email dated 12/7/09
It finally snowed in New Haven! YAY! But none of it stuck, and the weathers fine again. All the missionaries here hate the snow and complain about it slowly becoming winter-I think that’s a really lame attitude to have, seeing as it WILL snow and you WILL have to work in it whether you like it or not, so you might as well try and look on the bright side. I guess I’m just weird-I love the rain and snow.
So, things were pretty crazy weekend. I’m hesitant to tell my parents about this, seeing as parents worry too much, but it’s a really great story, so I’m gonna tell it anyway. So, yesterday morning (Sunday) at 3 AM, we woke up as we heard 2 gunshots and a loud CRASH in front of our house. We ran to our front window to see what was going on. Apparently, 2 cars were driving side by side down our road, and, right in front of our house, the driver of one car shot the driver of the other car in the back of the head which caused him to crash into our neighbors car (We pulled out our cameras of course so that we could catch this exciting scene all on video, I’ll show you when I get home…) So, the car that crashed started sparking and then lit on fire, right as about 30 police cars came zooming into our neighborhood. We watched as a fireman yanked the dead body out of the car as it was being consumed by flames. Anyway, we spent all morning talking with police detectives, and our video footage ended up getting used by the police as evidence. Our house and our car were part of the crime scene, so we couldn't leave. We pleaded with them to let us go to church, so they let us walk at about 9:30 AM (Church starts at 9:30). So we all had to walk in about 30 minutes late. We had a great story for the ward though about why we were late. Oh yeah, we’re totally fine, no one got hurt except the guy who got shot in the back of the head.
So, later on that day, we decided to treat ourselves to a special ‘break the fast’, so we grilled hamburgers on the balcony in our house. Unfortunately, it was only about 30 degrees outside, and we didn’t know that the door to the balcony was locked from the inside, so we got locked out of our house, 2 stories up, and no one in sight. We couldn’t get the door open, but we were finally able to reach a window with some golf clubs, and we wedged it open. We were only locked out of the house for about 20 minutes. It’s an exciting life.
Oh yeah, so we had 4 investigators at church yesterday, and we had a LOT of less active members attend who haven’t come in a long time. All of this less-active work my companion and I are doing is finally yielding some fruits. We’ll be able to start baptizing again once we have a strong Spanish program here.
We taught the word of wisdom to ‘Olga’ this week. She talked about how she’s had coffee every day for the past 40 years, and how she’s recognized it as an addiction. She said she’s ready to quit, and that she knows God will help her. Keep her in your prayers-she wants to be baptized SO MUCH, she just needs to quit coffee first.
I’ve learned a lot about faith this past week. I was studying the story about Abinadi in El Libro de Mormon. He calls the wicked King Noah out and calls him to repentance. King Noah, of course, hardens his heart and tortures Abinadi to try to force him to deny God. Abinadi had done the work he was required to do, and he was ready to embrace death rather than deny God. Finally, the king orders Abinadi’s death. It says that when Abinadi ‘had said these words, he fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God, having sealed the truth of his words by his death.’ Again, in Alma 14, Alma and Amulek are forced to watch the women and children burned, and Amulek turns to Alma in fear saying “Behold, perhaps they burn us also.” Alma gives a response that, at first, probably scares the heck out of Amulek: “Be it according to the will of the Lord…” He then says “But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.”
Shadrac, Meshac, and Abed-nego give a similar response as Nebuchadnezzar threatens to throw them into the fiery furnace if they do not worship his idols. O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.” (But then here is the interesting part in the next verse) “BUT IF NOT, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy Gods…” They are saying “I know God will deliver us if it is His will. But if it isn’t, I still know He loves me and that He is God.”
It’s that “Be it according to the will of the Lord” and “But if not” in the face of peril and tough times that shows if we have faith or not.
It’s so easy to be happy and faithful when things are good, and your temporal and spiritual blessings are very easy to see, but what about when times are hard? What about the times when things go sour, when times are tough, when money is tight, when people hate you and scorn you? What about these times? Do you remain just as faithful to God during these times, even in the face of death? Do we forsake when that things get hard, cursing God for our sorrows? If we do, what’s the measure of our faith? Be honest.In Mosiah 23:21 we read “Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.” “The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7)
Our trials are the very evidence of God’s love for us. It is only through the hard times that we grow and learn to appreciate the good. If you have faith that He will deliver you in all things, than no trial is too hard, no suffering too severe.
Before we discount God’s hand in our lives, remember that He has promised to try you in all things, even until death, and that He will NEVER let you take on a trial that is too much for you to bear. Whatever you are dealing with at this stage in your life, do not forsake! Do not stray! Have the faith in the face of adversity that God will try you, but He will also deliver you. Read these 3 accounts in the scriptures that I have related unto you, and ponder them in your heart. Pray, and ask God if He is there, and you will receive an answer in the affirmative. That is my faith and knowledge.
This church is the one true church on the Earth today and the Kingdom of God restored to the earth. We have the fullness of the everlasting gospel, and the keys to the kingdom of heaven. God loves you, and He will never forsake you. Just hold on!
I love you!
-Elder Shepherd
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
It's getting cold
email dated 11/30/09
Ok, so this last weekend, an Elder who lived in our apartment previously broke into our apartment while we weren't there and left a goodie for us... When we cam back into our apartment, I opened to door to my bedroom to find a half-naked black man (not wearing pants) holding a baseball bat standing there. I started screaming. I turned on the light only to find that it was a very realistic mannequin that I had been punked. The other elders in the apartment had a really good laugh about it. It scared the heck out of me at the time, but now I can look back and laugh about it. I have great pictures to show you...
Yesterday was another crazy Sunday, and we had 13 less-active Spanish members at church! It was totally awesome! Many of them hadn't been to church in a long time, but Elder Pawlak and I are spending the bulk of our time reactivating the Spanish population here so that we can begin baptizing again. We're crazy busy with appointments for the upcoming week already, and we will continue to see more success. We have an investigator, Olga, who is moving towards baptism in the next couple of weeks. She is a superstar! She loves the Book of Mormon, and she loves going to church. She just has to quit her coffee. It's a hard addiction for many people to break, but we keep praying that she will find the strength to overcome it, and I hope you're all praying for her too.
It's beginning to get colder here. We've had abnormally warm weather for November (50's and 60's with sun), but this last week the wind started to blow really hard, and regardless of the 55 degree weather, the humid wind off of the ocean penetrates all your clothing, and it feels more like its 10 degrees. It's intense! I just can't wait until it snows! I'm eagerly awaiting the winters first snowfall here in New England.
I had a great thanksgiving. We went to our wards 'Turkey Bowl' and got to play some 2-hand touch football. Is was pretty sweet. I'm still really sore, but it was worth it. We spent all afternoon celebrating thanksgiving at a members home: the Bonneys. They have 14 children, all between the ages of 2 and 16 years old. It was crazy fun! We played board games and entertained them while the oldest daughters helped the parents prepare for dinner. After feasting, and a long day of thanksgiving day traditions with their family, we went to the church at about 6:30PM, and watched Ice Age 3. It was awesome.
Well, I'm running out of time, but I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Take some time to ponder about what matters most, and the things that you are truly grateful for.
Mucho Amor,
-Elder Shepherd
Ok, so this last weekend, an Elder who lived in our apartment previously broke into our apartment while we weren't there and left a goodie for us... When we cam back into our apartment, I opened to door to my bedroom to find a half-naked black man (not wearing pants) holding a baseball bat standing there. I started screaming. I turned on the light only to find that it was a very realistic mannequin that I had been punked. The other elders in the apartment had a really good laugh about it. It scared the heck out of me at the time, but now I can look back and laugh about it. I have great pictures to show you...
Yesterday was another crazy Sunday, and we had 13 less-active Spanish members at church! It was totally awesome! Many of them hadn't been to church in a long time, but Elder Pawlak and I are spending the bulk of our time reactivating the Spanish population here so that we can begin baptizing again. We're crazy busy with appointments for the upcoming week already, and we will continue to see more success. We have an investigator, Olga, who is moving towards baptism in the next couple of weeks. She is a superstar! She loves the Book of Mormon, and she loves going to church. She just has to quit her coffee. It's a hard addiction for many people to break, but we keep praying that she will find the strength to overcome it, and I hope you're all praying for her too.
