Greetings from Wyoming!

Subject: Greetings from Wyoming!


I received a bit of unexpected news on Thursday. I got a call from the President Gardner saying that he needed me to go down to Cody Wyoming, because the Zone Leader's companion down there was going home (honorably), and he needed me to be his companion for the weekend. So I was with Elder Child till Sunday babysitting. I got to meet a Elder Butler while in Cody and wish that he was my companion. He was so awesomee, but I must move on. It's been hard the past two weeks with meeting people that I'm never going to have the opportunity to talk to again, and being in companionships that aren't going to last long, but now I have my official first assignment, and I am serving in Lovell Wyoming with Elder Hancock. He seems pretty awesome so far. We haven't done much yet, because I was in the transfer van on Sunday from eleven-thirty till six and then we had to unpack and get dinner, and now it is P-Day, so nothing too exciting has happened in way of teaching yet. I have been told that Lovell is the Mini Utah, because of the high LDS population here. Much of our work is through referrals and reactivating members. I've been told that I will probably never go tracting in this area, because we'll just end up running into more members than not. I'm so excited to finally settle in and get to work (at least until my visa gets here). I was hoping that I would be put into a companionship with Elder Dearborn, but he has received his assignment to serve in Billings. Last night Elder Hancock and I went to visit a less active family, and it started to snow. It is cold here. We'll be walking most everywhere, because we are in a car share with the Sister missionaries. I don't know what time I'll be calling on saturday, so be sure to answer the phone, or we've been told that we can skype, but I don't know if I'll have a place to use a webcam. I'll find things out later and it'll all work out. This Christmas I want people to write me. There have been people (you know who you are) who said that they would write me and haven't, and there are people who I've written back and they've never responded. I want to hear from you people, especially now that Christmas is upon us. I love you all, and I better hear from you soon.
Love,
Elder David Short

My new address is:
335 Pennsylvania Ave
Lovell, WY, 82431

Howdy! from Montana

It has been an interesting first week here in the mission field. I am currently serving in the town of Laurel, just outside of Billings. My companions are Elders Freeman and Neilson. It was the strangest feeling to be outside the MTC. At the airport everyone was staring at us (Elder Dearborn and me) and members were constantly coming up to us and ask us where we were headed. I wanted so much to talk with people on the plane, but on my first flight to Denver the people either slept or were plugged into the TV, and on the plane to Billings the plane was so small that the sound of the propellers was too loud to talk over. Elder Dearborn and I are not in a companionship together yet, because the President is waiting till transfers; which are next week. There isn't room in the basement we're living in for one more person to sleep, so I've had the couch for the last week, which is surprisingly better than the MTC mattresses. A lot of our work is with the less active members of the ward. The few investigators we do have are progressing slowly, but I have high hopes for a couple of them. (I have high hopes for all of them, but you know what I mean) We had zone conference last Tuesday and a visit from Santa, who brought us candy, and hand sanitizer. I've been trying to keep up with my language study, but with no one to practice on it's slipping a little. I am still determined to find the one Brasileiro in Montana and Baptize them. The culture is a lot different here. I have never seen so many houses with so many hunting trophies before. I'm having trouble with thinking of what more I could write. It's been "warm" this week; which means that it has gotten all the way up to 40. I've been warm enough since we haven't been doing any tracting and most people keep their houses warm. Hopefully I'll have more exciting news next week.
My address for this next week is:
1631 valley drive
laurel, MT, 59044

David's Mailing Address

Elder David Short
Montana-Billings Mission
1848 Rimrock Rd.
Billings, MT 59102

We have not heard anything from David since the phone call last Monday from the Airport in Montana.

We'll keep you posted!

Gary

David's Call

David did call back last Saturday to say that, until he gets his visa, he was reassigned to the ....


Billings Montana Mission

We heard again from him when he arrived Monday in Montana.

We will post his preferred mailing address soon!!!

Important notice from the MTC!

