February 23

Matt is getting transferred.

His new address is:

Elder Matthew Schaelling

226 Monroe

Grants, NM  87020

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Mom,

I am doing pretty well. Somewhat surprising news: I am getting transferred to Grants, New Mexico! It's about halfway between Gallup and Farmington. I'm sure in all reality it's a pretty small town, but I feel like it is going to seem huge to me because it is three times the size of Blanding I hear and it is on the INTERSTATE. I haven't driven on one of those for nearly 20 months... Hahaha. We cover a whole bunch of small towns around each other, Grants, Milan, Bluewater, San Mateo, San Rafael. So it is going to be huge compared to all my other areas. It is a border town like Blanding but I hear there are a lot of Acoma natives down there too. I was released as a zone leader, so my time there is finished. My new address is 226 Monroe Grants, NM 87020. My companion's name is Elder Hozman (spelling might be wrong) and he is from Peru I think. He might be learning English in the mission field and he's only been about three or four months I think. I'll know more next week.

Yeah, it's pretty sad that Chuck passed away. The service will be a week from this Saturday, so I'll miss it. His wife is handling it surprisingly well and she seems to be strengthening in her faith from it. She feels like Chuck is probably happier now not being faced with the challenges he was dealing with in mortality. 

I'm glad that things are going well with all the family back home! I'll be excited to actually see with my own eyes all the changes that have been going on when I get home!

I still haven't been able to do initiatory since my first time. I can't wait to go to the temple all the time when I get home.

My guess for Quin is either Texas or Arizona, his mission has to touch either my mission, Gentry's, or Preston's since our missions are all right in a row. I guess he could do Colorado or Oklahoma too.

I love you all! I'll hopefully have more time next week.

Love, 

Elder Schaelling 

February 16

Mom,

Thanks so much for all the help with the apartment! It looks pretty nice, I just looked it up on LDS maps and so it should be a good place! If I remember correctly, it shouldn't be too far away from J Dawgs... Haha. Next letter or package you send me you can send me a copy of the contract so I can browse over it in my free time on another day but no rush or anything. Parking shouldn't be too big of a deal, I'm sure it'll all work out. I'll shoot Elder Kennedy an email and let him know that we have an extra spot if he is looking for a place but I think he might have some other guys he is planning on rooming with.

That's so awesome that you got to go to Dallin's homecoming! I'm glad he enjoyed his mission. It's so crazy to think that everyone is home now.

That's a pretty interesting quote from Bishop, I'm not really sure if I understand it.

We have some sad news from this week. One of our investigators, Chuck Armstrong who was on date from January 31st but didn't make it, passed away. His wife just came home from work and found him cold. A graveside service will be held sometime in March. We were pretty shocked and surprised because we had just seen him a few days earlier. But here is one of my favorite Book of Mormon scriptures on death and the resurrection: 

 7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and thatdeath should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

 8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

 9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which isendless, that there can be no more death.

-Mosiah 16:7-9-

Sorry it's a short one, I am running out of time but I am so appreciative of your help. I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Schaelling

February 9

Mom,

This week was very busy, but pretty awesome at the same time. Elder Salmon and I taught seminary on Tuesday on Section 93 of the Doctrine and Covenants and it's a pretty awesome and fascinating section. The most interesting part of it to me is about how through obedience we are able to receive more "light" and "truth," which light and truth are the essence of Christ and through disobedience we lose that light and truth. As I was preparing for this lesson I reread Elder Craig C. Christensen's article from the August 2014 Ensign and it is such a good talk. I recommend you all study it yourself, but I'll quote one of the most interesting things from his article to me:

"From section 93 we read, “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” (verse 36). Here the Saviorequates light and truth with “intelligence” and “the glory of God.” In a similar verse we read, “The word of the Lord is truth, andwhatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (D&C 84:45).

"If intelligence equals light and truth, and light and truth equal Spirit, then intelligence must equal Spirit. In fact, all of these termscould be considered interchangeable and in many cases can be substituted for one another elsewhere in the scriptures:

“'Whatever principle of intelligence [substitute one of the other words—glory, truth, light, Spirit] we attain unto in this life, it willrise with us in the resurrection.

