New emails!

Ok everyone! I have been a huge slacker with the blog, so I am going to post some updates!! Alex is doing awesome, he is in Selma again-- he's been there almost his entire mission! He is serving as District Leader again, he loves it! So here are some parts of emails, and if you need his address email me at shayleetolman@gmail.com or message me via Facebook.  I'm posting the excerpts starting with the newest. Notice how often he says "y'all"- hilarious! 

This week was LEGIT! Elder B and I found a bunch of new people to teach and have a lot of baptismal dates set up! Our thanksgiving was awesome! We ate at the Talbots and had a HUGE lunch haha it was sweet! I gained like 5 pounds haha! Well this week went super fast because it was so filled with things! We went with Bro Talbot and did some service @ his hunting club this week! That was way fun haha it was a good/new type of service so it was nice!

        Well, I'm staying AGAIN in SELMA! 12 and a half months BABY! Crazy right? Well this week was pretty fast. I don't really even remember what happened this week! We went to Montgomery for a baptism and then when we were done a member took us to Tokyo (like tepanyaki) it was LEGIT!  But all is going well here in Selma! The work is going a little slow but it is starting to speed up again so that is good! Oh, also, I can't believe Mom and Dad went to Elder Fatiaus HOMECOMING! HOW INSANE! I wanted to cry when I heard that haha I don't know why but I just did haha! 

This week was pretty awesome but SO FAST! Haha I really feel like there is nothing big to write about. Our new approach is SO LEGIT! We got into so many houses this week it was insane! But we are teaching this lady named Rebecca and she is far beyond what we consider a "golden" investigator here in the south haha. She has read through the BOM one and a half times. She is so AWESOME! She already labels herself as "mormon" and stands up for the church, she is awesome! But, the work is going to great here! I had to talk this last Sunday, AGAIN  haha. In the 11 months I've been here i've spoken 13 times haha crazy right? Well, I'm starting Jesus the Christ AGAIN haha, it is such an amazing book I just want to read it all the time! I got an SWEET old copy from the Magnolia Branch. It's super old school and LEGIT! Well, hmm... haha I really don't know what else to talk about!  Bry is SO CUTE! Gall, she better still be pretty small when I get home! I don't wanna miss all the good years when they're little and cute. I don't wanna hit the obnoxious stage haha.  Keep on being awesome and living the gospel! Ya'll are the best! 

This week as LEGIT! "To legit, to legit to quit" haha! We baptized Wesley in Magnolia and that was super awesome! He asked me to baptize him so I gladly did! It is seriously the most AMAZING feeling! Those first words "Having been commissioned.." are SO POWERFUL it's INSANE! Well, I'm glad that I am finally up and running again with full force. I've started praying every night that I won't get sick again haha I hope it works! But Elder B and I have found some pretty awesome people lately! We started doing a new approach that we learned from the Fort Lauderdale, Florida Mission and it is working like a charm! Since they've been using it since last September they've doubled their baptisms and then doubled again! NUTS RIGHT? They had 40 last September and they had 150 this September! That's INSANE! But what it is is pretty much you knock just like a regular door approach but when they answer one of you says something along the lines of "we are representatives of Jesus Christ sent to you to bless you and your family through prayer, do you have a minute or two that we can bless you?" If they say yes, then your in. If they say no, you bear testimony and promise them blessings and then ask again. Then, the missionary who gave the introduction of who we are what we're doing ask about their family, job and ask if their is anything else we could include in the blessing. While one is asking the questions, the other is listening and memorizing all the names, jobs, needs ect. Then, that missionary who memorized it all offers the blessing and instead of a prayer your literally bless the person and his family with out the laying on of hands. You say "in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the holy priesthood I hold, I bless you that..." and your proceed to bless them with all the things the family was doing or in need of one by one. It has been workings SO GOOD! We have gotten into so many houses and got return appointments it's insane! So that has been cool! 

     So I finished reading Jesus the Christ this weekend. The end is SO LEGIT, my favorite part by far. I have learned so much from the book it's off the chain! Well, I hope this email was long enough for ya'll haha! Sorry they have been so short! I love you both so much and you really have NO IDEA how much I love you and how grateful I am for you! STAY STRONG in the gospel! You two are AWESOME!

