Elder Andrew Sheffield: 2 years of living a higher law

Arrived 27Mar17

Love the family like best friend companions. Well transfers were this week and my Guatemalanzx companion finished his mission. We got close in just that transfer. It is a little sad to think about never seeing some of these friends again, you get close while working and sacrificing together. My new and probably final companion is Elder Zuniga from Honduras. He is a young missionary with only 10 months but has a lot of ideas and animo!

My new companion, Elder Zuniga

This week began with the final goodbyes of Ex-Elder Cordova. Things come to and end fast. One day you are here and the next you are home. It makes me laugh to hear inexperienced missionaries talk about home as if it was a break from work, a relief from the struggles but in reality these two years are the only two years of vacation from the world. It is two years of living a higher law (in a way) Tuesday night we cleaned and packed and set apart things to gift to people.

Wednesday was a long day haha. Transfers lasted forever. We got to Santiago and one by one everyone left except for a group of us heading to Dajabon and Navarrete. There was a brand new missionary who reminds my of myself a year and half ago. Opening up the old Dajabon area. Really nostalgic. We started the day and new transfer off strong.

A bad picture of a good mission coordination meeting

We have been working really hard our first week to make things simple and to the point. Repentance and baptism. I have really grown close to a few of our investigators. Alex is a 30 year-old father always busy with three young daughters work and helping a sister build a house. I just want him so bad to read and pray and prepare and change for baptism. He accepted to come to conference this week, which made my night.

We had several people in church. The most exciting was Victor Cruz. Once again his son pulled him up on a motorcycle and the middle of sacrament meeting and I walked out to help him in. The ward all turned to watch us, its super great to see his desire to be apart of the kingdom of God, and everyone smiled. I was going to get a picture but the members hustled him off in a car to go back home before I had a chance. He puts a lot of effort into coming by his own power and then the members really help out by giving him a ride home.

It has been a little interesting with my new companion really great guy and hard worker but sometimes he forgets that I’m not in training or a missionary with only a few months. It's hard for the new guys adjust from being so proactive and in charge to taking the wing man position. And then when its their time to take the lead again it can be hard. Things are good and we are working really hard, just getting used to things for now.

Old district I was in

The other day we taught Luis and the little girl they have been raising after the death of her mother, and even though Luis cant get married right now because his wife doesn’t want to we put a baptismal date with the girl. When we told the wife she told us she didn’t like some things about the church and it turned into a confrontation and wasn’t to good. She is bitter and hard-hearted that her son secretly filled out his mission papers and since he was an adult she couldn’t stop him. She also doesn’t talk to him since its her strategy to not talk to him until he "comes home early" A lot of respect for him and a lot of godly sorrow and indignation for her. It frustrates me that she doesn’t see the good he is doing, is selfish and wont look for comfort through the Lord. Believing in other things is one thing but not being able to ask our Father for help and direction is one of the saddest things I can think of. I’m grateful for parents who have looked to Him. I’m grateful for the change he works in us. In elders quorum we talked about unconditional love. He will always love us unconditional in some senses but being able to receive that love is very conditional. Why can’t they just see that they can have more than they have ever dreamed of if they just ask for help and do what He says. This week we have interviews with president and then general conference. I pray that I and that everyone can use this time to come to know him. I know he lives and little by little, chin a chin, I am coming to know my Father and my Savior.

Thanks as always for all the emails and pictures. Fam its fun to here able the little funny moments each week and see not only the change in the house but in you. Love you

Elder A Sheffield