I'm a Dad- I'm training a new companion

Arrived Jan 27, 2016

Love you more than… A lot of things. Carambola (star fruit juice), chichiguas which are the little Dominican kid kites, made from bamboo/twigs and grocery plastic bags, the little bit of baja blast I snitched from Elder Jeppesen and the smell of rain. Every week I can’t decide what thing to pick, so this week I chose a few.

A painting of Christ looking over Santiago

Well this week was absolutely ridiculous with how things have changed. I’ll start with an amazing experience with a golden investigator, but I wont tell you his name because whenever we do the missionary curse comes and something happens to them. 

So we had the big world-wide Preach My Gospel training broadcast last Wednesday. It was rally good, even though it was like Preach My Gospel word for word. I think sometimes we as missionaries forget its significance and its contents, so this was nice to bring up some of the bigger points in it. It had a lot to do with finding people and then bringing the spirit to people so they can feel the desire to find out more. It was almost depressing, yet really inspiring at the same time to think of all the possibilities. Elder Jeppesen and I had a few investigators stop coming through, so we needed some new people. In this mission it’s a sign that it’s a difficult time, when you schedule an hour or two for contactando/door to door knocking (or whatever its called in emglish) on the days schedule. Jeppesen and I passed by an old man investigator who was kind of like our last option kind of person, who we didn’t think would be interested. The seventy year old has a member son who fell away and now wants to change his life. The old man is curious about baptism and wants to get baptized so we taught a spontaneous lesson on baptism! The man is on crutches but really wants to go to church, so we will see how it goes. The son bore his testimony how he has always known the truth, even though he fell into some bad things, he now wants to change his life and is going to head to the temple with the branch even though he will just sit on the grounds without a recommend! That’s not the half of it though! The son has a friend who he was talking to about baptism and the church!  The son is so blatantly honest its amazing, and he gave the friend a Book of Mormon who dizque (supposedly) has been reading and is into 2nd Nephi. The friend is 19 and he came over and we set a date to return. We were pumped! When we came back to teach we asked if he had any questions and believe it or not he asked why there are so many churches in the world! I didn’t even know people actually asked that, it was just something we as missionaries focus on in the restoration lesson. He was asking the perfect questions almost faster than we could teach! It seems almost too good to be true, so I’m trying to not get my hopes up to much but at the same time have faith that the Lord will see us through. 

Speaking of the Lord seeing us through, his perspective for what should happen this new transfer, starting today, was totally different than my idea. My new comp is Elder Bouwhis (Im still learning how to spell it haha) from... OGDEN UTAH! He went to Bonneville high school and is good friends with Nate and Jared Ford in our ward and we know a lot of the same people. The interesting part is that he just got here and his training will be with me. I’M A DAD! I think some of my friends in the mission were joking about it happening in front of President because it happened. This will be my fifth straight American companion, if you include the MTC. He seems like a really good guy and I’m excited to be with him, but nervous to train. I feel bad if he expects some larger than life baptizing machine because I’m not there yet. He couldn’t have been “born” in a better area though. I honestly love this area with the members and investigators. None of us are perfect but that’s the goal and our camino together. 

I found out I was to have a brand new missionary as my companion on Sunday night, and ever since then I have been filled with butterflies and stress. I’m nervous and honestly a little scared, but we can’t let it diminish our hope and our faith. I think I’m most worried about not being the best companion I can be, or the biggest help I can be for the area and not as trustful as I can be in the Lord’s plan. We had the trainers meeting on Monday morning though, and it was a little emotional. The mission turns children into adults, but there I felt like a toddler. I’m one of the younger ones and I was a little emotional. I was worrying like good old Elder Sheffield, yet I felt the spirit so strong with Presidents love. It was pretty inspirational. I loved the way President put it, “The Lord has chosen you because he wants you to train at this moment. You are meant to train right now.” I got called on, to give the closing prayer and I made it through like Dad. I have turned more into him because I talk the same way as I’m on the border of crying and I can feel my chin trembling just like how Dads does.

I was doing well after that, then Tuesday I was super nervous and this morning too. Elder Jeppesen and I were waiting in our house for Elder Greer, the office Elder to drive my new companion to the house. They pulled up and once I saw him I was relieved and I felt comfort. We will have to learn Spanish better, and how to teach better, but we will be able to help each other a lot to since we had similar experiences.

