Elder Brantley Shattuck:

March 4, 2009
I got transferred to a place called Aquia down in the Fredericksburg zone, I am white washing it which means they are taking the elders out of that area and myself and some other elder, Elder Lassen are coming in brand new to the area and starting fresh in it. It should be a lot of fun, I am still a zone leader and senior companion and will still be in a car, I will be living in a new apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and it has a gym in the complex, what do you think about that? Transfers are tomorrow and then I head to my new area, I am packing today and saying a few goodbyes today.... It won't be that hard, I don't really get "attached" out here, this area especially because everyone is so busy that you don't really have time to weave yourself into their lives.... We will be going by the Spencer's tonight to say goodbye, we were over there last night too, they will be the only ones that I am really sad to say goodbye to. It should be a lot of fun in my new area though, "country" land in the mission, lots of southern baptist, it should be interesting....... no more Hindu's:)

As the zone leader I will "supervise all the missionaries within the zone... fansy that.....The zone I am covering is the biggest zone in the mission and the most southern end of my mission..... there are about 20 missionaries, 4 of which are sisters and there will be 4 greenies coming in tomorrow starting in their first area.

March 11, 2009
I love my new area, my companion and I are very different, he is super smart and very well rounded. I will learn a lot from him this transfer. He is very analytical though and I can see it just getting annoying in the future but I will be okay. He is good natured and likes to work hard so it should be an easy six weeks again. I live in an awesome apartment, two bedrooms and two baths with two walk in closets, laundry room and kitchen, and dining room and a little living room..... it's great. The Ward is much much smaller than my last one but it is great and very missionary minded so all should go well.

March 18, 2009
I am loving my new area a lot and it has been a lot of fun this past week, we have seen a lot of miracles and will be having a baptism this weekend which should be really great!! We had a media referral that called and asked for a DVD called the Lamb of God and we went by and dropped it off and she said she wanted to learn about the church and really just wants her family to be part of something and learn more about God! So we are going back on Thursday night to teach her, she is a single mom with two kids who are 8 and 2, her brother lives with her too, hopefully he will sit down as well and listen. Thanks for getting me a picture and everything of the new mission president that is fun to see who and what he is all about. He has some really big shoes to fill, Pres. Wixom has been one of the greatest leaders I have ever had in my life. Mission Presidents sure do have a big influence on missionaries.

The Lady that is getting baptised was already scheduled when me and my new comp came into the area, we just picked it up and started teaching her and moved forward with the date in mind and she got her interview and she passed so she is good to go. Usually in most areas we have to talk to at least thirty people before someone will let us in.... Here we get let in like every ten doors that someone answers!! There are a lot of humble people here in this area.... a lot of lower class as far as temporal things go. I talked to this guy yesterday that was missing all of his teeth except his front big one, it was a pretty funny conversation!! Since it was Saint Paddy's day, I have eaten corn beef and cabbage two days in a row and guess what, we got all of the left overs :). I am way excited about that.....not, thankful but just not that excited. It will be neat to see where life leads, I don't really have a clue what it is like out there, everyone just says that it is really bad and that jobs are dropping like crazy and the world is just in chaos.... I don't like hearing about the news in the world for the most part, it seems to always be disappointing. It is pretty neat I have been reading a lot in 2 Nephi 9 where it talks about Christ and his role in the great and eternal plan of redemption and there is a scripture that talks about without him we would all be angels unto the devil for forever never to return to God..... When you look around the world and see the lives that people have you look at what they are serving and you can see what that scripture is talking about. I am starting to have a desire to truly understand the Atonement... it is so powerful and satisfying to learn about it. I wish I knew the what, how, when, why to all of it but I don't think the Lord intends to share that with us yet, but someday it will come anyways, I love the scriptures and you should read them too and tell me what you learn next week. You have to read 2 Nephi 9and I am gonna ask you some questions next week so come prepared. :)

March 25, 2009
I am doing really well, we had zone conference this past Monday which is where President and Sister Wixom come and visit the zone and we have a big day long meeting pretty much of listening to them and the Assistants to the President speak to us and teach us some new things. It was pretty good, I really like President and Sister Wixom. We did have a baptism this past Saturday, it went really well actually. Susie had a lot of non-member family attend the service and hopefully we can start teaching her daughter who lives right next to her. I don't know if it will work out but we will at least give it a try! The spirit is strong at baptismal services and it usually leaves a pretty good impact on people! I enjoyed myself though, I even sang a song in a quartet's, we sang "I Stand All Amazed!" My companion is kind of annoying, but oh well. He is one of those people who thinks he is super sophisticated and really intelligent and speaks with a huge vocabulary to try and impress people.... it is annoying, seeings how most people we talk to work at a McDonald's and are missing more than half of their teeth! It's pretty weird.

You are so trunkie and I still have a whole year left, come on now....I love you to mom, you are such a good mom, I tell heavenly father almost every night how thankful I am that he sent me to you! I don't think I would have accepted the gospel if it wasn't for the way you raised me and the things I experienced growing up..... you're so good! Gotta go, Love Elder Shattuck