Elder Stinkle Here March 31, 2014

March 31, 2014

Breaking transfer news from as of last night. I am staying here in the Truckee River ward and will now be the senior companion. Not gonna lie, it was kinda nice to have a little break as the junior companion this past transfer, but I am excited once again to fulfill these responsibilities. As for my companion, Elder Young, he is headed to be a Zone Leader of my last zone over in Spring Creek. I have some big shoes to fill. He did a lot of great things here in the ward, and now it is my turn to help it carry on. My trusty new side kick is Elder Reynolds. Don`t know a whole lot about him at this point. I think I have said hello to him like once, maaybe twice in the past. I will let you know more as I find out more :)

So yeah. This transfer call was almost exactly what I was thinking was gonna happen from the time I got here...so I didn't get thrown for a total loop this time, which is nice. :)

This past week has actually been a really good one for me personally. It all started when I decided that I was gonna focus more on Humility in the Christlike attribute section. It was exactly what I needed this week. I had plenty of experiences that kept me in check. One being that Elder Young called me "Elder Stinkle" in his departing testimony in church yesterday. What he meant to say is that Elder Shinkle is a stud, but it all kinda mashed together on accident. I was laughin pretty good :) Just another name to add to the books. Ha. Anyways, as I have focussed more on humility, I have noticed the need for prayer in my life. There were moments this week in which I just wish I could talk to my mom or dad. It helped me look to my Heavenly Father though. I guess you could say we are pretty tight now. I love him. I know that he truly does love me. He loves each and every one of you. He wants to help us. We just need to be willing to ask for that help. We all need it. :)

What else...well we set Mike with a baptismal date of May 17th. He could even be ready before that. The guy is truly amazing. It is almost as if he has taken the lessons before. He is a very wise man. He has been attending church the past two weeks. I am really excited for him. I hope he can be a strong example for the rest of his family. As far as our other investigators, they are still working and progressing. It is a battle at times, but just gotta stay patient. It will all work out in the end. Thank you for any and all prayers offered in their behalf. :)

March is over...which is insane. This weekend is general conference. The next thing we know, I will be skyping for the last time before you actually get to see my face in the for reals. Wow. Don`t worry, I am not getting trunky. I still have plenty of work ahead of me, and I am planning on making the most of it. Even when it is hard.

I just got some news that Elder Flake will be joining me in my zone. I am super stoked about that! I have missed that kid so much :) He is actually replacing the spot where my new companion is coming from. Pretty cool stuff :)

I think that is all I have for today. :)

Dad-Well being busy isn't necessarily a bad thing. I guess just some of those things it would be better not to be busy with. Like Hayden breaking his ankle again. Poor guy. That is rough stuff. I couldn't care any less about who wins the tournament this year. Thank goodness I am not missing too much ;) I will be excited to hear about how your trip to Spokane goes, and you will have to be sure to tell Grandma hello for me :) I love and miss you Dad. Lots. Have an awesome week!

Mom- Like always, thank you for the pictures :) I am thankful that I was able to help you out in some way with the stories. I mean, I don't have anything grand...but any way I can help I suppose. Thanks for being such an awesome Mom and allowing me and helping me come out on this mission. I love and miss you! :) Have a great week!

Jeri Lin- Thanks for all the news! We have tons of members that help us out here. My goal is to get more member present lessons, but we need to get some more solid investigators before that happens. But yeah, I am glad you are doing well. Keep me posted. I love and miss ya Sis. Have an awesome week! :)

I love and miss you all!

Love,
Your Son
Your Brother
Elder Bryton Dane Shinkle :)

Reno. Reno. Reno. March 24, 2014

I have been here in Reno for over a month now? Wow. This is crazy. This is also the last week of this transfer. Where does the time go? It goes quick, but it has been a good transfer. The highlight of this past week probably was that the baptism of Anna on Saturday went through. We ended up moving it to Saturday Morning, so that was exciting. It was a good baptism. Nothing really out of the usual occurred during this one and it was pretty well attended. :)

With that being the highlight though, this week also had its fair share of ups and downs. I am just grateful for the ups and the friends and the family that I have to support and encourage me to keep working through the downs or sprint to the finish. You know who you are. :) I mean, the downs I have had in the past week honestly are not even all that horrendous. It is the normal, everyday kind of things that come with the title of Elder. So in all honesty, I do not have to much to complain about. If I really think about it, my missionary life is pretty dang fantastic. Amongst all the set backs, my companions and I have still been able to find success in all three of my areas. As was seen with the baptism this weekend. I am grateful for the growth I have been able to experience in the time that I have been here in Nevada. Like I mentioned before, that time is going very quickly. I was actually reflecting on that quite a bit last night at dinner.

