email dated 11/2/09
How was Halloween? We had to be in our apartment by 6:00PM on Halloween, because things get pretty crazy on Halloween. That, and knocking on doors wouldn't have worked out so well that night. Anyway, the other 3 Elders and I spent the night in our apartment carving pumpkins and playing board games (Risk and Monopoly, and we had to have special permission). It was awesome. I don't even have a candy hangover this year from sugar overload.
We had a trunk-or-treat Friday night at our ward here in New Haven- it was pretty awesome! We (the 4 Elders) did an activity where we hang donuts to the end of a string and we had all the little kids try and eat them with their hands behind their backs. It was great fun. Then the fire alarm got triggered by the young women's smoke machine, and we had to evacuate the building. Consequently, the elevators in our building got shut off (our church is more like a 4 story apartment building), and we had many people who couldn't get out because they were old and in wheelchairs couldn't make it down the stairs. It was a very eventful night...
Sunday was CRAZY! 10 minutes before sacrament meeting starts the guy who is supposed to translate our meeting into Spanish for the Spanish members calls us and tells us that he's sick and won't be able to make it. So my companion runs off to get translation set up, and is doing that the rest of the time. Meanwhile, the gospel principles teacher calls me and tells me that she can't make it, and that I'll have to teach gospel principles (IN SPANISH!!) with no forewarning. Then the second counselor in the bishopric grabs me and tells me that this woman wants her baby blessed today but the guys who's supposed to do isn't here, and he wants me to do it and it has to be in Spanish (AHHHH!!). And then one of my investigators calls me on the phone the next second and says that he wants to come to church but his ride fell through and he needs a ride. This all happens in 5 minutes, and my companion isn't there to help me because he's translating as sacrament meeting is beginning. It's at times like these in my life that I wonder, "What in the world have I gotten myself into!?" I ask a really nice member to go pick up my investigator and tell him where he lives, and he faithfully runs off to do it. I call my investigator and let him know that his ride is on the way, and run to grab a gospel principles book so that I can at least see what topic I'm supposed to be teaching before gospel principles. The bishopric decided to put off the baby blessing until next time (phew...).
The entire day on Sunday was like that. It was insane! It was pretty awesome at the same time, but it was more insane that it was awesome.
On the flip side, it really made me stretch myself. I was running a million miles an hour and speaking Spanish that I didn't know I knew. Missions are the coolest things in the world.
I love life here. I enjoy every single day to the fullest, and I give it my all 100%. We have a really solid baptism lined up for the 15th of November, and we have 2 more really good baptismal prospects for the last week of November. The work is progressing, and the ward here is just fantastic. Missionary work can't press forward without the help of the members-I've come to learn the importance of this more than ever now that I'm a missionary. Having members who are enthusiastic about missionary work and are willing to help and invite their friends is what results in success and long-lasting conversion. "Every Member a Missionary!"My time is short, so I must say "hasta luego".
I love you all,
-Elder Luke Shepherd
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Quick little Spanish tid-bit
email 10/26/09
Ok, so the way the verbs work in spanish is that there are basically three kinds: -ar, -er, and -ir ending verbs. (ayudAR=to help, descansAR=to rest, traER=to bring, servIR=to serve, etc...) You just change the endings to say something different. (ayudO=I help, etc...) Anyway, I'm not gonna get into all the details, but you can also add on prefixes similar to english when you want to say the 'opposite' of something like "dress vs UNdress" or "tie vs UNtie". In spanish you can add on DES sometimes to have the same effect. However, I ran into a problem with this one. You see, the verb for 'to tie' is "nudar". One would think that the verb for 'to UNtie' would be "DESnudar"... I was explaining repentance in spanish and when I thought I was saying, "We will untie ourselves from our sins," I was actually saying, "We will get naked in our sins"... desnudar is the verb for "to get naked or nude". Spanish people must think I'm such an idiot...
I hope you're laughing your head off right now.