Spiritual thought is about faith. I think faith is something we sometimes forget to treat as important as it is. Faith really can move mountains, we just don’t need to move mountains sometimes. Why do we sometimes forget the miracles that faith brings because we don’t see these miracles as mountain movers. Miracles constantly happen but after we exercise faith and it is with God’s plan. The more we align ourselves with having the same desires He has for us, the more the miracles will come. When HE wants it to happen it will, so we need to walk alongside him so what He wants we want too. Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles, has failed to cultivate their faith, put it into action and give up their wants and take a risk. Why do we think the biggest risk is putting our trust and faith in Him. Don’t we remember that with Him all things are possible, his yolk is easy, his burden is light and He ALWAYS makes us better than before. I know He lives. I know it. 

Love you so much,
Elder Sheffield

Learning to deal with Failures

Milk!!!! (Mostly the memories of it) This week eating me frosted flakes with powdered milk I was thinking about all the milk drinking contests my sister Emily, my dad and I would have back in the day. Dad would always drink slow so one of us could win but ruthless 8 year old emily would never let me win. Just kidding, haha. American milk is different than both the powdered and cartoned milk here, a common missionary complaint.

This week felt better than last week. I dont know why but last week just felt kind of depressing even though it was a decent week. This week was a little rough only a few days felt bad. So Thursday I was on exchanges? I forget the english word since we either speak spanish or spainglish. My Dominican district leader came to see who are investigators with baptismal dates/goals are. The reason I say goals are  because we often set dates as our goal with investigators and try to fet them to work towards it. Patricia the thirty year old lady said she wanted to get baptized but her husband wasnt that interested and so she was preocupied with that. We shared with her and things were looking up. We shared with Cristofer and had a good lesson on th e word of wisdom and he doesnt have any problems with it. I want to work with him on the music he listens to though because he likes english rap music like Chris Brown and he likes to put it on and rap with Elder Jeppesen what a tigre (dilinquent) haha. That night we had our mission meeting with our super great branch mission leader and we also shared with Leuri the 10 year old. I was super excited with the goals we had and to start working on getting leuris mom to get back into th elessons and with patricias success and cristofer. Back at home and from that point this week got a little hard. My district leader told me to call President to get an interview with Cristofer since he is a minor. I called and President seemed really tired and stressed. In person he is smiley and happy and a super nice guy but over the phone he seems like a different person. To sum up the phone call I was told that we cant baptize cristofer since even though his dad and step mom are members, because he lives with his mom and step dad he needs the interview but he doesnt want to give it until we try harder to get the family taking the lessons. It was kind of a rough call and I felt a little discouraged. 

Elder Jeppesen, Cristofer and me

I also found out Patricia wasn't married and a few days later she started college and told us she can't share anymore. Angelina and Luis arent progressing even though they love when we come over which is heartbreaking. The young girls and cousin Marelyn and Heydi are minors with inactive mothers and we need to work on reactivation. On Sunday Leo came to church which just makes me chuckle. He always says he is to busy to take the lessons but he has been coming to church for months straight. The people we have lessons with we cant get to church and the people who come to church we can’t get lessons with. Heydi´s mom came to church and so did the two girls. It’s a good start. It is really special that even though the dad stopped taking the lessons that both he and the mom want to support their daughter in her decision and so they continue to take the lessons and went to church. 

We need to find some more/new people to share with which is always a challenge and something I’m not good at as of right now. Contacting/door to door knocking (we yell Saludos or greetings at everyone’s front gate since the front doors are always open) is not my strong point and I don’t know why but I get almost a little scared. I think my childhood shyness and fear of people has stuck with me because I have to work hard to have the courage to contact. I think we all before our missions thought that we would always have courage and plenty of people to teach but it’s not like that. 

We got a great reference the other day! A member gave us the name of a friend and a general direction and house color. We found Miriam and Anthony who actually were taking the lessons from sister missionaries two years ago. They seem to have interest and like all of us, great potential to be something more. I’m pretty comfortable with my Spanish now and talking with them and others is fun. The hard part is first meeting people and then getting people to act.

Dominican haircut "tapered sideburns" are really completely shaved off sideburns

Some fun things that happened this week. I got a haircut that looks super Dominican with tapered side burns and straight cut bangs. I don’t know if it’s just me being paranoid, but I think my hairline is receding ha! One of the Hermanas bought Jeppesen some taco bell Baja Blast Mountain Dews. We were watching the New Testament instruction videos and the actor that plays Harvey Dent in Batman is in it! Turns out he used to be lds. Lots of the members are Tabaqueros or cigar makers even though they keep the word of wisdom. They try to find better jobs but here in Tamboril, it’s the biggest job group. There are fruity cigars that smell like tutty fruity candy that actually kinda smell really good. One of the teenagers of the branch and Cristopher want to follow me on facebook and instagram so maybe Josh could get on and accept those. Also if you guys could send me my priesthood lineage. 

