2020- Week 35(Aug 24- Aug 30)

This has been a stressful week. I am overwhelmed with all we need to still do to get everyone ready for their up coming adventures. We still have a few more important items to buy for Ashtyn's mission. They added some things when her mission assignment changed. She had to fill out all new forms and sign things that she hadn't had to do for Portugal. We have to buy her a phone now. Before they told her to wait and buy it in Portugal. This was stressful because it had to meet certain criteria. The church has a site you can buy one on but they were sold out for months. We got the phone in just a few days and they sent us the wrong phone. They told us they would price match the one they sent that is cheaper than the one I bought but this version doesn't meet the criteria so now we have to start all over and buy another phone- ugh. I feel like I spent every single day on the internet looking for things and bleeding money with how much we need. Whitney needed things for her clinical that started this week on Wednesday as well. Ethan needed clothes and school supplies for school that started this week too. I think we have most of it now- I hope!

Ethan started school on Monday. Junior year here he comes. He was very happy to be going back. He doesn't love to wear a mask but said it's not as bad as he thought. So far he enjoys his classes. He doesn't go to school on Fridays but will have the occasional online assignment to do those days. I completely forgot to take his picture until the last minute but I think this is one of his best pictures yet. He is riding to school with our neighbors Chailyn and Cade then he rides the bus home. I am not optimistic that school will remain in session very long but here's hoping. 

There was a beautiful sunrise on one of my walks with Ashtyn.

Ashtyn's temple dress arrived. I love it on her. 

I've been working all week on getting everything ready for the court of honor. We went over to the pavilion to run through everything so that all the families are on the same page. Making these posters felt like being back in elementary school and helping my kids with their science fair projects ha ha.

I found some thank you notes we forgot to mail for Ethan's eagle project so I texted a picture of them to the recipients. Better late than never. 

Whitney started her clinical on Wednesday. She did a dry run drive up to the hospital on Monday to make sure she knew where to go. She needed to get an id badge but someone dropped the ball and didn't enter her info correctly so she has to wait which was stressful. This is a government hospital and everyone has to have id to get into all the buildings. She was so nervous the first day when they had her scrub in on two surgeries right off the bat- but she said they went well and I think she liked it. One of them was a bladder surgery on a male so she saw male parts and Ashtyn and Jeff were freaking out about it ha ha. I said it is just a body part like any other as far as Whitney is concerned so she will probably see a lot of them. I found this checklist after she left. This is one of my favorite things about her personality. 

She is so organized and proactive. 

Ashtyn switched her phone screens to these cute pictures to keep everything gospel centered. 

Two boys in our stake started their at home MTC this week so I took them both a treat and got one for Ashtyn too. I wrote these 10 reasons based on Ashtyn's experience with a mission so far.

Happy National Dog Day

Speaking of dogs. Julia was so sad that she couldn't take her little Jazzy dog with her to her new place so I bought her a stuffed dog to hold when she missed her. 

Jeff and his golf group went on a day trip to golf all day.
He had a great day and came in second place.

This week marks the halfway point in Ashtyn's MTC experience. Here is the week three letter..

Ola familia e amigos! This week marks my halfway point in the MTC! Holy Cow time is flying! In less than a month I'll be in Washington DC sharing the gospel:) So exciting! This week was a lot of fun and very eventful! It was again filled with a lot more Portuguese that I now feel like my brain half thinks in Portuguese and half thinks in English haha. Anyway we learned how to share a scripture, share about repentance and baptism, and invite someone to keep a commitment. It was pretty challenging to memorize all the phrases we were given but I've definitely been able to notice the power of the gift of tongues even more!

This week was also super cool because each day a companionship led a discussion either out of the Book of Mormon or Preach my Gospel. Everyone in my district is AMAZING and has the strongest spirit. I learn so much from each and every single person and am able to see new perspectives on gospel topics that I had never seen or thought of before. So cool and definitely one of my favorite things we've done in the MTC so far. Along with the spirit this week was also filled with lots of laughter! Sister Bailey decided our district motto should be LIve Laugh Love and there could not be a more true statement for our district! We all have a lot of love and we laugh a lot. This week we decided to have some fun with our morning teacher Irma Mace by playing a few tricks on her. We all got on one morning with our screens turned off and then on the count of three we turned them on and we were all wearing hats! Haha it sounds a little silly but we were all dying! We also got on one day with our cameras turned upside down haha.

This week Sister Bailey and I had two more TRCs. One again with Natalie and another one in Portuguese with Grace! Our TRC with Natalie went so well! We taught her about the Plan of Salvation and how we all have a purpose on Earth. We told her how God is so patient with us and knows the intentions of our hearts. He is merciful and Just. It was incredible how Sister Bailey and I were able to speak through the spirit and testify. Our other TRC was in Portuguese with Grace! We were so nervous because this was our first time trying to teach in Portuguese. We planned out a lesson on the Plan of Salvation and our Purpose as well and did the best we could haha. It was a little difficult to understand her because she was talking fast and we also don't have the biggest vocabulary, but it was an amazing experience non the less and we are meeting with her again next week!