Anyway, I just wanted to share the "Elder Shepherd mistake of the week"
I love you all!
Ok, so the way the verbs work in spanish is that there are basically three kinds: -ar, -er, and -ir ending verbs. (ayudAR=to help, descansAR=to rest, traER=to bring, servIR=to serve, etc...) You just change the endings to say something different. (ayudO=I help, etc...) Anyway, I'm not gonna get into all the details, but you can also add on prefixes similar to english when you want to say the 'opposite' of something like "dress vs UNdress" or "tie vs UNtie". In spanish you can add on DES sometimes to have the same effect. However, I ran into a problem with this one. You see, the verb for 'to tie' is "nudar". One would think that the verb for 'to UNtie' would be "DESnudar"... I was explaining repentance in spanish and when I thought I was saying, "We will untie ourselves from our sins," I was actually saying, "We will get naked in our sins"... desnudar is the verb for "to get naked or nude". Spanish people must think I'm such an idiot...
I hope you're laughing your head off right now.
Anyway, I just wanted to share the "Elder Shepherd mistake of the week"
I love you all!
I think I'm gaining weight...
email 10/26/09
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder,
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder,
I love all your emails- Keep 'em coming! I especially liked the Faith/Tyce/Nathan/Ivy/Kathryn email this last week. Good stuff. I love to hear what's going on back home.
Each week gets successively better here. Fall is in full swing, and I have a ton of beautiful pictures of bright red and yellow trees to prove it. I have to reiterate how much I love the trees. I'm such a 'sap' when it comes to 'trees and nature'. Ha-ha... I kill myself, I'm so funny...
We had the craziest rainstorm yesterday too. The rain was coming down in thick sheets--it was like a monsoon. It also happened to be one of the Elders’ birthday, so we went out to eat and celebrate that night. We went to this wings place--it was awesome. All you can eat wings/fries/drinks all night and your choice between 20 different flavors of wings with each successive plate. We were there for about 2 hours--pretty much awesome! I think I gained at least 20 pounds from just that meal alone.
The members here feed us really well. I haven't gotten to eat very much of my own food because we are meeting with a lot of members and less actives right now in preparation for this awesome activity. We're doing this really awesome activity right now with our ward to teach them about 'Preach My Gospel' and how they can invite their friends to this 'Invite a friend to church day'. We're having a special meeting on Nov. 15th in which all of the members have taken challenges from us to pray about their friends and invite them to come to church on the 15th. We've organized it so that only the basic doctrines of the church will be taught in the form the Preach My Gospel organizes it: Sacrament Meeting=2 talks about the Restoration, Sunday School=Plan of Salvation, 3rd Hour classes=Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a safe day to bring people who aren't familiar with the church to become acquainted with our basic doctrines and teachings without coming to some crazy fast and testimony meeting where they hear about how to 'Hie to Kolob' or some other weird stuff you hear over the pulpit from strange members... I could scare you with some of the stories I already have about fast and testimony meetings here. Your prayers would be appreciated in behalf of this activity we're planning. We also have 2 baptisms planned for that day as well, so keep praying hard for us.
So all the stuff we're doing right now keeps us incredibly busy. The work is progressing despite the fact the I'm afraid of sounding like an idiot every time I open my mouth to teach in Spanish. It's really scary when you don't speak the language, I'm not gonna lie. I trust in the promises of the Lord to His servants and open my mouth anyway with the faith that it will be filled.
We're teaching this Cuban lady right now (If you're unfamiliar with Cuban Spanish I'll fill you in: it's absolutely horrendous and impossible to understand) and she loved our lesson about the plan of salvation. Her whole family has passed away in a series of tragic events, and she left Cuba to get away from it all. She would be golden if it weren't for one thing, which is both good and bad--she finally got a job. It's good because there are SO MANY people out of work here and struggling to make ends meet, especially among the Latino population. It's a bad thing because she has to take on these ridiculous hours and now works 6 days a week, including Sundays. Bah! Satan has such a strong hold on things out here. We went to meet with one of our investigators on Saturday who has overcome drinking and smoking so he can get baptized just to find him drunk and hung-over because of an argument he had with his girlfriend. It's so sad to see the powerful hold these addictions have on people--they literally lose their agency when they're controlled by these addictions. We're helping him out now and continuing to give him our full support.
