james letter 6-25-12

First off, thanks for giving me Adam's address, I'll be sure to send him a letter. Sorry that you didn't get the letter last week mom, I thought I sent it to both, but I must have forgot.

This week has been much better. We doubled our total lessons, and I feel a lot better about what we did this week.
Elder Awtry and I are getting along great. He is a great guy, and he does want to work, I have been able to see that more this week. The wards here are very missionary-minded, which helps a lot. We have been doing more member lessons, trying to get more referrals. It's working slowly and surely.

Something cool that happened this week: on Tuesday we had a really good training and practice by Elders H and P, they taught about finding when you teach, and teaching when you find. They challenged us to teach a principle to everyone we talk to, and to ask referrals from everyone. As we tried to implement that this week we were able to receive two referrals, while tracting. That is something that has never happened before, and it was really cool. We also asked Sonya, a new investigator, and she said that she didn't know anyone right now, but that she would talk to her friends and let us know during our next lesson. It was really neat.

This week we have also been getting our exercise in, we did some more country tracking, and we had to bike up some pretty large hills. First up one, then down one, then up another, and around the bend. There were some really creepy houses up there. I swear someone was murdered at the one, it just felt creepy, and run down. There were tattered drapes, and flies everywhere. We only knocked once. Whats really weird about that is on the same street as the serial killer house there was an 8 MILLION dollar home. It had gates(which were left open so we could get in) that had roses in them, that looked really cool, it was surrounded by pine trees. It was probably the coolest house I'd ever seen. No one was home.

We also met someone on that street who went on and on about how Obama is the anti-christ, and other such things. There was a really creepy purple house, with a drunk lady in it, and a bearded guy that told us that he almost joined the Church once, but there was no hope for him now. I told him before we left that there is always hope. He smiled and shut the door. When we were done tracting we biked back around the bend, then down a hill, up a hill, and down a hill to dinner. I was so tired by the end of the day.

I spoke in Church this week for the Springville ward, the first counselor asked me just before sacrament, so the only time I had to prepare was during the Sacrament. It was good though, the topic was easy enough.

Next week we are going to the employee store for Columbia, so make sure that I have enough money in my account to buy the jacket, I'm thinking about getting some rainpants too, they were about 20-30 I think, so maybe plan for that. Let me know in your emails how much I have so I know for sure what I can afford. I'm hoping to keep it under 60-70. I know money doesn't grow on trees.

I'm looking forward to your package, Julie should be sending one soon too. It's a late birthday package from her, but after the cherry pie I got I think I can forgive her.

Love you guys so much. Christmas is around the corner, I'll talk to you then.

Love,

Elder Schultz

PS. Can you believe that I've been out over 9 months already. September is close by, and then it will be a year. Where is the time going???

james letter 6-18-12

Well lets start off with the good things of this week. The area is great. The ward members are awesome. My companion and I are getting along great. The members we live with are sweet, and the have a dog that reminds me of Reiko. I'm learning the area already and it has been warming up a lot. That last one is a good and a bad. Good because it hasn't rained much, and bad because its been hot, and my allergies have been killing me.

Work-wise, this week has been awful. There is not much teaching going on here, and we haven't been able to pick up any extra as of yet. This week I did a lot of following Elder Awtry's lead, as I am new to the area, and his lead is not the best...yet. I guess thats why I am called the follow-up trainer. I get to teach him what I know, and help him to be a better missionary. I have learned a lot on how to pick up lessons, and people to teach, so this week we will do better with that, and we will teach at least double what we did this week.

So I have to confess that I forgot that it was Father's Day, untill the announced it in sacrament meeting. By the way yesterday was a very long day. We were in church from 8:30-2:30. I was so tired by the end of it. It was a little strange taking the sacrament twice as well.

My companion was mocking me on my ties. I have probably 4 or 5 times as much as he does. I wore the pillow-tie that Julie sent me yesterday, and everyone loved it. Keep those ties coming.

