116°! It's a no from me

Heyyy Everybody,

This week was our monthly Spanish FHE! Sadly Maria and Oscar were out of town, so big sad there; but we held it at the golf course that Jose's been working on for the last year. The part that is done is absolutely gorgeous, and it was pretty cool that Jose was so involved with planning it! I'm not 100% sure if Jose knows that he's investigating the church, but he comes to every activity and talks to all the members (that the language barrier allows). 

Hermana Masner brought her cornhole set, and we played with Jose, and which ever Smith kid we could get the attention of for 5 or more minutes. Turns out I'm decent at cornhole, and Jose just kept saying "Shelton es professional". We also taught him how to dab, which was amazing. He did it every time he got a bag on the board! :) We also got to drive some old golf carts around, which was super fun!

We did service for our friend Fred this week, and man was it hot! We wore masks the whole time, because we have to wait for them to invite us to take them off, and once we got in the car after our faces were dripping sweat everywhere. Moving boxes has never been so rough.

It's been killer hot all week! Apparently we're breaking all these records here. Naturally the one summer I'm here, it decides to be the hotest summer on record. :) Everyone keeps saying it doesn't get this hot here, but it just keeps being this hot here. There have been quite a few times in the last few days were I thought this would surely be how I die; but I guess not. 

Hermana Peterson and I went to "Art Fest" so we could talk to some people in the community this week. Apparently in Oregon you have to pay to walk into something like that so that was a big sad; but a member bought us food from one of the trucks so it was all good. That now makes it so that three members- that aren't the Ricks- have fed us since I've been here (we also got fed by a member on Sunday, but they weren't in our ward, so IDK if I'll count it). Which wouldn't be so bad if our kitchen didn't only have a toaster oven and a hot plate.

They actually ended up cancelling "Art Fest" for the next day, because they didn't want anyone to be outside. Hermana Peterson and I got matching "Domino" rings, because something about these rings just scream Oregonian to me. 

Luckily a lot of our service has cancelled on us this week, so we haven't had to brave the weather too much. I'm still dying though, no one told me I'd hit 116° while serving in Oregon. The real kicker though was that a member from Waldport posted this weekend and their thermostat read "67°". Those spoiled children on the coast don't even know of the suffering happening throughout the rest of the mission.

Heat usually doesn't get to me at night, I've always been a very sound sleeper at Lake Powell; but now I'm starting to think that may just be because I've been swimming all day. Because last night I lost my mind, like how my dad loses it at Lake Powell! The AC unit wasn't doing it for me, and my comp and I were just laying there suffering. 

We tried switching the direction we laid, then I was telling her hot air rises and I drug out mattresses onto the ground, but nothing was working. Finally we turned on the ceiling fan that I forgot we had, and everything was fine. We're supposed to have zone conference this week, but they're changing the dates because of the heat wave apparently (yes zone conference is done in a air conditioned building, but it's that hot here I guess).

When we showed up to our lesson with Montserrat and Karla a group of teenagers were sitting in the church parking lot. All of them obviously weren't members, which made me wonder what about this church parking lot screamed hang out to them. It became pretty apparent to me that these girls were smoking some grass as you say, so we didn't stay long to chat. But one of the girls got a gallon jug of water out of her car and started to pop the lid. Her friend's eyes got all wide and she asked "What are you doing."

The girl then turned back to her friend and explained, "I'm refilling the water in my car, my dad said I needed to fill it."

Her friend then tried to explain that she doesn't think water goes in cars, and she had never seen anyone do that, to which the water jug girl replied, "Well, do you drive a 2000 Toyota." 

I almost died, I have no idea how that story ends because I went inside with everyone, but how weird is that? I made a meme about it below! :)

Also Haylie is still on track to be baptized on the 10th...the only issue is we don't know what ward she'll be confirmed into...so I'll have to figure that out. She also got in a fight with her parents, and figured there was nothing worse they could say to her, so she told them she was being baptized. Her dad said, "I figured," then proceeded to yell about something else. So it didn't go awful, didn't go well either, but that's okay.

Have a good week, stay cool, and send prayers (maybe even cooler weather if you can?)!

Hermana Shelton

Fotos:

• hermana peterson

• golf cart fun!!

• josé was wearing a raiders shirt so I asked for a picture

• the results of us being too hot last night

• domino rings

• I accidentally stayed logged in on a church computer...and an Elder found it.