Stay away from drugs, alcohol, and smoking! Stay away from any addictive substance including pornography--they will weaken your character and strip you of your ability to exercise agency. You become a slave to their pathetic capacity to provide temporary 'happiness'. "Wickedness never was happiness".
Take care of your bodies and minds, and make sure that you feed your soul with 'that witch doth satisfy'. Christ has said that "whosoever will drink of the water which I shall give them will never thirst..." Partake of the 'living water', and find happiness and strength through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I love you all! Have a happy Halloween this week!
Your Elder
Monday, October 19, 2009
Week 2
email 10/19/09
So things continue to go well in New Haven. I've got to say honestly that this week was way better than last week. I guess the first week in the field is always kind of crazy for every missionary, but by the second week I was beginning to recognize where I was and what I was doing. The area that I cover is SO big--New Haven, Fair Haven, East Haven, Hamden--it will take me some time before I begin to understand how to find my way from point A to point B. They're not on the grid system here, and there are no mountains to tell me where East is. So I am naturally a little lost and shaken, but I'm gradually getting my bearings. I didn't even learn my address until just this week.
I gave my first blessing in Spanish yesterday-you'd be so proud of me. I felt just as nervous as when I gave my first blessing in English! We blessed a sick baby of this couple, the wife is a member and the husband isn't. It was a tender moment, and the spirit was really powerful. I was overwhelmed just that I was able to speak the Spanish necessary for such a task and nonetheless that the spirit was powerful. I think that's what the Gift of Tongues really is. It's not necessarily speaking the language fluently; it's the spirit influencing the language barrier and speaking to the heart. I felt that, and it felt great.
I continue to learn and grow in knowledge and strength. I LOVE having 3 hours every morning to study! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! My companion and I always have really great companionship studies, and I learn so much by sharing my thoughts and the things I learned with him. When you're enlightened by something in the scriptures or reading a talk you NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN and, if appropriate, SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE! I'm amazed at how much more I receive and learn when I'm writing down the thoughts that come to my mind and heart and sharing them with my companion. Richard G. Scott gave a talk about it in General Conference 2 weeks ago--GO LOOK IT UP!
Church is very interesting here. We don't have a Spanish branch, and so our members have to wear headsets to receive translation. The other classes are taught in Spanish for the Spanish members, but it divides the ward up. I don't know how to get the white/English members of the ward to fellowship the Latino/Spanish members of the ward. As a consequence, they remain divided, and it's hard to get my new investigators/members to come to activities. We saw a lot of success yesterday at church though. We had a whole family come together. The Mom was baptized 2 months ago, and she is a superstar! She brought her husband, who is really cool and warming up to us, and her friend and her new born baby. Her baby is the cutest baby I have ever seen! She is ALWAYS smiling! Anyway, I was stoked to see 4 of my investigators at church, and depressed about the others who didn't or couldn't come. *Sigh*
I love being a missionary, and I'm glad to hear that life is awesome in Utah. Keep praying for me--your prayers are felt by me and other missionaries and answered by the Lord. I love you all!
So things continue to go well in New Haven. I've got to say honestly that this week was way better than last week. I guess the first week in the field is always kind of crazy for every missionary, but by the second week I was beginning to recognize where I was and what I was doing. The area that I cover is SO big--New Haven, Fair Haven, East Haven, Hamden--it will take me some time before I begin to understand how to find my way from point A to point B. They're not on the grid system here, and there are no mountains to tell me where East is. So I am naturally a little lost and shaken, but I'm gradually getting my bearings. I didn't even learn my address until just this week.
