A long week/weekend of drama and not feeling good!

So this last week was a lot of fun and sad!

I found out this week one of my really good friends got pregnant and that her parents were making her get an abortion!! So being the person I am I comforted her and told her she has options and that killing this baby would be the worst thing for her to do. My mom even told her she could come live with us if she needed. However her parents wasted no time and she got the abortion. I cried so hard and I wasn't even with her. I know by what I believe and have so much faith in, that that little spirit was waiting a life time to get the chance to obtain a body to be with its Heavenly Father. I didn't understand how parents could do that to their own daughter and risk her salvation. However with comfort from my mom who I love and hold dear to my heart told me that first I can't control everything in my life or peoples lives, and second that they have the agency to choose for them selves. Ah I dis-like agency sometimes (not really, just when people don't do what's right). However the feeling I got that day I will never for get, the Holy Ghost gave me the feeling of accomplishment, that I have made it through the little version of heal it self, HIGH SCHOOL. I can say that I am a senior in high school and still a virgin and still have my integrity and virtue! That I am grateful to have parents who have taught me the gospel and the standards and the blessing from living those standards. That I will not be put in a situations such as worrying about getting pregnant, and changing my life plans due to consequences by those actions. I can go to college with these standards that will keep me safe and bless me throughout my life. Even though that spirit was taken from this Earth I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for that little spirit and at least it got the first step down :) .

Thursday Thais and I left school together went and got our nails done and got a pre summer glow by getting a spray tan. We had a great time especially going to institute where we laugh uncontrollable due to Thais being on lots of pain medicine for her ear and me a lack of sleep. We all went to Sonic afterwards with a bunch of friends, when my mom texts that she was going to see "How to train your Dragon" at the mid-night showing. I asked Thais if she wanted to go or let me take her home. Well of course she wanted to go, so she called her "American mom" but she wasn't home. When Janelle got home she had her son Jay called her and Janelle wouldn't talk to her. Well lets just say Thais doesn't understand why Janelle did that and there have been other issues. Well after taking care of Thais I consoled her to go talk to the Bishop who could understand her situation and help her spiritually get through it. So she took my advise and as usual I was right :) haha I love it when that happens. I can say that my mom always told me if I had a issue or situation I didn't know what to do or fix, that no matter what my bishop would be there for me, which he always has been. How grateful I truly am to live at this time when the world is at disturbance and has no idea what to do, that I know what to do and what the plan that Heavenly Father has set up for me.

Friday I really started not to feel good and didn't go to school again!! So my mom being worried this whole month took me to the doctor who did some test to figure out why I keep getting sick, when usually I only go in once a year for a check up. We found out that by them switching the medicines I was on, it messed up my system and now I have to go through a detox which makes me even sicker, and due to being on my period for a month I got a bladder infection, which my doctor was wonder why I didn't notice it, (well that is due to having horrific craps, yeah to where I didn't notice that I had a bladder infect) sorry probably TMI but that is my life in a nut-shell haha.

Saturday I spent the day with my mom and went to mall and got a few things with some gift card I had just sitting in my purse. I still wasn't feeling to good but went to my last Young Women's broadcast! Which we learned simple steps and also about our "happy ever after" President Uchdorf did a great job talk to the young women who think they are very much princess! :) He told us that Fairy Tales about princesses, or how a maiden or servant becomes a princess have very similarities to our lives. As told in the stories the girl starts off with a trial maybe evil step sisters, or being a servant girl, they all have to face a trail. But the best part is they always have a Happily Ever After! Which is very much true to the life we live as young women! We are obedient to the gospel and live our lives accordingly but we always are tested and given trials to get to our Happily Ever After which is to be sealed in the temple for time and all eternity! Caitlen and I are getting a mirror and putting on it "Our Happily Ever After has just begun" Hahah this is the world of girls, truly. We as young girls dream of fairy tales and happy endings but as we get older that hope and dream becomes harder and harder! However always worth it!

