Find A Way To Serve

Filling the baptismal font

Fetching water in Ghana

Elder Shirley's birthday pizza party

March 25, 2019

This week was another great week!! This week we were able to have a wonderful baptism for Elijah and he has been such a fun boy to teach. He is a 17 year old boy who has had a really cool conversion over his different ways of God answering his prayers. He explained to us that he has been receiving a lot of bad comments about the church from peers and friends while we have been teaching him because of the power of the devil in other people’s lives, but that long ago his dad told him that if anyone ever gave him opposition in his life then it meant that whatever he was doing was right. This statement is so true!! We see that over the world, so many bad, rude, mean, vulgar comments are said about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but I believe it is because it is the only true church on the earth. The devil wants to take away people from the one and only true church so he sends people out with evil rude comments about the Church of Jesus Christ. We all need to hold fast to what we know is true and never waver, because with that small moment of wavering, Satan has a chance to snatch us.

Anyways this is something that I have noticed and thought about this week. I know that God is always willing to help us in our lives if we ask him for the help!! I love being a missionary and having the opportunity to help so many people find the light and the truth. As an invitation to everyone this week I would just invite everyone to go out and find a way to serve someone not in your family the way that Jesus Christ would serve and you will see the impact that it can have on someone’s life!!

Love you!!
~Elder Shirley

I Love The Experiences I Am Going Through

March 11, 2019

This week was a great week for sure and I got to see the Lord’s hand in a lot of ways. We were blessed with some great people this week and 2 of them in particular being Gloria a 22 year old girl and Elijah a 17 year old boy. They are both great people and their faith is increasing every time we teach them. I am hoping that both of them will one day be baptized. I got to see a miracle as each of them came to church this Sunday and they loved the way that the church was run. Elijah accepted a baptismal date and we are hoping that all goes well for him!

My birthday was a good day as well. The elders bought me both lunch and dinner and so that was nice of them. My companions birthday is actually tomorrow so funny that our birthdays are so close together! I loved the gifts and cards so much so thanks for sending those to me!!

Here in Ghana it is crazy to see how popular religion is, you can literally go anywhere and you will see something religious. Music you hear in some cars, shops, posters. Everything is gospel related. The struggle is just to get people to understand the true church and help them realize that all other ways is not correct. I am learning a lot on my mission and I love the experiences I am going through!

I love you!
~Elder Shirley

Questions and Answers

Q. What did you do for your birthday?
A. For my birthday the other elders had a baptism so me and my companion went out and taught some lessons then we came back for their baptism and then we went and taught a couple more lessons after. It was a good day and my spirits were up that day!

Q. How did you like the gift? Did you ever get pizza for your district?
A. I loved the gift and the letters a lot so thanks for that!! I think we will get pizza this week so it should work out!

Q. How has your testimony grown this week?
A. This week I have really just decided to dive into the work and give it all that I have so my testimony has grown a lot. Also, my testimony increased a lot with the power of fasting. This Sunday I fasted and then 2 of our investigators came that I was hoping would come so that was a super strong testimony builder that fasting really does help other people.

Q. What scriptures are you studying right now? Any particular verse that hit you hard and you would like to share with us?
A. I am starting the Book of Mormon again for the 3rd time on my mission so far and so I was just reading in Nephi. But the story of Nephi and Laban is so cool because Nephi shows so much faith in the Lord even with all the struggles he goes through. If you notice it took him 3 attempts to obtain the plates so all the things that the Lord commands us to do will not be easy and sometimes it will take multiple efforts.

Q. Still feeling good with your health?
A. My health is excellent right now so nothing to worry about.

Q. Who has been your biggest influence this week?
A. Hmm.... Biggest influence this week is probably this investigator named Gloria. She is super nice and always really happy when we go and teach her and I believe that it is because she can feel the joy in the gospel. She is the one who came to church on Sunday after fasting for her.

Great Devotional in Accra

Traditional Ghanaian compound

Chapel in Asuom from the pulpit

March 4, 2019

Hey!!
Another week has come and gone!! It is crazy to me to see how some weeks can fly by so so fast!! This week was pretty fun because we had a super spiritual devotional with the General Relief Society president Sister Jean B. Bingham and the General Young Women's president Sister Bonnie H. Cordon as well as we got to hear from someone from the Seventy, Elder Nash! So, the devotional was super awesome and they all spoke with such power and authority and I could really feel that each of them have been called of God. This devotional happened on Saturday but we had to travel on Friday because we live so far away so we did not get any teaching time on Friday or Saturday because of the travel, but the devotional was super nice. Transfer news also came on Saturday night and me and my companion are staying together which I am super excited about. I think that we will be able to have some good success this transfer!

I also just want to give a shoutout to Sugar Salem Basketball on a great State Basketball Championship!! I am super Stoked for them!! I miss Coach Free a lot and it is true, I would have given everything to be there playing but it is not my time anymore. I cannot believe that there are double state champions!! (referring to the fact that both Sugar and North Fremont won state boys basketball championships this past weekend) That is flipping sweet!! Wow!! That is something I would have never predicted but I am super excited and happy for both teams!! Garrett (Hawkes) sounds like he played amazing!! Those stat lines are incredible!! It makes miss ball quite a bit, to hear exciting news like that!! Thanks for sending details about each game though, that sounds like it was a really exciting and fun time to be there!!

I cannot believe that it is March and that my birthday is coming!! I am super excited to have my first birthday on mission just because it will feel like a stepping stone! I think I am allowed to call on my birthday but not sure what will happen yet. It is the thought that matters! It is not about the gifts while I am on this mission it is just about the prayers and the miracles, those are the gifts that make everything better! Anyways I love you so much mom and I hope your week is amazing!

Anyways nothing else too exciting but I love you all and I hope your week is amazing!!
~Elder Shirley

Questions and Answers

Q. How is your health? Are you still feeling week or sick? Did you go see the mission president’s wife?
A. My health has increased so much and I am feeling a lot better!! I never saw anyone but through prayers and a blessing I was able to recover, which is a miracle of course!

Q. How has the teaching been this week?
A. The teaching this week was not super good but we were only able to teach 4 days this week because of a big mission devotional that we had with the General Young Women's President, General Relief Society President and Elder Nash from the Seventy.

Q. What interesting food did you eat this week?
A. I did not eat anything interesting this week, unless you want to count fufu! haha but that food is super nice.

Q. When times get tough, who or what do you lean on for your inspiration to keep going?
A. I lean a lot on prayer. There really is not anything or anyone to rely on that can help me more than my heavenly father through a heartfelt prayer. I just pour out my feelings and through that I get peace and comfort.

Q. Any upcoming baptisms scheduled?
A. No baptisms right now, but maybe some by the end of this month.

Q. What are you planning to do for your birthday?
A. I have not decided what I will do for my birthday yet, any ideas?? There is a pizza place in a closeby area, but we will not be able to travel and get it because that is against mission rules, but I want to get it somehow. Some missionaries stay there and they will be coming to our area on Wednesday for district meeting but if they brought the pizza they would have to bring enough for the whole district which would be about 60 US Dollars. We can talk about it today when I call!