It's beginning to get colder here. We've had abnormally warm weather for November (50's and 60's with sun), but this last week the wind started to blow really hard, and regardless of the 55 degree weather, the humid wind off of the ocean penetrates all your clothing, and it feels more like its 10 degrees. It's intense! I just can't wait until it snows! I'm eagerly awaiting the winters first snowfall here in New England.
I had a great thanksgiving. We went to our wards 'Turkey Bowl' and got to play some 2-hand touch football. Is was pretty sweet. I'm still really sore, but it was worth it. We spent all afternoon celebrating thanksgiving at a members home: the Bonneys. They have 14 children, all between the ages of 2 and 16 years old. It was crazy fun! We played board games and entertained them while the oldest daughters helped the parents prepare for dinner. After feasting, and a long day of thanksgiving day traditions with their family, we went to the church at about 6:30PM, and watched Ice Age 3. It was awesome.
Well, I'm running out of time, but I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Take some time to ponder about what matters most, and the things that you are truly grateful for.
Mucho Amor,
-Elder Shepherd
Love Thy Neighbor
email dated 11/23/09
My first week with a new companion has been pretty much awesome. Elder Pawlek goes home on December 22nd, which means that he’s on the home stretch, and that I’m going to be stuck into a threesome right before Christmas. It’ll be pretty fun though-not as fun as a foursome, but still pretty awesome. Anyway, Elder Pawlek and I work really well with each other. He served in New Haven 1 year ago at this same time, so he has knowledge of the area and already has a relationship with the ward and some of the recent converts who he baptized a year ago. Our primary focus right now is to build up the attendance of Spanish members at church, and increase the activity of our Spanish members. We can’t baptize someone into the ward when they have no hope for fellowshipping because no one else goes to church that speaks their language-so we’re focusing a lot on the less active and recent converts. Many of the people Elder Pawlek baptized since last year have since gone inactive, so it’s a miracle to have him back because he already knows who they are and their conversion experiences. We’re gonna have such a good transfer.
It’s crazy how warm it has been this November in Connecticut. It hasn’t snowed, it hasn’t been rainy, and it’s averaged in the 60’s and upper 50’s. Everyone says that this is REALLY strange for this time of year, because normally winter begins to hit really hard right now. I’m OK with it, but at the same time I’m ready to embrace winter. I am kind of fearful for the humid cold and the ‘freezing rain’ though. This is absolutely the greatest time of year.
Ok, funny story time. So, last Saturday we had our car parked in front of our apartment, and as the other elders went out to leave for their appointment in the morning they saw it getting towed away, along with all the other cars in the street. With no prior warning, the city decided to clean our street and instituted an ‘emergency cleaning’ or some crap like that, and towed all the cars. It was so bogus, and totally not our fault! At the same time, there was nothing we could do about it, so they landed us with a $77 towing fee and a $50 ticket. Well, missionaries are already broke, and so every last penny of our foursome’s money went into paying for it, because we had to break into our emergency funds, and we had no money left for food for the next 2 weeks. Just great.
Well, just this morning we were racking our brains trying to figure out how we were going to eat for the next 2 weeks when a sister from the ward showed up at our house with a van full of food for us. “Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas Elders!” Sister Thomas exclaimed at our shocked faces at all the food she was bringing us. We were completely blown away at her generosity, and couldn't refuse the offering that she forced upon us. We were more than grateful as we unloaded a van full of food to the rim with enough food and goodies to feed the 4 of us for the next month and a half.
God takes care of His missionaries, I’m convinced of it. I’ve seen and heard some incredible things out here of generosity and kindness. We were visiting with a man in our ward last night who was given a brand new truck, free of charge, from a member of our stake presidency, because he was a distress financially and needed it to get to work. He related this to us with tears in his eyes and said “that’s what this is all about, isn’t it? We have to take care of one another.”
It’s so true. We have to take care of one another. Lift those who droop in sorrow, and offer your services to those who are in need. May we all learn to be more loving and concerned about our neighbors, and be loving to all of God’s children. Be aware of the poor and needy-they are our Father’s children, and He loves them very much. Especially at this time of year, you will have ample opportunity to serve. There are many good things to do and good causes to engage in, but whatever the project and act of love just remember to follow the admonition of the Savior to “love thy neighbor as thyself”. That is how we can serve God and show our love for Him. Our love is a direct measure of our faith.
I am doing very well, and I love the work I’m engaged in. I pray for your safety and continued success in all your endeavors. I love you all.
-Elder Shepherd
My first week with a new companion has been pretty much awesome. Elder Pawlek goes home on December 22nd, which means that he’s on the home stretch, and that I’m going to be stuck into a threesome right before Christmas. It’ll be pretty fun though-not as fun as a foursome, but still pretty awesome. Anyway, Elder Pawlek and I work really well with each other. He served in New Haven 1 year ago at this same time, so he has knowledge of the area and already has a relationship with the ward and some of the recent converts who he baptized a year ago. Our primary focus right now is to build up the attendance of Spanish members at church, and increase the activity of our Spanish members. We can’t baptize someone into the ward when they have no hope for fellowshipping because no one else goes to church that speaks their language-so we’re focusing a lot on the less active and recent converts. Many of the people Elder Pawlek baptized since last year have since gone inactive, so it’s a miracle to have him back because he already knows who they are and their conversion experiences. We’re gonna have such a good transfer.
It’s crazy how warm it has been this November in Connecticut. It hasn’t snowed, it hasn’t been rainy, and it’s averaged in the 60’s and upper 50’s. Everyone says that this is REALLY strange for this time of year, because normally winter begins to hit really hard right now. I’m OK with it, but at the same time I’m ready to embrace winter. I am kind of fearful for the humid cold and the ‘freezing rain’ though. This is absolutely the greatest time of year.
Ok, funny story time. So, last Saturday we had our car parked in front of our apartment, and as the other elders went out to leave for their appointment in the morning they saw it getting towed away, along with all the other cars in the street. With no prior warning, the city decided to clean our street and instituted an ‘emergency cleaning’ or some crap like that, and towed all the cars. It was so bogus, and totally not our fault! At the same time, there was nothing we could do about it, so they landed us with a $77 towing fee and a $50 ticket. Well, missionaries are already broke, and so every last penny of our foursome’s money went into paying for it, because we had to break into our emergency funds, and we had no money left for food for the next 2 weeks. Just great.
Well, just this morning we were racking our brains trying to figure out how we were going to eat for the next 2 weeks when a sister from the ward showed up at our house with a van full of food for us. “Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas Elders!” Sister Thomas exclaimed at our shocked faces at all the food she was bringing us. We were completely blown away at her generosity, and couldn't refuse the offering that she forced upon us. We were more than grateful as we unloaded a van full of food to the rim with enough food and goodies to feed the 4 of us for the next month and a half.
God takes care of His missionaries, I’m convinced of it. I’ve seen and heard some incredible things out here of generosity and kindness. We were visiting with a man in our ward last night who was given a brand new truck, free of charge, from a member of our stake presidency, because he was a distress financially and needed it to get to work. He related this to us with tears in his eyes and said “that’s what this is all about, isn’t it? We have to take care of one another.”
It’s so true. We have to take care of one another. Lift those who droop in sorrow, and offer your services to those who are in need. May we all learn to be more loving and concerned about our neighbors, and be loving to all of God’s children. Be aware of the poor and needy-they are our Father’s children, and He loves them very much. Especially at this time of year, you will have ample opportunity to serve. There are many good things to do and good causes to engage in, but whatever the project and act of love just remember to follow the admonition of the Savior to “love thy neighbor as thyself”. That is how we can serve God and show our love for Him. Our love is a direct measure of our faith.
I am doing very well, and I love the work I’m engaged in. I pray for your safety and continued success in all your endeavors. I love you all.
-Elder Shepherd
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Baptism #1
email dated 11/16/09
Elder Shepherd had his very first baptism yesterday, and it was totally awesome! I really can't take much credit at all for it, but it was a lot of fun teaching her, and she will be a great member of the church here.
Yesterday was a crazy Sunday! We had our "Invite a friend to church day" yesterday, and it went really well. All of the members were really excited, especially those who actually got friends to come. We had 22 at church to talk with, all of them with an immediate support system because a friend brought them to church. The ward here is really catching fire, and we have a great follow up planned to keep their momentum and enthusiasm rolling. Even those who didn't get friends to church learned a lot by breaking out of their shell a bit and extending the invitation. Our success isn't really measured by how many people get baptized or come to church-it will be measured in the invitations that were extended and how we each learned and grew from the experience. Of course, it does always feel even better to see people get baptized and make those changes in their life.