Sunday was also another SPIRITUAL day, with great announcement of two of my friends coming back from their mission and Katie Alley getting her Patriarchal blessing was awesome. As I sat through the fire side that night I found out about the conversion of brother Link. At the age of 10 after his grandfather died his grandfather appeared to him in his room, didn't say a word just stood there, until Brother Link got up to reach out to him. He ran to his mom who told him he was crazy.
He went through life with 3 questions he asked every church:
1 Did you believe in Angles, and did you believe that they can appear in this day and time?
2. What is the power that Jesus had and how do you get it?
3. How do you get to heaven and gain salvation

No church could give him an answer that gave him the prompting to join that church. It wasn't till he was 21 working on computers he was sent a guy to work with him on computers that was a return missionary. One night brother Link had tickets to a hockey game and offered Chip (the return missionary) to go. He said he couldn't because he was going to church that he was over the young men and had to be there. So Brother Link asked him okay I don't want to hear what you believe in I just want you to answer these 3 questions, so he asked him the questions and Chip answered them all! So he was convinced and went to a fireside where they showed a movie about a conversion story. He cried which he was always taught to be a man, and realized that even the huge missionary from Sweden was crying. After the fireside he met with the missionaries, was baptised and it didn't stop there. His bishop asked him if he ever thought to go on a mission? which he said no. But as the months went on he figured that he wanted to marry a young women from the church, however they are always taught to marry a return missionary, not only that he was in a priesthood fireside when the men where told to serve a mission he was sitting in the back of the room where there was a wall, a hand was placed on his shoulder and a man whispered (his grandfather) that he needed his work to be done. through his life his grandfather helped him a long the way to help him get his grandfather where he needed to be. He told us that our lives don't stop and we never stop converting, we never stop talking about the gospel or sharing the gospel. He also encouraged every young man to serve a mission, which is always awesome! I am just amazed at how this gospel changes peoples lives for the best, not to make it easier but to help them gain salvation.

Love Shanel

Youth Conference

So Youth Conference was very hard, however very much worth it. My dad and I worked on the props for the Carnival for the rotations this past week, and after meeting, fasting, and praying youth conference arrived.
I was very sick with so kind of stomach flu 2 days before I had to leave, so thankfully my dad gave me a blessing that I would be strong and be able to take care of the family I would be over. So the day arrived we loaded up Jed Wilkinson's Trailer with everything we needed and the girls headed out. We got there pretty early got registered, got to our camp sites and met our parents and family. My parents name were the Matthews, they met at ldssingles.org haha I never thought that worked :) well she is from Guatemala and he was from Washington. during the civil wars sister Matthews parents sent her to New York, which is how she learned English. She came to America for 10 days to meet Brother Matthews and then 2 months later he went to Guatemala and proposed to her in a palace there. They have a really cute story. Well my family was great we all got along and I got close to boys from Magnolia 1st this time and also Madeline Morris.
We went to the presentation of the pre-mortal life which we were under the stars and when the world was created a big fire was created. then we went back to our tents, I began to get a horrible head ache which lasted through the night. I woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to work. I woke up when the Nicole's got there and distributed all the kids their shirts and then Jordan and I left to go set up the carnival. the set up was easy especially with Justin Nordins help. He brought us breakfast and helped set up and then helped with carnival. Then Jordan and I left to meet up with our family.
we started our rotations the first one was the plan of salvation, the youth leaders went on "Missions" where we were given the information to teach our families of the plan of salvation. The next rotation was boy/girl relations where we learned to communicate face to face rather then text messaging. then we went to the family rotation. Brother Straighter taught us about the bikes that have more then one seat and how it is a tradition in a country to add a seat to the bicycle when you get married and then have kids. he represented that to as a family you are on the same bike you might have ones pedaling and helping and some that are pushing on the brakes. He asked us to think about what role did we play in the family. we are all on the same bike ride but are we helping or stopping the progression. then to Lehi's dream where we learned of the importunates of the gospel. Sister Beckstead told us of a family she knew and the son did everything he was supposed to, he left for his mission however after a few weeks of being in the MTC was sent home due to addiction to video games. His parent didn't know that he would get up at 1 in the morning and play till 4. he was so addicted that in the MTC they found him in the fetal position unable to function. How crazy is it that technology can take over our lives to where we can't function and prevents us from our spiritual abilities. after that we went to the importance of the body which was really similar to communication. The last one was the carnival! :) How awesome was it to see the youth get so excited, going against each other in stick pull, getting their face painted, throwing darts at the balloons, and doing scripture mastery. the Singles ward really did a great job and helping and motivating everyone, the leaders bishop hair and brother sister dayhuff did a great job at helping also. Madeline and I had a great time going against the boys at stick pull as they threw us across them. when the carnival was over we had a FHE where our Moms and Pop's taught us threw the talk the great imitator. we learned that Satan tempts us even when we don't notice. and the person with the most blue tickets got the lucky treat "chocolate covered garlic" the boys that knew played it cool and Jordan Anderson got it. We all started laughing but I helped him out with some gum :) they really got it after the FHE though.

