I'm past the 3 week mark now at the MTC- Ah, it's incredible. It's been quite a rough ride so far, but I've managed to get through it alive. A lot of you mentioned four-square in your letters-let me tell you, it's pretty awesome. We can get pretty competitive with 4-square. In fact, last gym period we had more people playing four square than basketball. I rather enjoy it, but I still play basketball alot. I'm just scared of all the stories of elders who get injured and end up staying in the MTC an extra 7 weeks for physical therapy. I seriously see more people on crutches and in wheelchairs every day at the MTC than I've seen my whole life up to this point-they're all elders who got hurt playing soccer and basketball. Sad...I LOVED the cheese wiz you sent me! Cheese wiz, however unhealthy, is definitely a guilty pleasure for me. I ate it right up. If you ever feel the urge (please...) to send me another package, Cheese Wiz is definitely safe. I also really need eyedrops, and they don't sell them here at the bookstore. My eyes are so dry.Thank Janice for setting up the blog for my letters. I think that's so awesome! I'd like to say 'hello' to everyone out there in cyberspace who chances up this blog. Missions are great!I did get to see the Temple Dedication here at the MTC. They showed it in the auditorium, and we all get to participate. It was amazing. I was super jealous of all of you who got to go to the temple for the dedication. That must have been an incredible experience.
Learning a language is definitely hard, but I enjoy it so much. It's so frustrating to me, because I want to be good at everything, and I want it to come easily to me, so it's taken a lot of patience for me to get where I am with Spanish, but I'm learning, slowly but surely.
Ted is starting Kindergarten! Emma's already in the 2nd grade!? Nathan helped Faith write an email!!!?? Everyone's gonna be all grown up by the time I come home! Andy, don't sweat it, Ted still says that you're his favorite uncle, he told me so every time he came over.
Tell Dad that he needs to get a dog! Christian and I had this discussion before I left, we just need a dog. Get one, and then send me pictures.
Speaking of pictures, I need some. I need some of the family, because I don't have any, and my camera is on the fritz and isn't working. I took a ton of pictures on it only to find out that it erased them all. I'M SO MAD!! The memory card is working fine, but the camera is just plain stupid. I'm gonna see if I can get another one.
Elder Richard G. Scott came to speak to us this Tuesday at the MTC. That was so awesome. It was the closest I've ever been to an apostle. I didn't get to shake his hand though, because the MTC presidency didn't want him to sick, so they ushered him out immediately after. There's another swine flu scare here at the MTC. It's kind of scary, everyone is washing their hands and using hand sanitizer 100 times daily, me included. I love the MTC, but I don't wanna be in here any more than my 9 weeks. Anyway, Elder Scott invoked 2 apostolic blessings on us- he blessed us with the gift of tongues, and he also blessed us with protection from harm and danger, physical and spiritual.
My time is gone! AHH!! I want to write so much more, but If I don't send this letter in about 20 seconds it will be deleted, so I have to truncate it. I love you all SO MUCH! Congrats again to Matt and Shilah on their new life together-I love you too.Andy, thank you for the letter and the advice. I love you, and I'm so proud of you.Thank you everyone for the letters, and keep it up!The church is TRUE!!
-(Elder) Luke Shepherd
Friday, August 28, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I'm on a mission
email 8/21/09
The MTC has certainly been a lot of ups and downs so far, but I have really enjoyed my time here. My companion and I are getting along really well now, and I'm giving it my all. I am having piano withdrawals though... It's sad, I've always been able to play piano whenever I wanted for extended periods of time, and now I have no time at all to devote to it. I know that the stuff I'm studying is more important, but I still feel like I've lost part of me--like I've lost my arms. It's weird.
All the same, my stay here has been enjoyable. Spanish is a great language--I just hate how I'm not perfect at it yet. It will take me a good deal of time to become fluent enough to even teach a lesson or converse confidently, but I speak as much Spanish as I possibly can. I'm testifying, praying, and I practice 'street-contacts' in Spanish with random elders as we go from one place to the next. It's great fun, and it's a great challenge. No one really prepares you for how hard it is (this whole mission thing) but if the next 2 years of my life will be as challenging and rewarding as the first 2 weeks, I'll be OK. I imagine the mission field will be 10 times more gratifying than the meager successes here at the MTC. We jump for joy just when we're able to formulate a coherent thought or sentence in Spanish.
I just know I'm gonna gain weight here. I'm trying to be disciplined and I'm trying to ration how much I eat, but having 3 full meals a day with as much food as I want is too tempting. I'm grateful for the gym here at the MTC. I've played a lot of basketball and volleyball, but the sport which I didn't expect to play here was 4-sqaure. You'd be surprised at how intense some of our 4-square games get. I haven't played it since the 3rd grade, but it’s a new passion of mine. I think I'm gonna go pro in it when I come home.
30 minutes is not enough time to write about all the things I want to write about, so I'll wrap it up. I have some other things I wanted to tell you and ask for but I have to get off of the computer now, so just remember to email me and keep me posted. I'll do my best to get back to you all.
Any questions for me about life so far?
-(Elder) Luke
The MTC has certainly been a lot of ups and downs so far, but I have really enjoyed my time here. My companion and I are getting along really well now, and I'm giving it my all. I am having piano withdrawals though... It's sad, I've always been able to play piano whenever I wanted for extended periods of time, and now I have no time at all to devote to it. I know that the stuff I'm studying is more important, but I still feel like I've lost part of me--like I've lost my arms. It's weird.