As I was sitting there, I realized I was the "oldest" as far as missionary life goes between the four missionaries here in the ward I am serving in. While I was realizing that, one of he members was talking about how much of a privilege it is to be able to be a missionary, because we are able to change every single persons life we come in contact with for the better. Every single one. As I have been on my mission, I have come to realize that I love working with people. Getting to know them, help them, etc. I have a blast doing it. I am really looking forward to these next 8ish months. Thank you for helping me prepare and for helping me get to where I am at today. :)

Other than that...I am getting excited for summer. I am loving the warm weather we are having. Yesterday, we took a stroll down by the Truckee River and we just talked with one of the recent converts who was baptized here in January. I am really loving the area.

I really am not quite sure what else to add though...

Oh! We were able to go to the Temple on Wednesday. That was good. I realized that I hadn't been through an endowment session in over a year up until that point. It was a great reminder. It also helped me have a new appreciation for the temple. I am excited for the day when I will be able to go through the Gilbert temple. :)

Please continue to keep Mike, Shane, Nancy, Dan, Calvin, Jenny, Glenn, Mario, and Matthew in your prayers. They are all working towards baptism.

Dad- Well it bums me out that neither of my teams made it very far at all in the tournament. I knew that ASU had lost, but had no idea about Duke. Those suckers. Haha. It sounds like you are having lots of cool opportunities. Radio stations, bubble runs, etc. I hope to have some opportunities like that with you in the future. More New York-like experiences and whatnot :) I actually have been praying for you to be able to find a new job that you will enjoy more, so I will continue to do that as you are searching around. :) As for anything I need...I actually have been wanting new music. Church Music...but like good stuff. I like Jenny Phillips and...yeah. Maybe some cool versions of "Come Thou Fount". Other than that...I don't think there is too much I need. I am pretty well taken care of. So maybe just a few things you think I may enjoy. Thanks for all you do Dad. I love and miss you! Have an awesome week!

Mom- Again, thanks for the pictures. Especially of Lexi. I had seen on my family calendar that Teonna's due date was Saturday, so I was expecting some news. That is great. Another girl to their family :) I am glad you were able to have a good week, and I hope you have another good one. Don't stress too much about the Haglers. They are pretty easy going. I love and miss ya Mom. :)

Jeri Lin- Well how does it feel to be 23 and still burn bacon? Ha Sorry...the one year older and wiser too didn't kick in yet I guess. Oh man..I am terrible. I am sorry. It seems to me that you had a pretty good birthday besides the burnt bacon though. So that is good. I was thinking about you on Saturday as I was at the baptism and whatnot :) I am glad the funeral went well. The Reno Air Races. I also hear they are pretty cool. A member showed me a video of one of the planes crashing a few years ago. That was some pretty scary stuff. But..yeah, they are a pretty big deal around here. I love your updates. Thank you for them. I love and miss you. Have an awesome week of being newly 23! :)

Keep Your Head Up March 17, 2014

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" Luke 21:28

I came across this scripture at zone conference Friday, on accident actually, but I can honestly say that it has made it to my favorites list. It was just perfect, because it is basically telling me to just keep my head up. It was exactly what I needed. This past week has been one of the more trying ones I would have to say. Good things still happened, we got work done, but there were a few things that were just kind of a bummer. And now, you are wanting details. :) Well I will tell ya a few.

So, altogether, I was just feeling inadequate as we were talking about Christlike Attributes for Zone Conference. The comments by people and just the little things like that scripture helped me a whole lot. And then on Sunday, the lessons...everything. It was as if everything was exactly for me. It helped me know that Heavenly Father really does love me and he is aware of what I am feeling and thinking. It helped me as a missionary, because it helped me realize how much he loves each and every one of us. Anyways, Friday night, after Zone Conference, we went to go pick up a couple of our investigators for a dinner at one of the members homes. Right then and there, we were dropped. Their countenance had totally changed. And that strengthened my testimony that Satan is also real.

With Satan and Heavenly Father being real and being aware of us, the fight is real. If we want to win the fight, we got to be sure we are on the right side and be sure to keep our head up. You can`t see if you don't keep your head up. So yeah, that's one thing..or a couple things I learned this week from the experiences I had.have the opportunity every once in a little while to give blessings at the hospital nearby when people request them. We were

I also had another confirmation that I will not be going into the medical field. Ever. Haha. :) So, we have the opportunity every once in a little while to give blessings at the hospital nearby when people request them. We were there the other night, and we were just talking to the guy, getting to know him. Then the nurse came in to give him a shot. I immediately turned away...but it was too late. I started gettin a little woozy..so I sat on the arm of a chair. Just praying that I wouldn't go down. Then he asked me to give him the blessing. That whole time I was hoping and praying even more that I wouldn't go down and be the next one in need of a blessing. I made it out alive. Haha.