“'And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence [glory, truth, light, Spirit] in this life through his diligence and obediencethan another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (D&C 130:18–19; emphasis added).

...

"As you and I follow the Savior and embrace the light, we become His children, “children of light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5), His sonsand His daughters. As we continue on this path, we learn and grow and gain even more light (see D&C 50:24)."

Pretty fascinating teachings to me! I would say that this is something that I have definitely learned and felt in my mission. The more I seek gospel light and truth through righteousness, even if it is something that there isn't necessarily a commandment or mission rule, the more light I have in my life, the stronger my testimony of Christ is, and the better I can "see" in my life. I have seen this as I have tried to chose music that brings light into my life, even if he alternative choice isn't against the mission rules, and as I have tried to treat others with more kindness and use better language in my life.

Also this week we had a zone training with trainings on effective daily planning and teaching what happens after this life in the Plan of Salvation simply with a discussion on how to exercise our faith more fully as missionaries. It was pretty awesome. We also had meetings with both President Boyle from Monticello and President Redd from Blanding. They are such great guys and good examples of gospel living. I also got to go on exchanges with Elder Hardy in White Mesa, the one from Layton. He's a great guy and a really good teacher.

It sounds like the Larkins did a great job in their talks! My homecoming talk will be so different from my farewell talk. I can't really remember everything from my farewell talk, but it was lame and at the time I was suffering from the same state as that of the Jews:

"T hey despised the words of plainness , . . . and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of theirblindness , which blindness came by looking beyond the mark , they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainnessfrom them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because theydesired it God hath done it, that they may stumble ."

Really I was just looking beyond the mark and the beauty of the plainness of the gospel. But now I see the light and it is amazing! I also love First Corinthians chapters one and two which discusses a similar topic of the Greeks and the Jews not being able to understand and appreciate the doctrines of the gospel.

There is nothing more pleasing and beautiful than this gospel that we preach and live. I have a firm testimony of it and it has changed me from a man of worldly wisdom to a man of godly wisdom.

Take care of yourselves!

Love,

Elder Schaelling

January 26

This is the quote from President Monson's First Presidency Message in the January Ensign that Matt refers to:  

"I would not hold the position in the Church I hold today had I not followed the counsel of a prophet, had I not prayed about that decision, had I not come to an appreciation of an important truth:  the wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men.  But the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and His children obey, they will always be right. It has been said that history turns on small hinges, and so do our lives.  Decisions determine destiny.  But we are not left unaided in our decisions.  If you want to see the light of heaven, if you want to feel the inspiration of Almighty God, if you want to have that feeling within your bosom that your Heavenly Father is guiding you, then follow the prophets of God.  When you follow the prophets, you will be in safe territory."

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Mom,

Sounds like an exciting weekend up there for you all! That's awesome that Jackie, the boys, and Dad made it all to Utah safely. That's exciting that there is a newer couple there in the ward. I'm glad that Aimee is taking advantage of that opportunity to do temple work. I can't wait until I'm back home so I can go to the temple whenever I want to! That's what I'm planning on doing a lot of the first couple of weeks and months I'm home, do a good amount of family history work and do temple work to keep me occupied. I'll also hopefully be able to find a decent job for that time period, so keep your ears open for me if you could.

Thank you for that quote from President Monson! It's a wonderful one. He says "Decisions determine destiny" often. I was rereading his talks from Priesthood Session and Sunday Morning again and also his closing remarks from the past conference and payed close attention to the things that he has asked us to do. In his closing remarks he invited us to do a few things:

"May we return to our homes with a resolve in our hearts to be a little better than we have been in the past. May we be alittle kinder and more thoughtful. May we reach out in helpfulness, not only to our fellow members but also to those whoare not of our faith. As we associate with them, may we show our respect for them.

"There are those who struggle every day with challenges. Let us extend to them our concern, as well as a helping hand.As we care for each other, we will be blessed.