I gave my first blessing in Spanish yesterday-you'd be so proud of me. I felt just as nervous as when I gave my first blessing in English! We blessed a sick baby of this couple, the wife is a member and the husband isn't. It was a tender moment, and the spirit was really powerful. I was overwhelmed just that I was able to speak the Spanish necessary for such a task and nonetheless that the spirit was powerful. I think that's what the Gift of Tongues really is. It's not necessarily speaking the language fluently; it's the spirit influencing the language barrier and speaking to the heart. I felt that, and it felt great.
I continue to learn and grow in knowledge and strength. I LOVE having 3 hours every morning to study! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! My companion and I always have really great companionship studies, and I learn so much by sharing my thoughts and the things I learned with him. When you're enlightened by something in the scriptures or reading a talk you NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN and, if appropriate, SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE! I'm amazed at how much more I receive and learn when I'm writing down the thoughts that come to my mind and heart and sharing them with my companion. Richard G. Scott gave a talk about it in General Conference 2 weeks ago--GO LOOK IT UP!
Church is very interesting here. We don't have a Spanish branch, and so our members have to wear headsets to receive translation. The other classes are taught in Spanish for the Spanish members, but it divides the ward up. I don't know how to get the white/English members of the ward to fellowship the Latino/Spanish members of the ward. As a consequence, they remain divided, and it's hard to get my new investigators/members to come to activities. We saw a lot of success yesterday at church though. We had a whole family come together. The Mom was baptized 2 months ago, and she is a superstar! She brought her husband, who is really cool and warming up to us, and her friend and her new born baby. Her baby is the cutest baby I have ever seen! She is ALWAYS smiling! Anyway, I was stoked to see 4 of my investigators at church, and depressed about the others who didn't or couldn't come. *Sigh*
I love being a missionary, and I'm glad to hear that life is awesome in Utah. Keep praying for me--your prayers are felt by me and other missionaries and answered by the Lord. I love you all!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
New Haven, Connecticut
email 10/13/09
Greetings from New England! It is so incredibly pretty here--I can't even begin to describe. Even in the city and downtown there are more huge, beautiful trees than in all of Utah. So many trees... it makes me so happy. I'm serving in New Haven, which is on the southern coast of Connecticut. We are very near the coast, and so most days I can feel and smell the water and look out into the bay.
I live downtown, in the ghetto--it's totally awesome. I almost feel like I'm in a foreign country because missionaries are the only white people here, and everyone is speaking different languages. It is such a cultural melting pot here. I am beginning to learn to differentiate between the MANY different styles of Spanish that are spoken here--by Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Uruguayans, Mexicans, etc... All of them speak Spanish very differently. It's rather frustrating for me, because I can't hardly understand anything they're saying to me anyway even when I run into someone who speaks very clear Spanish. I am going to learn this language though.
My airplane ride here was fun--I was all by myself. I had no companion, no guide--just me. It was easy in SLC airport because all of the employees would see me and ask, "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?..." In Cincinnati, I was totally lost. I ended up running into a branch president at the MTC who happened to be there on business the same time I was there--that was divine intervention. He helped me find my terminal. My mission president is a wonderful man, and I spent that first day at the mission home getting to know him and his wife, and geting acquainted with the area.
My companion, Elder Taylor, is a great missionary, and I have a great feeling about him. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him to be training me in Spanish and missionary work while being a new district leader at the same time--he's doing a great job.
Mondays are my preparation days, so from now on you better have emails ready by Monday. My first P-Day was fantastic! We drove to "Gillete Castle" which is the home of William Gillete--the man who played Sherlock Holmes and ended up writing the plays and novels for the character. You can probably look it up online. I took some really great pictures so you can all see--I thought it was pretty awesome.
Well, Connecticut is a beautiful place, and I'm so happy to be here. I have bright faith and a burning testimony, and I've already taught some good lessons and had some powerful experiences. As soon as I know more about what I'm doing and where I'm going and who my investigators are I'll let you know. Just know that I'm happy, strong, and in love with missionary work.
