Achieving Goals

October 28, 2019

This week was a pretty great week!!

We had a multi-zone conference on Tuesday and we were able to hear some great inspired words. I was also able to give an instruction on how to set goals. It was a great topic to instruct on and there were some inspiring things that I was able to learn as I was making the instruction. Sometimes we set goals but we do not make detailed plans to fulfill them, so as we make goals also make a good plan of how you are going to achieve that goal. Then we will be able to have a lot more success in those goals.

We also had a great baptismal service on Sunday after church for a 23-year-old named Believe! The baptism was so great because she is the only member of her family that is not baptized. She has 7 siblings from the ages of 10-19 and a mom and dad who are all baptized members of the church and so she was so excited to be able to be baptized too and join the family! That family is also one of my favorite families and they have taken me and my companion in as sons and brothers, it really is special.

We were teaching her on Thursday this week and she looked at me and asked me “Who is going to baptize me on Sunday?” I told her that either her father or her brother could baptize her and then she looked at me and said “What about you? Can you do it for me?” I felt very happy at this request of hers and she just really feels like I am her brother! I, of course, told her that I could do it for her and that I would be very happy too. The work of the Lord is very special and there are things that make me happy every week. I cannot say enough about how important missionary work is, just as the prophet said, Time is running out! Let us all bring our friends to church and give them what we are enjoying!!

Love you!!
Elder Shirley

Questions & Answers:

Q. What is the most exciting thing that happened to you this week?
A. The most exciting thing that happened this week was definitely the baptism that happened on Sunday after church! The 23-year-old girl we baptized is part of a family of 10 that are all members except her in that little house that I sent a picture to you the other week. She was so happy and it was really cool to have her whole family at her baptism and the joy on her face was priceless. She also special requested for me to do the baptism. She has a father and a brother who could of both done the baptism but she really wanted me to do it for her so that was really special. There whole family really loves us and just takes me and my comp in as their sons and brothers.

Q. What was the hardest thing you had to deal with this week?
A. I would say we learned that someone we are teaching and is progressing really well is having problems with the Word of Wisdom, but no big deal, I know he will give it up to be baptized.

Q. I love that you had that experience last week with doing the Come Follow Me program with that couple. Do you have other opportunities to teach- like do you ever get a chance to teach Sunday School, Elder's Quorum or speak in church?
A. We do not teach classes in this ward but I have in other areas. We just spend time teaching lessons to members in their homes.

Q. What advice do you have for your cousin Megan as she goes out to serve next week?
A. I would just tell her to embrace all the change and love what she is doing right from the beginning. EMBRACE THE CHANGE!