"May we remember the elderly and those who are homebound. As we take time to visit them, they will know that they areloved and valued. May we follow the mandate to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen thefeeble knees.”

"May we be people of honesty and integrity, trying to do the right thing at all times and in all circumstances. May we befaithful followers of Christ, examples of righteousness, thus becoming 'lights in the world.^'"

This week in the mission field we were able to set a baptismal date with a young man named Danny for February 21st, so that is exciting! Chuck, whose date was set for this upcoming Saturday is moving to California and he and his wife are looking to get a divorce which is pretty sad, we'll miss him. He's a really great guy and has a good heart. Tonight we are going to drive to Farmington for MLC tomorrow, so that should be good as always.

If you could send me some more Alavert that'd be awesome. I'll probably be sending a box of stuff home in the next few weeks, there is a family in 3rd Ward who is from Layton so they are going up there sometime soon so they'll be bringing some stuff by the house for me.

I love you all and hope that this week goes great for you!

Love,
Elder Schaelling

January 19

Mom,

It sure is great! Both of the brand new missionaries in the zone are visa waiters for Brazil like Elder Aguilera was and one is Elder Hardy from Layton, UT! He's serving in White Mesa on the Ute reservation. He went to Layton High and grew up way on the west side right before it turns from Layton to Syracuse he says, so I don't think I've ever been out to his area really.

We were able to teach this old couple who is less active, Kerry and Marsha, about the temple. Kerry acts like a mean old grumpy guy but it's just a face he puts up, he's actually really nice guy and Marsha is such a sweet lady. We taught them about the temple and she said that she felt like going to the temple would help her feel "more complete as a person." So we are working with them on that! They just moved here a couple of months ago. We are also teaching this 16-year-old named Jim who is being adopted by a family is is returning to activity and it went so awesome! They asked for us to bless their home and to give a lot of them blessings and it's so cool to see this family who has been out of the church for 10 years to ask for these things and to rely upon the Lord and His Priesthood. One other cool thing is we took this less active guy named Jeremy out with us to teach a lesson to a lady and her family who live here in Blanding but she's from Sweetwater, Arizona (it's on the rez so you wouldn't know where it's at haha) and her father just passed away and he was a Navajo medicine man (traditional priest) and she's trying to decide if she wants to follow the traditional teachings or move to Christianity and Jeremy bore such a powerful testimony of when his family converted to the church and how much it helped and strengthened them! His parents were raising him and his brothers and sisters traditionally and then the missionaries started teaching them and he talked about how he gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Heavenly Father and it was such an awesome lesson! Jeremy's sister gets home from her mission in Brazil this Friday, so his mom (who is Sister Oliver who sent you the purse) is really excited and is going up to SLC to pick her up!

Update on Bluff people, this past Saturday and also the 10th there were two baptisms of people that I taught the lessons to and I got to go to both! Wilbur was married at 11 AM on the 10th and then baptized at 11:30 so it was a pretty awesome day, and then Kervyn and Briannon were married last week and then she got baptized on Saturday! She is 9 months pregnant and due this Wednesday, so she is probably the most pregnant lady to ever get baptized. I was worried she'd go into labor while in the font, hahaha. Just joking. Also, Tiffany and her family were at the baptism so I got to see her and she is doing awesome! Her and Lyle and the Kescoli girls gave talks in Sacrament at the Bluff combined meeting (which usually has about 60+ people now) and did an awesome job I hear!

That sounds pretty interesting! Where is that home you're talking about? You have to be careful when you're looking at hole-in-the-rock stuff because sometimes they are talking about the Bluff pioneers and sometimes they are talking about the hole-in-the-rock at Arches National Park and there's probably a million other holes in a rock somewhere. The place I went to was up by Canyonlands.

Sounds like an awesome stake conference! I wish I could have heard those talks! That is pretty wild that Andrew and Daniel are both ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood now.

Good luck with all that moving this weekend! It sounds like an exciting time!

I love you all so much and hope that things are going great. I pray for you often and hope that your testimonies are being continually strengthened and that you feel the Spirit often. 

Love,
Elder Schaelling

January 12

My questions:

1) What do you know about transfers?