All the same, my stay here has been enjoyable. Spanish is a great language--I just hate how I'm not perfect at it yet. It will take me a good deal of time to become fluent enough to even teach a lesson or converse confidently, but I speak as much Spanish as I possibly can. I'm testifying, praying, and I practice 'street-contacts' in Spanish with random elders as we go from one place to the next. It's great fun, and it's a great challenge. No one really prepares you for how hard it is (this whole mission thing) but if the next 2 years of my life will be as challenging and rewarding as the first 2 weeks, I'll be OK. I imagine the mission field will be 10 times more gratifying than the meager successes here at the MTC. We jump for joy just when we're able to formulate a coherent thought or sentence in Spanish.
I just know I'm gonna gain weight here. I'm trying to be disciplined and I'm trying to ration how much I eat, but having 3 full meals a day with as much food as I want is too tempting. I'm grateful for the gym here at the MTC. I've played a lot of basketball and volleyball, but the sport which I didn't expect to play here was 4-sqaure. You'd be surprised at how intense some of our 4-square games get. I haven't played it since the 3rd grade, but it’s a new passion of mine. I think I'm gonna go pro in it when I come home.
30 minutes is not enough time to write about all the things I want to write about, so I'll wrap it up. I have some other things I wanted to tell you and ask for but I have to get off of the computer now, so just remember to email me and keep me posted. I'll do my best to get back to you all.
Any questions for me about life so far?
-(Elder) Luke
Thursday, August 13, 2009
August 8th, 2009
I won't have time to write until next Friday, so this letter is for the whole family. My first day at the MTC was pretty crazy. I met mi companero, Elder Jimenez, and we clicked instantly. My other 2 roommates are great Elders, Elder Parkinson and McCulloch, and we all get along extremely well.
I'm not gonna lie, this is definitely the HARDEST thing I have ever done. The first day I felt like I had a target on my chest because of the orange dot on my name tag (signifying 'New Elder'!) I was still really excited though, and I was so excited that night I couldn't hardly sleep. However, I must say that by that second night I just wanted to cry myself back home. Spanish seemed like an impossible language to learn, my brain was fried due to the information overload, and I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I had zero time to write home, zero time to think; I was just bombarded by a new world and I felt like I was drowning in it.
Fear not, today I am doing well and I have gotten through the worst part of the mission: the first three days. All the Elders told us that if we could make it to Sunday, then everything would get easier/more enjoyable. They were right.
I really do love it here, but I'm afraid I'll get super fat with all the food they feed us. They let us eat as much as we want, and so it's easy to overeat. You'd be proud of me though-I'm showing enough self-discipline to only get 1 monster helping of food . . .
Tell Matt and Shilah 'felicidades' on their wedding, and tell them not to feel bad that Andy and I couldn't be there --"(We) are doing a great work, and cannot come down . . . " Who can name that story!?
The Church is true--it is so true! I love the spirit in the MTC and I love being able to dedicate all my time to the Lord. He created me and all I have is a blessing from Him-I feel like I'm giving my body back to Him for 2 years. In no way does that make up for all I owe Him, but it's the least I can do.
I love you all so much, and owe you so much for helping me get where I am today. Ask Faith and Janice to start a blog for me. I would be so grateful if they did. They could even post this letter. (your welcome, Luke) I have so little time to write but next week I'll have email capabilities, so I need you all to write me and include your email addresses in there so I can reach you all.
Adios! I love you!
Luke Shepherd
I'm not gonna lie, this is definitely the HARDEST thing I have ever done. The first day I felt like I had a target on my chest because of the orange dot on my name tag (signifying 'New Elder'!) I was still really excited though, and I was so excited that night I couldn't hardly sleep. However, I must say that by that second night I just wanted to cry myself back home. Spanish seemed like an impossible language to learn, my brain was fried due to the information overload, and I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I had zero time to write home, zero time to think; I was just bombarded by a new world and I felt like I was drowning in it.
Fear not, today I am doing well and I have gotten through the worst part of the mission: the first three days. All the Elders told us that if we could make it to Sunday, then everything would get easier/more enjoyable. They were right.
I really do love it here, but I'm afraid I'll get super fat with all the food they feed us. They let us eat as much as we want, and so it's easy to overeat. You'd be proud of me though-I'm showing enough self-discipline to only get 1 monster helping of food . . .
Tell Matt and Shilah 'felicidades' on their wedding, and tell them not to feel bad that Andy and I couldn't be there --"(We) are doing a great work, and cannot come down . . . " Who can name that story!?
The Church is true--it is so true! I love the spirit in the MTC and I love being able to dedicate all my time to the Lord. He created me and all I have is a blessing from Him-I feel like I'm giving my body back to Him for 2 years. In no way does that make up for all I owe Him, but it's the least I can do.
I love you all so much, and owe you so much for helping me get where I am today. Ask Faith and Janice to start a blog for me. I would be so grateful if they did. They could even post this letter. (your welcome, Luke) I have so little time to write but next week I'll have email capabilities, so I need you all to write me and include your email addresses in there so I can reach you all.
Adios! I love you!
Luke Shepherd
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