Happy Monday! 

Highlights from last week:

Miracles!!!! 

We were able to get in the door with 2 part member families this past week! The Dahle Family and the Soriano Family. Ever since I have been serving in Canby we have been trying to set up weekly lessons with these particular families and now we were finally able too! Oh Yeah! I was able to officially meet Brandon Soriano and his two daughters, Katherine and Marcie at our monthly ward "Taco Night," at Debi and Allen Clark's house. Brandon is a very nice man and his two daughters are the sweetest things. We were able to have a great lesson with them this past Tues and invited them to come to church WHICH THEY CAME ON SUNDAY!!! :) Sad part is that he is going to be moving soon so our time is limited...we will have to help him get back on his feet in the gospel and help him on his way. Super excited to work with them. Now the Dahle family is incredible! So Jeana Dahle is a less active mother of 2 daughters: Megan and Katelyn who is currently living with her boyfriend Kelly (non-member). Katelyn recently returned from serving a mission in South Carolina and Megan is less active currently living in Portland. Jeana is super solid. We have only met with her 3 times and she has already been coming to church for several weeks now (helps to have a RM living with her haha). She has stopped drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol (been clean for over a month now) and is doing her best to become active in the church again. She has a crazy busy job, but does all that she can to live the gospel. So neat to watch her grow in these past 4 months...it is amazing what a little time and prayer can do. Anyways they invited us over for dinner this past Sunday and we had such a great time. I laughed so much! The dinner conversations that we had reminded me of the ones we would have at home as a family (boy do I miss my sisters;). We were all sharing funny and embarrassing stories (sadly I have a lot haha). We were then able to share a message with them and wow...we had a wonderful discussion. Everyone shared really great insights. Kelly was even involved! We have an appointment with them this Friday and are hoping that we will be able to teach Kelly the missionary discussions. MIRACLES!!!

While we were contacting some potential and former investigators, we felt inclined to stop by Connie Owens. The last time missionary's had contact with her has been over 2 years. She seemed to be progressing well and then things just stopped. We knocked on the door and Connie answered. She seemed surprised, but pleased that we stopped by. She lead us in and then started to whip out concerns left and right. She is a very sweet and nice lady, but boy does she have a bold personality. It was as if she was getting in a debate with us, but was really interested in what we had to say. It turns out that she had an incident that left her to have some mental disabilities. It was so sad to watch her struggle internally. I could tell that she was frustrated with herself because she wanted to believe, but it wasn't making sense in her brain. It turns out that she had a date set to be baptized years ago, but at the last minute felt like she wasn't ready. We will see how things go and hopefully help her gain the confidence she needs to press forward and excersize her faith. 

Quick update with Fabian and Lucy Sifuentez. To keep the peace Fabian has been going to a Non-Denominational Christian Church with Lucy and on Valentine's Day they were both baptized there. We see it as a dress rehearsal for when they are baptized in the church! ;) Anyways, they invited us over for dinner on Saturday and afterwords we had a lesson on the Book of Mormon and tried to answer any of Lucy's questions. It was so cool. Ever since she was baptized she has become a lot more open to the messages that we share and to the Book of Mormon. It will take some time so we have been working with them step by step. Great things are going to happen to their family eventually. I love working with them so much. Another great family!

So Drew is getting baptized this Sat. @ 1! He has already had his interview and we have the program all set. The Talley's wanted me and Elder Katieli to sing and to be the witnesses. One of his friends in the Stafford Ward that the Talley's grew really close too when Dom was investigating the Church will be baptizing him. I am so excited! Being able to watch his conversion has been a real treat...I am going to try to keep it together this Saturday, but no promises! ;)

Oh I almost forgot...TRACY CAME TO CHURCH THIS PAST SUNDAY!!! It was a miracle! So neat to see her at church. She really enjoyed it and it was neat to watch her sit by her parents, brother and sister Morehouse. I know that it was a special day for them too! 

I am so grateful to be a missionary! Helping to remind my brothers and sisters the truths that they already know and help them come unto Christ and be strengthened in him. It doesn't get better than this!!! I am going to miss doing this 24/7. Yes it is exhausting, but boy is it worth it! So grateful for these next 5 months. They say that in a missionary's last 6 months on their mission that they really grow the most. I am ready and excited to allow the Lord to mold and shape me into the person that he needs me to be. It is difficult, but I know that he knows what is best! 