Our mission president came to the baptism, and was taking pictures with us after when he told us that my companion, Elder Taylor, was being transferred. It kind of ruined my happy feeling at the time. I'm way bummed that I've only gotten to spend 1 transfer with my trainer, but I am excited for change and for new opportunities to learn and grow. Transfer meeting is on Tuesday, and I'll be getting a new companion who I'll be 'killing off' (He has 23 months and I'll be his last companion). He's actually an Assistant to the President right now, and he was with the President to greet me when I got off the plane. He'll be on the defensive line for BYU's football team when he goes home (He's huge!). I'm looking forward to serving with him, and at the same time I'm really sad to lose my trainer. However, he just got transferred to a city bordering New Haven, and he'll be my zone leader, so he won't be far and I'll still see him a lot.
So, transfers this week. It's pretty crazy. We're getting 2 more Spanish missionaries in the mission, which will be fun for me because I won't be the ONLY new missionary. The next closest Spanish-speaking missionary to me in 'age' has been out for 8 months already, so I'm the newbie by a long shot. Our mission (All of Rhode Island and Connecticut) had 146 Elders in it at the beginning of this year, and by the end of December we'll only have 72, which is the complement for this mission. It's pretty crazy-they're closing areas and apartments left and right, but my area is pretty safe. I'll probably stay right where I am for a little while longer. I guess the church is just sending fewer missionaries out here for one reason or another. Sad.
"Well, that's what's going in (Connecticut), let's see what's happening in your neck of the woods." Kudos to whomever can guess that quote from a very famous weatherperson...
I'm doing well, and excited for this next transfer which will encompass both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hope all is well in your lives, and remember to trust in the Lord and lean on Him for all your support.
With much love,
-Elder Shepherd
Elder Shepherd had his very first baptism yesterday, and it was totally awesome! I really can't take much credit at all for it, but it was a lot of fun teaching her, and she will be a great member of the church here.
Yesterday was a crazy Sunday! We had our "Invite a friend to church day" yesterday, and it went really well. All of the members were really excited, especially those who actually got friends to come. We had 22 at church to talk with, all of them with an immediate support system because a friend brought them to church. The ward here is really catching fire, and we have a great follow up planned to keep their momentum and enthusiasm rolling. Even those who didn't get friends to church learned a lot by breaking out of their shell a bit and extending the invitation. Our success isn't really measured by how many people get baptized or come to church-it will be measured in the invitations that were extended and how we each learned and grew from the experience. Of course, it does always feel even better to see people get baptized and make those changes in their life.
Our mission president came to the baptism, and was taking pictures with us after when he told us that my companion, Elder Taylor, was being transferred. It kind of ruined my happy feeling at the time. I'm way bummed that I've only gotten to spend 1 transfer with my trainer, but I am excited for change and for new opportunities to learn and grow. Transfer meeting is on Tuesday, and I'll be getting a new companion who I'll be 'killing off' (He has 23 months and I'll be his last companion). He's actually an Assistant to the President right now, and he was with the President to greet me when I got off the plane. He'll be on the defensive line for BYU's football team when he goes home (He's huge!). I'm looking forward to serving with him, and at the same time I'm really sad to lose my trainer. However, he just got transferred to a city bordering New Haven, and he'll be my zone leader, so he won't be far and I'll still see him a lot.
So, transfers this week. It's pretty crazy. We're getting 2 more Spanish missionaries in the mission, which will be fun for me because I won't be the ONLY new missionary. The next closest Spanish-speaking missionary to me in 'age' has been out for 8 months already, so I'm the newbie by a long shot. Our mission (All of Rhode Island and Connecticut) had 146 Elders in it at the beginning of this year, and by the end of December we'll only have 72, which is the complement for this mission. It's pretty crazy-they're closing areas and apartments left and right, but my area is pretty safe. I'll probably stay right where I am for a little while longer. I guess the church is just sending fewer missionaries out here for one reason or another. Sad.
"Well, that's what's going in (Connecticut), let's see what's happening in your neck of the woods." Kudos to whomever can guess that quote from a very famous weatherperson...
I'm doing well, and excited for this next transfer which will encompass both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hope all is well in your lives, and remember to trust in the Lord and lean on Him for all your support.
With much love,
-Elder Shepherd
Monday, November 9, 2009
It's that time of year
All of the fall leaves are falling off of the trees now, and there are leaves EVERYWHERE! So many leaves! It gives us great service opportunities because everyone has a ton of leaves to clean up. I dream of how much fun it would be to pile up all of the leaves and jump in them, like the old days. But then I would get my nice clothes all nasty and dirty...
The humidity is an interesting thing for me to experience. Last night it wasn't too cold but I could see my breath against the humidity in the air. I'm SO excited for this winter season. All the other missionaries are dreading it every second as it gets colder and closer to snow, but nothing is going to get me down! I LOVE snow way too much! Sure, it makes it hard to do missionary work-but in no way does that dampen my spirits or make me love it any less. It's gonna be sooo cold... I can't wait. We're planning Christmas programs for December now, and I've begun listening to Christmas music. It makes me so happy!
We have a baptism this upcoming Sunday! Yay! It's very exciting for us and especially for this ward. The whole ward has really rallied together and is beginning to catch fire with missionary effort. This Sunday we're having a really special 'invite a friend to church day'. The members are all really excited, and they've all been inviting their friends and associates. Please pray for the success of this event that we've put so much time and effort into. This should really get the work moving in this area, and we hope to see a lot of success from this event.
I love you all, and I hope that you are enjoying life!
-Elder Luke Shepherd
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Quick little Spanish tid-bit
email 10/26/09
Ok, so the way the verbs work in spanish is that there are basically three kinds: -ar, -er, and -ir ending verbs. (ayudAR=to help, descansAR=to rest, traER=to bring, servIR=to serve, etc...) You just change the endings to say something different. (ayudO=I help, etc...) Anyway, I'm not gonna get into all the details, but you can also add on prefixes similar to english when you want to say the 'opposite' of something like "dress vs UNdress" or "tie vs UNtie". In spanish you can add on DES sometimes to have the same effect. However, I ran into a problem with this one. You see, the verb for 'to tie' is "nudar". One would think that the verb for 'to UNtie' would be "DESnudar"... I was explaining repentance in spanish and when I thought I was saying, "We will untie ourselves from our sins," I was actually saying, "We will get naked in our sins"... desnudar is the verb for "to get naked or nude". Spanish people must think I'm such an idiot...
I hope you're laughing your head off right now.
Anyway, I just wanted to share the "Elder Shepherd mistake of the week"
I love you all!
Ok, so the way the verbs work in spanish is that there are basically three kinds: -ar, -er, and -ir ending verbs. (ayudAR=to help, descansAR=to rest, traER=to bring, servIR=to serve, etc...) You just change the endings to say something different. (ayudO=I help, etc...) Anyway, I'm not gonna get into all the details, but you can also add on prefixes similar to english when you want to say the 'opposite' of something like "dress vs UNdress" or "tie vs UNtie". In spanish you can add on DES sometimes to have the same effect. However, I ran into a problem with this one. You see, the verb for 'to tie' is "nudar". One would think that the verb for 'to UNtie' would be "DESnudar"... I was explaining repentance in spanish and when I thought I was saying, "We will untie ourselves from our sins," I was actually saying, "We will get naked in our sins"... desnudar is the verb for "to get naked or nude". Spanish people must think I'm such an idiot...
I hope you're laughing your head off right now.
Anyway, I just wanted to share the "Elder Shepherd mistake of the week"
I love you all!
I think I'm gaining weight...
email 10/26/09
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder,
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder,
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder
Monday, October 19, 2009
Week 2
email 10/19/09
So things continue to go well in New Haven. I've got to say honestly that this week was way better than last week. I guess the first week in the field is always kind of crazy for every missionary, but by the second week I was beginning to recognize where I was and what I was doing. The area that I cover is SO big--New Haven, Fair Haven, East Haven, Hamden--it will take me some time before I begin to understand how to find my way from point A to point B. They're not on the grid system here, and there are no mountains to tell me where East is. So I am naturally a little lost and shaken, but I'm gradually getting my bearings. I didn't even learn my address until just this week.