I love you all so much!
Greetings from New England! It is so incredibly pretty here--I can't even begin to describe. Even in the city and downtown there are more huge, beautiful trees than in all of Utah. So many trees... it makes me so happy. I'm serving in New Haven, which is on the southern coast of Connecticut. We are very near the coast, and so most days I can feel and smell the water and look out into the bay.
I live downtown, in the ghetto--it's totally awesome. I almost feel like I'm in a foreign country because missionaries are the only white people here, and everyone is speaking different languages. It is such a cultural melting pot here. I am beginning to learn to differentiate between the MANY different styles of Spanish that are spoken here--by Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Uruguayans, Mexicans, etc... All of them speak Spanish very differently. It's rather frustrating for me, because I can't hardly understand anything they're saying to me anyway even when I run into someone who speaks very clear Spanish. I am going to learn this language though.
My airplane ride here was fun--I was all by myself. I had no companion, no guide--just me. It was easy in SLC airport because all of the employees would see me and ask, "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?..." In Cincinnati, I was totally lost. I ended up running into a branch president at the MTC who happened to be there on business the same time I was there--that was divine intervention. He helped me find my terminal. My mission president is a wonderful man, and I spent that first day at the mission home getting to know him and his wife, and geting acquainted with the area.
My companion, Elder Taylor, is a great missionary, and I have a great feeling about him. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him to be training me in Spanish and missionary work while being a new district leader at the same time--he's doing a great job.
Mondays are my preparation days, so from now on you better have emails ready by Monday. My first P-Day was fantastic! We drove to "Gillete Castle" which is the home of William Gillete--the man who played Sherlock Holmes and ended up writing the plays and novels for the character. You can probably look it up online. I took some really great pictures so you can all see--I thought it was pretty awesome.
Well, Connecticut is a beautiful place, and I'm so happy to be here. I have bright faith and a burning testimony, and I've already taught some good lessons and had some powerful experiences. As soon as I know more about what I'm doing and where I'm going and who my investigators are I'll let you know. Just know that I'm happy, strong, and in love with missionary work.
I love you all so much!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Hello Hartford!
email dated 10/2/09
I leave for Hartford Monday morning! I'm so glad to get out into the field and get to work. I kind of feel like the Elder in 'The Best Two Years' when he gets out into the field. My trainer will either love me or think I'm crazy. "I'm ready to GO!" I have so much enthusiasm right now, you have no idea. I'm totally eager to struggle and suffer with Spanish and communication for the next couple of months, and I can't wait to be ridiculed and scoffed at in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ. (Those are really things I'm looking forward to, no sarcasm.)
I read this talk recently called "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook. If you haven't read it, go to LDS.org and read it RIGHT NOW! It inspired and completely changed my outlook about faith. I want to be exactly like the faithful Elder that Brother Cook talks about. I let you all know after I reach my 1,000th baptism-that'll be a good milestone.
But seriously, I have sure faith that If I apply myself, commit myself, and give the Lord all I have that I will be successful and I will be a tool in His hands to bring many of His children back to Him. Having faith is more important to me right now than ever. Without it, we can't succeed in our endeavors. We need faith not just in missionary work, but in our everyday lives. Faith and Hope."The Infinite Power of Hope" by Dieter F Uchtdorf is another amazing talk that you have to read RIGHT NOW!! I can't keep myself from tearing up sometimes. That talk is full of GOLD. One thing that I just want to leave with you as 'food for thought' is a quote from the talk: "The things we hope FOR deal with faith, the things we hope IN deal with charity." I've spent a lot of time thinking about just that one line in his talk, but I want to hear some of your insights about it. Ponder it, study it, pray about it, and think about the real relationship between the triangle of "Faith, Hope, and Charity". And then let me know what you feel. I promise that if you study this that you will find an increased knowledge and love for our Savior, and direction for your everyday life.
