Staying in Shallotte for 6 More Weeks!

Transfers are tomorrow and I'm losing Sister Bartholomew! :( It is a very sad day for us, but she has been serving here for 7 1/2 months and it is time for her to start her new adventure. Pittsboro is finally getting Sister Missionaries back, so maybe she'll go there! 

Tuesday we did service at the Thrift Store and then went and taught Brother Evans the Restoration, and then we had dinner with the Burnhams. Sister Burnham is Catholic, and Brother Burnham doesn't come to church very often. They are both very sweet and we had a great meal with them. 

Wednesday we tried to have a lesson with Ryan, but things didn't work out for that, so we haven't seen him all week. We did deep cleaning and weekly planning. That night we had dinner with the Little's and then went to the church to talk with some of the ward leaders. We helped set up for the Relief Society activity that was the next night.

Thursday was a long day, but it was so good! We drove to Fayetteville, which is 2 hours away, and had a meeting all day with Elder Corbridge. He talked a lot about how to help people understand the big picture and to be able to understand what we are teaching them. He spoke about the importance of parents and one day being a parent. Perfect for Father's Day that was yesterday! We drove the 2 hours back to Shallotte and got here just in time to go to the Relief Society activity. Tiffany, who came to church last week, was able to come to the activity and we all had a fun time. We made little emergency kits out of pot holders and little bags. 

Friday we were so tired! But we had exchanges with our Sister Leaders that day. I went up to Wilmington with Sister Avondet and we had a lot of visits with less active members. It was fun to get to see a different area, but I love Shallotte!

Saturday we helped a member make Strawberry Jam and we also did service for Hazel and she fed us an amazing meal as always. After dinner we had lots of phone calls to make and lots of plans to make to get ready for Sunday and for Sister Bartholomew getting transferred.

Sunday we couldn't get a hold of anyone, so no one came to church. But Sarah Hearn came!!! She comes to this area every year to vacation on the beach with her family. It was SO good to see her and she is taking us out to dinner tonight so I will get to see her one last time. It was so cute at church yesterday she always said, "I'm Sarah Hearn, and I'm a convert! This lady (pointing to me) walked into my life last November and has changed it for the better." I love her so much and just knowing her and seeing her come closer to Christ has been worth ALL of the hard times over the last year.

I KNOW that this gospel is true and that it brings happiness and peace to our lives. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He and Heavenly Father love us so much and is always looking out for us.

Hope y'all have a great week! Love you!

Sister Shurtz

P.S.~ Dad and Renae, no more getting sick or hurt! haha

In His Plan, There are No True Endings, Only Everlasting Beginnings

Here is the quote that I shared with Renae and Dad on facebook when I heard that Gary Applegarth had passed away:
 
"In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings. Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful. How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings."

It is from President Uchtdorf's talk "Grateful in Any Circumstances." The full talk can be found at:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng

This week is one of those weeks when I KNOW that everything we do and everything that happens is according to the will of the Lord and that the Spirit is helping us in all things. 

Tuesday we visited a former investigator, Mrs. Mary, and found a new investigator, Ms. Evelyn. We were able to share brief messages with both of them about how much our Father in Heaven loves us and that He has a plan for us. 

Wednesday we had a meeting in Wilmington and then came to Shallotte to have lunch with Sister Strickland. She took us to Bart's BBQ which has really good fish and barbecue. One of the managers there is a member of the ward, Sister Gilbert, and they loaded us up with food to take home too! As we were leaving the restaurant we noticed a woman in the parking lot with the hood of her car open. She looked hot and stressed out. It was a very warm day and her car had overheated. After talking for a little while, and figuring out that there was really nothing we could do, because we don't know anything about cars, we decided to give her some of the food we had in our car. She had been driving for a few hours already and had a few more hours to go before getting home to South Carolina. We got her some water and ice and gave her some food.

