Preaching in the pouring rain‏

email dated 12/14/09
The work is going super well! We had a ton of Less-actives at church again this Sunday, and we're watching as the Spanish members are beginning to come together as a whole and help each other learn and progress. It's a really cool thing to see. When I first got here, we only had 3 or 4 Spanish members who came to church every week (besides our investigators). Yesterday we had 20 (again, not including our investigators)! I can hardly believe the miracles that are happening all around me. The Lord really does work through His servants to accomplish works and wonders.

This is my companions last week in the mission field (he flies home December 22nd). He's trying super hard not to be trunky and talk about going home for Christmas all the time, but he does anyway. I can't blame him. He's going home to play linebacker for BYU football. I can't wait to see him on ESPN! "That's my companion! woo!"

It got cold really fast this week. It went from being in the 50's a week ago, to having a brutal storm last weekend, and this whole week has now been in the 20's and low 30's.

Awesome experience from last night: Ok, so last night around 8PM we were checking out our weekly goals, and noticed that we were going to either meet or exceed all of our goals except for 2: we needed to place 2 more copies of the Book of Mormon and challenge 3 more people to baptism. My companion said to me "Well Elder, we got really close. It was a good week." I said back to him,"No! We're not done yet! We're gonna walk down this street, and we're gonna place 2 copies of the Book of Mormon, and challenge 3 people to be baptized in the next 20 minutes!" My companion retorted,"It's 8PM at night, it's 35 degrees out, it's raining, it's windy, and there is NO ONE in sight!". I persisted, "The Lord will place people on this street in the next 20 minutes who have been waiting to hear from us. I know He will." So, reluctantly, my companion followed me down the street in the pouring rain... and then a miracle occurred. All of the sudden, a couple came out of nowhere, and we challenged them both to be baptized and gave them a Book of Mormon. Then another young lady appeared, and we gave her a Book of Mormon and challenged her to be baptized as well. 20 minutes later, we had completed all of our weekly goals, and both of our testimonies had been strengthened. It was amazing how the Lord placed people right in our path who were waiting to hear from us. The Lord answers our prayers, and grants unto us the righteous desires of our hearts. I have a sure testimony of that.

The Lord saw it fit to try my faith even in the most adverse of weather conditions. I have a testimony of "preaching in the pouring rain". No matter the circumstance in our life, we must remember that God has a plan for us, that He loves us, and that we are where we are for a reason. Perhaps you need to learn to pick yourself up when you fall, or perhaps you need to have your faith tried in a particular way so you can be strengthened, or perhaps you need to lift the heavy heart of another... Whatever the case, God blesses those who are faithful enough to 'preach, even in the pouring rain'.

I challenge all of you to find those opportunities in your everyday lives, and thank God for each and every one of them. Persevere when the going gets tough, and when you reach the point where you feel that you can't take one more step, that's the point when God will try you the most, and when you're only just beginning to realize your potential. Have the faith to do what you need to do and do what's right and 'preach, even in the pouring rain'.

Well, that's my special message for the week.

I love you all, and I pray that you're having a wonderful Christmas season! God bless!

-Elder Shepherd