General Conference

email 4/5/10

Hello everyone!

I hope you all loved General Conference as much as I did. I wish I could take the time to tell you how much I learned and the many insights that I received from the spirit during the course of conference, but I don't have very much time at all to be writing this week. Sufficeth it to say that I'm grateful beyond measure to a loving Heavenly Father for my blessings and the abundance of His tender mercies.

Last week was REALLY REALLY RAINY, and there was a ton of flooding in Connecticut and Rhode Island. I had the craziest tracting experience of my life trying to proselyte in that rain. My companion and I got completely soaked, so we ran home, put our clothes in the dryer for 30 minutes, and ran back outside to work. The rain never let up, and the wind was really mean. Our umbrellas were completely useless to us-the only thing that they kepy dry was our head. Meanwhile, while we were battling the elements, these girls in the streets were yelling profanities at us, and people who drove by made sure that we knew what a wonderful day it was to be a missionary by splashing us with the filthy street water as they sped by in their cars and yelled at us. It's at times like these when you're level of 'christlike love' for all men is really tried; however, I'd read a verse in Acts that morning that gave me great comfort. Paul and Peter, after having been ridiculed, thrown into jail, released, and ridiculed again as they testified of Jesus Christ before the Sanhedrin said in verse 41 of the 5th chapter of Acts that they "departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." I felt good about my persecutions, and rejoiced that I was counted worthy to suffer shame in my service to the Master.

I'm out of time...

     I love you all so much!

           -Elder Shepherd