Cold, wet, and never happier!‏

Libraries were closed yesterday, and next Monday they will be closed as well, so I'm forced to email on Tuesday.
My Christmas wish for snow up to my chest came true the day after Christmas! On Sunday a huge storm blew over the east coast here, dumping 2 feet of snow on Providence, Rhode Island. It was awesome! The storm was going nuts outside all day Sunday. We helped someone shovel their driveway that evening, and then we got a text from our mission president telling us to go back home and stay indoors, so we 'played' in the snow on our way home. I attached a picture of my companion and I just before retiring that night-cold, wet, and never happier!
Christmas greetings from Providence! Christmas was such a good day. I attached a picture of me opening my presents Christmas morning. I was like a little kid. My tradition in that regard didn't change at all. I was still up at 6:30 AM, giddy as can be and full of the Christmas spirit.

The Hispanic people don't really celebrate the 25th on Christmas day; they actually celebrate the night before on the 24th all night long. They stay up until midnight eating tamales and drinking "punch" made out of fruits and vegetables. At midnight, they open all their presents and party the rest of the morning. Their celebration on the 25th consists of sleeping all day due to the party the night before. We were privileged to share in part of their celebrations on the 24th. I ate so many tamales and drank so much "punch" that I nearly exploded. It was great! The next morning, we had breakfast with a Guatemalan family that we're teaching. I attached a picture of us at breakfast.

We spent the majority of Christmas day visiting investigators and families, and of course calling home was the best.
One particular visit on Christmas day took on special significance for me. We visited a woman that I baptized a little over 2 months ago that evening. She's an older woman with little family. What little family she does have left town without her. She spent almost all day on the 24th and 25th alone. The moment we walked into her house that evening, I knew that she'd been crying and lonely. She shared with us how she'd gotten in an argument with her daughter several days before. I sat there, trying to think of how to console her. I tried to put myself in her shoes, and one of the closest things that I could remember was an experience that I had a couple years ago.
It was Christmas Eve, and as part of our family tradition we were going to see a movie at the theaters. Well, we were all gathered and ready to go when I ran to the bathroom really quickly before departing. When I came out of the bathroom 30 or so seconds later everyone was gone. I ran to the door but they were already gone. My initial feeling was total dejection. "How could they have forgotten about me!? Didn't anyone notice that I wasn't there!?" I decided to sit next to the phone, expecting them to notice that I'd been left behind, and to call me with apologies, begging forgiveness. A couple minutes passed by. "They seriously don't notice that I'm missing?"  A couple more minutes passed by.  "They aren't going to call me."  I finally got over my pride and called my dad's cell phone. "I'm not in the car!" I said. My dad turned the car around and jetted back home. We all ended up laughing about the whole thing.
Anyway, I remember how I felt at first when I realized that I'd been left behind and no one noticed. It was one of the closest things that I had experienced that related with her. In my experience, I had to get over my pride and call my father for help. As my mind caught hold on that experience, and with those emotions running through me, I felt inspired to say to her, "I know that you've been praying, and God sent me here in answer to those prayers. You're not alone. He knows you've been suffering, and He wanted you to 'call home'. He is so pleased that you did." The spirit flooded the room. I will never forget how I felt in that moment. I think that's how Christmas is really supposed to feel. I knew that God had used me to answer her prayer, and I knew that He knew her. I knew that He knew me because he'd brought to my mind past experiences that I'd had in order to be able to administer with genuine love and concern.
These 2 Christmases that I've spent in the mission field will forever be special for me. They are unique and cherished memories. I hope to take that same spirit I've felt here and share it with my future family.
Christmas was so wonderful! I thank all of you for remembering me in your prayers and hearts. I'm especially grateful to those of you who wrote me and let me know I was loved. I felt your love from afar.
This week we go to 2011! I can't believe it! I go home this year! Weird.
         With much love from your favorite elder,
                 -Elder Shepherd