• meme about the parking lot experience

Ryan got baptized and I got a greenie!!

Hello everyone! Hope you had the best Father's Day! It's been quite the time here in the 'Burg!

Mis amigos Maria and Oscar called us last week and told us they were heading to Mexico. Maria's dad (Oscar's grandpa) is sick so they left to go visit him. We've texted since and everything seems to be getting better, Oscar will be coming back later this week, but we're not sure when Maria's planning on returning. 

Transfers were this week, we packed up Hermana Coca (which took a lot more effort than it should of) and I sent her and her 300 pounds of luggage of to Eugene. :) She will be missed, I had to wait another day for my greenie to fly in; so I was companions with Sister Bushman for a little over 24 hours. 

Hermana Peterson, my trainee- not to be confused with my trainer Sister Peterson- arrived on Wednesday...and she's fluent. So all is well in the 'Burg once again. Her dad works for the DEA so she's lived a lot of places, and picked up Spanish in a few of them. YAY! She's pretty epic, and says "Que padre." At least 50 times a day. Which I've learned is slang in Mexico for "How cool". She's also assigned to España, but the lesser mission of Barcelona! :( So close to perfection, but so far!

The low point of our week was definitely when Hermana Peterson and I were a little to confident in the capabilities of our kitchen and tried to use our toaster oven, hot pad, and microwave at the same time...naturally we lost power in the kitchen. Which unfortunately lost power to our AC as well, and I was sweating bullets. We went and flipped the breaker like 10 times too and nothing happened, I thought that was surely how I would die; but we said a prayer and flipped it for the 11th time, and everything turned back on. Funny how that works. :)

This week our mission had a devotional with THEE David A. Bednar. I had known about this for weeks, and had been reading the talks sent out to prepare for a WHILE; but I guess it didn't sink in. Because, as soon as David A. Bednar walked into the room, I got so excited I hit my comp and whispered, "That's David A. Bednar." It was so weird, it was David A. Bednar talking with President and calling out familiar names as we called on people to share their thoughts! It was so cool! He didn't like prepare a talk of anything, he just had us share our thoughts from four of his past conference talks, then did a Q&A! We talked a lot about acting in faith, and how faith isn't an abstract thing, it's what you do. Apparently is was 3 hours long, but I'm 98% sure I was only there for 30 minutes.

Also Ryan got baptized this week. We met him at the church and went over the paper-work together...which is were I learned he has been married twice and has two kids. Who knew? Also apparently they are all members? Wild. His story just gets more and more interesting!

Aside from the shocking revelation as we filled out his paperwork everything went really well! We kept things VERY small and simple (his younger brother was performing the baptism, confirming him, and playing the piano), just like he asked. His mom, dad and two of his brothers got baptized in the 80s; so this has been a long time coming. It felt kind of weird knowing that this conversion story takes place over decades and I was only in a little fragment of it these last 7 weeks; but that did not stop his mom from thanking me- and my comp who was on her fifth day of the mission- profusely. I have no doubt this is an answer to decades of her prayers.

Here's a funny little embarrassing story for y'all. We taught José the ten commandments Thursday. It went pretty well. I had to have Hermana Peterson help a little with the Spanish but all was well, until the end. During which, I asked "Guardará los dos mandamientos." Which means "will you keep the two commandments". So that was sad. Can't believe I conjugated in future tense correctly only to mix up ten and two! Jose thought it was pretty funny though, and said he could definitely keep two but he'd try for all ten.

It's always a good time when serving the Lord, have a great week everybody!

Hermana Shelton

Fotos:

1 - new Roseburg sisters!!

2 - ran into Hawkins @ the transfer spot! 

3 - low quality picture of Coca and I twinning

4 - us sweating it out post breaker incident 

5 - José gave us a lot of cherries!

6 - pictures of baptism to come, haven't been sent them from my WML yet! 

New Missionary Trainer Call

 Jun 14, 2021

Sister Amanda Shelton

2300 NW Witherspoon Ave
Roseburg, OR 97471  

Dear Sister Shelton:

You have been assigned to serve as a new missionary trainer in the Oregon Eugene Mission. This responsibility is a sacred trust. As a trainer, you have a profound and lasting influence on your companion’s attitudes, habits and in their understanding of their missionary purpose. Thank you for accepting this great responsibility.