I received my reassignment this week, because my visa has not come yet, so I'll get to call you tonight with my travel plans. I don't want to tell you where I'm going until we can talk on the phone. Please let everyone be home by around 6 tonight. I'm not positive that I'll be able to call then, but that is the time I'm aiming for. I shall on the other be telling  you where everyone else in my district got reassigned. Elder Gubler and Hales are called to the San Diego CA mission, so look out for them
Elder Grandy(my companion) and Elder Duncan are going to the Roseville CA mission, Elder Higley, Elder Hurst and Elder Patterson are going to the Oakland CA mission, Elder Buttars is going to the Lubbock Texas mission, Sister Lund is going to the Colorado Springs Colorado mission, Sister Owens is going the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania mission, and Elder Dearborn is going with me. The Christmas lights aare finally up. I'm Happy, because I didn't think that they'd be up before I left. We had for our devotional this last week at the MTC Sister Julie Beck, General president of the Relief society. This last week has been about preparing to leave( I leave monday morning). On monday we had a health and Safety meeting to tell us how to not get parasites. We also got to host new missionaries again this week. Almost all the sisters I hosted were going to Russia. It is so hard to think of anything else than where I'm going now. I tell you all about it tonight. Até Logo.

Love,
Elder Short

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I wasn't sure how I was going to fell about being away from home for thanksgiving, but it was awesome even though I am away. We had the AMAZING! pleasure of having Elder Jeffry R. Holland come talk to us for our Thanksgiving devotional. He brought his entire family, and his 13 grandchildren gave a musical performance. In the spirit of thanksgiving we had a service project where we put together backpack kits. My district was assigned to tracing the fabric for the backpacks. In the end as a mission we had made 33,400 kits. We been thinking this last about the string of physical misfortune that accompanies our district. We've had two rolled ankles, one case of severe bronchitis(i don't know how to spell it), one case of severe sleep apnea, two broken hands, five colds, and twelve cases of bad gas. Next Wednesday we'll be receiving our reassignments. I'm praying that it will be somewhere Portuguese speaking. Visas are starting to trickle in. Apparently the same thing happened last year and all of them came in right after Christmas. Going to Brazil wouldn't be the worst Christmas pressent. Every morning I wake up, realize where I am, and go "Oh my goodness....I'm a missionary" The other thing I wake up thinking is "I've been here almost two months" I want to get out of here so bad, so that I can teach someone real, who's not a teacher, or another missionary. So many missionary try to interrupt you so that they can practice bearing their testimony, or try to contact you, but it gets to the point where it's almost every five minutes, that if my companion and I see anyone coming up to us while start praying and people usually leave us alone. I had one condition for Thanksgiving and that was that they better have stuffing, and they did, so it was all good. This year I am thankful for my family and their support, my district, the opportunity to serve a mission, the restored gospel, the talents God has given me, and pumpkin pie. Love you all

Love,
Elder David Short

Dearest Family

The pattern was broken this week. After a month of hearing Apostles of the Quorum of the Twelve speak, we had Elder Pearson of the Seventy come speak to us about being called to succeed. Not one of us was call on a mission to fail.
We in our District had the awesome experience of hosting the new missionaries who came into the MTC this wednesday. We were the welcoming commitee as Elders got dropped off at the curb, and then we would show them to their rooms and classrooms to meet their district.
I haven't really seen classrooms in other buildings before that day, so now I know how lucky I as was in getting the desks I have. Ours have storage space and are separate from the chairs, but everyone else in other builders have those desks that are little pallets attached to folding chairs.
A lot of people were crying as they dropped off their missionaries, but it was great to give the families a little bit of comfort and let them know that everything was going to be alright and that they get to see them again in two years.
Anything that doesn't really fit into the definition our pupose from the PMG is nicknamed Babylon
So when missionaries have to go to the doctors or to the bank to sort something out, we call it entering Babylon.
I'm living in a bubble right now and I am so anxious to get out and start serving.
I love you all so so so so much.
Let me know if there is anything I can do
Love Elder Short

Quatros Apostolos!

