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.
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| 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
Elder Sheffield
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