james letter 1-30-12

Sounds like you have had a fun time with Emily & Co. I'm jealous that I am going to miss out on that. This week was mostly pretty boring. Monday we built a fort in our living room area (I will add pictures), and we spent the night in it. That last part was a terrible idea; it was way hot, and uncomfortable, but hey, it was fun. Tuesday was our Zone Conference, so that took up most of the day. Wednesday we had our last District Meeting as a full district. One of the elders is flying home for a week to be with his dad who is dying from cancer. So at District Meeting we took pictures, and I gave Elder Fannin the RM planner that I got for him at Deseret Book.

Friday we had dinner with our new EQP and his wife. They are one of my favorite couples in the ward, they are so much fun. We made our own pizzas. I ate my whole pizza, no one thought I could, so you know what that means, I had to prove them wrong. I got to wear the pillow tie Julie sent me in her package.

Saturday I stayed inside sick (again). We played a few games of Risk(5), making up new ways to play. Sunday we went to Sacrament Meeting, and then came home, and stayed inside still sick. We played more Risk. Then the Bull Mountain Elders came over and spent the night, because there is no driving today, and one of them is flying home today. So I am going to be in a tri-companionship for this next week. It should be interesting.

Next monday is transfers, so my email may be a lot later than usual. I know that I have to go to transfer meeting, because I will need a new companion. I think that I am going to stay in this area, but something crazy might happen, and I might not. We will see what happens.

That's about all. I'll send some pictures in another email.

Love

Elder Schultz

james letter 1-23-12

Last Monday we cleaned the temple for our P-day. We got to see all the inner workings of the temple. It was crazy to see all the mechanical stuff in the basement. When we were done we got to take a tour of the temple. We saw inside almost all of the rooms. The Holy of Holies was locked, along with another room inside of one of the sealing rooms. They wouldn't say what that one was. They also took us out on the roof. It was sweet to be up on the roof of the temple. We also got to climb up one of the spires. It was sweet.

Tuesday we had our interviews. It was really nice to be able to talk to President Morby, and tell him how things are going and how I'm feeling. I felt so much better about things after we were done.

This Wednesday we taught five lessons. It was non stop teaching from two to 9, with a break for dinner and that was it. After our dinner we went out with our new EQP. His name is Bro Dery. He got called last Sunday.

Saturday we had the adult sesson of our Stake Conference. The speakers were really good, and after the first hour the General Authority Elder Lyn G Robbins opened it up to a Q&A sesson. I had never seen one of those before, it was an interesting experience.

Sunday we had our Stake Conference, and we got to find out who the new Stake President was. It turned out to be the 2nd couselor, who had already served the whole ten years with the last Stake President. Talk about a long time. The first couselor has three callings too. He is 2nd couselor in the Mission Presidency, Temple Recorder, and now 1st counselor in the Stake Presidency. Crazy, huh?

Thats about all for this week except for one thing I learned at Stake Conference. To preface this I will give you a scripture; Alma 7:11-12

So we now from the scriptures and from modern revelation that the Atonement not only covers our sin, but it helps us through times of sickness and sorrow. So how is it that we access the Atonement? The easy answer, and the one that I knew was that of repentance. That is how the sinner uses the Atonement to acheive forgiveness for their sins. But how is it that someone who is going though hard times can also use the Atonement. That answer is through forgiveness. For example, if someone was the victim of assualt, emotional or physical, in order to use the healing power of the Atonement they must forgive the person(s) that have wronged them.

Just something to think about.

Thats about all for this week. I'll send pictures to dad.

Love you,

Elder Schultz

james letter 1-14-12

Yes I will have enough white shirts to last. I have five of each kind.

The shirts that are fraying are: Galleria Collection by Enro; Oxford cloth short sleeve. They are fraying at the seam on the shoulders.

The long sleeve is the same brand and is ripping at the seam on the cuff on the left arm.

This last week we got to go to the temple as well. It was really neat. The temple has an atrium inside that you can go in and sit. It is really cool. We rode our bikes there. It was a three mile trip, mostly flat ground. I have pictures, but not with me so you'll have to wait.