I also realized the power and importance of prayer this week. One day during class our teacher Irmao Hunter asked us if there was ever a time in our lives where we felt overwhelmed and hopeless and what we did to get out of that time. Every single person who shared said prayer. They got down on their knees and poured their heart out to their Heavenly Father. During my MTC experience I have relied so much on Heavenly Father through prayer. I prayer that I can be blessed with the gift of tongues. I pray that I can be comforted when I feel anxious. I prayer that I can teach with the spirit. Prayer is so important because it allows us to connect with our Heavenly Father and it allows him to speak and comfort us. So pray all the time, for the littlest things, for the silly things, pray. Take all your problems to God. Yell, scream, cry. God wants to hear it all and help you so badly you just have to reach out to him and he will take care of the rest. I love you guys and hope everyone has a fantastic week! Tchau Tchau.
Sister Shaw

PICTURES!
1. The CUTEST companion
2. Hats!
3. Upside down

Saturday was the court of honor. It went so well. When we got there it was really windy so we had a hard time hanging up the decorations we had planned. Luckily the wind died down after a bit. The eagle presentation was beyond amazing. I was really impressed with the handler Nick. He knew everything about these magnificent birds and made some amazing comparisons to our boys. Did you know not all baby eagles make it to adulthood? They are born with a molted head and it doesn't turn white for five years. That is how you can recognize a mature eagle. He said that is just like in scouts. Not all boys that participate in scouts make it to the rank of eagle. Ethan wanted to do this and he did. It was through his efforts and desire that he achieved this rank.  The boys all gave their mentor pins to the scout master Erik Bengtzen. Erik put in countless hours and sacrificed so much of his own time to help these boys achieve their goals. So he definitely deserved this honor. We also put together a gift basket for him with his favorite treats and an eagle tie and Cabellas gift card. Tom and Sharon and my mom were able to come and celebrate with us. It was a really nice night.

We ordered cookies from Alex's Butter Soft Cookies. She is my good friend Elissa's sister and her cookies are the bomb!

Tom and Sharon invited us over for dinner on Sunday. We had some delicious BBQ wings and potatoes. After dinner we played games and showed them how to download songs to your phone.We also got to go to real church again but without Jeff this time because he had stake meetings.

At dinner Nana showed Ashtyn the plate she made for them when they were serving in the Marshall Islands. What a perfect message because now Ashtyn will be serving far away.

2020- Week 34(Aug 17- Aug 23)

What a difference a week makes. Ashtyn has had a wonderful week of Home MTC. I'll let her letter describe how things went...

Ola amigos e familia! I can't believe I've already completed my second week in the MTC! The thing about mission time is that the days feel long but the weeks go by fast. This week was very busy and full of lots of Portuguese! It's actually pretty amazing the amount of information I've been able to learn and retain within only a week and a half! I have definitely been able to feel and see the power of the gift of tongues. Yes sometimes the language is hard and frustrating but I've realized this week that I'm learning the language for the people of Portugal and so I can share the gospel with them. When I think of it that way it makes the hours of studying so worth it! This week we learned how to begin teaching in Portuguese by memorizing phrases to help us learn a person's religious background, ask if we can offer a prayer, and explain that we invite people to come unto Christ. We also learned how to offer a prayer, bear a simple testimony, and phrases to help us get to know someone. We practiced and role played a ton and I again was amazed at the information I was able to retain. I can successfully introduce myself, say a simple prayer, bear a simple testimony, and begin to teach! Anyway another exciting thing this week is that we started TRC (Teaching Resource Center). TRC is basically an opportunity to practice teaching. You schedule an appointment with someone on the TRC website and then teach them a 30 minute lesson over zoom. Most of the time the person you are teaching is a member of the church portraying a non-member, but sometimes there are actual non-members that you have the opportunity to practice teaching. However the catch is that you don't know if the person you are teaching is someone portraying a non-member, or an actual non-member and you are not allowed to ask. Sister Bailey and I scheduled two this week, one on Wednesday with a girl named Natalie and one on Friday with a boy named Josh. We were a little nervous because you have no idea how it's going to go, what questions they might ask, or how they might respond to your message. But we worked hard and prepared two short lessons for both appointments. For our first lesson with Natalie we decided to talk about God and his role as our Heavenly Father then lead into a brief explanation about the restoration. After discussing and talking with Natalie for a little bit we found out that she lives in Oregon and grew up Baptist. She explained that she has a belief in God and wants to feel a connection with him but isn't quite sure how to do that. Sister Bailey and I proceeded to explain that God loves us, knows us, and has a personal plan for each of us. We then explained that one of the greatest ways you can find a connection with God is through prayer. Sister Bailey and I answered any questions she had about prayer and explained some of our personal experiences with prayer and how it helped us feel a connection with God. We then invited Natalie to try prayer out and see how she felt. She accepted and we have a follow up appointment with her on Monday! It was such a cool learning experience and it was amazing to see where the spirit took the lesson, we didn't even get to the part of our lesson that talked about the restoration! Sister Bailey and I are also convinced that she is non-member! Either that or she was a really good actress. But one big thing I learned when teaching is that the spirit totally knows what the person needs to hear and will take the lesson where it needs to go even if it's not what you planned. Our other TRC with Josh also went really well. We taught him essentially the same thing and invited him to pray. He also accepted and wants to meet again! Sister Bailey and I were over the moon! It was such a cool experience and we both learned a lot. Okay I know this email is a little long but I have to share one funny thing. One day during class we somehow got talking about the kind of music we are listening to while we are in the MTC. The elders started talking about the song "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groben and "I'll Make a Man Out Of You" from Mulan. They started typing the lyrics in our chat but changed the lyrics to Mister I'll make a missionary out of you! It was so funny and we could not stop laughing. Ah the elders definitely keep us on our toes. Anyway this week was a great week! I felt a lot better and I've adjusted to the schedule much better. I hope you all have a great week and remember Faith over Fear. I've had to learn over these past two weeks that Faith and Fear cannot coexist. If you are fearful you do not have the faith in our Heavenly Father that he can help you overcome your fears. And remember God loves you, he knows you, and he is always ALWAYS there!