Thats sweet that you saw President Monson at the play, you should have tried to go talk to him. From what I've heard from people who have been able to do that, he love to meet people, and always makes time for them. Not surprising considering how he sees the world. Everyone is a son or daughter of God, and he, as God's servant loves us as much as He does.

Thats wierd about the random phone call from some girl. I wonder who it could have been. I guess there is really no way of knowing for sure.

We had a few good lessons on fathers yesterday. I have a lot of really good notes. I'm running short on time though, so I'll have to send them next time. One that I can share now though is this:

We should always aspire to be like our Father, and we should follow the example of our father to do so.

Another thought I had, is to tell Heavenly Father happy Father's Day in your prayers. I wonder how many times hes gotten that, maybe you can be the first one.

Love,

Elder Schultz

james letter 6-12-12

Well you may have already guessed due to the lateness of this email, but I was transferred yesterday. I am now serving in Cedar Mill with Elder Awtry. I am senior companion, and am serving as his follow-up trainer. He has a lot to learn, and I look forward to being able to teach him what I know, and to learn from him what he knows. The work in the new area seems to have been kind of slow, but I look forward to working here, and helping the work to increase.

My last week in Hillsboro was pretty good. We taught 22 lessons, and were able to get along a lot better. Once we found out that I was going it was like there was light at the end of the tunnel, and both of us were happier, and looking forward to the new transfer.

It was hard to say goodbye to the members of the ward, that I had become close to. It was especially hard to say goodbye to Jason. He has made such a change in his life, and his love for the Gospel and the Lord is clearly evident. Sunday he was able to bless the Sacrament for the first time, and the Spirit was there really strong. Unlike most priests who just read it and its done, he read it with feeling, and you could tell that it really meant something to him. We had one last lesson with him Sunday night, and then we said goodbye. He said that he was thinking of serving a mission, and I told him that I would keep in contact, and come back when he goes through the temple.

I don't know what the address is to the members home that we live in, but if you need to send anything, you can just send it through the mission office, which is:

Elder James A Schultz

1400 NW Compton Dr Ste 250

Beaverton, OR 97006

Thats all I have for this week. I hope you got the letter I wrote last week. I sent it out on Tuesday, so it should have gotten there by now I think. Thats awesome about Julia, it would be great if she would tell me. Tell her to write me back, or I'm not going to write her at all while she's gone.

Love,

Elder Schultz

James letter 6-6-12 snailmail

James letter 6-4-12

This week has been awful. The progress we were making with each other has disappeared. He won't listen to me at all anymore. Grandpa died. I'm not having fun out here at all right now. Also my letter to president took up all of my time, so this is as big of an email as you are getting. I'll hand write a longer letter later today.

Elder Schultz

PS. Pray for me. I need it.

james letter 5-29-12

This week has gone by a little better. We had a good comp inventory on Thursday, and were able to work some things out. The rest of last week went by much smoother. We were able to teach 20 lessons again, and we got along pretty well for the rest of the week. Yesterday we played football and basketball for Pday. It was a lot of fun. While we were playing basketball though, Elder F threw what can only be described as a tantrum, because we didn't listen to what he was saying. He acts like a child, but doesn't understand that acting that way makes people treat you that way. I'm not sure what I can do about that, he doesn't like me because I didn't take his side.

Last Monday we had a lesson with a couple new investigators. The one was drunk, and the other was a little tipsy. It was interesting to see that the drunk one, whose name is Scott, really wants to change. As he talked you could tell that he wasn't happy with his life the way it is. He wants to come to CHurch, and he wants to do something good for a change. We taught about the Book of Mormon, and read Moroni's promise with him. The Spirit was there so strong, and I know that even in his drunken state he could feel it. He promised that next time he would be sober, and that he would read and pray. When he flipped open the Book of Mormon, he flipped right to the index with the headings Drunk, Drunken, Drunkard, and the next one down being Dumb. He said it was a sign, and I took it as proof that God has a sense of humor.