Wednesday night we were supposed to have a lesson with Brother Evans at the Family History Center, but he was not feeling up to coming, so we still went and had some fun looking at the websites and reading about our ancestors. I read about Shadrach Roundy who is my Great-Great-Great Grandfather and found out that he was baptized by Joseph Smith in January of 1831!!! I am so grateful for family who has been close to the Lord and members of the church for over 6 generations now.

After we left the church, Brother Cheney, our ward mission leader, went to Walmart. And while in the parking lot he met Sister Wright's son! His name is Matthew. Brother Cheney took him to the church and showed him where it was and he said that he would be there on Sunday for church.

Thursday we went to Calabash and did service at the thrift store and dropped of some things that Brother Evan's wanted. We had our member cancel on us that morning because of bad health, so we weren't able to teach him a real lesson. That night we had another crazy storm come through right as we were eating dinner. The storm kept us at a member's home until it passed. Luckily no harm or damage done, just some extra rain and some lightning and thunder.

Friday we had a coordination meeting in the morning and then went to lunch with Sister Scheneewis. After we were finished we gave a Book of Mormon to our waiter, Pat, and hopefully we will be able to go back to the Waffle House soon to see if he has read any of it. 

After lunch we did service at the library until the McKibben's called us. They are the Senior Couple serving in our district now and they were coming to Shallotte for the day to visit some of our less active members. We were able to go with them to visit Brother Coffey and he was doing SO good that day! He was smiling and talking a little more than normal and he shook our hands when we left!

Saturday we had a VERY busy day planned... but our plans all got changed on us as we went to our first appointment. We went to Hazel's to vacuum and have lunch and she explained that she thought we were coming for dinner and she had invited her neighbors over as well. We told her that we would be able to come back for dinner, but that meant not going up to Ash like we had planned on doing. So after Hazel's we went to the church for out appointment with Sister Wright. We had our members there and everything... and then we called her and she said something had come up and she needed to cancel. So we called Ryan to see if he could come and have a lesson. He said he couldn't be there for another HOUR! So Sister Skipper and Brother Cheney waited with us for an hour for him to be able to make it there. We had a really good lesson with him though! Clearly the Lord had different plans than what we had for that day! After our lesson we did some phone calls and facebook and then it was time to head back to Hazel's for dinner. We got to meet her neighbors and feed the turtles in the pond. Here is picture of us with Hazel. (Hazel is also the woman who knitted Renae's Mother's Day present.)

Sister Bartholemew and I with Hazel

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Sunday we had Brother Evans and Matthew Wright and his wife Tiffany all come to church! It was so wonderful! We had an amazing sacrament meeting and an amazing Sunday School class that was taught by Sister Bartholomew and I totally last minute! I can't believe sometimes how much the Lord will guide us if we are trying to and willing to listen to the Spirit. 

Overall, we have 6 people we are teaching and about 4 less actives we try to visit every week. Brother Nemerov and Michael are out of town so we didn't get to see them this week. But Shallotte is definitely a busy place with lots for us to do. We are so very blessed!

Love y'all!

Sister Shurtz

P.S.~ One day we found a snake outside of our door that was about 3 feet long.... GROSS!!!

Attack of the Mosquitos!

So this week has been stormy every other day, and then hot and muggy every other day. This next week is supposed to be cooler and so far it looks good. But with all the muggy hot days come the mosquitoes. As most of you have witnessed... my mosquito bites are not normal in size, shape, or color. Therefore, my legs currently look like I have a disease. But no fear, the bugs will only last for a few months until about September I've been told, and then my legs will hopefully be able to return to normal. Hopefully the bug spray will also be able to aid in the prevention of more bites.... it is great to be a missionary in North Carolina swamp land! I have seen snakes, frogs, lizards, no alligators yet, and the UGLIEST snapping turtles on the planet! Definitely a different world down here. Luckily though I haven't been fed snake yet, like some other missionaries I know down in Southern Georgia.

On Wednesday last week we had a lesson with Micheal. We decided that it would be best to stop trying to talk to him about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and start teaching some doctrine. We had Brother Wilson come with us and he is amazing at teaching the gospel! We taught Michael about the Plan of Salvation and he really liked it! Mostly he said, "I never thought about it that way before." Hopefully he will be able to come to church in the next couple of weeks! We can already see him changing as he learns more about he Savior and everything that He has done for us.

