My Last Baptism

Hey ya'll!

This week has been crazy!  I mean it, too!  Every single day, something not normally in the  missionary schedule happened, which was really fun to mix things up a little bit.

Okay, so Sister Webb had to get a prescription filled, but she hadn't been to the doctor in a long time, so they had to see her again. Well, the closest location of theirs was over in Georgia.  Well, we

didn't want her to die or anything, so we called up our mission president, and he gave us permission to go save her life.  So Wednesday morning, we packed our snacks and put on our comfiest travel

clothes, and drove all the way to the place I've been wanting to go for over 18 months.  Chattanooga Tennessee!  (Which is right next to Georgia.  Another place I'd really wanted to go to!)  After four hours of driving, we finally got there, got her into the doctor, and not a very long story made even shorter, she's still alive.  Yay!  Now the real fun begins!

We ran all around Chatt visiting people who were in the Ward with Sister Webb, which wasn't actually very many people because we didn't have much time, but it was so much fun seeing how happy everyone was to see her, and how happy she was seeing them!  And it was so fun because they all let me join in on the fun!  But alas, we had to go back home, but that's okay, because we had a lot to do this week, and we partied it up the whole way home.

The next day, we did all sorts of missionary type things, one of which was my departing interview.  It brought on all the feels.  I laughed and cried, and had questions answered, and thought about the past, and the future, and who I am now.  Literally everything I could think about, I thought about.  I left with more sense of direction in my life for the coming years, and a determination to accomplish it all. Finally, I'm on the right track.  I mean, not that I wasn't before.  I mean, I'm on a mission. But I mean, that's just what a mission does to ya.

The next day was zone conference.  My last one actually.  President gave some really good trainings.  I'd heard a lot of it already at MLC, but that's something really wonderful about getting a sneak preview.  Each time we hear something, we get something new out of it. President Griffin showed us a clip of a mission president seminar that he had the chance to watch not too long ago.  Elder Bednar spoke, and when I heard it at first in MLC, something he said pierced me to my heart honestly more than almost anything, but after hearing it again in zone conference, I've been able to apply it more to my life. He said something to the effect of, "A change for better using our own will power is not using the Atonement.  Our will power will eventually fall short, but when we allow Christ into the repentance process, that change in our life is lasting and eternal." This is so true.  I've seen good examples and bad examples of this principle in my life and the lives of those around me, it makes me wonder what ways I could apply more fully His atonement, and take the stress off of me, and make the good things in my life eternal and the bad things vanish away.  I think I've got a good start and eternity to go.

Speaking of using the Atonement, I know a really cool guy, his name is John, and I've had the pleasure of seeing him use at least a portion of it in his own life. Well, John got baptized this Saturday, and on Sunday he was confirmed! It was the most wonderful thing ever! I hadn't been so excited for a baptism in a long time!  It was so great seeing him take this first step to his goal of being sealed to his wonderful wife, Sabra, and their cute little girl, Judith. I love their family so much!

Seeing things like that is what this mission is all about.  I've learned and experienced so many things out here, but that is by far one of the greatest things to see.  People truly living the gospel, and

coming closer to where we all want to be even if we don't even know it at the time.

Sincerely,

Sister Shelton

 

Here's little Judith. I love this little girl so much!

 

Just thought we'd take a quick stop to see the Chattanooga LDS church building. It's a civil war mansion!

Here's all of the sisters in my zone once again. I've come to love each and every one of them in their own special way! #ashevillezone

Gotta love the Murphy Sisters, too!

They decided to throw me overboard since I'm dying soon. Haha! Gotta love the grandmother, mom, daughter trio here! Obviously this mission fam doesn't like me too much. ;) #missionrelationships

I love Sister Wood and Ferguson!  And look at that cute hedgehog

sticker on the back of Sister Ferguson's tag!

Here's us attempting a death picture.  It got awkward so we didn't

really get one, but I like this picture anyway.

This cute family! John, Sabra, and Judith! Love them so much!

And last but not least, here's the man of the hour, John. He made it!

Quotes of the week:
　
Elder Swindler: Do we need to make sure any other doors are locked?
Me: No.... Well, actually try the one in the relief society room. That one's always sneaky.
Elder Swindler: It's sneaky?
Me: Just go check it.
John: Have you ever seen the angels on Doctor Who?
Me: Yeah.
John: I just imagined all these doors sneaking up behind us.