A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Well, okay, not a new year just yet, but soon.

This week has been a pretty good week. All the Christmas stuff that's been happening has been wonderful.

First thing: The mission conference. It was awesome!!! It was sooooooooooo good to see all the old friends and spend time with them. I haven't seen some people from the old MTC district in FOREVER!!! It always brightens my spirits to see them.

I also got to perform in that conference, which was pretty cool. But guess what? My 5th string BROKE the night before!!! It was a nightmare! Lucky for me, though, another missionary, Sister Moyer, was more prepared than I and had an extra string that she was able to give me. She saved the day! Well, maybe not the day, but I certainly felt that way. I definitely owe her one.

Then there was also the Ward Christmas Party, which was also pretty fun. And guess what? Samir came! And he brought his girlfriend! He actually got up and played his sweet new cigar-box uke with us missionaries when it was our turn to perform a number. He's way good at it. He and I had a short jam session after the party. We can add Indonesian (and a couple of other ones, like Mohawk) to the list of languages that he speaks. He writes all of his songs in Indonesian. It's nuts! He's so awesome!

Lastly, Elder Fullmer and Elder Woolwine had a baptism on Sunday! It was great! We Elders sang a quartet for it. It was a pretty happy moment for those two, though, and also for Elder Tidwell who had the chance to work with the man who got baptized while I was in the Mission Home for those two weeks.

Overall, the week has been pretty good. I enjoyed the things that went on. Hopefully this one will be just as good!

Love you all!

Elder Shaver

Back in the Field

Hello everybody!

SO, I'm back in my area. I can't say that it's because I feel cured, or anything; it was more or less my Mission President saying that I should get back out because it's probably better now that I've had some time to rest. I couldn't think of any reason not to go back, so I'm back. It's still hard, but I'm making my way through the days. 

I got back on Thursday night. And since then, Elder Tidwell and I got busy with 5 lessons, and a new investigator. Not bad for three days of work. There have been many weeks with fewer stats than that.

I think the best thing was seeing Samir, though. Guess what? He's getting baptized next month! January 25th! Literally, Samir is the most prepared person I've ever met with out here. We found out when we met him on Friday that he already knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He's had friends that are LDS throughout his life and he's learned a lot from them already. He basically believes that the church is true, and he wants to get baptized, he just needs go through the lessons and meet the standards for baptism. He's well on the way. Elder Tidwell and I are really excited.

Nothing else really exciting happened, though. All the Christmas parties and conferences are happening this week, and they look like they're going to be lots of fun. I'm playing my guitar at everything, so far. It's a little stressful, but I'm not too worried.

Things are moving along over here. It's cold, but not bitterly so... at least, not yet.

Love you all!

Elder Shaver

Another Week in the Office...

And if I spend one more week, I'll have spent a month in the mission home, collectively, without ever actually being assigned to it.

It's been a blur of a week. President has me working on some projects, and I help the office elders with whatever they're doing when they go out. Not a whole ton happens, though. But there were a few good things.

I got to see Sister Bagley as she came to the office to pick up a bunch of stuff that she left here when she went home. I got to see her right after she came back! It was awesome! She's so happy (though somewhat tired) to be back, and everybody is so happy to have her back! She's super. I was so amazed at how positive she was about the whole experience she had; it was tough, she said, but she so obviously made the best of the situation.

I also got a painting from Elder DeMille! It made my day! Funny thing: Right when I called him on the AP's phone to thank him, he called me a split second before on the office elder's phone. It was a way weird coincidence, but kinda cool at the same time. It was good to talk to him. It's been a while.

Umm, yeah. Not a ton happens here. I did finally get medicine, though. Maybe I'll be back out sometime this week. Maybe.

Anyways, love you all! 

Elder Shaver

 Hump Day on the Calendar and the Camel ornament my family made!

My family sent an advent calendar!

This week...

Dearest everybody,

To all those who have prayed, fasted, supported and wrote, I send a heartfelt "thank you." It helps to know that there are always friends and family behind me to help and support me, even when I'm on the other side of the world from most of you.

First of all, I want you all to know that despite the rough week I had last week, I'm feeling great today. I feel like something tangible, but indescribable has been taken out of the picture and it is a relief. Considering the particular timing of it, I know that it was because of your faith and concern. So thank you.

Second of all, I just want to keep you all up-to-date on what's been going on. I'm in the mission home again (for the third time this year!) with my mission president as my companion. That alone has been a very interesting experience. I'm here, because it has been realized that I'm dealing with an issue of depression, and so I've been taken out of the mission field for a while in order to take some time to recuperate. The plan is to wait for some medicine that my good ol' friend Dr Elder Hansen (the area's missionary doctor who helped me stay calm and informed throughout my eye surgeries earlier this year) prescribed for me. I'll return to the field after that medication takes effect.

Until then, though, I'm here in limbo doing whatever odd jobs President or the office elders have for me. I'm not exactly sure how long things will take, but it's likely that I'll be here for about another week... maybe.... Like I said; I don't really know. It definitely won't be for very long, but it might feel that way ;)

Anyways, that's all that there really is to say about this week. Not much else happened. Oh! Except that we did go to the temple, which was very nice and helpful.

I love you all so much! You're the greatest, all of you!

Elder Shaver