Pembroke, NC...

My new comp, Elder Tyler

My two boys
Elder Tyler and Elder Haslam

Hi Family,

My new comp is a greenie, named Elder Tyler and he is from good ole Provo, he went to Timpview High School.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at the bishop's house.  So, apparently the last elders were pretty disobedient and didn't get a whole lot of anything done and the Bishop was pretty upset with them.  The previous elders left no map, no area book, no ward roster , no miles on our car, no teaching pool, and a sink full of dishes to do.  Let's just say I was very unimpressed with them as well.  It will be tough work to build up member trust, but we will keep at it slowly but surely.

As District Leader, I conduct and instruct at district meetings, instruct in zone trainings, go on exchanges with the elders in the district to make sure they are doing well, and deal with key indicators or number of lessons and new investigators and the like.  The District includes two sisters and another set of elders, so it's small.

My apartment, well, honestly it's very bad, it's the worst one I have had and Elder Tyler and I both walked in and just felt depressed being there.  We will rededicate it and hope that changes the atmosphere.

Did you find anyone this week?  Yes, we found a lot.

Funny Story:  Elder Tyler physically cannot say the word hippopotamus.

What are your plans to celebrate Hump Day?  That is yet to be decided, official Hump Day will be December 4th since my mission will be 2 years and 4 days long.

Love ya,

Elder Shields

New Assignment...

Hi Family,

I don't know what I will be doing for Thanksgiving this week because I am getting transferred.  So here is the run down of my transfer call with President James...

President:  Can I move you Elder Shields?

Me:  Where ever the Lord wants me to go.

President:  Alright we will be moving you to Pembroke, you will be training again.  That area has been struggling, but I know you can do good work, just get the members trust.  The sisters there have been doing well and gaining trust, so just do what they do.

Me:    Well I will be sure to get in touch with the sisters when I get there.

President:  Well, you better, because you will be District Leader as well.

I'm excited for it, it will be a good challenge.  Elder Haslam will be staying, I'm not sure who with, but our whole zone is getting a change up.  I will send my new address on Monday.

Investigator Update:  Same old same old, just struggling to get the people we have to progress.

Funny Experience:  Elder Haslam keeps talking with drunk people who yell at him.

How is your bike holding up?  Meh.

Scripture for the week:  Romans 5:19
 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Love Y'all,
Elder Shields

Church Swapping...

Hey Family,

So this week we ended up going to two Baptist related activities.  We went to a Baptist bible study and a Shout Out and they gave us a $25 BP gas gift card.  Then we went to the Summit Church, which is a super church with multiple campuses.  One of our investigators made a deal with us that if we came to his church, he would come to ours.  So, he will be coming to church next week.  It was amazing to see the contrast between the spirit felt in each of those meetings.

Funny thing that happened this week:  Our neighbors were having a party and there was definitely alcohol involved and the next morning when we were going to church, Elder Hallam's bike had been puked on.  Haha, luckily it was only on the tire, but it was still gross.  Things have been going pretty well here, it is likely I will be leaving to a new area though.  Elder Hallam is guessing Fayetteville, I am guessing Apex or back to Wilmington zone, but we shall see.  Anyways, the letter should be there soon, I'm actually surprised it's not already there so it should be there today or Tuesday.  Love y'all and hope everything goes well this week!

Elder Shields

Hey Dad,

I am excited to be looking for the moonrise today.  We will be at a dinner with the Kidd Family so I will be sure to let them know what's going on.  The beauty of earth amazes me, but I am even more impressed with the vastness of space and the complexity of black holes, wormholes, gamma bursts and the like.  It will be fun to learn the importance of the roles that the other planets in our solar system play in the grand scheme of things.  It doesn't make sense to me when someone looks through a telescope and sees the complexity of the cosmos and then claims there is no God, the very function of life itself, the odds of it just working our are astronomical.  But, anyways, it's good to hear that everyone is doing well.

2nd Nephi 9 is one of my favorites.  There is a very intellectual Catholic man we are teaching that asked for the most significant chapters in the Book of Mormon to read, and the ones that I gave him were:

2 Nephi 2
2 Nephi 9
Mosiah 2-5
Alma 32
Alma 34
Alma 40
3 Nephi 11
Moroni 7
Moroni 10

I think that is all I gave him, he's been reading and wants to meet again, his sons are friends with members so hopefully all will work out.  Warren will do a great job with being Young Men's President, that will be a good time!

Love ya Dad!

Pet Squirrel...

Elder Haslam and I were out knocking doors and it was dark and late so we were carrying a lantern.  We were heading back to our bikes to head home for the night when a lady pulls up and thanks us for carrying a light because nobody walking the streets at night in that neighborhood would carry a light. She then invited us to come over to her house and see her pet squirrel which she apparently rescued from the mouth of a cat, we quickly agreed for two reasons.  #1- we don't get too many of those invitations, #2- We get to see a pet squirrel...how could we lose?  So we head over and we try teaching her but unfortunately she wasn't interested at all, but we did get some good pictures out of it.  Oh, and the squirrel peed on Elder Haslam so I guess that's one way you can lose, but what can you do?

Teaching Kids and their Parents...

Missionary Model Shot

Elder Rose flexing in one of my shirts as hard as he can.
(zone leader on exchange)

Hi Family,

We met a lady this week, we taught her kids first actually when they were out playing in the street.  They came up to us and asked what was wrong (assuming we were police officers) but we said we were helping people have a better relationship with God.  We talked about their churches that they went to and they asked us some questions to see how good of minsters we were.  We answered their questions and then asked them some.  We went over the plan of salvation with them and they thought it was great!  One of the kids, when we were talking about the Fall, mentioned opposition in all things and how there had to be bad to know the good.  He was ten, and knows the gospel better than I do, and he's never heard of the Book of Mormon, haha!  We asked which houses they lived in and we went and talked with their parents and found quite a few new investigators from that.  The lady is the mother of the smart ten year old and four other kids.  We are excited to be teaching them.

"R" is in the hospital, but we are still in touch with her.

We reproved "M" with sharpness and then showed an increase of love afterwards yesterday, it was probably one of the best lessons that we have had.

I will be finishing your letter today!

I got Maddie's package on the 28th.

Thank you so much for the Halloween pizza.

The weather is cooling down it's starting to feel more like Utah.

I have been studying consecration and conversion a lot recently and the more I have studied them the more I have seen how charity is essential, I love 1 Corithians 13, Paul's discourse on charity as well.

Scripture:  Acts 19 13-16
"Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and chief of the priests, which did so.  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus i know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?  And the man in-home the evil spirit was leaped anthem, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

Love ya!

Jake