Obeying the little things

Arrived June 27 2016

Love the family more than fireflies! I had fun reading about Jacob seeing fireflies for the first time on the back east trip, it is weird to think of when we used to live in Kansas and I would go out catching them. I saw one the other night I think. I am not sure because I have only seen like two now and it was the size of a bumblebee. In my area everything is cement, grass yards are weird to see, so fireflies aren’t common but exist here.

Starting out with some more funny things. The daughter in a family we are teaching is a soon to the teenage mother and the other day we were talking before the lesson and she wanted to share some big new with us. When the baby is born in August she is going to name it after us.....Elder! Hahaha I had to hold a book up in front of my face to hide my laughter, not that it isn’t a good name, it is just interesting. She loves the name and we tried not to tear down her dreams in telling her it means old and or wise. For both my companion and I the smell of sunscreen and bug spray is making us a little home sick. Smelling those smells makes you think of the beach, camping, sports and its weird how the smell triggers all these feelings. My companion is finishing his mission next transfer and I will soon be at all out war trying to keep him and us focused.

It is fun to hear about things going-on back home like mission calls and friends getting engaged and people going on trips etc. It doesn’t make me home sick so don’t worry about that. 

Planning for my year mark this week I bought cake mix and frosting. I am also cheating missionary tradition a little bit by planning on burning an old shirt I found in the house instead of my own, for the ceremonial close and start of a year I need all the clean white shirts I can get my hands on.

This has been an interesting week with our investigators. Last week felt like we made some big head way, and this week it felt like we kind of lost some ground. Sunday’s kind of sum up your week of work because if people don’t come to church they aren’t progressing. Sundays aren’t relaxing or very enjoyable at times. We had two investigators show up, Yanela and her daughter Casey, but it wasn’t the expected four who we were hoping for. Just in case anybody is interested, we have three people with baptismal dates, we taught seven lessons with members present, nineteen other lessons, we received one contact and taught five lessons to less-actives. These are kind of our average numbers for a week.

Our recent convert Wadri has been slacking a little bit since he has been missing church for a little while. We are implementing a point system for him to gain waffles or brownies etc. by reading the scriptures, coming to church and praying. He is animated but needs the foundation. Our best investigators Ignacio and Paulino, are progressing but didn’t come to church so kinda arent. Both have baptismal dates but Ignacio needs to read more and Paulino can’t read, so he needs to come to church. 

We had intercambios with a district leader and it shocks me how far I have come in my spanish, teaching and abilities as a missionary. 

Some new investigators we have are Blanchi and Eddi and also Confesor. Blanchi and Eddi walked up to my companion one day (while I was in another area) and like something out of the Saratov Approach movie asked if we were the Mormons and if we could go to their house sometimes and teach them. We haven’t been kidnapped yet- like the movie, which is good, but these investigators are never home so I think they might have, who knows. Confesor is an older fellow but one of the only Dominicans I have seen that has a book collection or somewhat of a library. All his books are religious too, which got me excited. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and he said he would read it. Of all the copies I have given out I think this one has the highest possibility of being read. People here usual aren’t the type to read, unless they are rich and very catholic. 

In one of our lessons, a member did an amazing job helping teach and also offered to pick up the couple for church. I couldn’t believe our luck since I have never seen a member have a car and be able to take an investigator to church. Even though they didn’t come, it was a good first time.

On Saturday us four missionaries, two tiny Peruvian sisters, a medium sized American and a super tall American, cleaned the church. The members went to the temple so it was our turn. Without any carpet, the church is nice since you sweep it and the hose it down. The members had a good time even though the Sica virus is sweeping through the area. Our church is very nice since we have air conditioning, but it makes Elder Oldroyd and I sleepy to be at normal room temperature. 

I have been studying the Doctrine and Covenants lately and so my thought comes from section 88 verse 22. By the way reading this chapter in the mission has blown my mind. Basically the verse talks about how we will receive according to our obedience, and we will be able to support the glory we will receive. I love to imagine that as obedience strengthening us to bear the innumerable blessing promised to us. Not only does obedience protect us but without it we would not be able to bear the greatness of our Father. Life scares me a little bit. With every advancement of days, of position in life, loque sea, I get nervous. I worry a lot. But I feel like if we worry ourselves about obeying the little things. Read the scriptures. Pray. Going to church. Then the big things will fall into place. If we cannot obey the little then we cannot obey the big. If we are unable to obey and have instruction then there is no way for us to work independently and for ourselves. Christ and his atonement enable us when we obey. I hope we can all be strong enough to submit and wise enough to obey. Obedience with understanding. 