Tuesday night we had a good lesson with the B family. They are a member family in our ward, and the bishop asked us to teach them, and prepare their 8 year old for baptism. There are some other issues with them as well, but they are great people. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and I was able to use that puzzle that VInce gave me. They had a nonmember friend there, and we were able to answer some of her questions as well.

Wednesday was ridiculous. We went tracting, and we found six potential investigators. Unfortunatly for us though, they are all spanish speaking, and so we had to pass them off as referrals to the spanish elders. Because of this though, we decided that we should go on a tracting blitz with them, and we got several potentials of our own. Two set appointments, and two others that accepted soft baptismal commitments. It was really cool.

The next exciting thing that happened was on friday. IT was a beautiful day all day long. The sun was shining, and it was a blue sky, with a couple little white clouds. It was really warm too. While we were in dinner though it started to rain. Just a little sprinkling, nothing out of the ordinary for Oregon, though a little disappointing after the rest of that day. THen while we were in there it started to hale. Big white chunks were bouncing everywhere. Then it started to rain again. Big fat drops came down in sheets. IT stormed hard like in Utah, and there was even lightning, and thunder, which is the first time I've seen in in Oregon. Elder F didn't have a rain coat. I had mine in my backpack, but in the time it took to run to our bikes across the street, and back to put them in the garage he was soaked, and I was very moist to say the least. We then ran back out to the member who was waiting for us to take us to a lesson. The lesson was in a trailor park, and there was a waterfall coming off of the awning. It was nuts. I'm glad we didn't have to bike in it. Saturday was a perfectly nice day too. Oregon is crazy.

Sunday Jason got the priesthood. He asked me to ordain him. I was really nervous, but the Spirit was there to help. It made me remember the chain of authority cards, and how I don't have one. Could you get one for me? I would LIke mine, and then I could give him his. I think that would be really neat for him.

Thats all I have time for. I love you guys.

Tell Grandpa Stratton that I love him, and that I will see him again sometime. Maybe "God be with you till we meet again would be appropriate for his funeral.

Love Elder Schultz

james letter 5-16-12

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to write on Monday. I had to go to the doctor to get my smashed toe taken care of. The doctor cut of the nail. It looks way nasty, but it feels loads better. When we got back we went straight to our zone P-day, we had our dinner, and when we came back to the library that night the internet was down. We were on exchanges yesterday, and so this morning was as soon as we could get in.

It is going to be kind of a short letter, as I don't have very much time. This last week was kind of a mess, and a little disappointing, but I know that we will do better this week.

So I turned 20 yesterday. I hadn't told anyone about my birthday, because I didn't want all the attention. It didn't seem like a big deal at all to me, so I tried to keep it under wraps. That didn't happen.

We were on exchanges yesterday, and during our morning studies we got a call from the mission office, and they sang to me over the phone. Elder Wilcox scolded me for not telling him it was my birthday, and I told him not to tell anyone else.

We also had our district meeting yesterday, and when we walked into the room Elders Davis, Judkins, Aki, Jensen, Baxter and Auwen had decorated the blackboard with chalk balloons and happy birthdays, including some in german. They sang to me in district meeting too.

I made it almost through the rest of the day without anyone else saying anything, but when we got back from our last appointment the Simmons were sitting outside, and their son and his kids were there. When I got out of the car they started singing to me too. I wasn't sure how they found out, but they told me that a young lady came by and dropped off something. They told me to look in the fridge, and when I didn there was a homemade cherry pie. There was also a card saying happy birthday from Julie and Emily. I thought that they had already gone home, so I was a little confused, but I guess they had gotten their sister, I think her name was Anna?, to drop it off. It was really neat. I shared it with the other elders.

So far its been pretty good week. As companions we are still rubbing against each other, but we are doing a little better that we were.

Thats all I have time for.

Love Elder Schultz