Thursday was a day of service at the thrift store and then a lesson with Brother Evans. We had Sister Bradford come with us. We taught him about faith and repentance and how important the atonement is. He loves learning and has a LOT of questions. He should be coming to the Family History Center on Wednesday night to start learning how to but together a family tree. We are hoping that it will be really good to get him to see our church building and to get to meet some more members because it seems like he is very lonely.

Friday we did service for Hazel and she took us out to lunch at a beautiful restaurant right on the water way. (I forgot my camera but pictures should be coming next week)  As we left the apartment to go to dinner with some members, I thought "I forgot the bug spray!" But I figured we wouldn't need it and it was too late to go get it. That night we stopped by a couple of referral's houses and that is when the mosquitoes attacked! As we were talking with a few people we were eaten alive! We were outside for about 10 minutes, and talked to 3 different people. Sister Bartholomew and I both got in the car and counted between 15 and 20 bites on our legs and each had a handful on our arms. Have I ever told y'all that I really don't like those little bugs? Well if I haven't, I'm telling you know. I REALLY don't like those little bugs!!!!!

Saturday we visited some less actives and had a really good day. We also visited Sister King, who is an older woman who comes to church every week, but lives "way out in the sticks" and can't drive. So most of the time she is at home alone. While we were there she was trying to think of something she could give us for a snack and finally she said, "I know! I've got a gallon of milk and some Oreo cookies!" It was SO good and so fun to sit and visit and snack. I love all the members in the Shallotte ward!

Yesterday Hazel found out that we didn't have anyone to feed us dinner so she insisted on feeding us. She cooked us stake, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, biscuits, and mushrooms and then had ice cream for desert. She spoils us SO much!!!!! She didn't even know it was Fast Sunday because she's not even a member! After dinner we went to the Smigiel's (a less active and part member family who we LOVE). We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and talked about how families can be together forever!

That about wraps up my week. I LOVE being with Sister Bartholomew. She is the sweetest and most amazing missionary!!! 

Love y'all!

Sister Shurtz

Love Y'All!

This week we met with a lot of people it feels like!

Tuesday we gave a "friend" at the library a copy of the Book of Mormon. We tried once before but he said he didn't want it. This time we gave him a copy that had Maddy's testimony in the front of it and he took it without any protests! Thank you Maddy for your testimony and for being willing to share it. I'm sure that it has touched Jeffery and helped him to feel the spirit. 

Wednesday we had district meeting, followed by exchanges. At district meeting we met the new senior couple who just arrived from the MTC. It is so great to have them there and to give new insights. For exchanges I stayed in Shallotte with Sister Ashworth and Sister Bartholomew went to Wilmington with Sister Avondet. Miracles always happen on exchanges!!! We had a last minute lesson with Michael and had a member come! The member, Sister Skipper, was able to connect very well and also be very bold about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and quitting smoking. 

Thursday we had a lesson with Brother Evans, a new investigator down in Calabash. I had a very stressful morning trying to find someone to come with us, after our member had a family emergency come up and had to cancel on us. We ended up having Brother and Sister Cheney (our amazing Ward Mission Leader and Ward Missionary) come with us. It was one of those times when you could tell that it was all meant to be. They connected with Brother Evans much better than our other member would have been able to. We had an amazing lesson talking about prayer and how much Heavenly Father loves us. We had a little bit of time between then and dinner but hadn't eaten lunch yet, so we stopped at a local creamery and had some really good ice cream for lunch. As I was eating mine I thought about how much like Renae I am! I got a scoop of coconut and a scoop of peanut butter and chocolate. You would have REALLY liked them Renae!

That night we had dinner with Sister Lavin and the Fish family. As soon as we were done we ran to the church to set up volleyball. We had about 5 people come and some of them brought their kids. It was a lot of fun and we decided to do kickball this next week so that the kids could be more involved in the game. 