Have an incredible week! Keep smiling! Keep serving! Keep loving! :) Thank you for all of your love and support!

I would like to leave with this thought. I LOVE THIS!! 

"Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter;

I am the clay.

Mould me and make me

After Thy will,

While I am waiting,

Yielded and still."

May we trust the lord and let him mold us into the beings we are meant to be. 

Love,

Elder Shaw

Happy Post Valentines Day/Happy President's Day

Hope everyone had a wonderful love day yesterday and was able to
express love and appreciation to those whom you love. ❤️

Things just keep moving along over hear. I am so happy that I am
staying here in Canby for another transfer. I love the members and I
just feel at home (like I do wherever I serve here in Oregon). ;) I am
just trying to take in every moment...time is going by too fast if you
know what I mean.

The Trio life is very different and I have had to adjust and stretch
my "rubber band" more. We are all so very different, but somehow it
all works out. I love working with them and I am excited for these
next 6 weeks to continue to be stretched and to learn even more. It
has been fun...laughs for dayz! :)


Casey, Tracy, and Jessie are doing great! We are working on helping
them answer their concerns so that we can set some more dates. Drew is
set on Feb 27th! We went through the questions and he will be having
his interview this week. So proud of him and his family. The Talley's
are near and dear to my heart. So blessed to have been able to work
with this family. Super cool that I was able to help their son's be
baptized and help Drew on his way to be baptized from beginning to
end. I am spoiled what can I say!

This past week has been very busy as usual for the first week of the
transfer. We have had to run all over and make sure that everyone is
getting settled in. We were also able to have MLC this past Friday,
SPC (Stake Presidency Council) on Sat, and a Regional Conference
yesterday which were all incredible. You think that you have a basic
knowledge of some principles and then you learn things that completely
blows your mind! That's the beauty of the gospel. We learn more and
more each day. We are always progressing and gaining more knowledge as
we study the principles of the gospel.

I would like to share a couple of things that I have learned this past week:

In MLC we were discussing the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It
was neat to discuss these habits and I am going to work on applying
each of these. These habits can help us organize our lives and help us
accomplish our purpose in life: prepare to meet God.

  1.    be a proactive person-make something happen
  2.    1st things 1st
  3.    begin with the end in mind
  4.    think win win...OPTIMISM ;)
  5.    seek to understand, then seek to be understood
  6.    synergy: be open to different ideas
  7.    "sharpen the saw": take care of yourself physically, mentally,
emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

During my personal studies I came across this talk that I love so
much. I can't keep it out of my mind because IT IS SOOOO TRUE! It is
"Missionary Work and the Atonement." By Elder Jeffery R. Holland.


"...Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to
ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our
success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the
Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles.
Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in
missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and
all night in the baptismal font? (My own side note...getting pneumonia
from being soaking wet in Oregon! ;)

You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about
this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced
that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap
experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus
Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could
we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for
Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to
spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission
leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of
Calvary.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything
anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and
sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to
come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this
price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.

For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy,
nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued
faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort,
something from the depths of our soul.

If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face,
bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can
pass, let it pass,” then little wonder that salvation is not a
whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier
way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that.
Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there
wasn’t an easier way.

The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more
importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle,
when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a
hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has
ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason
to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God
knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to
salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to
eternity is through Him--the Way, the Truth, and the Life..."

I have felt the atonement carry myself throughout my mission. At times
I have gone to Gethsemane and have felt the pain that comes
physically, emotionally, and from those who chose not to accept this
gospel...but what makes my heart ache even more is that when I get
rejected, spit upon, yelled at, people aren't doing those things to
me, but to our savior Jesus Christ. I have felt so much love for the
people that I serve and for my savior Jesus Christ. I don't understand
why several people reject the gospel, reject Christ, but I do know
that things will work out in the end. As we give our best effort and
put our heart into his work we find joy in that WE can come unto
Christ and draw closer to him. I have learned that missionary work
refines us and helps us become the beings our Heavenly Father wants us
to become. It is a selfless service. I am so grateful to be serving
him. My testimony has grown in so many ways...I have been changed
through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that he lives and loves
us and I want others to know of that love.

I love each of you! I hope that we all can express love and gratitude
to our Savior for all that he has done for us. I hope you all have an
incredible week!

All my love,
Elder Shaw

Transfer news is in...