OKAY!! BRY is TO FLIPPIN CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap haha those pictures were off the chain, I loved them! Well, thanks so much for your email! You two are seriously the best! I don't know what I'd do without you two! I was sick up until Saturday this week :( bummer huh? I've lost about 6-7 lbs total so that's not good! But, I mean hey, we all have trials right haha? I guess being sick was one I was supposed to have! Everytime I'm going through something like this I pray that I will get out of it what he wants me to and it's amazing how much you can learn even from just little things like sicknesses and what not. So this week was a little better as far as that goes! I'm feeling better right now, a little warm, but I'm good to go now haha watch out Selma here comes Elder Tolman. I've had WAY TO LONG to rest haha so I have a lot of energy now! 

This week has been super legit though! We had another baptism yesterday for a girl named Terrika, she is so awesome! It's been raining here all week haha so that's been fun, I LOVE working in the rain haha it softens hearts I swear.  But this week has really gone way fast I can't believe it. Transfers are already in a week and a half isn't that nuts? I'm so STOKED for General Conference though, I have grown to love it SO MUCH! I'm sorry to hear how sad you are since you were released, I know I'll be the SAME WAY! That's how I know your heart was really in your calling because you get attached to it. But, just like everything else, "there is a time and a season" right? Some season are short some are long, but they are ALL REWARDING and worth it! I know you'll do great in your full time calling as a MOM though, I just know it! Well everything is going so great out here, I love it so much! I'm so grateful I have an amazing family like you guys, I couldn't have ever wished for more! I can't believe you guys are parents and all grown up and OLD hahaha it's crazy! Well, I hope your hairs are still Brown and growing thick hahaha ;) dont you two--or should I say three-- go getting to old on me now hahaha I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Mother's Day

Ummm UNCLE ALEX?!

        I did not even know until now you losers hahahaha I'm FREAKING OUT in the library!! You were supposed to call haha I just found out you had her!! She is the most GORGEOUS baby I have ever seen! Seriously I'm trying with all the energy of heart right now not to cry haha because I am surrounded by people in the library that already think we are crazy haha. That is so exciting! She is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could just hold her right now!! All the ladies who work here in the library were all flippin out too haha because I showed them (they love us), they said to give her a kiss for them :) Well how is everyone else loving her! I bet you have people coming over all the time now huh haha? how spoiled is she? Actually dont answer that haha I dont even wanna know... :) Well this week was pretty awesome!!!! Especially now that I just found that out!! This has been the greatest week ever! We found a guy named Robert, he is a really old white guy (thats uncommon out here) and he is seriously the most humble guy I have ever met! This man has lost everything yet, he has such a Christ-centered life. I don't know what it is about this investigator, but my heart has never been so full for someone we are teaching. I desire so greatly to have him receive the gospel. It really is a feeling I have never had before. I know that the Lord is working through us as missionaries to bring this wonderful gospel to people like Robert. He is such a wonderful person and he has such a caring and open heart, he really is a tender mercy the Lord has provided for us to be able to meet him. Well, other than that I have just been reading and learning all the time haha and spreading the gospel. Life is great, if I was this happy forever, I would never complain or ask for another thing haha. Well I'm so excited that you are FINALLY PARENTS! You are both going to be so great!.. actually, you already ARE! Well, I have been having such a wonderful time out here. The time is going so fast it isnt fair haha, it honestly needs to slow down. Months turn into weeks, weeks into days, and days into hours. It really is SO INSANE! Well I love you all very much! I'll admitt I haven't taken any pictures in my new area yet haha so I will start! Everything with me is going great! I hope all with you is well!!! I pray for you each every night! Let my friends know when you see them that I love them very much, and that I KNOW this church is true! I can't comprehend or explain why I am so happy, I just am, and I know everyone can be too. Let them know okay! Can't wait to here from you soon! If there is anything I can do out here to help you out let me know, but until then, I'll keep on with my fervant prayers! :)

I LOVE YOU!