Friday we went to Hazel's, a non-member, and vacuumed her floors for us and she fixed us lunch. She spoils us!!! She is in her 70's and she is from England. She made us French Toast, sausage, bacon, and coddled eggs. SO GOOD! After that we went to a member's home and washed her big windows. We were a little concerned when we would look at the towel and it was black! Then she explained to us that their fireplace had gotten soot on everything! It was different to have the inside be dirtier than the outside.

Saturday was a crazy day! We started in the morning with a visit to Sister Wright (the Gladys Knight referral) and we took a laurel, Angelique, with us. We taught about the Plan of Salvation. She had a lot of good questions! She keeps on saying, "I'm just here to learn, I love to learn". She then told us that it would be really hard for her to go to our church instead of hers because her WHOLE family goes to the Little Prong Baptist Church. They had also told us in past visits that her husband is an assistant pastor there. Her granddaughter, who is a member, was in town this weekend and came to church so we got to meet her and talk with her a little bit. 

After seeing Sister Wright on Saturday morning we went with Angelique to see Brother Neverov and we read in Mosiah 4 about how to have more peace and happiness in our lives. After that we had to HURRY home to Angelique's because they were throwing a surprise party for her dad. We got to help set up and then stay for lunch/dinner. The Apple's are a really fun family! 

Sunday we had lunch with the Leggett family. We had fried fish, friend corn bread, coleslaw with blue cheese and apples in it, and cake and ice cream for desert. That night we went to see Sister Coffey because it was her birthday! She is the sweetest lady and I love getting to see her! 

Yesterday for Preparation Day we took a nap and then did our cleaning and everything. After that we went to a local market, Holden Brother's to get some fresh fruits and veggies. It was so fun and WAY better than Walmart! Not to mention we didn't have to deal with all the people at Walmart. It's officially tourist season here and there are people EVERYWHERE! It's great because there are more people to talk to... but it's also really annoying because there are 3 times as many cars on the road and there are so many people at church that our little chapel doesn't have enough seats! Not enough seats and it's impossible to be able to tell who is there and who's not. I shouldn't complain about having so many people, but it makes it hard when you're looking for someone in a crowd that large. 

Hope y'all had an amazing weekend and a great Memorial Day. 

Love Y'all!

Sister Shurtz

The Beach!

This week has been pretty low key besides the fact that I finally made it to the beach!!! 

Monday we met with Ryan for a few minutes and met his friend Nate, who we think looks a little bit like Josh Groban. We are still struggling getting Ryan to really be committed to anything and this week will be our "do or die" week we feel like. 

That night we had a miracle happen! We went back to our apartment to see make some phone calls, but remembered that we're not really supposed to call members on Monday night. We decided to send out a mass text about an activity we were hoping to have later in the week to play some volleyball. We had SO many responses it was unbelievable! We had people who haven't talked to us in a couple of months text us back and say they would come! 

Tuesday we had district meeting and interviews with President and Sister Bernhisel up in Wilmington. It was a really good meeting focused on our purpose as missionaries. Afterwards we went to a bagel place for lunch and they had all kinds of bagels! I got an apple and cinnamon one with plain cream cheese. They put SO much cream cheese on it! I bought another bagel to use up some of the cream cheese and there was still enough for another one!

Wednesday we did service at the library and had a good visit with a less active member before dinner and coordination meeting with the Cheney's. (Our ward mission leader and his wife)

Thursday we got another referral to visit! Brother Evans is an older man who's friend just joined the church up in Wilmington. We talked for a while about the Book of Mormon and I gave him a copy that had Ethan's testimony in it. As he read it he smiled so big! He loved it and afterwards he looked at me and said, "he's only 10 years old?" Thank you Ethan so much for taking the time to write your testimony, because now it is helping Brother Evans to learn more about the church and about Jesus Christ.

Thursday night we wanted to do a volleyball activity... but there was a really big storm that night, so only one person came. It was still fun, but we really want more people to come so we can have members help fellowship our investigators in a non-threatening way.