Elder Sheffield

Primera foto: Limpiando la capilla en Sábado

Segunda foto: El río cuando llueve mucho 

Happiness is a choice

Arrived June 20 2016

Love the family more than smiling! So I have a new goal to be more positive and energetic, especially with our investigators. Sometimes things just feel pessimistic or like lectures or disappointment but since I have started going the extra mile to smile and be happy with people I have really seen a difference. People really light up when you smile at them.

First things first, I am officially on the slippery downward slope in the mission. Though I haven’t hit my year mark the Americans in the mission go home two weeks before they hit two years with how the transfers work. I am halfway through my mission and it scares me honestly.

A few funny things were when Oldroyd ripped his shirt sleeve walking by a tin sheet fence, by the way we only see grass in the yards of really rich people, our whole world is cement and iron. The neighborhood went crazy last night for the NBA finals. At one corner there was a big projector and a crowded street of bandwagon basketball fans. That whole night we heard cheering. One day walking by our investigator Roberts house he stopped us to talk with his sister who was visiting. My jaw dropped when he was able to give a 5-minute overview of the restoration and the Book of Mormon to his sister without our help. I didn’t know how well he understood the lessons because he never really acts upon it but it was a good moment. My new choice Colmado, Dominican gas stations that don't sell gas, is of a less active. He has a large variety of my Mabis drink and we are trying to get lessons going with him.

This last Tuesday I got the opportunity to spend a day as assistant to the president! We went on intercambios with the assistants, I went with my friend Elder Hola and Elder Oldroyd stayed with Elder McDonald. I had a fun time except for going to be at almost 12 due to a few assistant duty things. Elder Oldroyd had a little bit of a rough day in our area, which isn’t very good your boss is there with you. He jokes that he is going to finish his last transfer as junior companion somewhere and they whitewash the area, interviews are in a few weeks so you never know. 

I spent Wednesday in our area but Thursday on other intercambios. Elder Hawkes from Idaho Falls is a super great guy and we had fun. It did make things rough feeling like I hadn’t been in the area for a week, but we worked hard to finish the week. 

I finally got my scripture cases that I had made this week and I feel really official with my new leather. That with some homemade cheesecake to celebrate my halfway mark made for some fun times. 

I was really excited this week with several investigators who are doing really well. Our Older Couple Cesar and Iluminada, though not married, read the Book of Mormon like I said and really are amazing. We started teaching about the plan of salvation and Cesar really understood! Also Iluminada made us proud that she said she was a little unsure about it. It may seem strange but so many people just agree with everything and then just never learn, they just go with the flow. Ilumindada actually admitted it was something new and she would have to receive some confirmation that it is true, we really thanked her for that. Our lesson was made possible because, even though tempted with other things, Cesar told people he had to stay home because we were going to come and teach him.

We finally got some people in church!!!!!!!! We technically haven’t had any progressing investigators for a few weeks because people don’t make it to sacrament meeting. We asked an old man named Paulino if he would like to come to church and he said yes, as if of course he would come. He was a reference from old ¨Hunchy¨ Hon Lee and on Sunday, they walked to church together. Paulino really seemed happy in the lessons when Elder Oldroyd juggled the mangos he gave us and in church he had a good time. I thought I was going to cry tears of joy watching the two old men make their way to church one slow step at a time. Ignacio our best investigator gave us a less firm agreement to come to church this week but we weren’t going to give up. 45 minutes before church we went to his house and knocked on the door about 25 times and then called him. He told us he was super sleepy but he would make it, so we decided to call him every 10 minutes after that. Fifteen minutes before church we called and he didn’t pick up but we got a call. Elder Oldroyd in his best imitation of the best two years checked the phone, turned to me and then said ¨Its him!!!¨ I cracked up and Ignacio said to not come by again because he could make it himself. I was feeling skeptical but he made it!!! And it turns out he knows several members of the church including bishop! It was an amazing Sunday. I was happy this week. 

I decided this week to be happy and I really have been thinking about it. I have been learning how much of happiness is choice and the difference it makes. I do not think you can be an effective missionary or disciple of Christ if you choose to be sad, letting it dominate you. We can be sad at times and is necessary yet it should not be longer than necessary. Men are that they might have joy and God is that he might help us obtain it. I don’t know how to say it but helping others is the purest way to be happy, it is like charity the pure love of Christ. Imagine how sad it must make Our Father when we are sad, it must break his heart, Christ suffered that we could have an escape from sadness, so let it work. Don’t make sadness last when He died for it to be just for a moment. Peace for He has overcome the world. He lives and we become more like him every small opportunity we take to do something happy. I know He lives and I know his gospel works, it has for me and it does for the people I see here. 