Other than that though, it is looking like just about all the baptisms we have had scheduled are gonna be post poned for one reason or another, which is a bummer. We will know for sure by tonight. We just keep on workin. Everything will work out how it is supposed to in the end. Time sure is flying by too. This transfer is coming to a close very very quickly. In a couple weeks, I will have new transfer news, then the next thing you know, it will be mothers day! Crazy stuff! Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's day by the way :) ha.

Please continue to keep all the people I have mentioned in your prayers. We seriously do need all the help we can get. This week should be a pretty good one. It is lookin like it in the plans. We also get to go to the temple on Wednesday morning. I love being on the West Side of the mission :)

Dad- March Madness. Good stuff. You will have to be sure to keep me updated. I don't know how much info I will be receiving about that. So yeah, let me know :) Also, we will have to come up to Swensens after my mission and try it out. It is good ice cream, even if you aren't able to polish it off. Also, thank you for keeping me updated with Grandma and everything. I appreciate all that you do for me Dad. I hope you have a good week and a fun time in the bubble run. I love and miss ya!

Mom- Well I am glad that you are doing well and it sounds like you had some good experiences this week which is good. That is awesome that the temples have been so busy. President had a picture of the Gilbert Temple in one of his power points on Friday. Haha I want to go there so bad! I am glad everyone is doing well. Thank you for the Gibbons Gazette as well. Please let everyone know that I love and miss them. And Mom, that includes you. Thank you for being my Mom :)

Jeri Lin- Well Hello there in Texas! Thanks for the quick email too. That is a long drive :P I am glad your kiddos hung in there though. I am glad they are still doing well. I am sorry to hear that Grandpa Burgess passed away. Good thing the Plan of Salvation is real. Like Hailey told me, being Mormon Rocks! It really does! :) What all do you want to know about my companion though? He is 22, from Pennsylvania. He went to ASU for a semester or two, then went to BYU-I. Yeah...so what else? He has been out a year this month. Haha I dunno. Oh, but hey, Have a happy birthday on Saturday. I will be thinkin of ya. I love and miss ya! :)

Well, that is all I have for now. Have an awesome week you guys! I love ya!

Love,
Your Son
Your Brother
Elder Bryton Dane Shinkle

The Biggest Little City March 10, 2014

Well sorry if this one gets to you a little late. Pday confusion is pretty darn annoying. Other than that, things are going pretty good.

I am not 100% sure on where to start. I am still busy as ever. Time is going quickly. As of yesterday, we have about 5 who can still make their baptismal dates. That is if they continue to come to church, etc. All should work out though as long as Elder Young and I continue to be diligent in doing our job as missionaries. So far, so good :) I am continuing to have amazing experiences daily as well as frustrations. One of the hardest things I have seen is trying to help people just see how it can bless their lives. A lot of them say that they believe it, it is just a matter now of helping them live it. After all, doctrine lived is doctrine understood. In the end, I think it all boils down to just having patience. So I think that is another thing I will start focussing on this week, along with diligence in Preach My Gospel.

Lets see...so I went to Swensens. Tried to eat an earthquake. Didnt even come close. The 8 different scoops of ice cream combined with the 8 different toppings eventually became a nasty soup of sugary mess. No fun. Haha actually...it was pretty fun. We were all gagging. Elder Young, Colton, and I anyways. Everyone else was laughing at us. But yeah...that was

Let`s see...what else. I was able to go out and eat with Juan and my good friends the Haglers. It was so nice to see them again. :) You all probably knew all that though. And there is a pretty good chance that you know Juan is working towards getting his endowments in the very near future. I am excited because, I will most likely be able to participate with him in that. OH! And he is currently working on filling out his mission papers. Quite possibly one of the coolest things ever. :) I seriously love that kid to death. He is a celebrity around these parts these days. He is gonna be one fantastic missionary and already is doing a great job :)

I guess you may want the names of those that are on track for baptism. Anna, Nancy,Shane, Dan, and Jenny. Anna is gonna most likely be on the 22nd of this month. Nancy, Shane, and Jenny are scheduled for the following week on the 29th. And Dan is scheduled near the end of April. Probably like the 21st. So...yeah. Things are continuing to go well. :)

I have to tell you that I appreciate all the prayers that I am included in. The amount of support I get from you guys, my family from Sparks, and my family from Spring Creek is amazing. Speaking of my Spring Creek family, I saw some of them this week as well. We were just walking the streets, and they saw me, so they came and said hello. It was a pleasant little surprise. :) Anyways, I seriously need all the help I can get. This work is tough. With that being said though, I know that it is Heavenly Fathers work and that everything happens for a reason. COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT.