Peace, LOVE and Blessings,

                            

             Elder Tolman

Well tell Brons HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

        So I dont have much time sorry so I'm gonna try and make this quick. But with how insane this week was it's probably going to be pretty long haha. So to start, after our district meeting on Monday we had the craziest day. So there was Elder Yogoh, Berhelson, Losi, York, Sowyer, Lunt, Prestwitch and I. And then a Senior couple named Elder and Sister Greenland. So the we are all sitting in the church after district meeting and the only people outside are the senior couple and elder prestwitch. Then, all of the sudden he comes running into the room and says "do you guys have anything valuable in the car?! because some guy was just going through your car!" So he tells us that the guys is a skinny black guy wearing a brown shirt. So we all run outside and are looking for this guy and can't find him anywhere. So we go to the car and check. He had stolen Elder Losi's GPS and that's all we could really tell. He left my camera and ipod haha so we figured he didnt really know what he was doing. But then, all of the sudden we hear Elder Prestwitch say "hey, there he is!" And this guy had come back and was just walking through the church parking lot hahaha so I start running and him and I'm like "Hey come here!" and this guy yells "I got a gun!" but in my heart something was like "no he doesnt" so I keep running at him and he picks up a rock and throws it at me (luckily he missed), so at this point I knew he didnt have one. but then all of the missionaries run and surround him. And so we are telling this guy "hey just give our stuff back and we'll let you go" and this guy picks up this huge stick hahaha and throws it and it nails Elder Berthelson (the smallest one, like 5' 9" and 140 lbs) right in the face haha I know I shouldn't be laughing but it was so crazy and funny at the same time. So Elder Yogoh and I run up to this guy and start swinging at him trying to grab him and get the stuff, then he just throws it on the ground and runs haha so we got it all back. This guy took his GPS and some CD's and left an IPOD and my CAMERA  haha these people down here, I'm tellin ya. So that was by far the crazy story for the week haha. Well other than that I had to do the most embarrassing thing ever haha! So Elder Berthelson thinks he has a splinter in his butt, and it was hurting him so bad he couldn't sit down. So he calls Sister Rugg and tells her whats going on, and she says "okay have someone in your house get a needle and get it out" haha so we are all like no way haha I'm not touching his butt. So we all put a foot in the middle and play "catch a tiger by his toe", and guess who it lands on, ME! Haha so I have to pretty much stick a needle in this Elders behind and squeeze out a splinter haha I felt so homo, but this isnt the end. The next day, it is twice as big. Probably like the size of a quarter. So he calls her again and she says to go to the ER. So we go there last night. It turns out he had a boil on his butt hhaha and that they were spreading because he now had one on his arm. So while I'm in the room this elder has to take all his clothes off, put on one of those little gowns and lay there while a female doctor lances this boil on his butt haha it seriously was the funniest thing I have ever seen, I was laughing so hard I was crying haha. You just had to be there. The only down side is it took it 6 hours to get done, because they take the patients who are in the worst condition first, so he got helped like very last haha. So that was the crazy week I had! So yeah haha I had an awesome week! I finnished that first journal by the way! I think it was like 200 pages, so I'm starting on my 2nd, I never thought that would happen haha. I'm glad I'm keeping record of all this though, it is awesome! I'm glad to hear that all is going well with Bryleigh though! Man she is SO CUTE! You guys probably needed a date though so that was good! Well you two are the BEST! I hope my stories made you laugh haha just wait until I tell it in person haha it was so funny! So pretty much keep on being awesome! Good luck with school and work and the baby! Oh and guess what, i've been exercising too! I'm back to 210. Elder Yogoh and I kill it everyday! So I'm gaining weight because of the protein we take, YAY! So good luck with the gym, all those extra lbs will come off soon :) LOVE YOU GUYS! STAY AWESOME AS EVER! THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE!

