2011‏

email 1/3/11

2011!! Woot!  There were many drunks out on the streets here on the 31st, and everyone seemed really depressed on the 1st (because they were hungover). We spent the new year well. I have a lot of things to look forward to this year, and I'm really grateful for all the blessings I recieved this last year. I'm all ready and geared up for the new year! I've made several new year resolutions, some of which I've decided to not worry about until getting home from the mission in August (school, girlfriend, work, etc...) but some of which I can begin working on right now. One of my goals, however cheesy it may seem, is a goal that I'm perpetually working on: keeping my covenants. I've made many covenants with God that I'm continually striving to honor and remember. It's a focus for me this year.

So, the keyboard that I am writing on is missing 4 keys: the f key, y key, l key, and backspace. It's really hard to use them because I have to push a little piece of plastic in the place of where the keys used to be. It's really frustrating!

I attached a picture of me after tracting in the morning. It was ridiculously cold, and my face froze like that. The weather right it now is really nice. I bet it's way colder out in Utah that in it is here. All the snow is melting in our 50 degree weather. It's kind of nice, but I really miss the snow.

I had a great holiday season, but I'm definitely glad that it's over. People were really distracted and unreceptive to us during the holiday season, and as a missionary it's a really hard to focus this time of year as well. I'll be able to better consecrate myself to the work and to the Lord. I bet every missionary goes through this phase, but I'm at the point of my mission where I feel like time is running out. "I only have 7 months left? WHAT!?" is pretty much what is going through my mind. It scares me. I love the mission! I've been blissfully doing my 'missionary thing' here without regard to time, which is a really happy way to live. It still hasn't really hit me that I go home this year, so I'm hoping I'll still be able to live my missionary life without thinking about it. I just want to make the most of my time here.

I had 2 really rough lessons this week. It was the exact same lesson with 2 different investigators. "I haven't been reading the Book of Mormon because I have the Bible." I understand where they are coming from, because the Bible is all they have ever known, and I'd like to believe that they say that out of a sincere love for the word of God they have aready received from the Bible, but I know better. "How do you know that the Bible is true?" I asked them both. "Well-it's-it's, uh, th-the Bible! It's the word of God!" "Yes it is," I would reply,"but how do you know that?" Simply put, these 2 people have never read the Bible, nor the Book of Mormon, nor even put an honest effort into reading parts of it, but have listened to their pastors preach about the Bible. Certainly, I can quote the scripture that faith comes, in part, from hearing the word (Rom. 10:17), but it also says in the same chapter that you must obey the word, and these investigators aren't doing that. (Rom. 10:16) (this chapter, Romans 10, for a lot of reasons, is probably one of the least understood chapters in the Bible by christians in this area...) Anyway, my reply didn't quote these scriptures, nor quoted any other scripture from the Bible, but I answered my own question. "You don't know that the Bible is true because you've never read it, prayed about it, nor lived the principles that it teaches. It's the same with the Book of Mormon, only you are denying that it's the word of God without ever having read it. Your reason for not reading the Book of Mormon isn't because you have the Bible. You're not reading the Book of Mormon because you don't want to change." It sounds pretty harsh right? I was surprised when I said it, but I did it out of love, prompted by the spirit. These 2 people know that I love them. I express and show it often. They also know that it's important to follow through with their commitments. *sigh* I love these people, and I'm really sad and frustrated when they don't do what they need to do. What more can I do for my vineyard!? (Jacob 5) I just need to continue to teach by the spirit, love people, and be patient.

OH no! I'm out of time for this email. I type really slow on this broken keyboard.

         Much love from your favorite elder,

                -Elder Shepherd