We had family games which was really fun b/c we had to protect our precious gift a water balloon threw the whole thing. At the end another person and I were the only ones that had our water balloon left and got awesome cup cakes :). W e soon headed off to dinner where I ate alot since I have been sick. After that though my stomach hurt soooo bad!! but I pushed threw it and got threw the dance. At night time all the girls were in the tent and Chase Kunz, Jeff Thomas, Riley O'neal, and I think Tim Stewart were hanging out by the window talking to us. They were really sweet they got us water and made sure we were doing great. Then they kept us up pretty much all night haha. However I woke up probably about 4 am and sat straight up and had Nikky Open the tent door fast!! I ran out of the tent and threw up everything :( yeah not a great time. I was basically sick the rest of the day. But I went back to sleep after washing my mouth out. I woke up very slowly trying not to feel nausea's and packed all my stuff. The boys took down the tents and Justin came and carried all my stuff, even though I told him I could carry some of it but he just told me no and to put it down haha such a good guy. Well after his help I made it to my ward where I jumped into the car. We went to Klein and changed and took showers (I was so excited) I started feeling a little better however when we got to the Stake Center I didn't eat. We left in our families to the Nursing homes and I met Marie Mitz Thot who was from Staten Island, New York. She grew up their her whole life and was a telephone operator. She tap danced as a youth at nursing homes and loves to cook and do crafts. She traveled by train, and ferry to get to work (which she said a lot) :) She has short term memory loss but it could be because she was born September 27, 1911. She is 99 years old!!!! She was sweet and Maddy and I were very patient with her.
As we left the home and went back to the Stake Center where we learned the importance of the priesthood and how we should always honor them and appreciate them.
We should not feel any less because they have that power because we have a stronger power over them. It was really good She told us to always strive for a return missionary and someone willing to go to their meetings and always wanting to go. Then as the young men were brought in we were taught of the importance of the temple and given a piece of stone directly from the Houston Temple! How awesome!
Well I think at testimony meeting I got my answer to whether the youth got what they needed or not. and the youth testified that they loved it and they learned something from each activity that they needed in their life. Just like Brother Kunz asked us at the beginning of the planning of youth conference "to be simple but profound" I think we achieved that. The youth as we fasted and prayed for this conference the spirit was there and we where taught. How grateful I am to have this chance to be apart of the conference and to truly see Heavenly Father answer our prayers :)
Love Shanel

Family!!!!!!

So Yesterday at Young women's all the Laurels planned the activity of going through the Plan of Salvation together. So each one of the girls was over a part of the P.O.S and then we each got up and presented which part we had and what we learned about! I had the kingdoms of heaven and it went very well! My mom helped me set up which was amazing!!! She did an awesome job, I can't believe I didn't take pictures. But anyways I had everyone crying even me! hahah well The Plan of Salvation is something that means the most to me!! Its where we will be someday and why!

Today on the other had was a horrible day, I didn't wake up for school, so I did some homework and mom came to me really up set about my older brother Jeff. Him and his family do not believe in the same thing we do and does not like us pushing our beliefs on him. Well my mom was going to spend money she really didn't have to send him out here and his family for my graduation, and to let my nieces stay for a month with grandma :). Well they told my mom the only way she can keep them is if she didn't take them to church well she was very upset and hurt. She wants to show her awesome children off at church and they wont even simply go to sacrament with us... Well lets just say my older brother will not be down here for my graduation! :( I think it is very sad that families can't get along. I have always wondered why he left the church and I really do think it is because he wants to live the ways of the world instead of what is right. I believe in this church so much and have such a strong testimony of the church that I really do think I couldn't live without the church in my life. If he could just see how easy it is and how the gospel makes life so simple, not easier but more simple! I think that is the hardest thing for me to get over and to except. My family will not be united and just a family there will always be that boundary that is Between us.

I love T.J. he is so funny; he is my other older brother, I talked to him about the whole thing and he said I can see it both ways but it is moms money and choice. I asked him "is it really that big of a deal to go to sacrament so mom can show off her kids?" He says " no its not that big a deal because I am LDS" I just laughed.. I think that he does believe in the church he just has some bad habits he needs to get over hahah.. He cracks me up. Well I guess its just going to be T.J, Christina, Nana and Papa that come out! Oh well it will still be lots of fun :) I love my family even though they drive me crazy but I think that's one thing that I do understand is I love them no matter what :)
Shanel