Love peace and blessings,

                            

           Elder Tolman :)

YO YO!! :)
      Haha well, first things first, I'm getting TRANSFERED AGAIN!
Say what?! haha this is nuts. I'm pretty stoked though. The only part
that I'm not looking forward to is packing, that totally sucks. This
week was pretty sweet though haha. I got to take Elder Berthelson to
get his butt boil looked at a couple more times, that was pretty
entertaining. :) I'll be honest though, the only part that just looks
so. . . different .. is seeing a woman come in and mess around with an
Elder's butt haha it's just an interesting sight to see as a
missionary. I also went on an exchange to the richest area in the
mission this week. It's a place called Hoover. I went on an exchange
with Elder Lunt, I was in Selma with him. It was way cool. These
houses out here are so HUGE!! It's nuts. Never in my wildest dreams
would I ever had imagined that Alabama had nice houses hahaha show's
how quick I was to judge right? These houses were each 2 million bucks
or more, it was CRAZY! This one house by the church out there had like
4 floors and the entire bottom of the house was glass, it was so
sweet. This week I did a lot of running around. I had to go to most of
the surrounding areas and do some interviews for baptism so that was
nice. Yesterday was super awesome too. We had a missionary/member
leadership training by Elder Bluth of the 70, he was TO LEGIT TO QUIT!
haha he blew me out of the water with some of the things he said. It
made me so pumped to get out and do missionary work though, especially
because he talked about working together as missionaries and members.
So that got everyone into the spirit to share the gospel. I'm so happy
to hear that everything is going great with Bryleigh! You better send
me some pictures quick haha I'm getting impatient. hahaha so pretty much the mission is the
greatest thing ever, seriously, not a worry in the world. I never ever
thought that this is what a mission would feel like. It's probably
every emotion in the world all combined into one huge one, but in the
end, your HAPPY and that's all that matters, truely happy. Well, I'm
pretty stoked to start playing ball again haha so I'll let you know
how that goes. And about the journal, I'll never lose it haha, it's
like a record of God's dealings with the modern inhabitants of the
America's, can you say modern book of mormon hahaha jk I shouldn't
even compare myself to great prophets that are found in the Book of
Mormon. Well, I hope all is going well! I'm super stoked to talk to
you all and see you on MOTHERS DAY!! YAY!! :) Keep on reading and
praying every single day! I know it will help you in every aspect of
you lives!! I've been thinking a lot lately when Jesus was giving the
Sermon on the Mount and how he told his disciples not to seek for
treasures where "mothes and dust doeth corrupt", but for the treasures
of Heaven. Then he continues on by telling them that "where your
treasure is, there will you heart be also". So moral of the story,
keep your heart in his word and in good works, and there will be
blessings all around you! I know that you'll find true happiness in
people like Bryleigh and things like the scriptures and prayer. I LOVE
YOU SO MUCH! BROCK SHAY AND BRYLEIGH!! WHAT AN AWESOME FAMILY OF GOD
AND RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! KEEP IT UP!

Love, Peace and Blessing,
                                      Elder Tolman

Buenos Tardes Hermano y Hermana!!! :)
        So to answer you question, YES, Elder Larson is spanish!!
President has assigned me to spanish this transfer. When I asked him
if it's permanent he said, "just learn spanish Elder Tolman" and
smiled, hahaha how AWESOME is that! So these six weeks I have to learn
spanish! So I've been studying for an hour a day the last 3 days :)
It's going to be awesome! But my companion is seriously the coolest
cat ever!! He was in my district last transfer for a little bit, and
he loves to lift weights. So we were talking one day and we were both
like "how sick would it be if we got put as companions?" and then we
were both like "no, it coulnt happen, we both speak different
languages", but look what happened! These last couple days have by far
been the best days in the mission. We wake up and six every morning
and just beast a work out. Then we eat break fast and a protein shake.
Then we study and just do work with spanish haha. So these last three
days, that's it, three, we have taught 22 lessons and found 18 new
investigators!! The Lord put SO MANY people in our path one day! On
Friday we walked pretty close to 30 miles, and we found people who had
been just praying they would meet missionaries again, for different
reason, for example they had already been taught and then moved! So we
have 13 baptismal dates set up in two weeks!! How tight is that!! We
also met a guy in the ward who was converted three years ago. His name
is Brother Davidson! He was the GRAND DRAGON of the KKK. He is the
smartest man I have ever met!! While he was in prison he decided to
get a Ph-d in theology!! He has study all the different languages of
the Bible and literally like everything to do with the Mason's and all
the history behind he! He was put in prison for the same thing Joseph
and Hyrum were put in Carthage for, "Conspiring against the U.S.
government". He was actually on Jerry Springer too haha and he is the
one who hit's Jerry Springer in the face! Go on youtube and look at
it!! :) But anywho just an amazing story of his conversion.  But pretty much he had lost
everything in life, and he finally fell down to his face with his arms
stretched out and cried that God would lead him the right way, and the
missionaries showed up 20 MINUTES LATER!! Nuts right! Well I'm sorry I
ran out of time but I forgot to tell mom and dad about Brother
Davidson so please read this email to them!! I LOVE YOU BOTH! Keep
being amazing!!

