so they said goodbye and went home. I then lost my lunch for the millionth time.

All day it was the same thing; sob, barf, sleep, watch T.V. I wanted to die. At one point I was in the bath and I just started to pray, I begged and pleaded for the Lord to help me be able to eat and bring my blood-sugar back up. I began reminding him that he had promised that he would help me be able to eat by the end of the day, and I told him that I had faith that he could and would help me.

At nine o'clock at night I fell asleep on the couch, and when I woke back up at ten, I felt a million times better. I was still super weak but I felt better. I ate some mashed potatoes and drank some sprite, and for the first time all day I held it down. I was so happy and immediately started to pray and thank my Father in Heaven for all his help throughout the day.

I know that the Lord is there for us always. I know that he will always help us, not always in the way or the timing that we would like, but he does help us. I know if we put our trust in him he will keep and fulfill all his promises to us. I am very grateful to him for all he does for me. I am also grateful to my boss for keeping himself worthy to provide a priesthood blessing, and I am also grateful that he was there to step in when my father was couldn't be there even though he really wished he could. I know that the power of the the Priesthood is real and it blesses our lives.