2) Do you know a Brother & Sister Heslop Senior Couple from this area that recently returned from their mission?  A lady that works at the hospital said they are in her ward, but she couldn't remember exactly where they served.  She said a small town in Arizona and they lived in a camper.  That could describe so many places!

3) Have you ever had any problems with your allergies?

4) How are your investigators doing?  I am so excited about the progress you are able to report each week!

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Mom,

1) I am staying in Blanding with Elder Salmon! There's a lot of good things going on here and it's a fun little town to be in, so I'm happy about it. The other two elders that we live with are staying the same, but Elder Ball was released as a district leader and now we have Elder Hancock up in Monticello serving as district leader for that district. He's a newer missionary which should be really good, he'll bring more excitement to the district. Last transfer our zone was pretty "old," as far as the missionaries are mostly towards the end of their missions but now we have a bunch of younger missionaries so it'll be really good to have some young blood! 

2) I don't believe I have heard that name. They may have been in the Tuba City Stake or Holbrook or Winslow Stakes and I probably wouldn't have heard of them in that case. Or they may have been down towards the Apache reservation (if they were serving on a reservation) in one of the other Arizona missions. 

3) I've had some hay fever here and there and no serious food allergy problems. 

4) Things are going well! This week was a pretty packed week with exchanges in La Sal and zone conference. I got to go to a polygamous encampment and teach some people out there while on exchanges, pretty wild stuff! They live inside of a big rock! They just blow holes into the rock with dynamite and then build houses on the side of the rock so the interior is inside of the rock and they have solar panels and whatnot.

There's no problem with getting older, and I'll remember to remind you of that when you have your next birthday. I'm glad Dad got to enjoy some good pizza in celebration of his birthday, I think I have tried Firehouse once or twice.

Wow! Well, that's awesome that Quin is planning on a mission. I'll be excited to hear where his call is to. It sounds like the Southwest is our place, my mission and Gentry's and Preston's all are right in a row! Then Lindsay is only on the other side of the state from Preston's mission. That's awesome that Camree and Caiden Larkin are sharing a sacrament meeting. (A brother and sister in our ward that are returning from/leaving on their missions about the same time.)

It all sounds like exciting news regarding Trevor Eppich, the Phillipps, and the Norrises! Keep me updated. 

I love you all!!!!!!!

Elder Schaelling

January 5

Questions:
1) How did your MLC (Mission Leadership Conference?) go in Farmington?
2) What did you do on New Year's Eve?
3) How was your New Year's Day zone training?
4) How is Albert doing?  That is so cool that he's already set a baptismal date!
5) Have you been able to meet with Ferris & his wife yet?

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Mom,

1) As always, MLC went great! It's always nice to be able to see President and Sister Batt. I'll get to see them again this Friday at zone conference in Cortez. The thing that really stuck out to me as President Batt guided us in studying chapters concerning Ammon was the joy that he experiences as a missionary as discussed in Alma 26:11, 27:17-18, and 28:8. I'm trying to focus on finding that joy of missionary work daily as I go out and not only trying to stay busy and have a full day as a missionary, but have days that are full of meaningful experiences and trying to find the Lord's Will for my area. As Ammon says, to be an "instrument" in the hands of the Lord rather than merely staying busy. 

2) Nothing too crazy, we had to come in at 8 o'clock and so we came in and finished preparing for zone conference and district leader council that happened on January 1st and then drank some of the juices you sent me! 

3) It went great! It was probably the least stressful one I've had yet and it just felt good the whole way through it and there was a good council at the end of it. We had Elder Lloyd, who is going home next week back to Mesquite, NV, do a training on agency and commitments and Sister Fisi'italia from Tonga do a training on our purpose as missionaries and she did a fantastic job haha. She's a total fireball.

4) We haven't been able to see him this week! He had to go out of town for an emergency on Sunday and we stopped by a few other times and haven't caught him. 

5) Not yet, unfortunately.