Te amo,

New letters!

HELLO :)

Well this week was pretty incredible! Elder Andoh-Kesson and I did some work! Some tornados hit too! Okay so to start my email im safe :) haha Seriously last night was INSANE! So we have a weather radio, and when there is a tornado watch or warning this thing goes off and it is so loud. So this morning at about 2 it went off haha. It kept going off like every half hour. Then at 4:30 the town sirens went off, warning that a tornado had touched down. Those sirens are so LOUD! I can guarentee all of Selma was awake at 4:30 this morning haha. The tornado tore up the town above us and most of Birmingham, but all the missionaries are safe. The rain and storms here are so crazy, it seriously looks like a river is running down all the roads when it rains haha. So yes last night was a very interesting/sleepless night haha, I'm SO TIRED RIGHT NOW! Well as far as people we are teaching this week has been great! We have a baptism this Saturday at 12 o'clock :) I'm STOKED! Elder Andoh-Kesson and I went out tracting for our first time in a while since his leg has been hurt. We knocked into a deaf couples door, and their little daughter came and answered. We told her what we are doing and she signed it to her parents and they said we could come back. Elder Clanton who is here actually speaks sign language. So right away we went and got him and we came back and he talked to them and explained in detail what we do and what are purpose is. They said we could come teach them. We came back the next day and it was by far the most powerful lesson I have ever been in. The spirit was so strong. It's amazing to see how the spirit really works, when you arent making any noise and you just have to completely focus on your feelings, you can feel is so much more. We set up a baptismal date for her, her husband and her little daughter. It was so amazing too because I dont know any sign language at all besides the alphabet, and by the end of the 2 and a half our lesson I was bearing my testimony of how i know its true. Even though i didnt know much, it was amazing how much the lord provided for me to speak and communicate with them. So that was an amazing experience! Transfers are coming up this next wednesday on the 1st, I seriously better not leave Selma this transfer, the work is going so well! I would be sad, but I know that I can have success where ever I go. So I'll be aight :) This week has just been amazing all together seriously, I havent had one like this before. The work is going great and I know the Lord is going to provide for this area. Well as far as Jon Gates address and stuff he moved and I have no idea where he is now or what's going on, so what you could actually do is get ahold of Tracy Pulsipher, and ask her for is because she should have it for tyson, if not, she could get it. About my journel, yes I do have one, actually i have two haha. One study journel that I write in, and another for my day, and I write in it each night. :) So yeah you dont have to worry about that haha. As far as the Book of Mormon is coming, I did really well for the first couple days, and then I got way busy, so unfortunately I wont finish tomorrow, but I will soon :) Well I will send the card home either today or tomorrow and let you see them. Oh and yes haha I do still write jessica, she always takes like a month to write back haha so I'm not exactly sure if you consider it "writing" but yes I do talk with her :) I got Chrissy's letter just the other day though and I'll be writing her back today, pretty excited for that haha. Well really that's what happened this last week. Elder AK is doing great and we are gonna be back in the groove in no time :) I hope everything is going well for you both back home, I'm so EXCITED to be an UNCLE! And seriously, McKinley is such a cute name, Brocker, you better not mess this whole naming plan up :) haha and OH, advice, go read in the November 2011 ensign, "Love her mother". I'm sure you have already heard it, but go read it again, I know you will both be wonderful parents and I know you already love my Sister so raising a girl wont be a problem at all! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Peace, Love and Blessings,

