Halloween‏

email dated 11/2/09
How was Halloween? We had to be in our apartment by 6:00PM on Halloween, because things get pretty crazy on Halloween. That, and knocking on doors wouldn't have worked out so well that night. Anyway, the other 3 Elders and I spent the night in our apartment carving pumpkins and playing board games (Risk and Monopoly, and we had to have special permission). It was awesome. I don't even have a candy hangover this year from sugar overload.

We had a trunk-or-treat Friday night at our ward here in New Haven- it was pretty awesome! We (the 4 Elders) did an activity where we hang donuts to the end of a string and we had all the little kids try and eat them with their hands behind their backs. It was great fun. Then the fire alarm got triggered by the young women's smoke machine, and we had to evacuate the building. Consequently, the elevators in our building got shut off (our church is more like a 4 story apartment building), and we had many people who couldn't get out because they were old and in wheelchairs couldn't make it down the stairs. It was a very eventful night...

Sunday was CRAZY! 10 minutes before sacrament meeting starts the guy who is supposed to translate our meeting into Spanish for the Spanish members calls us and tells us that he's sick and won't be able to make it. So my companion runs off to get translation set up, and is doing that the rest of the time. Meanwhile, the gospel principles teacher calls me and tells me that she can't make it, and that I'll have to teach gospel principles (IN SPANISH!!) with no forewarning. Then the second counselor in the bishopric grabs me and tells me that this woman wants her baby blessed today but the guys who's supposed to do isn't here, and he wants me to do it and it has to be in Spanish (AHHHH!!). And then one of my investigators calls me on the phone the next second and says that he wants to come to church but his ride fell through and he needs a ride. This all happens in 5 minutes, and my companion isn't there to help me because he's translating as sacrament meeting is beginning. It's at times like these in my life that I wonder, "What in the world have I gotten myself into!?" I ask a really nice member to go pick up my investigator and tell him where he lives, and he faithfully runs off to do it. I call my investigator and let him know that his ride is on the way, and run to grab a gospel principles book so that I can at least see what topic I'm supposed to be teaching before gospel principles. The bishopric decided to put off the baby blessing until next time (phew...).

The entire day on Sunday was like that. It was insane! It was pretty awesome at the same time, but it was more insane that it was awesome.

On the flip side, it really made me stretch myself. I was running a million miles an hour and speaking Spanish that I didn't know I knew. Missions are the coolest things in the world.

I love life here. I enjoy every single day to the fullest, and I give it my all 100%. We have a really solid baptism lined up for the 15th of November, and we have 2 more really good baptismal prospects for the last week of November. The work is progressing, and the ward here is just fantastic. Missionary work can't press forward without the help of the members-I've come to learn the importance of this more than ever now that I'm a missionary. Having members who are enthusiastic about missionary work and are willing to help and invite their friends is what results in success and long-lasting conversion. "Every Member a Missionary!"My time is short, so I must say "hasta luego".

I love you all,
-Elder Luke Shepherd