I feel so good about life right now. I'm so close to the mission field, I can practically taste it. By the time many of you read this, I will already be in Connecticut. Keep me in your prayers. I will most certainly need them, especially for these first couple weeks out in the field. Just remember that I have an unshakable testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of mankind, and that this is His church with His authority and guided by His chosen prophet and apostles.
I love you all, and I pray for you every day. May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You on His name to the end.
I leave for Hartford Monday morning! I'm so glad to get out into the field and get to work. I kind of feel like the Elder in 'The Best Two Years' when he gets out into the field. My trainer will either love me or think I'm crazy. "I'm ready to GO!" I have so much enthusiasm right now, you have no idea. I'm totally eager to struggle and suffer with Spanish and communication for the next couple of months, and I can't wait to be ridiculed and scoffed at in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ. (Those are really things I'm looking forward to, no sarcasm.)
I read this talk recently called "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" by Gene R. Cook. If you haven't read it, go to LDS.org and read it RIGHT NOW! It inspired and completely changed my outlook about faith. I want to be exactly like the faithful Elder that Brother Cook talks about. I let you all know after I reach my 1,000th baptism-that'll be a good milestone.
But seriously, I have sure faith that If I apply myself, commit myself, and give the Lord all I have that I will be successful and I will be a tool in His hands to bring many of His children back to Him. Having faith is more important to me right now than ever. Without it, we can't succeed in our endeavors. We need faith not just in missionary work, but in our everyday lives. Faith and Hope."The Infinite Power of Hope" by Dieter F Uchtdorf is another amazing talk that you have to read RIGHT NOW!! I can't keep myself from tearing up sometimes. That talk is full of GOLD. One thing that I just want to leave with you as 'food for thought' is a quote from the talk: "The things we hope FOR deal with faith, the things we hope IN deal with charity." I've spent a lot of time thinking about just that one line in his talk, but I want to hear some of your insights about it. Ponder it, study it, pray about it, and think about the real relationship between the triangle of "Faith, Hope, and Charity". And then let me know what you feel. I promise that if you study this that you will find an increased knowledge and love for our Savior, and direction for your everyday life.
I feel so good about life right now. I'm so close to the mission field, I can practically taste it. By the time many of you read this, I will already be in Connecticut. Keep me in your prayers. I will most certainly need them, especially for these first couple weeks out in the field. Just remember that I have an unshakable testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour of mankind, and that this is His church with His authority and guided by His chosen prophet and apostles.
I love you all, and I pray for you every day. May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You on His name to the end.
I got my flight plans!!
email dated 9/25/09
WOO! So, I got my flight plans yesterday. I was pretty excited about it. It turns out that I'm the only Elder in the MTC who is going to Connecticut, and I'm also the only Elder leaving Monday, October 5th and 5 AM. Sooo, I'm my own travel leader and my own travel group. It'll be weird to not have a companion with me in the Airport. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared that I'm gonna screw it all up and get totally lost. Pray for me. So my flight leaves and 8AM on Oct. 5th, and I fly from SLC to Ohio. I only have a 40 minute overlay at the Ohio airport, which means that the second I get off my plane I have to bolt to get to my next flight-Don't they start boarding 30 minutes before take off? Anyway, if all goes well, which I hope is the case, I'll be in Hartford Connecticut by 4PM. I don't really have any time at the airport to call home, which really sucks, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess...entonces...
I love the MTC. It's so strange to observe the stark difference between Elders who have been here for 5 weeks and Elders who are just arriving. A 19 year old Elder who has been here for 4 weeks is usually more mature and smarter than the average 23 year old who newly arrives. Now that I'm among the oldest missionaries here I feel like the 'big-brother' figure. I'm a zone leader for my zone, and so I also got to greet the new district for our zone that came in this week. I spent a good deal of time with them, teaching them, and doing my best to make the feel welcome. The MTC really is an incredible place. I hate to hear when Elders whine a lot about their MTC experience and what a horrible place it is. Honestly, we are pampered here. Surely, I want to get out into the field more than anything! But I do love the MTC, and I will take a lot out of my duration here.