I gave my first blessing in Spanish yesterday-you'd be so proud of me. I felt just as nervous as when I gave my first blessing in English! We blessed a sick baby of this couple, the wife is a member and the husband isn't. It was a tender moment, and the spirit was really powerful. I was overwhelmed just that I was able to speak the Spanish necessary for such a task and nonetheless that the spirit was powerful. I think that's what the Gift of Tongues really is. It's not necessarily speaking the language fluently; it's the spirit influencing the language barrier and speaking to the heart. I felt that, and it felt great.
I continue to learn and grow in knowledge and strength. I LOVE having 3 hours every morning to study! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! My companion and I always have really great companionship studies, and I learn so much by sharing my thoughts and the things I learned with him. When you're enlightened by something in the scriptures or reading a talk you NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN and, if appropriate, SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE! I'm amazed at how much more I receive and learn when I'm writing down the thoughts that come to my mind and heart and sharing them with my companion. Richard G. Scott gave a talk about it in General Conference 2 weeks ago--GO LOOK IT UP!
Church is very interesting here. We don't have a Spanish branch, and so our members have to wear headsets to receive translation. The other classes are taught in Spanish for the Spanish members, but it divides the ward up. I don't know how to get the white/English members of the ward to fellowship the Latino/Spanish members of the ward. As a consequence, they remain divided, and it's hard to get my new investigators/members to come to activities. We saw a lot of success yesterday at church though. We had a whole family come together. The Mom was baptized 2 months ago, and she is a superstar! She brought her husband, who is really cool and warming up to us, and her friend and her new born baby. Her baby is the cutest baby I have ever seen! She is ALWAYS smiling! Anyway, I was stoked to see 4 of my investigators at church, and depressed about the others who didn't or couldn't come. *Sigh*
I love being a missionary, and I'm glad to hear that life is awesome in Utah. Keep praying for me--your prayers are felt by me and other missionaries and answered by the Lord. I love you all!
So things continue to go well in New Haven. I've got to say honestly that this week was way better than last week. I guess the first week in the field is always kind of crazy for every missionary, but by the second week I was beginning to recognize where I was and what I was doing. The area that I cover is SO big--New Haven, Fair Haven, East Haven, Hamden--it will take me some time before I begin to understand how to find my way from point A to point B. They're not on the grid system here, and there are no mountains to tell me where East is. So I am naturally a little lost and shaken, but I'm gradually getting my bearings. I didn't even learn my address until just this week.
I gave my first blessing in Spanish yesterday-you'd be so proud of me. I felt just as nervous as when I gave my first blessing in English! We blessed a sick baby of this couple, the wife is a member and the husband isn't. It was a tender moment, and the spirit was really powerful. I was overwhelmed just that I was able to speak the Spanish necessary for such a task and nonetheless that the spirit was powerful. I think that's what the Gift of Tongues really is. It's not necessarily speaking the language fluently; it's the spirit influencing the language barrier and speaking to the heart. I felt that, and it felt great.
I continue to learn and grow in knowledge and strength. I LOVE having 3 hours every morning to study! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! My companion and I always have really great companionship studies, and I learn so much by sharing my thoughts and the things I learned with him. When you're enlightened by something in the scriptures or reading a talk you NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN and, if appropriate, SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE! I'm amazed at how much more I receive and learn when I'm writing down the thoughts that come to my mind and heart and sharing them with my companion. Richard G. Scott gave a talk about it in General Conference 2 weeks ago--GO LOOK IT UP!
Church is very interesting here. We don't have a Spanish branch, and so our members have to wear headsets to receive translation. The other classes are taught in Spanish for the Spanish members, but it divides the ward up. I don't know how to get the white/English members of the ward to fellowship the Latino/Spanish members of the ward. As a consequence, they remain divided, and it's hard to get my new investigators/members to come to activities. We saw a lot of success yesterday at church though. We had a whole family come together. The Mom was baptized 2 months ago, and she is a superstar! She brought her husband, who is really cool and warming up to us, and her friend and her new born baby. Her baby is the cutest baby I have ever seen! She is ALWAYS smiling! Anyway, I was stoked to see 4 of my investigators at church, and depressed about the others who didn't or couldn't come. *Sigh*
I love being a missionary, and I'm glad to hear that life is awesome in Utah. Keep praying for me--your prayers are felt by me and other missionaries and answered by the Lord. I love you all!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
New Haven, Connecticut
email 10/13/09
Greetings from New England! It is so incredibly pretty here--I can't even begin to describe. Even in the city and downtown there are more huge, beautiful trees than in all of Utah. So many trees... it makes me so happy. I'm serving in New Haven, which is on the southern coast of Connecticut. We are very near the coast, and so most days I can feel and smell the water and look out into the bay.
I live downtown, in the ghetto--it's totally awesome. I almost feel like I'm in a foreign country because missionaries are the only white people here, and everyone is speaking different languages. It is such a cultural melting pot here. I am beginning to learn to differentiate between the MANY different styles of Spanish that are spoken here--by Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Uruguayans, Mexicans, etc... All of them speak Spanish very differently. It's rather frustrating for me, because I can't hardly understand anything they're saying to me anyway even when I run into someone who speaks very clear Spanish. I am going to learn this language though.
My airplane ride here was fun--I was all by myself. I had no companion, no guide--just me. It was easy in SLC airport because all of the employees would see me and ask, "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?..." In Cincinnati, I was totally lost. I ended up running into a branch president at the MTC who happened to be there on business the same time I was there--that was divine intervention. He helped me find my terminal. My mission president is a wonderful man, and I spent that first day at the mission home getting to know him and his wife, and geting acquainted with the area.
My companion, Elder Taylor, is a great missionary, and I have a great feeling about him. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him to be training me in Spanish and missionary work while being a new district leader at the same time--he's doing a great job.
Mondays are my preparation days, so from now on you better have emails ready by Monday. My first P-Day was fantastic! We drove to "Gillete Castle" which is the home of William Gillete--the man who played Sherlock Holmes and ended up writing the plays and novels for the character. You can probably look it up online. I took some really great pictures so you can all see--I thought it was pretty awesome.
Well, Connecticut is a beautiful place, and I'm so happy to be here. I have bright faith and a burning testimony, and I've already taught some good lessons and had some powerful experiences. As soon as I know more about what I'm doing and where I'm going and who my investigators are I'll let you know. Just know that I'm happy, strong, and in love with missionary work.
I love you all so much!
Greetings from New England! It is so incredibly pretty here--I can't even begin to describe. Even in the city and downtown there are more huge, beautiful trees than in all of Utah. So many trees... it makes me so happy. I'm serving in New Haven, which is on the southern coast of Connecticut. We are very near the coast, and so most days I can feel and smell the water and look out into the bay.
I live downtown, in the ghetto--it's totally awesome. I almost feel like I'm in a foreign country because missionaries are the only white people here, and everyone is speaking different languages. It is such a cultural melting pot here. I am beginning to learn to differentiate between the MANY different styles of Spanish that are spoken here--by Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Uruguayans, Mexicans, etc... All of them speak Spanish very differently. It's rather frustrating for me, because I can't hardly understand anything they're saying to me anyway even when I run into someone who speaks very clear Spanish. I am going to learn this language though.
My airplane ride here was fun--I was all by myself. I had no companion, no guide--just me. It was easy in SLC airport because all of the employees would see me and ask, "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?..." In Cincinnati, I was totally lost. I ended up running into a branch president at the MTC who happened to be there on business the same time I was there--that was divine intervention. He helped me find my terminal. My mission president is a wonderful man, and I spent that first day at the mission home getting to know him and his wife, and geting acquainted with the area.
My companion, Elder Taylor, is a great missionary, and I have a great feeling about him. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him to be training me in Spanish and missionary work while being a new district leader at the same time--he's doing a great job.
Mondays are my preparation days, so from now on you better have emails ready by Monday. My first P-Day was fantastic! We drove to "Gillete Castle" which is the home of William Gillete--the man who played Sherlock Holmes and ended up writing the plays and novels for the character. You can probably look it up online. I took some really great pictures so you can all see--I thought it was pretty awesome.
Well, Connecticut is a beautiful place, and I'm so happy to be here. I have bright faith and a burning testimony, and I've already taught some good lessons and had some powerful experiences. As soon as I know more about what I'm doing and where I'm going and who my investigators are I'll let you know. Just know that I'm happy, strong, and in love with missionary work.
