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
Saturday, September 19, 2009
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
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