This week was pretty awesome. The work is really starting to pick up here in Blanding, investigators are coming together and we have people who are prepared to hear the Gospel. Chuck, whose date was set for the 31st of January (he may not make that date), is super excited about baptism and the church and everything. He is determined to give up smoking and to work on strengthening his marriage with his wife who is a less active member. He said he's never been this excited about the church in his life and he's met with missionaries many times before! That just shows that everything is in the Lord's timing and that he truly is preparing people to receive the word as it teaches in Alma 16:16: "The Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them."

We also got to teach Ridge, who is a 15 year old non-member who is enrolled in seminary. His mom is not a member but his dad is and just became reactivated about a year or two ago after 20+ years of inactivity and he is on fire as well. He's going to the temple in February and Ridge is super interested in baptism. Also, there is a family who is just returning to church over the past year and they are adopting a young man named Jim who is about 16 years old and we asked him a month ago if he was interested in baptism or the church at all and he said no but then he came to church yesterday and he decided he wants to get baptized! He has had tough life so he sat down with his adoptive mom and wrote down all the tough things he's gone through in his life and talked it over with her then they knelt down in prayer together and he said he felt the Holy Ghost and now he knows that God is real and that the church is the right way for him! He set his own date for March 21st, so it's a little ways out but it's going to be awesome. People, members or missionaries, who say there is no work to do in Mormon towns don't have faith that God is hastening His work.

I love you all and I am excited that Jackie and Trevor are coming back and that Natalie and Nate are sticking around, I hope all goes well with those things! I'll talk to you all next week, it's transfers this week so we'll see if anything happens!

Love,
Elder SChaellin

December 29

Mom,

Thank you so much for Skyping with me also! I would say that has been my favorite one yet. It was so great to be able to see you and Dad and Aimee and Natalie and Nate and Madelyn and Luke and Grandma!

Not only was that the best Skype session so far, but also the best Christmas of my mission. We got to serve free meals on Christmas day at a gas station on the south side of town and it was so cool to be able to be there serving others. Elder Salmon made some fudge also and we took that to a veteran and some other people who were spending Christmas alone. It was just so great to be serving others and that Heavenly Father provided good people for us to see on Christmas day.

I'm not sure what I'm doing New Years Eve. I'm saving one of those bottles you sent me to pop with the other Elders in my house haha. We drank the pear one already so we'll have to choose between the other two. New Years Day we are having a zone training. Today we are going to Farmington for MLC tomorrow.

Nope, we don't get to relax much but we were able to teach Albert again, the guy we met on Christmas Eve, and he is now on baptismal date for February 7th! Usually the wards would change times, but because the schedule is already so confusing with the South Chapel being closed for renovations they are just going to keep the same schedule until it opens up in March/April/May time frame.

That's so awesome that Aimee gave the talk! I'm glad she did a great job. I probably wont get the opportunity to speak in church very often anymore now that I'm in three full sized wards.

Unfortunately we haven't been able to catch Ferris and his wife yet, hopefully it works out soon!

It definitely has been a great year, it's crazy to think that it's almost over. In just a few days my mission blackout year will be over (that's what they call the year that you are a missionary for the whole year). It's been such a blessing to be able to serve in Steamboat and Bluff and now in Blanding, although I do miss the reservation at times. There is no greater privilege than to serve the Lord and I look forward to a lifetime of dedicated service to Him and His children, wherever that takes me. I hope that as this New Year comes around that each of you will find those in your life that you must minister to and the things you can do to build their faith in Jesus Christ. I recently read a talk by Elder Bednar from the April 2010 conference that was great about parenting, I recommend you all to read it. The same principles are true everywhere, as found in D&C 108:7. "Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings." As you meet others seek to bear your testimony and share genuine personal experiences of how your testimony of prayer, the Holy Ghost, the Atonement, the Prophet, or anything else has been strengthened and ask others to share their experiences with similar things, member or non member, active or inactive. I promise that as you do so you will see "the tender mercies of the Lord" that "are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith" (1 Nephi 1:20) and it will amaze you as you learn of the Spiritual experiences in the lives of those you are close with and those you are just getting to know.

I love you all! Happy New Year!

Elder Schaelling