I'm staying in Providence‏

email 6/14/10
I'm officially staying in Providence. Elder Russel's companion is still recovering from a broken knee in the MTC, so we'll still be in our threesome until he come's out. We get the news today on when he'll come out, but it looks like we'll be in the threesome for at least 2 more weeks. Our district leader is leaving, and I'm the new district leader of our Spanish district. All of the other elders in my district are younger than me, and I only have 10 months in the mission, which means we'll be a pretty 'young' district. I'm the only elder who understands all of what's going on at church and in our meetings every sunday, since everything is in spanish and the other elders are all still learning. I'm really excited for this opportunity to stretch myself. This will be a really good transfer.
I'm not sure yet how I feel about turning 20 this week. I won't be a teenager anymore, which is cool, and at the same time, I feel like my childhood is somehow being taken away from me. The up's outweigh the downs, and I'm overall looking forward to it.
The weather has been mostly decent this week. It's been rainy on and off, but it's also been in the 60's and 70's, so it hasn't been too terribly hot. I continue to learn more and more how much Elder Russel and I are pretty much the same person, including with our new work-out routine how a couple mornings a week we wake up a little early and play tennis. We're a pretty even match, and we've had tons of fun doing it. Now that it's the summer, we can get out of the apartment to work out in the mornings. It opens up so many possibilities.
Life is super awesome, and we're still looking forward to Maria's baptism this next weekend. Her 16 year-old son started coming to church with her, so we're starting to teach him as well. Her husband still doesn't want to talk with us, but he's totally fine with Maria's decision to get baptized. Maria is cruising through the Book of Mormon, and she takes in tons of information. When we came in for our appointment this week, she began by saying,"You know, I mentioned to some of my friends at work that I was going to be baptized, and they told me that I needed to know some things about the mormon church before I went any further...etc..." I thought to myself, "Oh no, her friends fed her lies and hurt her faith..." Her friends told her that high ranking officials in the church still practice polygamy in secret and have 4 or 5 wives each stashed away, along with other garbage. I was kind of worried as she related to me what she'd been told by her friends, so I explained the truth and where the rumors probably originated from. I asked her if she felt that the Book of Mormon was true. She replied immediately, "I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true." I had nothing to worry about after all. As long as you know that, there is NOTHING in this world that can lead you astray. I explained to her the connection, and she beamed in agreeance. "I know that if they would read the Book of Mormon, they would know too." She's got it.
With the knowledge that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it was translated by God's prophet to usher in this last dispensation comes the realization of the truthfulness of the Restoration. It's the key of our religion because without the Book of Mormon we have no claim to modern prophets, revelation, priesthood keys, etc... It's SO simple- FAR more simple than we make it out to be sometimes. It's true or it isn't-black and white. If it is, then this church, as well as everything that accompanies the message of the restoration, is true. The real thing that sets God's church apart from any other church of men is because it is built upon the rock of Jesus Christ, which means that a continual source of revelation from the Savior has guided this church since the beginning. This church is just someone's 'best guess' at what ancient volumes of scripture contain and signify. We aren't just doing what we do because it 'says so in the Bible/Book of Mormon'. If this church does something, it's because that's what God would have it do. That's the key, that's what is so special! God speaks continues to speak to us, and He guides us, even now. I love the scripture is 2 Nephi 29:9 that says, "I (God) speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever." God is still doing His work today, and in order for it to press forward and function, His children are in CONSTANT NEED of divine revelation, inspiration, and guidance. More scripture comes forth daily as God speaks to His children, and an open canon of scripture in our day and age continues and set's God's church apart.
I love the work I'm engaged in, and I live every day "rejoicing that [I am] counted worthy to suffer shame for [Christ's] name', just like Peter and John in Acts 5:41.
I love you all, and I'm grateful for the prayers. Keep on keepin' on!
       -Elder Shepherd