I AM STAYING IN CANBY WITH ELDER KATIELI!!! 

We will both be training a new zone leader Elder Hintz. We are super
excited! That makes Canby my longest area!! Over 6 months it will be!
:) So happy to be staying.

Same old same old. Keeping busy.not a lot of new things have
happened...Sad news Darrell Miller is moving to Portland on Weds...He
has had a lot on his plate recently with the move and other things so
we had to postpone his baptism. We will send the info over to the
missionary's over there and hope and pray for the best. The Lord has a
plan!       

We will be working hard this week to set more dates with our other
investigators: Casey, Jessie Floyd, and Tracy.

I have been thinking a lot about this scripture lately. It is in 3
Nephi 13: 30-34:

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is,
and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye
are not of little faith.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall
we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil
thereof."

This scripture gives me hope for I know that as we put God first that
he will provide for us. Our needs will be met as we excersize faith
and trust in God and believe of good things to come. The Lord knows
exactly what we need and his timing is perfect. May we all put God
first in our lives and live the life that we are meant to live.
 

I love you all so much and I am grateful for your love and support! I
hope that everyone has an amazing week!

Keep trying and remember to never quit! ;)

Love,
Elder Shaw

Happy February!!! ️  

Wow...this week has been crazy. A lot has happened. To start I have officially completed my sister mission. 18 months completed....super weird how fast time has flown by...and it's going even faster now. :/ A lot of mixed emotions...its been a little rough...in some ways I have been freaking out because I only have 6 months left to serve the lord full-time...never again will I have have this experience in these circumstances...it makes me sad. We also had to push back Darrell's baptism since he will be moving somewhere in Canby or somewhere in Portland (in the Moreland ward where I use to serve)...not really sure, hopefully things get worked out and he is able to stay in Canby. :) We have also had some other tragic events that have happened in the Villalobos Family which has made this week a little rough. Hanging in there. 

Besides some of the "bumps in the road" this week we had another great week teaching and finding. We taught 26 lessons and found 3 new investigators whom we will be teaching the discussions to this week. One that we have found is a single dad that lives in our apartment complex with 3 kids: ages: 16, 14, and 10. His name is Steve and he is a welder and looking for some stability and peace with raise teenagers...we can help with that! ;) We are super excited to start teaching their family. 

This weekend, we had stake conference this weekend and had Elder Hansen of the Seventy Visit our Stake. It was great! I loved his talk on the Restoration and Prophets and how the Lord's Standards never change even though the worlds standards are ever-changing. It was great to hear because it is what we share with people 24-7. ;)

Transfer calls are this Saturday and we are hoping and praying that we stay together! I LOVE working with Elder Katieli! He is one of my best friends! We have so much fun, are laughing all the time, and have been working really hard. I love this ward and hope that I will be able to stay to see Darrell's, Fabian's, and Drew's baptism through. I will go where the Lord needs me no matter what. He always knows what is best! 

Sorry...I am a little scatter brained...its been hard to process how I have been feeling and thinking lately. Hopefully this email makes sense. 

Saving the Hermanas!

So a funny from this week: While we were heading home from an appointment on weds night we received a call from the Canby Spanish Sisters telling us that someone has broken into their apartment. We raced over there and while the sisters where waiting on the doorstep, Elder Katieli and I checked around the apartment. Nobody was inside thank goodness. The prankster that I am, I saw that it was the perfect opportunity to play a joke on them. I went over to the nearby closet so they could hear me, but not see inside and I opened it and screamed. It was sooo funny they were screaming bloody murder and I tried to contain my laughter. 

Elder Shaw and the Lamp Shade

In the closet there was a lamp shade so I grabbed it and put it on my head and started to walk over towards them. I then said in an Indian accent, " I was dressed up like a lamp shade...Nobody ever notices me!" They then dropped to the floor and laughed so hard till they cried!!! I was dying!!!! So funny! 

Well I hope that everyone has a wonderful week! I would like to end with a scripture that helped me get through the week. It is when Christ is speaking to his apostles. It is in John 16: 32-33:

"Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

I love this reminder that we are never alone. Christ is with us no matter what. I know that he has overcome the world and knows us perfectly. He always knows how we feel. It gives me comfort to know that I am not alone and although I will have trials in my life that I can be of good cheer because Jesus Christ has overcome all and that through him I can do all things. :)

With Love,

Elder Shaw