Drowsy‏

emailed dated 2/22/10
So this week was really interesting. I've been pretty tired on and off throughout the days, and so I've been falling asleep at random times. I haven't fallen asleep in any discussions with any investigators, but I did fall asleep while my companion was sharing a spiritual thought at a dinner appointment with a member. I just fell asleep sitting at the table, and woke up in time for the closing prayer. It was pretty embarrassing. Anyway, they wanted me to see a Neurologist to find out why I've been falling asleep randomly. I told them that it was just because I work hard, but they didn't buy it. Anyway, so I got to see the neurologist this week, and it was pretty fun. They did an EEG, which means they hooked my head up to 20 or so electrodes and measured my brain waves for about 30 minutes. It was pretty fun. No results yet-they're probably just going to come to the conclusion that I'm lazy. Anyway, that was probably the most exciting thing that happened to me this week.

This week I've gotten more doors slammed in my face than ever before. Usually people are pretty polite about it, but there were several people who didn't even open their doors, but yelled at us through the door. New Haven has been harassed by Jehovah's Witnesses for years, so the initial hurdle is always to convince people that we're not Jehovah's Witnesses. Once they know that we're not JW's, they're usually really nice to us and receptive. In New England, no one opens their doors until they yell at you through the door first to find out who you are. Once you knock on their door they always yell," WHO!?" (or "QUIEN" if you're a spanish missionary). After we announce ourselves as missionaries they always yell again, "WHO!?" just to make sure that they heard us right. I once taught someone the first missionary discussion through their front door.

The bus is always a really exciting experience too. I've taught discussions sitting on the bus many times, and we always get to talk to people since the city buses are so crammed that we always stand or sit right next to a stranger. Just the fact that I'm a white person makes me stick out, so they ask me where I'm from. Then the follow up questions result in good discussions.

We're still working with a Mexican couple who wants to be baptized but needs to be married first, and another new couple that we started teaching this week. My whole time here I've been teaching single men or women, who have broken families because their whole family is back in their home country. Now I'm teaching 3 families. It's pretty exciting!

We helped a woman who has been working on restoring a house for the past year move a ton of furniture and junk around the house. The house was built back in 1913, and it has TONS of cool junk that the previous owner collected through the ages. It even had some cool 'Beatles' merchandise (records and photos), and lots of antique furniture. One thing I've come to love about New England is how unique all the homes here are. They're all really old, and they're all really unique in style and architecture. It would be really fun to restore a house like this woman we helped is doing.

I'm running out of time again, so I'll have to sign off once again. I love you!
-Elder Shepherd