I love you all so much!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Hello Hartford!
email dated 10/2/09
I leave for Hartford Monday morning! I'm so glad to get out into the field and get to work. I kind of feel like the Elder in 'The Best Two Years' when he gets out into the field. My trainer will either love me or think I'm crazy. "I'm ready to GO!" I have so much enthusiasm right now, you have no idea. I'm totally eager to struggle and suffer with Spanish and communication for the next couple of months, and I can't wait to be ridiculed and scoffed at in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ. (Those are really things I'm looking forward to, no sarcasm.)
I read this talk recently called "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook. If you haven't read it, go to LDS.org and read it RIGHT NOW! It inspired and completely changed my outlook about faith. I want to be exactly like the faithful Elder that Brother Cook talks about. I let you all know after I reach my 1,000th baptism-that'll be a good milestone.
But seriously, I have sure faith that If I apply myself, commit myself, and give the Lord all I have that I will be successful and I will be a tool in His hands to bring many of His children back to Him. Having faith is more important to me right now than ever. Without it, we can't succeed in our endeavors. We need faith not just in missionary work, but in our everyday lives. Faith and Hope."The Infinite Power of Hope" by Dieter F Uchtdorf is another amazing talk that you have to read RIGHT NOW!! I can't keep myself from tearing up sometimes. That talk is full of GOLD. One thing that I just want to leave with you as 'food for thought' is a quote from the talk: "The things we hope FOR deal with faith, the things we hope IN deal with charity." I've spent a lot of time thinking about just that one line in his talk, but I want to hear some of your insights about it. Ponder it, study it, pray about it, and think about the real relationship between the triangle of "Faith, Hope, and Charity". And then let me know what you feel. I promise that if you study this that you will find an increased knowledge and love for our Savior, and direction for your everyday life.
I feel so good about life right now. I'm so close to the mission field, I can practically taste it. By the time many of you read this, I will already be in Connecticut. Keep me in your prayers. I will most certainly need them, especially for these first couple weeks out in the field. Just remember that I have an unshakable testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of mankind, and that this is His church with His authority and guided by His chosen prophet and apostles.
I love you all, and I pray for you every day. May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You on His name to the end.
I leave for Hartford Monday morning! I'm so glad to get out into the field and get to work. I kind of feel like the Elder in 'The Best Two Years' when he gets out into the field. My trainer will either love me or think I'm crazy. "I'm ready to GO!" I have so much enthusiasm right now, you have no idea. I'm totally eager to struggle and suffer with Spanish and communication for the next couple of months, and I can't wait to be ridiculed and scoffed at in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ. (Those are really things I'm looking forward to, no sarcasm.)
I read this talk recently called "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook. If you haven't read it, go to LDS.org and read it RIGHT NOW! It inspired and completely changed my outlook about faith. I want to be exactly like the faithful Elder that Brother Cook talks about. I let you all know after I reach my 1,000th baptism-that'll be a good milestone.
But seriously, I have sure faith that If I apply myself, commit myself, and give the Lord all I have that I will be successful and I will be a tool in His hands to bring many of His children back to Him. Having faith is more important to me right now than ever. Without it, we can't succeed in our endeavors. We need faith not just in missionary work, but in our everyday lives. Faith and Hope."The Infinite Power of Hope" by Dieter F Uchtdorf is another amazing talk that you have to read RIGHT NOW!! I can't keep myself from tearing up sometimes. That talk is full of GOLD. One thing that I just want to leave with you as 'food for thought' is a quote from the talk: "The things we hope FOR deal with faith, the things we hope IN deal with charity." I've spent a lot of time thinking about just that one line in his talk, but I want to hear some of your insights about it. Ponder it, study it, pray about it, and think about the real relationship between the triangle of "Faith, Hope, and Charity". And then let me know what you feel. I promise that if you study this that you will find an increased knowledge and love for our Savior, and direction for your everyday life.
I feel so good about life right now. I'm so close to the mission field, I can practically taste it. By the time many of you read this, I will already be in Connecticut. Keep me in your prayers. I will most certainly need them, especially for these first couple weeks out in the field. Just remember that I have an unshakable testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of mankind, and that this is His church with His authority and guided by His chosen prophet and apostles.
I love you all, and I pray for you every day. May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You on His name to the end.
I got my flight plans!!
email dated 9/25/09
WOO! So, I got my flight plans yesterday. I was pretty excited about it. It turns out that I'm the only Elder in the MTC who is going to Connecticut, and I'm also the only Elder leaving Monday, October 5th and 5 AM. Sooo, I'm my own travel leader and my own travel group. It'll be weird to not have a companion with me in the Airport. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared that I'm gonna screw it all up and get totally lost. Pray for me. So my flight leaves and 8AM on Oct. 5th, and I fly from SLC to Ohio. I only have a 40 minute overlay at the Ohio airport, which means that the second I get off my plane I have to bolt to get to my next flight-Don't they start boarding 30 minutes before take off? Anyway, if all goes well, which I hope is the case, I'll be in Hartford Connecticut by 4PM. I don't really have any time at the airport to call home, which really sucks, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess...entonces...
I love the MTC. It's so strange to observe the stark difference between Elders who have been here for 5 weeks and Elders who are just arriving. A 19 year old Elder who has been here for 4 weeks is usually more mature and smarter than the average 23 year old who newly arrives. Now that I'm among the oldest missionaries here I feel like the 'big-brother' figure. I'm a zone leader for my zone, and so I also got to greet the new district for our zone that came in this week. I spent a good deal of time with them, teaching them, and doing my best to make the feel welcome. The MTC really is an incredible place. I hate to hear when Elders whine a lot about their MTC experience and what a horrible place it is. Honestly, we are pampered here. Surely, I want to get out into the field more than anything! But I do love the MTC, and I will take a lot out of my duration here.
Spanish is coming. Of course I get frustrated sometimes when I want to say something in a lesson that's deep and profound and will change their life but I don't quite have the vocabulary to do it in Spanish so I work my way around it and deal with it... *sigh* But really, I have faith that I will be fluent in Spanish if I continue to work hard and do my part to be worthy of the 'Gift of Tongues'.
I have so many amazing experiences here every day! I wish I had the time to tell you all of it, but the very short time I have to write emails is running low, so I'm very constrained in my time.When I get to Connecticut, my new address until I know what apartment I'm in is:
Connecticut Hartford Mission
34 Jerome Ave Ste 319
Bloomfield, CT 06002
That address will be good until I can let you know where exactly my assignment is. I love you all so much! I know that this church is true, and I've already seen miracles, even here in the MTC, and throughout my life. The fact that I'm alive is a miracle, and my every day that I have to live, learn, grow, and feel. We owe so much to our Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered every bitterness in life, every sorrow and pain, and bled precious drops of pure blood for each and every one of you. Never forsake Him, for He will NEVER forsake you.
I love you all!
WOO! So, I got my flight plans yesterday. I was pretty excited about it. It turns out that I'm the only Elder in the MTC who is going to Connecticut, and I'm also the only Elder leaving Monday, October 5th and 5 AM. Sooo, I'm my own travel leader and my own travel group. It'll be weird to not have a companion with me in the Airport. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared that I'm gonna screw it all up and get totally lost. Pray for me. So my flight leaves and 8AM on Oct. 5th, and I fly from SLC to Ohio. I only have a 40 minute overlay at the Ohio airport, which means that the second I get off my plane I have to bolt to get to my next flight-Don't they start boarding 30 minutes before take off? Anyway, if all goes well, which I hope is the case, I'll be in Hartford Connecticut by 4PM. I don't really have any time at the airport to call home, which really sucks, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess...entonces...
I love the MTC. It's so strange to observe the stark difference between Elders who have been here for 5 weeks and Elders who are just arriving. A 19 year old Elder who has been here for 4 weeks is usually more mature and smarter than the average 23 year old who newly arrives. Now that I'm among the oldest missionaries here I feel like the 'big-brother' figure. I'm a zone leader for my zone, and so I also got to greet the new district for our zone that came in this week. I spent a good deal of time with them, teaching them, and doing my best to make the feel welcome. The MTC really is an incredible place. I hate to hear when Elders whine a lot about their MTC experience and what a horrible place it is. Honestly, we are pampered here. Surely, I want to get out into the field more than anything! But I do love the MTC, and I will take a lot out of my duration here.
Spanish is coming. Of course I get frustrated sometimes when I want to say something in a lesson that's deep and profound and will change their life but I don't quite have the vocabulary to do it in Spanish so I work my way around it and deal with it... *sigh* But really, I have faith that I will be fluent in Spanish if I continue to work hard and do my part to be worthy of the 'Gift of Tongues'.