That night the storm was SO loud that it kept me away from about 2:00-4:00 AM. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy in the morning. There was constantly POURING rain, booming thunder, flashing lightening, and howling wind! Usually I love storms, just not when I'm trying to sleep and can't sleep in the next morning.

Friday turned out to be beautiful! The sun was out and it was warm, but not hot or humid. That night we had the annual ward beach party on Ocean Isle Beach. I finally saw the ocean! It is so pretty and the sand is full of shells! We had a lot of less active members come to the activity and it was very well attended by both the Shallotte Ward and the South Port Branch. It was also fun to be able to work together with the South Port Elders (Elders Allen and Cluff) to talk to each other's less actives and members. It really made me miss getting to work with Elders on a regular basis in the same area. 

Ocean Isle Beach!!!​

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Saturday we did some service for a member by vacuuming their floors and cleaning their blinds. They fed us lunch and then we went to visit Brother Nemerov. He is so great and has so many wonderful questions! I love him. :)

Sunday was a crazy day. Both Sister Bartholomew and I spoke in Sacrament Meeting at church. After church we had lunch and studies and then we visited a couple of people before dinner. After dinner we had an appointment to see the Smigiels, a less active family. They are so wonderful and their dogs are all so cute!!! 

Hope y'all have a great week! Love you!

Sister Shurtz

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of you who I didn't get to skype with yesterday, "Happy Mother's Day!" I have so many amazing women who have influenced me to help me become the person I am today. Most of all I would say is my Mom, Renae, and ALL my amazing sisters! I have loved that throughout my life each of you have been there for me when I needed you. I had Erin and Mom at home when I was in Elementary school. I still remember the day Erin left for BYU and I was crying so hard because I didn't want to see her go! Jenny was in Wenatchee right after mom passed away and she took over as my "mom" as I ventured through Middle School. Renae was there for ALL the Jr. High, High School, and College drama. And Melinda moved back to the valley just in time for my last two years of High School. I am so grateful that even though there is a big age gap between us, I still had time to be influenced by each of my sisters.  

Skyping with Grandpa and all y'all was so special! I was so happy to be able to talk to Grandpa for a little bit. I love and miss him so much!!! Talking with y'all also made me realize how little time I have left here in North Carolina to serve the Lord. Only 6 months! 

This week we had a great week with teaching three new investigators! Two of them were referrals from the Gladys Knight: Saints Unified Voices concert in Chapel Hill last month. It is such a blessing to have that resource to find people who are prepared and have open minds and hearts and have already had a good experience in a church building and with it's members. We received a little package that contained a CD, Book of Mormon, and a Restoration video about Joseph Smith and the answer to his prayer. So their names are Sister Wright and Sister Jones. They are sisters who live just a few minutes away from each other! They went to the concert because one of them has a granddaughter who is a member of the church and invited them to go. They are really open to learning and Sister Wright is very interested and has some great questions.

Wednesday we had a Zone Meeting up in Wilmington, about an hour away from Shallotte. On our way home we stopped by Michael S., our other new investigator's home for an appointment and we had Brother Benoy come with us. They were able to relate to each other so perfectly! Brother Benoy did most of the teaching and his testimony is so powerful! Members are an amazing help in lessons!

Thursday we helped the Evans move and clean. Their daughter is getting married soon and will be staying in their house so they moved just around the corner into a smaller place so it wasn't too stressful. Sister Evans has a hard time seeing, so we were able to help sort through things and put them away for her. 

Friday we spent all day in Ash, which is a little town about 30 minutes to the North of Shallotte. We saw some less active members and that is also where Sister Wright and Sister Jones live. It's pretty "country" up there!

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Saturday we had a couple of lessons and did a lot of planning and organizing to get ready for Sunday.

Sunday I sang in church with Sister Sanchez. I believe this link will take you to the song http://www.defordmusic.com/.../a-mothers-silent-prayer... But I can't go there, so I hope it works! haha It's a beautiful song and the words are so wonderful.

