Family Scripture Study, Temple Trip..and Saying Goodbye to a Favourite Elder

Dear Mom, Dad and family
SHELBY KEEP IT UP GIRL!!! 

This week has been, oh man, crazy! Here is this weeks challenge. Read 1 Nephi 5: 1-8 and find something that you can apply to your life right now. It will be a good one, I am excited to hear all about it. This week had so many ups and downs that I am just going to write and not separate the days. So here I go...words..the end...no. Could you imagine if I only sent that hahaha. I love you too much to do that to you. 

Tuesday (Monday didn't happen, it just skipped Monday. I have no idea why, ask a scientist he might know) was good...Kinda. 

Temple Trip 

So we get up nice and early and we go to the Temple and there were 6 of us Elders that went. Can you say spiritually fed..well of course you can, you have your agency. (think he's in a bit of a silly mood today haha). We did initiatory and Endowments for people from Mongolia. It was cool. 
Well, after a good lunch and being high in the clouds it couldn't get any worse. Oops, I said those words. I got a call...This actually broke my heart. 

Elders Hubbard & Routledge

So last week I mentioned Elder Hubbard, he being one of the top few Elders in this mission I absolutely love (Elder Bronson, Huston, King and a few others (Hunt & Comin...home but yea). Anyway so he called us and asked us to come over and he sounded off, big time and I know he is having a hard time, so we rushed over there. Now, he has been in my district 3 times. I saw him come in and now he is home...he had to go home because of the things he was struggling with were getting too hard for him. It was the Lord's will, no doubt, it was just hard. That threw me off for the next few days. 

Elder Hubbard went home on Wednesday and for the rest of the week, I was off. I don't think it was him going home as much as it was just me realizing how short our mission is and how fast things can change. I asked many times this week, What lack I?, and it kept falling back to diligence and so that is what I need to work on. I do realize that I am coming short on time and I want to be better and more into this work, so I am going to try to put it all in. 

It has been crazy and I have felt pretty down this week. I am not sure why, but I can not seem to get up and out of this funk. The challenge I sent you, from that I got that I need to not complain, to trust in the Lord and work hard through His will and timing. I think that I really need to be more involved in my work and think and talk about home less. There have been days that I want to put in my all and some days I want to just drop. I can promise you (there is a promise in my blessing) that I will be fulfilled very soon here. Trust in God, Mom, and worry not for I am a disciple of Christ. 

Hollywood Sign

Well mom, this is short, but know that all these things shall be for my experience and good. This life is a time of growth and there will be no growth or happiness unless we pass through trials to help us grow and turn our hearts to our Savior. 
I love you all so much!






Muah

Love Elder Routledge 

Beautiful Sunrise