We have done a lot of tracting last week, about 12 hours worth, but we do have 5 lessons set up for this next week.

It snowed on Sunday. There was a small layer when we left our apartment to go to PEC in the morning before Church. It snowed more just before Church started, it covered the ground about an 1/4 inch, but it melted before Church was over. Then, when we were having lunch it snowed some more. It was like Utah snow. It came down fast in big flakes. It lasted for about a half hour. covering the ground with at least an inch. Elder Fannin ran down and did his first snowangel in the parking lot. I have pictures of that too.

I hope you had a good week. Thats about all I have to say.

Love Elder Schultz

James snake.

James letter 1-2-12

Man, I am so excited about Adams call. That is so cool. I bet he will do a great job. You'll have to tell him congrats for me, as I have no contact with him. Or better yet tell him to write me a letter. He'll understand completely when he gets into the feild. Letters are our life.

On new years eve we didn't have a dinner, so we tagged along with the Bull Mountain elders to their dinner(we called first to make sure it was ok), the family we ate with was super rich(as is all of the Bull Mountain ward). They had a basketball court in their basement. We stayed there until 9 playing games, and then we had to leave so we could be home on time, no late night holidays for us. We did a puzzle before dinner, and it reminded me of home.

Today we had the best P-day ever, which is why my email is so late. The Ditty's(the Best Ward Mission Leader in the World, and his wife) rented a 15 passenger van and we took our whole district, the zone leaders, and the assistants(a total of 14 people) to a place called beacon rock. It was the 2nd largest rock in the world, and we climbed right on up it. It was outside of our mission too, which means that I have left the mission twice in three weeks. Then we took a scenic highway built in 1913 back towards home stopping at several waterfalls and spots along the way. It was sweet. I'll put up pictures next week I think.

I'm glad to hear that Paul is doing well, tell him I said hi. You can tell that to all of our families too. They are all great.

So, I've decided something, I don't know if I can do it or not, but you know me when I get it into my head to do something, I am going to make AP. That's right Elder Schultz is going to be an assistant to the president by the end of his mission. It will take a lot of work, but I think I can probably do it. I'll definetly try. What's the worst that can happen?

So I have something else to tell you guys that I forgot to tell you on Christmas. Some of my things are falling apart. The white shirts with the button-down collar are starting to fray and the shoulders, and one of the longsleeve ones has a hole in the cuff. Also the inside lining of my black suit came apart a little. I have it held together, but it shouldn't have happened at all. And the overcoat, five of the buttons have come off, and I've had to repair them. I don't know what you can do, but maybe see if Mr Mac can replace some things or something. The suit is fine, and I think the overcoat is fine, but the shirts and fraying bad.

Anyways that's about all for this week. The work is super slow, as holidays tend to put a kink in things. But Elder Fannin and I are going to get at least one more baptism before he dies in 5 weeks. This may sound morbid, but I'm glad I get to kill him, because that means that I will inherit some of his stuff....like ties. hahaha.

Love you guys.

Elder Schultz

James letter 1-9-12

I didn't get the shoes yet, I am working on getting tickets to the Nike employee store. I baught a pair of jeans, as I seem to be getting to fat for my other ones, that and I think they shrank a little anyway, because they are not as long as they were when I first got them. I also baught some fenders for my bike, I needed to give the one I was using back to the zone leaders.

Monson's Abc's was a really good arcticle. I read it last week when we got our ensigns.

I think you will be a awesome WML. I'll have to have our WML brother Ditty email you with an idea of something you could do, I can also send a letter with some examples. We have them out here and everyone loves them. I don't know how much they are, but I bet you could do it.

It took me a while to remember who brother May was. I seem to already be forgetting people over there. I know most of the people in the ward out here though, and that is good. I have a really great ward here, AP Blanchard served here when he was starting. I sense a trend coming.

I hope you like the picture.

Love,

Elder Schultz