Once again this week we have been blessed to have an apostle come visit us. On Tuesday we had Elder David A. Bednar come and speak to us about concentrating on the Doutrina do Evangelho. Every week we think that it will be the last apostle we'll listen to in the MTC, but then another week comes and we get another apostle. The weather up here has been chilly, but I don't mind it. I find it funny to watch people go outside and immediately double over in the cold. It has snowed a couple times but each time it just melts when it hits the ground. I really want it to truly snow before I leave here. The visa situation has improved a little bit. Visas have slowly started to come in, but all of the ones that are coming are coming through the Seattle consulate so all the people going to Brazil are from the Washington and Oregon areas, but it's all moving along so it's all good. The scones are deliscious! I haven't heard back about those fake credit cards I requested (raised eyebrow). Everything remains fantastic. Our progressive investigator here (our teacher) is getting baptized this weekend, and he finally got married to his wife. I always have trouble thinking of things to write, but if there is anything specifically you want me to write let me know. I love you all.

Love, Elder Short

The Epistle of Elder Short

 

 I Elder Short write a proceeding of my time among the Elders in the land of MTC. It being the 5th day of the eleventh month in the year 2000 and 10 years since the birth of Lord. 

2 I know not why I write, save it be P-day and my companion compels me. Nevertheless so has passed the second fortnight since my arrival in the land of MTC.

3 I know not the ways of the Lord, but I see the blessings that he has bestowed upon me. On the eve of our last devotional we were visited for a third time by an Apostle of the Lord. M. Russel Ballard did come and preach the word of the Lord concerning our role as "Master Communicators."

4 It compelleth me that I request fake credit cards for mine decoy wallet to give unto thieves and robbers. I and mine companion grown in our understanding of the gift of tongues, for our teacher did challenge us to speak only the words of Portuguese for the space of three days.

5 I have obtained great strength in the gospel and in my own stature, for I can now do all of forty push-ups.

6 We have received joyous news concerning visas. The calling of the chief judge of Brazil is now over and word of the progression of visas does spread

7 My time is now short upon this computer and I make a end of my  writings. May the Lord be with you in all your travels. Peace be unto you my brethren in the land of Babylon. Amen.

Photos

District in front of the Provo Temple

Sister Owens and Sister Lund

Distrito Chefe

Elder Gubler 

Candid Photo

Hard at work

Elder Grandy w/ Siamese Sourpatch Kids

Dearborn       Higley       Duncan      Hurst      Hales

Short       Patterson       Buttars      Gubler

Grandy

Week Four

Como Vai Minha Familha?
This last Tuesday we had Richard G. Scott come and speak to us about recognizing and following the promptings of the Spirit. He expressed his great love for us, and gave us an Apostolic blessing of the gift of tongues, and confidence in our work. He also gave the Sister missionaries a blessing that they might be shielded from danger. There was much crying during our district review afterwards. It was such a blessing to have two Apostles of the Lord in two weeks. There are twelve people in my district plus our two teachers. I told you that I'd have a personal trainer in my district, and my prophesy came to pass. Elder Buttars is a certified personal trainer, so this last week we started a program and today I am finding it difficult to sit down para the lap of lunges we did around the ginasio track. I feel you cannot really understand how amazing it is here without knowing some things about my district. Elder Buttars is from Boise, 22, and he already spoke Spanish and a little Portuguese, so he has been helping a lot with language study. Elder Dearborn is from Colorado, he is pretty shy, but he gets about twenty letters a week from girls he claims to be his sisters, but we know better. My companion Elder Grandy is from West Jordan, and he basically a highlander. he had to give up bringing his beard, and his collection of kilts to come on a mission. Little is known about our District Leader Elder Gubler, only that he is from Vegas and that he was a towel boy at a casino pool, other than that he is a mystery. Elder Hales is basically the clown of our group, he is from Salt Lake, plays the cello, and makes us laugh till we think the cafeteria milk will come out our nose. Elder Higley is from Alabama, he enjoys killing snakes,eating them, and wishes to study them as his career. Elder Hurst is from Ogden and the randomly strange awesome Elder of our group. Elder Patterson is from Phoenix already spoke Portuguese and is going to get married as soon as he gets home. There still a couple Elders and Sisters I wish to tell you about but my time is running out. The Church is True. I love you all