We had a zone meeting and training the other day and I really liked one of the training. It was about failing successfully. We are destined to fall short but this helps us to progress. There are three ways to fail and we should always do our best to be perfect but when we do fall short fail in a good way. You can fail from: 

1. A lack of preparation. Bad failure where you could have avoided it.

2. Inevitable failures. Many times other peoples agency causes stress or problems for us that we cannot avoid. These we should learn to manage and control how it affects us.  

3. Failing at the goals or things that push our limits. It’s the things like trying new things which we obviously wont be perfect at, or setting higher goals and stretching our limits

We may not want to fail, but it will happen eventually, but that isn’t a bad thing. We have help and support if we do the right things and have a bigger perspective. If something is within our control, it’s worthy of our effort. The wonderful and perfect gospel of Christ is a gospel of growth. A gospel of changing to become something better. I know God loves us. Jesus is the Christ. I know that if we sincerely work hard to meet our desire to be better we will become what He needs us to be. Light always defeats darkness.  

I’m worried for transfers next week since anything could happen and I feel like something big could happen, but I hope that whatever happens that the missionaries who will be here can help the area even more than we could this transfer. 

Que clase de hombres deben ser? Aun como yo soy. -Cristo

Seamos verdaderos representantes de Cristo

Al final esta equipo va a ganar. -Presidente Castillo

Translation: What kind of men they should be? Even as I am. -Christ

Let us be true representatives of Christ

Ultimately, this team will win – President Castillo (D.R. Mission Pres.)

This week was a good but stressful week

Love you more than…Tamboril mountains!!! Everyday as we leave the house I look up into the mountains with clouds at the top and it feels almost comforting. It is nice to see mountains even if they are covered with palm trees.

Well it sounds like the family´s week was kind of like mine. Weird how I feel like we had parallel days, feels like we are together even though its a break from each other right now.

In truth this was a really good week on paper. We have set some good goals and commitments with ourselves and also with investigators. The week began with us setting a date or goal with eight investigators to get baptized. It was exciting to plan for it all and think of all the potential and everything. Even though it is really scary to set dates with people, it was the right time. Cristofer (the teenager) is learning and getting ready for the 23rd. He wants to get baptized and it looks like a straight path. Marelyn, is a 11 year old with a less active mom, but her grandparents are strong members and often bring her to church, she wants to get baptized by her Uncle. With 20 year old Leo and his friend Jose, we were teaching about the restoration and we set a date with them. They said if they come to know if it is true they will get baptized. Leo is like an eternal investigator and always comes to church but it’s difficult to get lessons with him since he says he is always working or at school. It’s frustrating a little, to see how much he knows and how great of a person he is, but he does not really commit to one way or the other. With Heydi and her Dad we set the date, and they also said if they come to know it is true, then they will also get baptized. We were super excited since the mom is a less active and we wanted to help the family so much. But the other day we visited them and the dad said he had called his mother, and she doesn’t want him to get baptized since they are catholic. Heydi still wants to get baptized and she has her parent´s support, but she has to be strong and prepare, to be ready. Angelina and her husband Luis, who work is the us, were super good in our lesson the other day. He loves reading and is almost like a member. We planned to set a date with them to get baptized and we taught them about baptism. It was a great lesson and they both knew so much, about how infants don’t need to get baptized, baptism by immersion and everything and it was going great. We challenged him to baptism and he gave us a mediocre yes, we challenged her and things got hard. They are both less-active Catholics and have strong religious family. They said that they didn’t know if they-she wanted to get baptized because they got baptized as Catholics. It was confusing and a little frustrating to hear it after they talked about how we should have agency to get baptized and babies don’t need baptism, yet they feel like they already did that so its alright. He said he would read and pray about it and she did to and then they’ll decide. We passed by their house another day and she didn’t seem to even remember that challenge and he was out with friends. Its hard to have hope when we haven’t been able to teach them much and she doesn’t have much desire to do the commitments, like read and pray. I love them so much and they have an amazing religious family, yet it’s hard to be so close and yet there doesn’t seem to be much chance anymore. On the bright side our investigator Patricia came to church the other day for the first time! We have taught her almost everything yet she hasn’t come to church and doesn’t read a lot. It made my Sunday! Besides these people I mentioned,we haven’t had a lot of progress since we don’t have many other investigators. 

The week was good but stressful and this next week could go either way. The hardest things in the mission are when you can’t find people who want to be taught, when you aren’t sufficient enough to help other and when people are so close to reaching our-their goals and don’t make it. These things seem to be starting this last week and are looming ahead for this upcoming week. 