Elder Sheffield

My scripture case

Lunch today...

Happy days in Terra Alta

Arrived June 13 2016

Love the fam more than watching my companion Elder Oldroyd cross the river-stream that divides our area. Every time it rains the little makeshift wood bridges float down the river so we are weekly finding new obstacles. My favorite crossing point is several tires with rocks in them, with water running across them. I love watching the lanky Elder Oldroyd, nervously stumble across. We laugh a lot and have fun.

Since we had a shorter week in between P-days I have less to write even though this week felt longer than normal. I have been trying to write down a few things each day that I would like to write about so here are a few.

To make my point about the summer heat, the other day we walked into someone´s house and they had a thermometer that read 33 ish degrees Celsius or about 95 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 40. I don’t want to ruin dreams but tropical islands are not the paradises they seem when it comes to the weather. 

This week we did a service project with a member family and their downstairs neighbor. We cut off some limbs on the big mango tree in their backyard, but with machetes. I have fallen in love with machetes, even though it is a tough relationship since I now have some blisters. It amazed us that here instead of using an axe, hatchet or chainsaw the right way is through machetes and maybe and old saw. I am proud we cut down a limb the size of me, in only an hour. I wish I could have taken a few pictures of a pair of skinny white guys up a mango tree and also a picture of the neighbor’s faces.

Part of a new joke Elder Oldroyd and I have is to try acting out and then guess who the other person was imitating. It is fun how well you can get to know the complete strangers we meet in just a few days. Espedito the elderly winks at me every time he tells a joke, Robert calls everyone primo, viejo or flaca (cousin, old man, skinny lady) and Santiago the member just is funny in general. Happy Days in Tierra Alta.

Somebody we met the other day recently put their restoration pamphlet in their shrine to the virgin Mary on their front porch, which brings us mixed feelings.

We had some big highs this week. This week finished off by some tough lows. Cesar and Iluminada are an older couple we are teaching and they actually read parts of the Book of Mormon! And they retained the information in their minds!!! Cesar claimed he had read and we asked him what he read, trying not to be doubting but not getting excited for no reason. He then proceeded to explain how there were various groups of people who had traveled to the Americas but because of their falling, had been destroyed at times. It made my day to here somebody understand after having read something. Ignacio as well read, and this time it was for real. It is very common for people to claim they read and then feign forgetfulness, or if you have an excuse or if you are being honest it is excepted that people are not responsible. These individuals couldn’t come to church but we are seeing promising improvements. 

On Sunday we went to pick up four individuals who had promised to come to church and sent our man Brother Lee to pick up another. After so much promise things didn’t turn out as the expected four less actives and five investigators ¨Couldn’t make it¨ but ¨next time¨. I felt bad that brother Lee was let down because of his hunched back and poor health history, but he has one of the greatest testimonies I have heard here. Progress report: Jaser, Eliani and Aira will be on the back burners for now, the super tigre Josue as well, we are planning a talent show and all the members are very excited and we hope investigators will come, Robert and his testigo de jeovah wife got a very backed up by the bible lesson on the organization of the primitive and modern church and Elder Oldroyd is slowly making me trunky or homesick as he is starting to think about his date to go home, but don’t worry I won't let it mess with the work.

I think a lot about the things of this life in the terms of decisions and the idea of convenience. We are teaching some very nice people right now and I would say we are good friends with them. Despite the goodness in the people I talk to here, there is a fault in the want for the long-lasting. I cannot measure the amount of how people live just day-to-day when I think God wants us to live for tomorrow and eternity. We need to make the right decisions now for the decisions of eternity. In the words of Elder Holland satan’s mode is have it your way, or in essence if you can make it by day to day with and looking for the easy to do it. The supposed easiness of things is a big obstacle to Gods designs. Sleeping in, instead of going to church is choosing the convenient slow current away from God. Sitting in a plastic chair that says Presidente on the back, watching stray dogs walk by instead of reading the Book of Mormon is a convenient decision to enjoy today but then the  eternal things fade in the distance. I pray that we may choose the right path even if it is not and may never be the most convenient. The inconvenient stairs of the gospel are what will one day raise us the meet Him. I know the gospel of Christ, faith in him and his atonement with repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and the continual climb up the stairs of the gospel is the truth Christ teaches, in His holy name amen.