Dad- Well it still sounds like you are doing well. No updates on the working out this week though. I hope you can figure that all out soon enough. That is something I actually need to work on as well. :P Haha. Especially after all that ice cream. Those first few bites were like...some of the best ice cream I have ever tasted, but it went sown hill shortly after. I have to tell you that I think we have one of the most talented, coolest families around. Just saying :) I am excited to hear about all the opportunities that you will be having in the future. Keep me updated and I will keep you updated :) I love and miss ya Dad. Have an awesome week! :)

Mom- Thank you for all pictures and for your email :) I would love to see Maverick and them. My eyes are always open for sure. I actually talked with one of the missionaries that is serving over in their ward the night I got here to Reno. He said that he had talked with them a couple times I think and that they had mentioned me. He said it was kinda crazy, because he knew who I was and everything. Pretty cool to make connections :) Anyways, I am excited for you and Dad and the future opportunities that will be coming your way in the near future. And like I said to Dad, I really think we have one of the coolest families around by far. We have been blessed :) Don't include this next part in the blog, but I should be sending at least a couple things home with the Haglers. Just an Fyi. I love them :) Alright, I love and miss ya Mom! Have another good week! :)

Jeri Lin- I didn't hear anything, but I want you to know that I love and miss you :)

Time is going quickly. I am doing my best to stay positive and make the most of it. The time I will be home home will come soon enough. I love and miss you all. Tons. Have a good week!

Daily Testimonies March 3. 2014

March 3, 2014

The downtown area of the Truckee River ward has continued to bless me with daily opportunities for my testimony to grow. We run into so many different types of people, some of which are extremely humble. It is amazing. Two experiences I can come up with off the top of my head came with a man named Jeff and then another occurrence was with a man by the name of David. The spiritual experiences you can have on street corners are amazing. With Jeff, I was able to bear testimony that Heavenly Father is our father. I truly am a child of God, and so is he. People don't realize that, and it is so vital to have a good sense of hope and faith for the future I believe, and after that experience, I realized that even more. Then with David, my testimony of the power of the scriptures and sincere testimony increased. It truly is amazing! Opportunities like that happen daily. There are the days that I just wish I could take a nap and just relax, but I honestly have not been disappointed any day this week. It sure makes life a whole lot easier. Just talking to people. Getting to know them, I love it. That worry and dislike of being busy all the time is starting to fade :)

Of course, the area still has its struggles. I may have mentioned this last week, but we truly have like no problem finding people to teach. It is more so the struggle to help them continue to have the desire for us to continue to teach them. In previous areas, it was a pain to find new people 95% of the time, but once you could find them, a majority of them were pretty strong the whole way through. Here, it is the exact opposite. The other struggle we have is getting the people to church. I love it though. It is a new challenge, and I there is a lot of potential. It is just a matter of making the most of that potential.

Oh! So this whole time we have been walking up and down the streets, I have just been waiting to see if I recognize anybody from Sparks. Just a few days ago, we were in a car with some members going back to our apartment from a lesson. Sure enough, in front of us, I recognize a license plate. It was Bonnie and Raina! The girl I baptized just before I left Sparks. I wanted to jump out and say hello so bad, but I couldn't. It was still pretty cool though. Definitely made my day just that much better :)

Other than that, I have been trying to get to know the youth here. I love working with them. We took one of them out with us yesterday after church. Good stuff :) I love being able to build relationships with them, because it also helps you build relationships with the parents. So that is also kind of a focus of ours right now. It is good stuff.

We have a couple of people set for baptism for the 22nd of March. One is a 9 year old girl, the other is a 8 year old from a less active family. Then on the 29th, we are hoping for about a total of 5 baptisms I think. It may be less than that, because we need to get the people to church. So yeah, things are going well :)

I forgot to give you my new address.

310 Pine St. #11
Reno, NV 89501

Dad- Well that food challenge sounds fun! :P Speaking of food challenges, we are going to a place on Wednesday night called Swensons and they have an ice cream eating challenge of some sort, and I think a bunch of us are going to try and do that :) I am glad to hear that your week went pretty well with the temple and all as well. That is pretty neat. I am excited to come home and see it. I am also glad that you were able to work out a bit. Let me know what you end up doing totally. . Thank fpr all that you do for me Dad. I sure do love and miss you. Have an awesome week!

Mom-Well you will for sure have to let me know how Keila does and how your DECA experience is. Sounds like a whole bunches of fun. :) I have to tell you Mom that you are my inspiration to keep going, even when I am tired. Thank you for that. I am staying nice and busy and healthy. I am glad that you enjoyed the the temple celebration. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you :) I love and miss you. Have a great week Mom! :)

Jeri Lin- Thanks for the short note. I am glad you are doing well. I am doing well as well. How has Lindsay been? :) I love ya and miss ya! Have a good week! :)

I love and miss you all!

Love
Your Son
Your Brother
Elder Bryton Dane Shinkle