Week Three

Oi Minha Familha

This place just keeps getting better and better, especially when I get boxes of halloween cookies. At this last tuesday devotional the head of security came up to the mic and reminded us that we don't stand for hymns and that the only time we stand is when an apostle is present. During our opening hymn who should walk in, but Russell M. Nelson. It is so amazing to listen to an apostle who is speaking directly to you about what you are doing at that moment. It looks like because of the elections going on in Brazil that signing off on visas moves at a snails pace, so in two months I'll probably be writing from South Carolina. We had our second practice investigating experience this week. My ability to speak Portuguese in down, but I'm glad to say that my ability to understand Portuguese is up. I don't think I've told you this yet but the Hymn Secret Prayer is much better in Portugeuese. The first day of class another district came in and sang it with us. We later had to sing it in english at a fireside in English and it was so boring. My district loves all the goodies you've sent, but they only lasted about two hours. As part of our goals as a district we must give testimony at least three times a day in Portuguese, and we aren't allowed to speak English during meals. We'll be going to the temple later today for endowments. See you all in two years,

Love Elder Short

Tenho um testimunho

que Dues nos amas, e que Jesus Cristo e nosso Salvador, e que ele morreu por nosso pecados

Eu falo isso coissas em nome de Jesus Cristo Amen

Elder David Short's Letter Week 2

segunda week

Week Two is well underway. We've have successfully started the district traditions of Red Gravata Tuesday, Greenie Gravata Wednesday, and Ugly Gravata Friday. Portuguese is coming Rapito, but our practice discussions in the language have my companheiro and I stressed. We had our first TRC activity where we had to contact three people(volunteer actors) in Portuguese and then give the last one the first lesson. Our guy was really nice and afterwards gave us some advice and then shared some of his experience with serving in Brazil. For our district picture we made a ten elder pyramid; it was pretty sweet. We were able to go to the temple for a session as a district today. It was really awesome to experience a different temple with all the awesome elders, and then to talk about our experience. On our Tuesday devotional we had President Edgely of the Presiding Bishopric came to talk to us. We've pretty much been settling into our routine. Elder Grandy and I got haircuts this moring before going to the temple (pictures coming soon). Love you all. Send Cookies! and tell whoever to write me (I want to make the other Elders Jealous).

 

Elder Baixo 

Elder David Short's Letter Week 1

Oi Minha Familia!

I miss you all, but it's hard to think of home with all the mind blowing awesomeness that is going on. I was late getting to the CTM so I had two companheiros before I found meu assigned companheiro. Meu companheiro is Elder Grandy, he's pretty much the most awesome guy ever. He's from West Jordan and is scottish in heritage, so mention of his claymore made him my favorite person. My district is made up of Elders and Sisters who are waiting for their visas to Brazil. The other companionship in my room, Elder Hales and Elder Gubler, are also going to Goiania. Today is only day four, but I already feel like I'm getting a grasp of the language. We started Portuguese by learning how to pray, and all our prayers since then have been in Portuguese. Today in out class we worked on bearing our testimony. Elders Patterson and Buttars in my district already know some Portuguese so they've been helping a lot during MDT. I get so excited that I feel like I'm going to defenistrate something. Words cannot describe how Belezer it is every waking moment here. Everyday we here about other Elders who's visas have come in, and it gives us hope. Thursday eight visas came through for another district. Our branch president is Irmao Braithwait. He's really nice, and he served his mission in Brazil when his mission was half the country. My head is too full of the things going on right now, that I'm having trouble thinking of things to say. All I can think of is how excited I am to go out and serve. Eu voces amos. Till next week. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Dropping David off at the San Diego Airport October 6th 2010

David was excited and the rest of us were too. Not many tears shed (that will be later).

David and his Mom's Mom Cynthia Shirley

Family Pictures before David's Departure to the MTC

Write Me

My mailing address in Provo is:

Elder David Edward Short
MTC Mailbox # 257
BRA-GOI 1207
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Write me and I will write you back