During the first six weeks, follow the OEM training schedule for new missionaries. You will report your companion’s progress to your district leader and to me through your weekly letters. You will help your companion:

• Keep the daily schedule and missionary rules
• Study effectively: learning and applying the doctrines and principles taught in Preach My Gospel
• Begin memorizing scriptures referenced in PMG, especially from the Book of Mormon
• Plan with purpose
• Work diligently to find people to teach
• Serve in your community
• Minister to the one, with love 
• Teach, testify and invite with the Spirit 
• Help God’s children make and keep sacred covenants

With your companion, move forward with faith and hope. I have great confidence in you. Know that this assignment is from the Lord and He will bless you in your efforts.

With love,

Bret D. Weekes
Mission President
Oregon Eugene Mission

the one where I get a greenie

Hola a Todos,

It's been an anxiety filled week here in the OEM, but still an amazing one non-the-less. Transfers don't get anymore fun the longer you stay out I guess?

TRANSFER NEWS:

For those of you that weren't counting down- so everyone except my dad- this week was transfer news. I'm pretty sure every transfer goes faster than the last one. I was pretty calm about it most of the week, 18 Sisters are coming in this transfer, and only four Sisters left; Hermana Coca and I had been joking about trio-training for the last few weeks. Around Friday I started to get pretty sick thinking about the news. My 'spidey-sense'- or the Holy Ghost, call it what you want (accidentally just typed "call it what you want" and remembered it's a Taylor Swift song and now I'm a little sad, pero está bien)- had been warning me something funky was going to happen for days now. 

BUT last night we were in our apartment at 8 PM, and hadn't received a call. When you're training or in any leadership position they call you on the phone pretty early in the evening, so I figured that I was just freaking myself out and everything was actually fine. Exactly three minutes after we got a call from one of the APs. 

He told us he was calling for both of us, and extending a call for us to train...our eyes got so wide and huge grins spread on our faces. Trio-training all our dreams were coming true!! He asked if we accepted the call, and we both said yes very enthusiastically!...Then he said it, the destruction of all our dreams. "Great! Hermana Coca you'll be going to Santa Clara to cover the Spanish group there." Our faces dropped.

I think apart of me knew Coca was leaving, but I refused to believe it. My greenie and I will be here in Garden Valley; so not only will I be training for the first time, but I'll be training in a language I can't speak! :) Tune in next week, I'm sure there will be some absolutely hilarious stories for you, and some absolutely mortifying ones for me.

All jokes aside, I'm absolutely terrified, but I guess God knows what he's doing, and this will be a growing transfer for us both. Send prayers. I guess this is where we learn how to rely on the gift of tongues.

THE REST OF THE WEEK:

Maria invited us to her house this week for our lesson! Which no missionaries have ever been to! It's super cool that she feels comfortable enough for us to come over now. We also did some family history with her this week, and it was the most entertaining hour of family history I've ever witnessed. Maria's SO smart- as apparent by her being the most proficient in English of all our Spanish people, despite only being in the U.S. for half a year- so she remembered A LOT of names for her tree. She was getting excited too! She said she'd call all her family in Mexico to get more information for it.

I had my FIRST overnight exchanges of the mission! Wahoo! I joined Sister McLean in Winston for the day! And it was a party!! We had tacos with a non-member, I forgot my scriptures at my apartment- but I remembered deodorant last minute, so you win some you lose some. She's also a die-hard Swiftie so that was pretty epic. I forgot to take a picture but homie really had a Taylor Swift calendar hanging above her study desk. 

The entire zone also showed up for a free car wash at the church this Saturday. We were blessed with no rain for pretty much the exact time slot of the car wash. It was so fun, we had a pretty great turn out, and had to deny money from quite a few people! :) Good times only here in the Burg. 

Yesterday Hermano Smith was speaking so Hermana Coca had to translate in sacrament meeting. So naturally this was the one week the translation equipment didn't work and she sitting by all of them and talking pretty loud in the back of the chapel. 10/10 comedy. 

Anywho....Roseburg is still the promised land! and I'm very hyped to stay here, even though it's going to be incredibly difficult. :) All in the Lord's hands. He'll prepare a way.