I have felt, more than ever, the spirit in me as I testify and teach. I have felt myself being an instrument to help others. However, I often feel insufficient for what needs to be done. I feel like I’m able to do what is necessary to continue forward, but not to help others flourish. Elder Jeppesen and I haven’t been as obedient as I had planned, and it is hard. I want so much to help others, to be a good second comp (step-dad in mission language) to Elder Jeppesen and prepare this area to progress, but I am stressed it isn’t enough. I feel like I imagine Joseph Smith felt a year or so after the first vision. I feel young and inexperienced, when others need my help. Also with the position of my time in this area and comparing other factors of the mission, I feel like I will get another companion that is younger than me, this next transfer. I get scarred sometimes for things.

With all of this however, I know my Father loves me and my Savior is with me. Even if I can’t be the best Elder in the world, and even if I can’t help everyone in this destiny-changing progress. I know things will work out. I know I will be all right and things will continue, however I just want so much for things to be more than average. 

A scripture I have for the family is 2 Nephi 5:27 (Here is my rough translation from Spanish into English) “And it came to pass that we did live in a manner of happiness.” Even with all the trails and failings of Lehi´s family, they lived happily because those that had faith tried to be better. If we try to improve we will slowly realize we are happy. I love looking at the difference between Nephi and Laman/Lamuel. They went through the same experiences but had different outcomes. It’s about perspective and obedience. I think it applies to life and has been magnified in the mission. I had a great week. It had it’s trails, but I was able to share the joy and knowledge I have. I am on the lords errand and I am able to become so much more because I have his promise that I nothing is to hard when I allow him to help. Would we give our lives for Christ?! If yes, then why is it difficult to say we would read our scriptures for Christ or do what he asks! Life will never be easy but we can find happiness if we try to do what he says, then we receive the promise to have a light burden and happy life.

We gave a blessing to a good friend, the young woman’s president, this week and I felt the spirit really strong as we helped to help her find comfort in some trails she is going through. 

Cristofer really opened up to us the other day and said he feels dirty spiritually and wants to feel clean and how he feels the church is true and how baptism is the next step. He feels like a little brother almost. And I want so bad for him to keep working on his testimony so he stays strong for the week leading up to his baptism, and doesn’t stumble after. 

I emailed cousin Nate and we talked about the mission. I got a lot of advice, he’s such a good example. Hope its nice seeing him again this week.

We had a fun time playing dominos this week with a few families, even though I’m not expert like Dominicans, its turning into a hobby. We had a big Zone Meeting the other day, where I got to see more of my MTC group. It was amazing to see everyone but nervous as they predicted this next transfer of me having a new comp. I’m just relieved  I didn’t get chosen to be a trainer this current transfer like a gringo and latino from my group. Not sure if it’s a thing in the states, but here there is sour apple soda that I think you guys would love. 

Jacob I used your baptism story in a lesson I had the other day, thanks for helping me teach buddy. Hows basketball? Samuel how’s school doing!! Junior high felt scary at first, but we felt so grown up and cool! What’s your favorite class. Joshua- I had some of the exact same stuff with the jeep. I once spun out at 6:00 driving down skyline for seminary. I once forgot to put the parking brake on and the jeep rolled and hit a car. I was so depressed and upset but everything worked out. Also once the jeep problems led to a Brother getting reactivated. “Why do we fall Master Wayne, so we can learn to pick ourselves back up”. Emily you are and always will be one of the greatest examples and teachers I’ve ever had, how’d I get so lucky. Mom and dad you guys are the greatest. I see broken and complex families and see how lucky I am to have the sturdy foundation you guys are, you guys sacrifice so much for us when we are very often undeserving. Cool story: Deborah Belnap, who went to Ogden High, has a cousin here in this mission who is in my zone, its such a small world. I am starting to get a reputation as the Elder with the waffle iron.

“We are not the ordinary, fearlessly extraordinary, working righteous harry carry in our humble way. Bearing swords of truth we plunder slicing wicked men asunder we are something of a wonder in our humble way.”

Como me apenas a verte lloras, tomo mi mano sentila. En mi corazon tu vivirás. Desde hoy y para siempre amor.
Love Elder Sheffield

Remember, that in this life we can have peace if....

Arrived Jan 6, 2016

Love you more than…Apoyo day and shopping for food! This is the day we get our support money or apoyo and after shopping, you just get this super content feeling knowing you have money and food. Maybe it’s a missionary thing but its like receiving presents for your birthday! 