I have so many amazing experiences here every day! I wish I had the time to tell you all of it, but the very short time I have to write emails is running low, so I'm very constrained in my time.When I get to Connecticut, my new address until I know what apartment I'm in is:
Connecticut Hartford Mission
34 Jerome Ave Ste 319
Bloomfield, CT 06002
That address will be good until I can let you know where exactly my assignment is. I love you all so much! I know that this church is true, and I've already seen miracles, even here in the MTC, and throughout my life. The fact that I'm alive is a miracle, and my every day that I have to live, learn, grow, and feel. We owe so much to our Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered every bitterness in life, every sorrow and pain, and bled precious drops of pure blood for each and every one of you. Never forsake Him, for He will NEVER forsake you.
I love you all!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
I love P-Day!
email dated 9/18/09
I love Preparation day. I really do. I love it a lot because I get to start the day off by going to the Provo Temple at 6:30 AM, but I also get to not sit in my classroom where I spend 10 hours a day, every day. I'll be honest, I'm kind of bored of looking at the walls in my classroom, but I'm certainly not bored of the MTC. I love missionary work SO MUCH! Ok, story time.
I was in the TRC-which is the place in the MTC where the Church receives incoming phone calls and chats from mormon.org, and I was waiting for a chat. Everyone else in my district was chatting with people online and answering questions and teaching, and I just sat there because there didn't seem to be any left. So I said a prayer real fast in which I pretty much said ,"Heavenly Father, I love this work, and I love the gospel. I've studied hard, and I'm ready and willing to help and teach. Please, send me someone who is downhearted-someone who needs the answers the gospel has. Trust me with one of your prepared ones...". The second I said 'Amen' to that prayer, my phone rang. His name was Terrance from Alabama, and if anyone had been prepared to hear the gospel, it was Terrance. He was practically in tears when we began talking, and he told me of how he and his wife of 3 years had recently gotten in an argument, and she moved out. Last week he got divorce papers in the mail, and he's been doing everything he can to mend his relationship. We talked about everything, and I got to know him really well. I would ask sincere questions, and I would console him, and then I would listen. I kept listening, and I kept talking, and I kept listening, until I felt moved to say something. I bore witness that Jesus Christ is our savior, and that God would answer the many prayers that he has offered in the long hours of the night. He had never even mentioned prayer in the conversation, but he began to cry as I bore testimony and spoke about prayer. It had been given me in the very moment what I needed to say-what Terrance needed to hear. We spoke for about 40 minutes, in which we spoke about "why is this life so difficult? Why do bad things happen to good people?", and in which I spoke a lot and testified about the Savior Jesus Christ. God answers prayers. I know He does.
This life is hard because it was MEANT to be hard. It was NEVER meant to be easy. It's hard because salvation is not a cheap experience. Especially as disciples of Jesus Christ, we should expect to suffer a great deal. Phil. 1:29 "It is given you in the behalf of Jesus Christ not only to believe on His name, but to suffer for His sake." Our own personal paths to salvation take us straight through Gethsemane, and we should expect to carry our own cross up the hill to our own personal Calvary. Jesus Christ suffered these things for ALL, so that if we would have faith on Him and His atonement, than we wouldn't have to. That doesn't mean that we aren't required to suffer- how incredibly selfish of us to whine and curse God for our hardships in this life when in all reality we couldn't even begin to shoulder our own burden- we can't pay our own price. Christ alone could, and Christ alone did. He shed precious drops of blood for each and every one of us. I am personally and eternally grateful for my Father in Heaven, and my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I love you all so much, and I want every happiness for you. I pray for constantly, as I hope I'm in your prayers.
Your Elder,
Luke Shepherd
I love Preparation day. I really do. I love it a lot because I get to start the day off by going to the Provo Temple at 6:30 AM, but I also get to not sit in my classroom where I spend 10 hours a day, every day. I'll be honest, I'm kind of bored of looking at the walls in my classroom, but I'm certainly not bored of the MTC. I love missionary work SO MUCH! Ok, story time.
I was in the TRC-which is the place in the MTC where the Church receives incoming phone calls and chats from mormon.org, and I was waiting for a chat. Everyone else in my district was chatting with people online and answering questions and teaching, and I just sat there because there didn't seem to be any left. So I said a prayer real fast in which I pretty much said ,"Heavenly Father, I love this work, and I love the gospel. I've studied hard, and I'm ready and willing to help and teach. Please, send me someone who is downhearted-someone who needs the answers the gospel has. Trust me with one of your prepared ones...". The second I said 'Amen' to that prayer, my phone rang. His name was Terrance from Alabama, and if anyone had been prepared to hear the gospel, it was Terrance. He was practically in tears when we began talking, and he told me of how he and his wife of 3 years had recently gotten in an argument, and she moved out. Last week he got divorce papers in the mail, and he's been doing everything he can to mend his relationship. We talked about everything, and I got to know him really well. I would ask sincere questions, and I would console him, and then I would listen. I kept listening, and I kept talking, and I kept listening, until I felt moved to say something. I bore witness that Jesus Christ is our savior, and that God would answer the many prayers that he has offered in the long hours of the night. He had never even mentioned prayer in the conversation, but he began to cry as I bore testimony and spoke about prayer. It had been given me in the very moment what I needed to say-what Terrance needed to hear. We spoke for about 40 minutes, in which we spoke about "why is this life so difficult? Why do bad things happen to good people?", and in which I spoke a lot and testified about the Savior Jesus Christ. God answers prayers. I know He does.
This life is hard because it was MEANT to be hard. It was NEVER meant to be easy. It's hard because salvation is not a cheap experience. Especially as disciples of Jesus Christ, we should expect to suffer a great deal. Phil. 1:29 "It is given you in the behalf of Jesus Christ not only to believe on His name, but to suffer for His sake." Our own personal paths to salvation take us straight through Gethsemane, and we should expect to carry our own cross up the hill to our own personal Calvary. Jesus Christ suffered these things for ALL, so that if we would have faith on Him and His atonement, than we wouldn't have to. That doesn't mean that we aren't required to suffer- how incredibly selfish of us to whine and curse God for our hardships in this life when in all reality we couldn't even begin to shoulder our own burden- we can't pay our own price. Christ alone could, and Christ alone did. He shed precious drops of blood for each and every one of us. I am personally and eternally grateful for my Father in Heaven, and my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I love you all so much, and I want every happiness for you. I pray for constantly, as I hope I'm in your prayers.
Your Elder,
Luke Shepherd
Saturday, September 12, 2009
I"M SO MAD THAT MY 25 MINUTE EMAIL GOT ERASED AND NOW I HAVE 2 MINUTES TO WRITE YOU!!!!!!
email dated 9/11/09
Dear family,I just wrote you a beautiful, 25 minute email that was erased because MY LDS MAIL crashed just as I was sending it. And so, as much as it sucks, I just have time to say I love you, my testimony is strong, life is good, and I want letters from all of you. Isaiah 40:28-31, Isaiah 41:9-10, D&C 35:13, Alma 26:12, etc... Just food for thought . Oh, and Hebrews 10:35.Thank you, I love you, and I'm sorry and ANGRY about my email that got erased...
Your Elder,
Luke Shepherd
Dear family,I just wrote you a beautiful, 25 minute email that was erased because MY LDS MAIL crashed just as I was sending it. And so, as much as it sucks, I just have time to say I love you, my testimony is strong, life is good, and I want letters from all of you. Isaiah 40:28-31, Isaiah 41:9-10, D&C 35:13, Alma 26:12, etc... Just food for thought . Oh, and Hebrews 10:35.Thank you, I love you, and I'm sorry and ANGRY about my email that got erased...
Your Elder,
Luke Shepherd
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Email dated 9/4/09
Well I'm loving life here at the MTC. Everyone in my district is starting to complain a lot about the food here. They're sick of the same old stuff every meal. I laugh inside and hope that when they get out into the field they will miss the food here. I'm OK with it. I have gained 5 pounds since I've been here though-it's not noticeable, but it shows on the scale. I guess I'll have to work up more of a sweat during my intense games of 4-square and volleyball.I'm in a 'threesome' companionship now. It's really weird, but I'm looking on the bright side of things. Teaching with 3 people is much different that the intricacies of just 2, but it also comes with it's own blessings and advantages-I'm learning to focus on the advantages.