After church we went to see the Coffey's. They are some of my most favorite people I've met in North Carolina. They have such strong testimonies and they love the Lord with all their hearts and they trust in Him at all times. Brother Coffey had an accident years ago that has left him with some health problems. He lives in an assisted living home and we go and visit him and sing to him every week or so. It makes our day to see him smile!!! He has a hard time communicating, so getting a smile from him is the best!

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Hope y'all have the best week! 

Love,

Sister Shurtz

Surprises are Good!

So this week we had an AMAZING surprise!!! But it wasn't until the end of the week... so you'll just have to keep on reading to find out :)

You definitely know that you're next to the beach when people use shells in their yard and drive way to fill in holes!

Tuesday we had deep clean day. We cleaned our apartment for a few hours and did some organizing. That day we also went to lunch with some of the Relief Society sisters. Once a month they go out to lunch and whoever wants to come... or remembers to come... meet at a restaurant and just have fun together. Sister Bartholomew and I ordered some pasta and a monte cristo sandwich... that was deep fried! You know you're in the south when they deep fry sandwiches! It was really good... but really not good for you! We also snuck over to a Sister Strickland's apartment and decorated her door for her birthday! 

Wednesday we had our last district meeting with Elder Mortensen as our District Leader. He will be going home tomorrow and Elder Allred is going to be our new District Leader. He is a lot of fun and I'm excited for this next transfer, especially because Sister Bartholomew and I are staying together! She has already been here for 6 months! By the end of this next transfer it will almost be 8 months... but we are SO excited to get to work together for a while longer... and excited to not have to drive for 3 hours to and from transfer meeting up in Raleigh. 

Wednesday night we met with Sister Sanchez to go over some music that she wants to sing in Sacrament Meeting. I will be singing a duet with her this Sunday on Mother's Day! I wish y'all could be there to hear it because it is really pretty. 

Thursday we did service in Calabash at the thrift store and on our way home we had great visits with Brother King and Brother Coffey. They both live in an assisted living facility and they are just the sweetest! It is hard for them to communicate, so we just sung them a song and you could just see their eyes light up!

We also tried to do a volleyball activity... but no one showed up. But Sister Bartholomew and I figured out how to set everything up and we found someone with a volleyball! 

Friday we met with Sister Sanchez again to go over the song we are singing with our pianist, Brother Cook. And then we went to the Library and did service until we had dinner with Brother and Sister Cheney. Brother Cheney is the Ward Mission Leader and this is the first time I've met him! He's been in Utah the whole time I've been here! He's so fun and loves to crack a joke. It's good to have him here.

Sister Bartholomew and I in Ash next to a corn field!

Ok, so it's finally time for the surprise! On Friday we got a call from our Zone Leaders telling us that Elder Andersen is in Raleigh and wants to meet with all of the missionaries in the Raleigh mission tomorrow!

That means on Saturday we got to drive for 3 hours up to Raleigh and meet with Elders Andersen, Piper, Parker, and Martinez. We all got to shake his hand and listen to his amazing and inspiring counsel. We are so very blessed to live in a day when we have Prophets and Apostles to lead and guide us and visit with us! 

 

We've done lots of road trips together! They're the best! She's the designated driver and I'm the designated photographer!

Yesterday we got a new bishop in the Shallotte ward. Bishop Carroll has been serving for 6 years now and is ready to be released. Bishop Fish is going to be amazing and his whole family is so much fun and always so willing to help with whatever we need. We are so excited!

We also visited with Brother Nemerov, a less active member, and really get to know him better and help him to understand the importance of scripture study and prayer. He always cuts some flowers for us now when we come! Last time it was azaleas, and this time it was roses. He is so sweet and I love visiting with him. 

Hope y'all have an amazing week. I'm sorry I missed Apple Blossom! But there is always next year. Happy late birthday Melinda!!! And Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have been amazing examples to me over the years.

Love y'all so much!

Sister Shurtz

​There are LOTS of dirt roads that we venture down in North Carolina!