Speaking of birthdays FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS EMILY!!!!! You’ve always been like the perfect example to me and I forget your only 22 haha. Hope it went great. The other day I was thinking about all our fun memories playing together as little ragamuffins! Remember when we would play in the back yard and pretend we didn’t have parents so we had to survive on our own and you were like my mom haha. Also Dominicans like roller blading and it always reminds me of you, especially when someone falls I cant help but picturing you laughing super hard.

Boys, it sounds like you got some neat presents for Christmas and basketball is going nice! Samuel what about a little one on one smash bros match when I get back. You gotta keep practicing to be able to beat me! Perdonan mi Orgullo. Jacob, keep up with the basketball, life is so much more fun when you have something you like that you can work hard with. Bet my little j bud will be able to dunkear (dunk) in a few years. Josh, how’s life. It’s crazy you’re a junior in high school! I loved that year. Did you end up working on that motorcycle you wanted to make? How’s Ruby the jeep? Need any advice or are you already one-upping me in everything. Stop growing taller. Mom and dad you guys are amazing parents and I don’t think I could give you any advice or tips and anything like that so just want you to know I love you and I’m open to advice now that I’m no longer what Grandpa Anderson would say “a noodlepuss” haha.

I was thinking about the family reunion this week and sounds like it was fun like always. I hit my six-month mark that same day and its nice to know that I have a new year to work harder and be better. I like how I’m starting 2016 with my six months because this is kind of the point in the mission (it feels like) where missionaries start to develop their teaching and are less stressed about the language so they can help others. We burned a big fuzzy blue tie I bought from the Haitian market. Earlier that night we also celebrated the New Year with a family and did party poppers and banged pots and pans and ate a lot.

Lamentablemente I have been lacking in journal writing after a short spurt of doing well so I don’t have a ton from this week but it was an amazing week.

We had a great lesson with young Cristofer. He isn’t super fast with learning and he is a little quiet, but he understands a lot and accepts it well. He wants his older brother to baptize him, which will be exciting because the brother has tattoos and had a hard life until about a year ago he turned his life around. We taught the lesson with a less active member and it felt nice to share the greatest work in the world with an ex-missionary who has forgotten the joy he once had. Reading in the Book of Mormon I think I realized how people slowly just forget these special things. I feel like the happiest people in the world are those who, of all religions, remember that in this life we can have peace if we just remember Christ- who gave up everything so we can have it.

There is this one woman who is accepting the lessons and slowly progressing. However her husband Luis M. came and visited for Christmas from Nuevo York, where he lives and works. He is the most amazing guy ever. He pretty much quotes the Book of Mormon and Bible to us even though he barely missed joining the church years ago. We thought he would be returning soon and so we just continued focusing on Angelina, the wife, but this week we asked when he is returning and he said March! This is one of my favorite investigators now and he reads everything and has such animo! I think we could get the two baptized and they could raise their two-month old child in the church!! I’m so excited to help them find more happiness. Some p-day we are going to hike in the mountains with him. We call him superman.

We were finally able to get a few lessons with a practical internal investigator, 20 year old Leonardo, his friend and his 16 year old brother. We are pretty good buddies and with the lessons. He is staring to fill in all the gaps of stuff he has learned from attending church these past 6 months without any missionary lessons. Sharing and bearing my testimony, I really felt the spirit in me, and I feel like I’m slowly starting to become more of an instrument in the hands of the Lord. The friend asks tons of questions and has some potential and the little brother, I’m trying to figure out since he is a little quiet. 

We are continuing to work with Daisy and Elias (wife investigator and member husband). Like many people here, they have a steady home and family but aren’t married, so they can’t get baptized. But they have to change the name of their daughter in order for her to be included in the marriage and it’s a big process. We have been trying to get them to get married and then change the name to get baptized and get the blessings sooner than latter, but they have been leaning towards the longer process. In our lesson with them I shared my testimony about families and eternal marriage and its something they really want. 

Contacting, or shouting through metal bars, instead of door-knocking is getting easier but it’s still one of those things that will never be easy. I think it takes practice to ignore how awkward it feels and just try to let the people see we want to help them.

In the Book of Mormon I have started just Spanish instead of the English and Spanish reading and I’m in Helaman now. It is special how we can all change in life. The wicked Lamanites turned towards the Lord and let him help them. The good Nephites FORGOT their joy, turned toward their riches and stopped letting the lord help them. In the world of if God’s willing or si Dios uiere we need to realize that our blessings rely on us. We can receive help- if we let people help us. Being blessed means wanting it enough to be humble and accept the help.

We can change, if we allow ourselves to. “Today is a gift, that’s why its called the present.”

For the truth to be learned it needs to be spoken

Anything worth trying is worth finishing.