Elder Tolman

New Year's

This last week was awesome! Sorry that I am writing you on tuesday again! The library was closed! Well your week sounded great!Something I've figured out since I've been out here is really how bad some songs and even tv shows were that I used to watched, Satan truely is the great deceiver. I have figured out that when everything that I'm doing is uplifting, everything else goes better as well! So it's positive in all aspects! I hope your new years was better that mine haha! All I heard were machine guns and pistols going off all night! Well I opened my presents you sent yesterday because we remember elder AK was going on an exchange today and would miss my whole birthday :(, so I wanted him to see what I got. Thank you so much for everything, it may not have been the biggest birthday, but it was a extremely good one! I only get two mission birthdays and one is already gone! ITS CRAZY! I'm 20!?!?!?!?! Does it seem like your little boy can already be 20 and on a mission serving the Lord? I dont think so haha. Well thank you for everything thing I love you both very much! Well this last week was pretty cool! During the holidays is was so hard to find people, the work has been a bit of a struggle. I kept telling Elder AK though, "if not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then next week, if not next week then next month". I was sure we would find SOMEONE and we did this week! We found some of the most amazing people! We now have 7 baptismal dates set up and I hope they are all going to go through and be prepared! I mean we are saving souls here, how much more could I ask for? It's the greatest privilege on this earth for me right now! I must say I love your new years resolution! You can do it! Mine was I'm done with POP! All together, well out here is should say COKE, because all pop is coke out here haha that's what they call sprite, mt dew, dr pepper, its all COKE. haha the south is weird I know. ;) Elder AK did really get much at all besides from you, I guess packages to send from Ghana are WAY EXPENSIVE! So maybe send something as a late christmas haha I have no idea what, even if its just a gift card to walmart or something, I think that would make his day. A letter or something would be good too! :) Well good luck with starting the new job and going back to school! I hope you all continue to be safe, smart and healthy! I pray for you so much you really dont know! Have faith in the Lord and he will provide anything and everything! I LOVE YOU! talk to you next week :)

Last week was pretty awesome! So we found some of the coolest people ever! So legit! The work has been going really slow here for the last couple weeks, and it's been a struggle to find people who are really prepared, but this week we did! :) We found a lot of people who are ready, no we just have to get them to church! That is by far the hardest part because none of them have cars and we have to provide rides, and not everyone can be picked up because the branch is so small! But we have 7 baptismal dates set up in the next week so I am pretty excited to see how they are turn out! On Saturday we went to Birmingham to go to a trainer/trainee meeting, it was so legit! President Holzapfel just blows my mind everytime he talks! Then yesterday was another AWESOME day, well some parts were, I'll tell you why. So we go to Montgomery and eat at this place call Hibachi buffet (WAY NICE) and it's a chinese/sushi place. After we go bowling again with all the Elders and Sisters in our zone and this was WAY FUN again! Then after that we went to the stake center in Montgomery and played ball with everyone, it was intense haha, but way fun! I havent played ball in like 8 WEEKS!!! :( Here's the bad part.. Elder Fatiau and I were throwing a football in the gym. He threw one way hard and it was kind behind me, so as I reached high and backwards to get it, it twisted my left are funny, and I think I tore my rotater :( I'm not jumping to conclusions but it hurt way bad this morning I can barely move it. So I'm gonna wait a couple days and receive a blessing and I'm sure I'll be fine, so please pray for me. Well new years out here is INSANE! We were COMMANDED to stay in the house hahaha all we heard were ak's and machine guns going off all night haha it was so nuts! It was probably raining bullets. Holidays out here are SO TOUGH! No one wants to be bothered, and when I say no one I mean no one! People are way rude! I think I've heard more swear words this week than I have my whole mission! Well I really can't think of anything else to say! The mission is really just flying by it's crazy!!! I will be talking to you both at mothers day in NO TIME! Well I cant think of anything else to say! I miss and love you both! You are amazing! Talk to you soon!

Love, peace and blessings,

Elder Tolman