Arrived 24 Oct 2016
Love the family more than letters from home! I love letters and things from home. Thanks for the handwritten letter in the things Dad brought me. It was fun to hear from Mom Dad and the boys. Haha I laugh at what people think I’m going through because of things I said, they read or heard. We are fine from the hurricane and I’m doing fine here, I like my new area.
Thanks for the package! I felt really spoiled with the new backpack and duffel bag! They are so nice! I’m really happy with them, at transfers and on exchanges it’s always a hassle with us carrying around garbage bags so we don’t leave things behind.
And the treats! Wow I never liked cookie butter that much but now I eat it straight out of the jar. I was genuinely shocked how good that stuff tastes, it tastes like american stuff haha. I’m gonna save the candy for halloween. Nobody really celebrates it here too much, all the Christmas lights are up, but I’m excited. I am using my rain jacket today as well, it is sooooo nice and perfect. Hope your guys enjoy all the food and things dad and I got you.
I was thinking how weird it was that Dad was coming to this country and to my mission this week. This whole week I was trying my best not to think of dad and home to much and I did pretty well. It was stressful when the assistants kept asking me what dads plans were, so they could maybe say hi to him, and when my package for Dad got lost in the mail to the office, we were frantic to figure things out and I didn’t even know what dads plans were to specifically because I wasn’t going to see him anyway! Haha I had a heart attack when the assistants ended up saying ¨we will just call your family really fast and figure it out¨ haha. Apparently Josh sounds really grown up and official because I was told they thought he was Dad’s secretary! But it all worked out well and everything. I was thinking about it and I shouldn’t be an exception to things, how many dominican missionaries live close to their families, but don’t see their parents either?
This week we focused on having second lessons with our new investigators. Finding people is okay but you gotta keep them going! It’s been crazy, all over the area and not to many set things but I’m learning the area a lot better and feeling some of the simple tender mercies of just finding someone kind in the street to share with. These are some of the most appreciated miracles sometimes even when they don’t progress.
Yefferson was a contact and he seems genuinely committed to learning more and reading the Book of Mormon. He has a nicer house which intimidates me. I’m used to “poor houses” and jerga Spanish, not middle class stuff and nothing upper class! Haha I was thinking how we probably teach some sketchy gangster style people sometimes, but we don’t realize it is scary. he only wants to share every Wednesday for now but I think we could get him to commit to the usual 2 or 3 times a week.
Omar is another contact we made, who hasn’t really read, but understands everything very easily and wants to share a lot. He is in his twenty and lives with his family. He is funny and kind. A really promising investigator.
Juan or Jeily (pronounced Haley- as his friends call him) isn’t to eager to commit but he understands pretty well that the church fell and the chain of authority broke. The problem, with most people to, is that they have this weird belief that because all churches have the same final goal it’s okay to be part of whichever one, but at the same time they always are gossiping and contending about why one is better or another one is corrupt. We try really hard to help them realize that if all churches say they are the best, then somebody has to be a little off. He did say that if this was the true gospel bearing church then it should be told to everyone and wondered why he hadn’t heard of it before.
We had another exchange this week but for the first time I stayed in the area. Haha I got lost a few times, it is weird that our area is literally a circle which blows my mind, but it worked out. I impress all the missionaries with my cooking, but I’m still working on my companion, Im gonna cook him something crazy good sometime!
Some exciting things this week we’re again going to the camping ground slash dominican Aspen Grove in our area. We have about 7 people in the beginnings of a branch which is something we are working on. The senior couples here are amazing! The Decker couple are from Florida and Honduras and then the Gomez are in charge of the campamento and are from Puerto Rico. Elder Gomez is a super cool guy! He loves horses, Harleys and is ex-police and security for church leaders. He has a daughter living in and going to school at Weber State. She is studying forensics at McKay Dee I think, or at least a hospital in Ogden. She also goes to the singles ward there so I think she knows the Hauns and is friends with Reese Schumacher. It’s a small world. the Gomez live at the Campamento and it’s like a hotel! They even have a swimming pool, which made my companion and I get a little trunky.
We had two investigators at church for their first time. Gustavo and Juana. The second time is really the hardest, but they really enjoyed the first time and are flojo committed to come this next week.
My spiritual thought comes from the Pearl of Great Price.
In the book of Moses, Father is crying and Enoch asks why in Moses 7:28-29 and 37-39
I Love how sincere it is. God really cares for everyone of us individually. Christ to pay individually for the whole of us. Why woudln’t they cry when we continually fall short and occasionally refuse their healing salve. But we, as Enoch and the Lord, have to have reason to be happy. Our Savior has overcome the world. As we realize the hopelessness of our own efforts we to can come to realize the hope and joy bringing efforts and success of Him. He lives, and as we cry He does and as we rejoice He does. I hope we all can come to grow close to him. That Him and I, you and Him might rejoice always and be made one in carrying the burdens while being happy.
Love Elder Sheffield
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