Con mucho Amor, 

Hermana Shelton

el bautismo de Maria ♡

Hey everybody, 

I had SUCH an amazing week! I don't even know how to put it into words, but I'll save the best for the last, AKA Maria's baptism that happened on Saturday! 

We went and visited Hermana Cordova this week, she's an older Spanish speaking lady in the south Umpqua ward, who we visit once a transfer. She's pretty lonely so we just talk to her for a while. We talked for a while, which was fun, I didn't understand much of it though. I'm pretty sure she told us her entire life story though. As we were getting ready to leave she started telling us another story, this time I recognized her saying "la medicina" a lot, and then she lead us into a plant growing in a pot on her porch. My eyes probably doubled in size, as I started at the plant wondering if it was really what I thought it was. Then I heard this ninety year old lady say "Marijuana" in a thick accent. It took a lot of will for Hermana Coca and I to get our of there without busting up. I love Oregon.

We went to Red Robin with Haylie this week, and once we left and were walking to our car, we couldn't find it. Our car was just gone? We were in a pretty sticky situation too, because my phone was the only one with any cell coverage, and it was at 2%. So, we both ran to Haylie before she could leave. Frantically telling her our car was stolen. I used the 2% of our phone battery to 1) send a link for the lesson we had in 5 minutes to Hermana Coca (as if we could make it if our car was stolen? IDK I guess I'm focused on my missionary purpose even while in a crisis). And, 2) text Hermano Smith and tell him we couldn't make the lesson with Jose he was planning on coming to. Then as soon as I sent the text, Haylie drove had drove far enough in the parking lot, for us to see our car. Right where we had left it. We had simply just not walked far enough. An extra five feet and we would have seen it. Big brain plays by Hermana Coca and I. Haylie hasn't stopped making fun of us since. So, 30 seconds after texting Hermano Smith that we couldn't make it because our car was stolen, we texted back and said, "JK we're coming." To which he simply replied, "Lol". So yeah, that was quite embarrassing, but all is well. We've been laughing hysterically about it for the last four days.

Hermana Cocoa and I had never planned a baptism, and we had absolutely no idea what we were doing! As Sister Phillips used to love to say "We didn't no nothing 'bout nothing". It was truly the blind leading the blind, BUT we did it! I made a program for her on the computer (and it took me FOREVER to get her full name to fit on the cover). We also weren't sure how to say a few of the words in Spanish (like "presiding" and stuff like that). So all in all the program, took QUITE a long time; but it was all worth it when we showed it to her the night before and she got all teary-eyed. All of the Hermanas that ever taught her showed up too! Which was super cool!

Our only stress was that two hours before show time, Hermano Norman came to check the water levels (to the font, which he had turned on 3 hours prior to this moment)...and saw that the water was only three inches deep. Apparently, the plug had a leak in it. Hermano Norman ran to the kitchen, ripped a garbage bag in half, and ripped of his socks and plugged the drain with the garbage bag. With his diligent efforts, and a very intense prayer offered by Hermana Coca and I, the font filled in time. Miracles happen every day.

The baptism was so cool! Maria, was glowing! She was so grateful for everything. She's the best. Oscar- her son, and member as of this January- got to baptize her. Which was incredible. I was a witness, for the first time in my life, so naturally, for the first time in my life, the witnesses actually had to do something. Maria's elbow came up the first time, so we had to tell them to do it again. It was so the best experience, SO many people came to support her. Truly one of the sweetest and most amazing experiences of my life. She was confirmed the next day in sacrament meeting, which was also the first time I've seen someone be confirmed in sacrament meeting. Maria is incredible, and I know that her and Oscar are just the beginning of an amazing work starting here in Roseburg, with the Latino community.

The ward is also booked to have a baptism trip to Medford next week, and Maria is set to go to that! Which will be so amazing, and Hermana Coca and I are approved to go and translate for her! Which is so amazing! I can't wait to get back to the temple! (also the single chic-fil-a in our mission is in Medford, so...).

'Til next week,

Hermana Shelton

p.s. Congrats! To Matt and Shelby for getting married! :) 

and I received some very fun letters and treats from the Gittins! Which was very fun!!

1- me and the Gittins clan's care package 

2- hermana coca, maria and I post baptism

3- Maria, Oscar, y todas las Hermanas

4- the fatal text conversation w/ Brother Smith 

5- me with the finished baptism program, many hours later..:)