-Sister Shaw

We have also seen a difference in her demeanor. She has seemed happier and less stressed. Still taking it one day at a time but she is getting the hang of things. It's still hard to get up so early but she does it faithfully every day. The temples opened this week to begin doing live endowments for missionaries and she was able to get an appointment at the Jordan River Temple the beginning of September. We ordered her a dress and on pday we went and got her all of the ceremonial clothes and garments. We also got her new Portuguese scriptures engraved with her name. 

Her books finally arrived after getting sent to her Orem address. We knew she was supposed to get a box of books but with so much going on we forgot about them and then on the second day of MTC when the teacher asked them to get out their books and Ashtyn didn't have any we remembered. She and I both tried calling the MTC several times. We found out that the books had been sent to Wolverine Crossing where she lived at school. She found an email they had sent her letting her know they had a package so she called and they told her that if she got an email then they do indeed have a package. We drove down there only to be told that if they get packages for non residents they are immediately sent back. So after a few more calls and emails we finally got a hold of the MTC and they resent her the books and she got them this week. Included were the Portuguese scriptures.

Whitney starts her clinical next week so we got her some shoes and some work clothes this week. She has to wear business casual clothes to the hospital and then she will change into scrubs there.

It was a really good mail week. We got Ashtyn's books, the stickers for her count down chart and finally after months of waiting her passport! Now she can send in her visa application. We also have a countdown on our phones.

Whitney met a boy named Cameron on the Mutual App and she went on a date with him. They drove the Alpine Loop and then watched the sunset. He wasn't the same boy she had been messaging and their conversation also turned to kiss counts- what is the deal with teenage boys these days? She asked him to take her home early and so it didn't end in a love connection. I hope she meets a nice older intern that is mature and makes lots of money at the hospital ha ha.

My neighbors kids Todd and Aleah asked me if they could walk Daisy to earn some money. Unfortunately Daisy doesn't let anyone walk her but us so instead I had them come over and help me with a few odd jobs. They cleaned all the toys in the train table and then helped me sort through some bankers boxes of old paper work and pull out things I wanted to keep.

We are finally going to get to do the eagle court of honor for Ethan. It was supposed to happen back in May. We are doing it with three other boys in our ward- Cade Poulter, Alex Young and Hayden Song. Because of Corona we can only invite our immediate families and a few leaders so we can stay under the 50 people state guidelines so it will be intimate but good. 

Sharon invited me to lunch and we went to The Olive Garden. Come to find out she thought I was mad at her but I wasn't- maybe I have just been more quiet because things have been so stressful this year. Either way we had a nice visit. I love her and she's fun to talk to. She said Tom hates Olive Garden so it was fun for us to get to go there.

After we got the temple clothes on pday Jeff and Ashtyn and I grabbed a pizza and had a picnic in the park. I love all of our one on one time with her. Afterwards we stopped at the Nest to see her bestie Rylee. You'd have thought they hadn't seen each other in in decades the way they hugged. 

It was sweet.

Melinda brought me a Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin soap. They are my very favorite and I always seem to wait too long and they sell out. This year I haven't bought any because they haven't had a good enough sale for my liking.

I've been making a lot of Rice Krispie treats. I love these things and could eat a whole pan! The key to a great Rice Krispy treat is to not put in the full amount of Rice Krispies. If you do they are too hard- I like them to be really soft and chewy. I've also been eating a lot of Drumstick ice cream cones- I feel the Corona 20lbs coming on but they are a great stress reliever ha ha.

Ashtyn and I went to see Grandma Julia in her new place. They don't let you go inside but they have a few visitation stations that you can reserve for a 30 minute visit outside. She sits behind a shield. It felt a little like we were visiting her in jail ha ha. They only have two chairs so we didn't take the whole family. It was a nice visit. It was a little loud with the street noise and hot but she seemed to be able to hear us. I really miss the days when I could take her to lunch. 

I hope those days come back before she is gone.