Past few letters

December 10.  2012

Dear Family,

The winter cold has arrived. I woke up this morning and it was 14 degrees. The one thing out here that gets you is the wind. With the wind chill it is often down in the negatives! We walked home half a mile last night, and when we got in my face was super frozen! Luckily we have a nice warm house to go home to, and a grumpy love able old man to go home to.

This week has been great. We set one of our investigators with a baptismal date for the end of this month. He has problems with the Word of Wisdom. We taught him about it on Wednesday, and were able to come back on Friday. He is trying really hard to give up his addiction. It is so amazing to see the progress he has made. His name is Jerry. He is always happy, and is always giving us funny answers to questions. We asked him "Where do you believe we go after we die?" He said "Well i always pictured it as this super huge long line in front of some gates. They have this book at the front the book of life. If your name isn't on the book they hit a button, and down you fall. He made actions like he was falling and it was super funny!"

Caleb is doing great, we should be setting him with a new baptismal this coming week. We have to talk to his mom about when though. We are thinking the first week in January. He is ready, we just need to set him with a new date!

We went on a church tour this week which didn't go stellar in any way. We brought two members with us who they thought it would be nice to show her every room in the church. They showed them the women's bathroom by the font, the kitchen, and the stage. One thing i learned is that there are so many variables in missionary work, and we just need to do our best, and let the Lord take care of the rest! I love you all back home, and wish you the best as we commemorate the Birth, and life of our Savior Jesus Christ!!

Love, Elder Daniel Shurtz

December 4, 2012
 Dear Family,

Once again it is Monday... December also... It doesn't feel like December out here at all. It has been 60 degrees, no snow, or rain or anything. It is warm to walk around in a suit coat. The only thing that makes it look like Christmas is that we get to listen to Christmas music. It brings back all the good memories of Christmas. Are you going to keep all our traditions going without me there? Ice skating, 12 days of Christmas, running across the yard in the snow? I told the old man that i live with that we are going to have a hot chocolate cook off. He has some nestle, and i got Stephens. I told him that mine is better. We decided that the first day that it snows we'll have it. Well i hope it snows before this next transfer. Transfer day is on December 20th. He put up a tree and i like to sit and drink hot chocolate while in from of the tree. Sometimes I'll drink some hot chocolate while doing morning studies.

This week we talked to Caleb and his mother and they said they want to wait until he goes a little longer before his baptism. This was sad, but it makes since. She doesn't want him to jump into something without him being sure it is what he wants. He is super ready, and will just need to wait for her approval. He got up this fast Sunday and bore his testimony about the Book of Mormon. He said that his favorite part was Lehi's dream. He talked about how he felt so bad for the people that were in the great and spacious building, because they didn't get the fruit on the tree. It was so amazing to see him get up there and speak. There is a new family that moved in to our ward that he has gotten really close to. They have a son his age, and they are attending choir practice for the ward! He is such a boss! He has been prepared by the Lord!

We did have one part of the week that was really rough. We had an investigator get really mad at us, and told us to get out of his home, and gave us back the Book of Mormon. He was asking lots of questions about polygamy, and why the church hasn't done anything to those still practicing it. We told him all about it, but he just wasn't listening. I asked him if it mattered to his salvation, this made him flip. He accused us of not caring about anyones salvation but ours. While walking out i said "If i didn't care about your salvation, i wouldn't be here." It was super sad to see him get caught up on something, and look beyond the mark. I hope that he will someday accept the gospel. I came to realize that night that the Lord is preparing people all over the world. There are some that are not yet ready to recieve the gospel, and i have to do my part to find those that will accept this glourious message.

All in all it has been a super great week. I love being here, and love those that i have met! I miss you all back home, and wish you the very best! Be safe, and put your whole trust in the Lord and he will provide!

Love, Elder Shurtz

November 26, 2012

Dear Family,

Well it was my first thanksgiving away from home. As i was asking around what we do here on Thanksgiving Day the Old Elders told me in past areas they got to play in the turkey bowl for their ward. Well i was pretty pumped about that. I asked around in the ward to find out when we were holding our turkey bowl. Well they said they don't have one. So... I put one together. It ended up being for the whole stake. It was super fun. We got some members from our ward, and a few from others, plus the missionaries around the area. We had two thanksgiving dinners, well a lunch and dinner. Even though i wasn't with our family it was nice to be in a family setting, laughing, and feeling the love that was there. I have found out I really like pie. I never have been a huge thanksgiving food kind of person, but the pie sure is great. It was a great day going around to different members, and less active members homes to visit.

Yesterday i gave my second talk out here. It was on "grateful for the Gospel". I spoke about four truths that we teach in the Church, and my testimony on them. 1. The Atonement of Jesus Christ. 2. That we can repent. 3. That families can be sealed for time, and eternity. 4. We have a living Prophet to Guide the Church through continued Revelation from God. It was really neat to talk about because it helped me see how my testimony of the Church has grown since I've been out these short 4 months. A funny thing that happened is that while greeting at the start of Church we had a member come grab us and told us they needed men in the Ward Choir. We went over the song twice before Sacrament meeting and then performed it. The best part was that Caleb our investigator came and performed with us.

Caleb has a baptismal date set for the 8th of December. Some things have come up, and we need to go speak with his mom. He says she is wanting to postpone the Baptism, for she feels he isn't fully prepared. He so is, and is comprehending, and progressing so fast, and well. We were able to teach him about the Word of Wisdom this week which he committed to live. It is so awesome to see him progress. I hope we can help her see that he is ready to be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost.

I love serving the Lord, and serving the people out here. I know that I am supposed to be here in Topeka, and there are certain things, and people that i will find if I work hard. I love you all back home, and wish you the very best!

Love, Elder Shurtz

PS. If you could send pictures i would love it. That is always one of the best parts. I love seeing things going on back home, to keep me kinda in the loop! oh and I would love a wrayving review to see how everyone in the family is doing also.