Arrived Dec 9 2015
Love you more than…
Reeses puffs cereal! I couldn’t help opening it up, when
I received the package from home, and eating a bowl. I realized it’s my first
time eating the peanut butter chocolate flavor of reese’s puffs. I plan on
eating it the next several days before transfers.
I got another package, labeled #2, and I also opened it.
I shared the candy with my companion because I realized that the first stocking
was his, not mine, so I had to make up for some of the candy I’d eaten. I’ve
opened the packages and eaten some of the stuff to avoid packing it during
transfers, but I’m saving the three little wrapped presents for Christmas.
Wow, this week was also one of those longer ones. There
was fun stuff, but it was again a little stressful and slow because of
difficulties with finding new investigators and working with the branch.
The week in review. We went to another one of the branch
dinner activities and ate pasta and there one of the members announced he is
getting married. It was funny hearing the whole branch in uproar about how they
were gonna cook the big pork dinner. I went on splits with our district leader
Elder De La Cruz, who is pretty much the handyman and cook and cleaner of the
house (I’m like his sidekick in these projects). It was interesting to learn
how he teaches and we got a lot of lessons in that day. Exchanges are getting
better, but still not one of my greatest joys as of right now. We made empanadas that
night. We bought a new bag for Elder Dickson at the market and we have been
eating waffles about every other day. We made a decent amount of contacts and
taught a few first lessons and we were having a lot of hope for how things were
looking. Church was a little exciting again as the new moved-in member Rudi announced
our Elders Quorum president moved to Mao and also gave like a basic
class on Priesthood organization that helped us all learn a lot. We attended
the family night of Chachi and Marisol again, and had a little art project and
I shared with them the pop rocks you sent. Hilarious how they reacted, and we
had chocolate coco puff milk. We then attended the Christmas devotional
broadcast at the church which made us late to get back home, because here it
was 9:00. I had exchanges again, I went to Monte Cristi with Holbrook,
who I have decided reminds me of what I think a young uncle Gaylin is like. It
was a little relaxing to not be in charge and have to worry about where to go
when lessons fell through. Back in Dajabon some of our brand new
contacts/investigators didn’t want to continue with learning and they visited Yeffri,
where they explained clearly how the only church with the same organization of
Christs church is well, Christ’s new church, which has been restored in its fullness,
the Church of Jesus christ of Latter-Day Saints. We came back together and did
more corn grinding service for the “sweet spirit full of instruction” Hermana
Fidelia. The day ended up really slow and hard as we didn’t have a good plan
set.
Other stuff: Elder Dickson heard that BYU and Utah are
playing in the Las Vegas Bowl, Bronco Mendehal is going to coach at Virginia,
isis is getting more intense. We are having a zones reunion sometime around the
21 for a Christmas celebration. I’m like 90% guaranteed to be transferred next week,
a week before Christmas to Santiago. Elder Holbrook thinks I’ll be senior comp,
but I’m nervous for that to happen. Change will be good but it’s still hard to
leave all I have known and continue into insecurity and upcoming
responsibilities. Lately I’ve been listening a lot to the 2001 efy music that
has a lot of Peter Brienholt and music that reminds me of the family. I finally
got those short little videos that you sent me to work. That cool neck towel
thing is really cool, I love the memories of the rubber band guns, the avengers
shirt is cool, I love the little remote control car and Im excited to open
that beef jerky!!!
Spiritual thought. Just thinking more about how life is
all about choices and how choices determine destiny. The other night we were
going to have our first lesson with a contact family of 8. I offered to take
the lead and though I didn’t want to because of my mind trying to justify how
the family was probably not home etc. I got to the front porch and started
tell the family, sitting there, how we had passed by the other day and how one
of the daughters said we could come back this night to share a message. The
family asked around who had said that and all the family members denied it and
said that we had made a mistake, so we awkwardly walked away. It was rough
being rejected like that and feel so awkward - but that is the mission.
Sometimes we expect that because we make right decisions we will be rewarded immediately,
but no. The choices we make are the course corrections of life. The more we
travel the more corrections we make and we either maintain our path or slowly
lose ourselves in forbidden paths. Sometimes the rewards of our good choices
are simply staying where we should be, not grand gifts. Staying on the right
path should be reward enough for us.
LOve you guys alot. Miss you and cant wait till we can
skype.
--
Elder Andrew W. Sheffield
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