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
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