An Elder in my district was quarantined this week with the flu, and the health clinic made all of us take these anti-viral pills to prevent the spread of it. He's OK-he was just stuck in a room all by himself for 4 days... I would have gone crazy.Spanish is coming slowly, but surely. Up until now we've been teaching the lessons in English, and doing everything else in Spanish-but this week we have to start doing everything in Spanish. I'll be OK, I continue to study really hard. I'm trying this new personal goal where I only allow myself 200 words in English a day. Every time I speak in English, I make a tally mark in my planner. Some elders choose one day a week as their 'Nothing but Spanish' day, but I think that's kind of stupid- what does that make the other days of the week? "Non-Spanish speaking" days?
I find myself wishing their were more hours in the day. I want to do so much and study so much, and their just isn't enough time to do it all. Setting goals is SO important, because I have to prioritize and lay out my time to accomplish what is most important. I don't waste much time here. Of course, I only get so much time to be in the MTC, and so I plan on taking advantage of the time I have here. 9 weeks seemed like forever at first, but now I can't believe I'm already in week 5. It'll be no time at all before I'm in Connecticut, converting and baptizing the whole state. I'm gonna baptize the whole state of Rhode Island too, all two inches of it. (In case you didn't catch on, that was a BAD example of goal setting)
But seriously, I'm doing just great. I'm really happy, I love what I'm doing, and I'm doing what I love. At times I get frustrated with Spanish, but that always makes me think about the experience of Enoch. You should all read about it in Moses 6. God calls Enoch to be a prophet, and Enoch doesn't feel capable or ready. In verse 31 he says " I am but a lad, and all the people hate me... I am slow of speech; wherefore, am I Thy servant?". I feel like that sometimes, but then I read verse 32-Here comes the promise: "Do as I have commanded you... and your mouth shall be filled... and you shall be given utterance.." (Moses 6:31-32)
I love the spirit here-it's constantly with me. I know that what I'm doing is the most important thing I could possibly be doing right now. I'm a missionary, called and qualified by God to do His work, preach His gospel, and help bring my brothers and sisters unto Christ. I'm working hard at understanding my purpose and teaching according to that purpose.
I love you all. You're always in my prayers, as I hope I'm in yours. Get well, be healthy, and May the Good Lord bless and keep you til we meet again.
Your Elder,
Luke Shepherd
An Elder in my district was quarantined this week with the flu, and the health clinic made all of us take these anti-viral pills to prevent the spread of it. He's OK-he was just stuck in a room all by himself for 4 days... I would have gone crazy.Spanish is coming slowly, but surely. Up until now we've been teaching the lessons in English, and doing everything else in Spanish-but this week we have to start doing everything in Spanish. I'll be OK, I continue to study really hard. I'm trying this new personal goal where I only allow myself 200 words in English a day. Every time I speak in English, I make a tally mark in my planner. Some elders choose one day a week as their 'Nothing but Spanish' day, but I think that's kind of stupid- what does that make the other days of the week? "Non-Spanish speaking" days?
I find myself wishing their were more hours in the day. I want to do so much and study so much, and their just isn't enough time to do it all. Setting goals is SO important, because I have to prioritize and lay out my time to accomplish what is most important. I don't waste much time here. Of course, I only get so much time to be in the MTC, and so I plan on taking advantage of the time I have here. 9 weeks seemed like forever at first, but now I can't believe I'm already in week 5. It'll be no time at all before I'm in Connecticut, converting and baptizing the whole state. I'm gonna baptize the whole state of Rhode Island too, all two inches of it. (In case you didn't catch on, that was a BAD example of goal setting)
But seriously, I'm doing just great. I'm really happy, I love what I'm doing, and I'm doing what I love. At times I get frustrated with Spanish, but that always makes me think about the experience of Enoch. You should all read about it in Moses 6. God calls Enoch to be a prophet, and Enoch doesn't feel capable or ready. In verse 31 he says " I am but a lad, and all the people hate me... I am slow of speech; wherefore, am I Thy servant?". I feel like that sometimes, but then I read verse 32-Here comes the promise: "Do as I have commanded you... and your mouth shall be filled... and you shall be given utterance.." (Moses 6:31-32)
I love the spirit here-it's constantly with me. I know that what I'm doing is the most important thing I could possibly be doing right now. I'm a missionary, called and qualified by God to do His work, preach His gospel, and help bring my brothers and sisters unto Christ. I'm working hard at understanding my purpose and teaching according to that purpose.
I love you all. You're always in my prayers, as I hope I'm in yours. Get well, be healthy, and May the Good Lord bless and keep you til we meet again.
Your Elder,
Luke Shepherd
Friday, August 28, 2009
Email Dated 8/28/09
I'm past the 3 week mark now at the MTC- Ah, it's incredible. It's been quite a rough ride so far, but I've managed to get through it alive. A lot of you mentioned four-square in your letters-let me tell you, it's pretty awesome. We can get pretty competitive with 4-square. In fact, last gym period we had more people playing four square than basketball. I rather enjoy it, but I still play basketball alot. I'm just scared of all the stories of elders who get injured and end up staying in the MTC an extra 7 weeks for physical therapy. I seriously see more people on crutches and in wheelchairs every day at the MTC than I've seen my whole life up to this point-they're all elders who got hurt playing soccer and basketball. Sad...I LOVED the cheese wiz you sent me! Cheese wiz, however unhealthy, is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. I ate it right up. If you ever feel the urge (please...) to send me another package, Cheese Wiz is definitely safe. I also really need eyedrops, and they don't sell them here at the bookstore. My eyes are so dry.Thank Janice for setting up the blog for my letters. I think that's so awesome! I'd like to say 'hello' to everyone out there in cyberspace who chances up this blog. Missions are great!I did get to see the Temple Dedication here at the MTC. They showed it in the auditorium, and we all get to participate. It was amazing. I was super jealous of all of you who got to go to the temple for the dedication. That must have been an incredible experience.
Learning a language is definitely hard, but I enjoy it so much. It's so frustrating to me, because I want to be good at everything, and I want it to come easily to me, so it's taken a lot of patience for me to get where I am with Spanish, but I'm learning, slowly but surely.
Ted is starting Kindergarten! Emma's already in the 2nd grade!? Nathan helped Faith write an email!!!?? Everyone's gonna be all grown up by the time I come home! Andy, don't sweat it, Ted still says that you're his favorite uncle, he told me so every time he came over.
Tell Dad that he needs to get a dog! Christian and I had this discussion before I left, we just need a dog. Get one, and then send me pictures.
Speaking of pictures, I need some. I need some of the family, because I don't have any, and my camera is on the fritz and isn't working. I took a ton of pictures on it only to find out that it erased them all. I'M SO MAD!! The memory card is working fine, but the camera is just plain stupid. I'm gonna see if I can get another one.
Elder Richard G. Scott came to speak to us this Tuesday at the MTC. That was so awesome. It was the closest I've ever been to an apostle. I didn't get to shake his hand though, because the MTC presidency didn't want him to sick, so they ushered him out immediately after. There's another swine flu scare here at the MTC. It's kind of scary, everyone is washing their hands and using hand sanitizer 100 times daily, me included. I love the MTC, but I don't wanna be in here any more than my 9 weeks. Anyway, Elder Scott invoked 2 apostolic blessings on us- he blessed us with the gift of tongues, and he also blessed us with protection from harm and danger, physical and spiritual.
My time is gone! AHH!! I want to write so much more, but If I don't send this letter in about 20 seconds it will be deleted, so I have to truncate it. I love you all SO MUCH! Congrats again to Matt and Shilah on their new life together-I love you too.Andy, thank you for the letter and the advice. I love you, and I'm so proud of you.Thank you everyone for the letters, and keep it up!The church is TRUE!!
-(Elder) Luke Shepherd
Learning a language is definitely hard, but I enjoy it so much. It's so frustrating to me, because I want to be good at everything, and I want it to come easily to me, so it's taken a lot of patience for me to get where I am with Spanish, but I'm learning, slowly but surely.
Ted is starting Kindergarten! Emma's already in the 2nd grade!? Nathan helped Faith write an email!!!?? Everyone's gonna be all grown up by the time I come home! Andy, don't sweat it, Ted still says that you're his favorite uncle, he told me so every time he came over.
Tell Dad that he needs to get a dog! Christian and I had this discussion before I left, we just need a dog. Get one, and then send me pictures.
Speaking of pictures, I need some. I need some of the family, because I don't have any, and my camera is on the fritz and isn't working. I took a ton of pictures on it only to find out that it erased them all. I'M SO MAD!! The memory card is working fine, but the camera is just plain stupid. I'm gonna see if I can get another one.