Elder A. W. Sheffield

with a new mission rule of increased bug repellent we have also found a new way to get rid of the occasional cockroach 

"You preach really well"

Arrived 8 jun 2016

Love the family more than harmonizing will singing hymns! This week we had my first concilio or mission leadership council with all the zone leaders, sister training leaders, the assistants, and Hna and President Castillo. I think for one of the first times in my mission we sang more than just the harmony and even that was good. I miss good singers ha ha.

So a few things I´ll write right now so I don’t forget are... 1 Our

Preparation days (p-days) will be on Mondays from now on. 2 This week we accidentally broke the news to somebody that man has been on the moon. They played it off pretty well that they didn’t know and they accepted the news well, ha ha.

Summer has officially started here, or for me at least. We preach and spend most of the day covered in sweat. Our zone was making fun of me today at an activity about how much I sweat. There is an old abandoned airport in our zone that now has a lot of soccer goals and basketball hoops and after a few hours in the sun I was told it looked like I had gone swimming. The same thing happens when rain comes. The humidity and heat shoots upward and then fifteen minutes later it pours rain.

It has rained a lot but it was a little bit of a tender mercy when I

had a fever due to Sica. Everyday feels more hot than the last.

Our zone stayed mostly the same for transfers but things continue to be crazy in our zone with some of the sisters getting a special

transfer. Our zone has about 10 pairs of elders, a pair of sister

trainers and a pair of sisters. In our ward are one pair of sisters

and us but they don’t eat much so on Sundays when members feed us there isn’t much trouble.

Emily, you asked if they love blue eyes, they do. But I’m the second draft pick usually because my companion is 6´4, blond and has blue eyes. I wish I could say we are used to cat calls but every time it’s a new approach so they keep us on guard. I laugh when little kids and people in general ask us to say something in English and my companion says ¨You shouldn’t worship the virgin¨, the kids go crazy and we feel good for spreading the word.

With our investigators we have a small group that are about ready for baptism, but they just like things how they are, and aren’t making the proper steps. Jaser, Aira and Eliani specifically have recieved all of the lessons and come to church every once and a while, and they know about baptism but aren’t really exited to take that step. Jaser the teenage son says he knows he should get baptized, but he is nervous, so he will fall back to the old ways eventually. This always gets me and is a common concern but it wouldn’t be there if people truly understood the depth of the decision.

On the bright side I feel like when we teach people are understanding more completely. The other day Luis and Yocasta were listening to us and we were giving them examples and they were into the lesson. Part way through Luis half shouted ¨you preach really well¨ and near the end he practically confessed to us that he wants to stop smoking and drinking alcohol. It was a great moment because we felt like we were feeling the spirit and it made Luis want to truly change. We testified that these feeling were from the Holy Ghost and our message could help. It is nearly impossible to convert people that do not understand, the better they understand the greater the impact of the choices they make. If you understand and still deny making the correct decision, it is willful rebellion against God. If you understand you then know how to more fully be obedient. Ignacio accepted to be baptized and it seemed pretty sincere, but a little easy. Easiness makes you nervous because it is of big importance. He hasn’t come to

church yet which normally is one of the biggest barriers, getting off

the plastic chair on the front porch and coming. We will see how it

goes. Our nice old friend Espedito is interesting, and we don’t really

know what to do with him. We are going to invite and an old hunched back

member to come with us to the lessons. Either things go well and the strange old men bond, or some interesting lessons are coming up.

The other day in my zone meeting I gave a capacitation, or a talk,

about looking for how to improve. Mainly I talked about how we need to first learn and then teach, learn what needs to be done and then do it. Doctrine and Covenants 107:99 says it perfectly. I also love the example of the brother of Jared. God has a plan and we are a part of it, but it is hard to play our part if we don’t know it. Please search for how to help others and improve yourself and then do it.

Missionaries should learn what their investigators need and how they personally can improve. Everyone should learn to learn and work to act. I bear testimony that when we struggle to act, because of fear or lack of strength, we will be held up by Christ and His angels.

p.s. a picture of three of us six that are from my group who are now

sister trainer leaders or zone leaders. The tall elder in the middle

is Elder Eddy other wise known as a future general authority.

--

Elder A. W. Sheffield

This is like the mission bulletin board, we get one every transfer.

This one is cool because it is the first one that mentions I’m a zone

leader so that’s a little cool