Spanish is coming. Of course I get frustrated sometimes when I want to say something in a lesson that's deep and profound and will change their life but I don't quite have the vocabulary to do it in Spanish so I work my way around it and deal with it... *sigh* But really, I have faith that I will be fluent in Spanish if I continue to work hard and do my part to be worthy of the 'Gift of Tongues'.
I have so many amazing experiences here every day! I wish I had the time to tell you all of it, but the very short time I have to write emails is running low, so I'm very constrained in my time.When I get to Connecticut, my new address until I know what apartment I'm in is:
Connecticut Hartford Mission
34 Jerome Ave Ste 319
Bloomfield, CT 06002
That address will be good until I can let you know where exactly my assignment is. I love you all so much! I know that this church is true, and I've already seen miracles, even here in the MTC, and throughout my life. The fact that I'm alive is a miracle, and my every day that I have to live, learn, grow, and feel. We owe so much to our Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered every bitterness in life, every sorrow and pain, and bled precious drops of pure blood for each and every one of you. Never forsake Him, for He will NEVER forsake you.
I love you all!
WOO! So, I got my flight plans yesterday. I was pretty excited about it. It turns out that I'm the only Elder in the MTC who is going to Connecticut, and I'm also the only Elder leaving Monday, October 5th and 5 AM. Sooo, I'm my own travel leader and my own travel group. It'll be weird to not have a companion with me in the Airport. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared that I'm gonna screw it all up and get totally lost. Pray for me. So my flight leaves and 8AM on Oct. 5th, and I fly from SLC to Ohio. I only have a 40 minute overlay at the Ohio airport, which means that the second I get off my plane I have to bolt to get to my next flight-Don't they start boarding 30 minutes before take off? Anyway, if all goes well, which I hope is the case, I'll be in Hartford Connecticut by 4PM. I don't really have any time at the airport to call home, which really sucks, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess...entonces...
I love the MTC. It's so strange to observe the stark difference between Elders who have been here for 5 weeks and Elders who are just arriving. A 19 year old Elder who has been here for 4 weeks is usually more mature and smarter than the average 23 year old who newly arrives. Now that I'm among the oldest missionaries here I feel like the 'big-brother' figure. I'm a zone leader for my zone, and so I also got to greet the new district for our zone that came in this week. I spent a good deal of time with them, teaching them, and doing my best to make the feel welcome. The MTC really is an incredible place. I hate to hear when Elders whine a lot about their MTC experience and what a horrible place it is. Honestly, we are pampered here. Surely, I want to get out into the field more than anything! But I do love the MTC, and I will take a lot out of my duration here.
Spanish is coming. Of course I get frustrated sometimes when I want to say something in a lesson that's deep and profound and will change their life but I don't quite have the vocabulary to do it in Spanish so I work my way around it and deal with it... *sigh* But really, I have faith that I will be fluent in Spanish if I continue to work hard and do my part to be worthy of the 'Gift of Tongues'.
I have so many amazing experiences here every day! I wish I had the time to tell you all of it, but the very short time I have to write emails is running low, so I'm very constrained in my time.When I get to Connecticut, my new address until I know what apartment I'm in is:
Connecticut Hartford Mission
34 Jerome Ave Ste 319
Bloomfield, CT 06002
That address will be good until I can let you know where exactly my assignment is. I love you all so much! I know that this church is true, and I've already seen miracles, even here in the MTC, and throughout my life. The fact that I'm alive is a miracle, and my every day that I have to live, learn, grow, and feel. We owe so much to our Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered every bitterness in life, every sorrow and pain, and bled precious drops of pure blood for each and every one of you. Never forsake Him, for He will NEVER forsake you.
I love you all!
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