Elder Richard G. Scott came to speak to us this Tuesday at the MTC. That was so awesome. It was the closest I've ever been to an apostle. I didn't get to shake his hand though, because the MTC presidency didn't want him to sick, so they ushered him out immediately after. There's another swine flu scare here at the MTC. It's kind of scary, everyone is washing their hands and using hand sanitizer 100 times daily, me included. I love the MTC, but I don't wanna be in here any more than my 9 weeks. Anyway, Elder Scott invoked 2 apostolic blessings on us- he blessed us with the gift of tongues, and he also blessed us with protection from harm and danger, physical and spiritual.
My time is gone! AHH!! I want to write so much more, but If I don't send this letter in about 20 seconds it will be deleted, so I have to truncate it. I love you all SO MUCH! Congrats again to Matt and Shilah on their new life together-I love you too.Andy, thank you for the letter and the advice. I love you, and I'm so proud of you.Thank you everyone for the letters, and keep it up!The church is TRUE!!
-(Elder) Luke Shepherd
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I'm on a mission
email 8/21/09
The MTC has certainly been a lot of ups and downs so far, but I have really enjoyed my time here. My companion and I are getting along really well now, and I'm giving it my all. I am having piano withdrawals though... It's sad, I've always been able to play piano whenever I wanted for extended periods of time, and now I have no time at all to devote to it. I know that the stuff I'm studying is more important, but I still feel like I've lost part of me--like I've lost my arms. It's weird.
All the same, my stay here has been enjoyable. Spanish is a great language--I just hate how I'm not perfect at it yet. It will take me a good deal of time to become fluent enough to even teach a lesson or converse confidently, but I speak as much Spanish as I possibly can. I'm testifying, praying, and I practice 'street-contacts' in Spanish with random elders as we go from one place to the next. It's great fun, and it's a great challenge. No one really prepares you for how hard it is (this whole mission thing) but if the next 2 years of my life will be as challenging and rewarding as the first 2 weeks, I'll be OK. I imagine the mission field will be 10 times more gratifying than the meager successes here at the MTC. We jump for joy just when we're able to formulate a coherent thought or sentence in Spanish.
I just know I'm gonna gain weight here. I'm trying to be disciplined and I'm trying to ration how much I eat, but having 3 full meals a day with as much food as I want is too tempting. I'm grateful for the gym here at the MTC. I've played a lot of basketball and volleyball, but the sport which I didn't expect to play here was 4-sqaure. You'd be surprised at how intense some of our 4-square games get. I haven't played it since the 3rd grade, but it’s a new passion of mine. I think I'm gonna go pro in it when I come home.
30 minutes is not enough time to write about all the things I want to write about, so I'll wrap it up. I have some other things I wanted to tell you and ask for but I have to get off of the computer now, so just remember to email me and keep me posted. I'll do my best to get back to you all.
Any questions for me about life so far?
-(Elder) Luke
The MTC has certainly been a lot of ups and downs so far, but I have really enjoyed my time here. My companion and I are getting along really well now, and I'm giving it my all. I am having piano withdrawals though... It's sad, I've always been able to play piano whenever I wanted for extended periods of time, and now I have no time at all to devote to it. I know that the stuff I'm studying is more important, but I still feel like I've lost part of me--like I've lost my arms. It's weird.
All the same, my stay here has been enjoyable. Spanish is a great language--I just hate how I'm not perfect at it yet. It will take me a good deal of time to become fluent enough to even teach a lesson or converse confidently, but I speak as much Spanish as I possibly can. I'm testifying, praying, and I practice 'street-contacts' in Spanish with random elders as we go from one place to the next. It's great fun, and it's a great challenge. No one really prepares you for how hard it is (this whole mission thing) but if the next 2 years of my life will be as challenging and rewarding as the first 2 weeks, I'll be OK. I imagine the mission field will be 10 times more gratifying than the meager successes here at the MTC. We jump for joy just when we're able to formulate a coherent thought or sentence in Spanish.
I just know I'm gonna gain weight here. I'm trying to be disciplined and I'm trying to ration how much I eat, but having 3 full meals a day with as much food as I want is too tempting. I'm grateful for the gym here at the MTC. I've played a lot of basketball and volleyball, but the sport which I didn't expect to play here was 4-sqaure. You'd be surprised at how intense some of our 4-square games get. I haven't played it since the 3rd grade, but it’s a new passion of mine. I think I'm gonna go pro in it when I come home.
30 minutes is not enough time to write about all the things I want to write about, so I'll wrap it up. I have some other things I wanted to tell you and ask for but I have to get off of the computer now, so just remember to email me and keep me posted. I'll do my best to get back to you all.
Any questions for me about life so far?
-(Elder) Luke
Thursday, August 13, 2009
August 8th, 2009
I won't have time to write until next Friday, so this letter is for the whole family. My first day at the MTC was pretty crazy. I met mi companero, Elder Jimenez, and we clicked instantly. My other 2 roommates are great Elders, Elder Parkinson and McCulloch, and we all get along extremely well.
I'm not gonna lie, this is definitely the HARDEST thing I have ever done. The first day I felt like I had a target on my chest because of the orange dot on my name tag (signifying 'New Elder'!) I was still really excited though, and I was so excited that night I couldn't hardly sleep. However, I must say that by that second night I just wanted to cry myself back home. Spanish seemed like an impossible language to learn, my brain was fried due to the information overload, and I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I had zero time to write home, zero time to think; I was just bombarded by a new world and I felt like I was drowning in it.
Fear not, today I am doing well and I have gotten through the worst part of the mission: the first three days. All the Elders told us that if we could make it to Sunday, then everything would get easier/more enjoyable. They were right.
I really do love it here, but I'm afraid I'll get super fat with all the food they feed us. They let us eat as much as we want, and so it's easy to overeat. You'd be proud of me though-I'm showing enough self-discipline to only get 1 monster helping of food . . .
Tell Matt and Shilah 'felicidades' on their wedding, and tell them not to feel bad that Andy and I couldn't be there --"(We) are doing a great work, and cannot come down . . . " Who can name that story!?
The Church is true--it is so true! I love the spirit in the MTC and I love being able to dedicate all my time to the Lord. He created me and all I have is a blessing from Him-I feel like I'm giving my body back to Him for 2 years. In no way does that make up for all I owe Him, but it's the least I can do.
I love you all so much, and owe you so much for helping me get where I am today. Ask Faith and Janice to start a blog for me. I would be so grateful if they did. They could even post this letter. (your welcome, Luke) I have so little time to write but next week I'll have email capabilities, so I need you all to write me and include your email addresses in there so I can reach you all.
Adios! I love you!
Luke Shepherd
I'm not gonna lie, this is definitely the HARDEST thing I have ever done. The first day I felt like I had a target on my chest because of the orange dot on my name tag (signifying 'New Elder'!) I was still really excited though, and I was so excited that night I couldn't hardly sleep. However, I must say that by that second night I just wanted to cry myself back home. Spanish seemed like an impossible language to learn, my brain was fried due to the information overload, and I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I had zero time to write home, zero time to think; I was just bombarded by a new world and I felt like I was drowning in it.
Fear not, today I am doing well and I have gotten through the worst part of the mission: the first three days. All the Elders told us that if we could make it to Sunday, then everything would get easier/more enjoyable. They were right.
I really do love it here, but I'm afraid I'll get super fat with all the food they feed us. They let us eat as much as we want, and so it's easy to overeat. You'd be proud of me though-I'm showing enough self-discipline to only get 1 monster helping of food . . .
Tell Matt and Shilah 'felicidades' on their wedding, and tell them not to feel bad that Andy and I couldn't be there --"(We) are doing a great work, and cannot come down . . . " Who can name that story!?
The Church is true--it is so true! I love the spirit in the MTC and I love being able to dedicate all my time to the Lord. He created me and all I have is a blessing from Him-I feel like I'm giving my body back to Him for 2 years. In no way does that make up for all I owe Him, but it's the least I can do.
I love you all so much, and owe you so much for helping me get where I am today. Ask Faith and Janice to start a blog for me. I would be so grateful if they did. They could even post this letter. (your welcome, Luke) I have so little time to write but next week I'll have email capabilities, so I need you all to write me and include your email addresses in there so I can reach you all.
Adios! I love you!
Luke Shepherd
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