Our zone is being re-organized

Arrived 23 sep 2015

Love you more than….Homemade mashed potatoes and gravy!! I made them for Sunday dinner, classic huh? It was great and even though I had to use hot dogs instead of roast beef and clumpy gravy. It was super good! Kinda funny that just a few days later I would get those gravy packets you guys sent, haha. I’m gonna save them for super special Sunday dinner sometime.

My version of Sunday Dinner

I never know what to say in emails, and I probably say that every week but it's true. starting with responses/stuff for the fam. Samuel I'm jealous that you're so good at football, I only played one year and I wasn't that great. I have to agree with you, special teams isn't as fun as defense. Keep working and soon you'll be playing for BYU. Jacob you sound like such a stud muffin in your soccer games, I hope you don't grow up so much that you can beat me at soccer in a few years! Joshua some tips for you in high school are never stay home, I did a lot and I regret it. You better use your time wisely, it goes fast. (Mom make him have fun and invite people over ;) ) Emily it sounds like school is getting a little less complicated but is still as much fun. Keep working on guitar so we can make a band someday, ya? Grumpy gills and Neigh: world tour hahaha. Mom your letters and the talks you sent me make me so proud to be your son. I look back and think of all the times I was difficult and I'm sorry. Families here aren't very stable and I am so very grateful everyday for  how hard you work for me and the rest of us. Dad - you as well. It amazes me how something simple like "I love you Elder Sheffield" or “From mom and Dad" gets me to tear up, every time. Dad, thank you for your example and the advice you give me, I'm so glad you're my dad and I think about the times you'd get home from a tough day at work but you'd come in the door and I could run and jump into your arms. 

Thanks for the new bag!!! I feel so spoiled with pounds of candy and a fancy bag with a thousand secret pockets. I use the little bag for p-day and loved it, the big bag I'm saving until the old one falls apart, "use it up, wear it out" Special thanks to Jacob's note in the bag. I am glad you say that you want to be like me because I feel like I kinda failed sometimes at being the best “older” brother. I started tearing up again reading the note, love you boys so much.

Elder Coombs and me

Reactivation is starting to get better. We have found and are finding more and more of the many menos activos. I sometimes just wish people would have the desire; just the desire for change though. In answer to questions about the house we live in. We almost always have electricity and water and heat. We really have a nicer house than most missionaries. 

This week in the mission, I thought would be a normal week, but I've come to except the fact that there is no such thing in this extra-ordinary work. I went on intercambios (exchanges) with a hero of mine, zone leader Elder Whitworth from California. He has a few transfers left, so he is like my mission great-grandpa or something in mission slang. He came to our area and I took him to our lessons. Normally I would’ve gone to his area and he would’ve had the main job of teaching but he had to interview our two baptism candidates and so he came and the pressure was on me. I only got lost once and the people we taught, could understand me, I think haha. Elder Whitworth says I have the gift of tongues. I learned a lot that day and we celebrated with cookies when Frammy and Maria Jose were declared ready for baptism. Maria says american chocolate chip cookies are ugly but delicious. 

Cleaning for the baptism

Preparing these two for the baptism

A better picture of the Baptism (Elder Thornear, in the middle, is the Elder
that began the teaching)

We had a zone meeting in Navarette with Elder Zivic from the First Quorum of the Seventy and Second Counselor in our area presidency. I learned a lot from his wise words from being a apostle and mission president in Spain etc. We are focused and teaching with more clarity, simplicity and the power of the spirit. Saturday we spent working out all the little problems to get ready for the baptism, it was a busy but good day. Elder Thorner who is now home haha came up and did the baptisms at Frammi and Maria’s request. He was the elder that began teaching him and it was his first and last baptism. Elder Coombs and I are working hard to keep up with the mission standards. We have a list of menos activos and more members are offering to come with us places. Members are a big part in the work and help a lot when you are whitewashing. We got to eat at a few members houses and I was filled on this rare occasion, lots of yuca (kind of like boiled potatoes) and the milky rich avena con leche (oatmeal, cinnamon rice drink) The food was good but as always hot and so we were sweating and trudging to our next lessons with that sluggish feeling of a bursting stomach haha. Our zone is being reorganized with this new transfer, one of my favorite elders, Elder de Leon is leaving as well as our other zone leader Elder Rodriguez. 

Our old zone minus Elder Rojos and Elder Verde

Or new zone will be almost all gringos and everyone but the zone leaders with be training, pretty exciting. Today for p-day we celebrated the first completed transfer with empenadas from a street cart (amazing) and some of the sour gummy worms you sent from the states. I cleaned the kitchen and did laundry. The best part is now, writing and reading those amazing talks mom sent. Wowowow are those amazing. Thank you. 

Empanada and Taque (ball of fried rice)

Spiritual thought. I'm going to redo the talk mom sent me from Elder Holland called “Remember Lot's Wife”. I love how the message is about change. Change for the better is the meaning of life. Our purpose is to use the atonement and gifts we have been given from God, to work on BEING better. (Be is better than do from the other talk mom sent called “What manner of men ought ye to be”) We can never check off being something, like we can on our to-do list. WE are to be better every day, so then why do we so often focus on the past? To grasp on to the past and resist change, is to distract us from our Heavenly Father’s plan. The road to heaven requires change, but gives improvements to everything. We remember the past just enough to not make the same mistakes and to realize that no matter how happy we might have been, there is and always will be something greater; living as eternal families with our Father.

Thanks for the love, support, jokes, quotes, support, pictures, everything. I'm lucky to have you all in my life.

-- 

Elder Andrew W. Sheffield