Arrived 14 Nov 2016
Love the family more than monthly mission leader council
or concilio. I think some of my favorite moments as a group of missionaries is
concilio. Every month the zone and sister leaders along with the assistants and
President and Sister Castillo get together to talk about old goals and the new
goals. It is amazing to see such great heroes and feel the spirit. I love the
training or message President has. You cant help but leave feeling like you can
conquer the world! (and like you cant eat anything more since free rice, beans
and chicken is always included)
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| Dominican dinner: lechosa (papaya) milkshake and bread |
This week I was looking at my progress and wanted to do
better. It helped a lot to hear president talk about attitude, consecration,
obedience, dedication and faith. I really hope I can realize how I have changed
because of the Lords mission.
Monday we contacted an older fellow named silvio.
Normally you go to teaching the first lesson and if they are a little slower
you stop at prophets. This time we went all over and ended up committing him to
come to church. Our deal or issue was if he could sell all of his papaya by Sunday
he would come, to help the three of us would pray every night for him to sell
everything. It didn’t work out, but one of those really energetic moments.
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| Bonao winters |
We have a new goal in the mission to share the whole restoration
lesson in the first visit and challenge them wit ha baptismal date! A year and
a half ago that lesson took four or five visits and now it takes 45 minutes
haha. We are all super animado or excited. Along those lines we found a man who
may or may not have been tipsy because of his super fria Presidente (a drink
not approved by the Lord) I think he wasn’t drunk but anyways we challenged him
and he has a date for the 17 of December. He also promised to read the Book of
Mormon, we go back Wednesday and we found out a member nearby is his friend. We
have high hopes.
This week had a lot of contacting as normal and a decent
number of member lessons which fell through. Its a really big challenge in our
area right now but things are bright with todays plan of three member
lessons.
Progress report: Juana and Gustavo have only come to
church once but with help from the branch president will be coming to a movie
activity on Thursday and then a baptism in the other branch on Saturday and
then to church on Sunday. she is really concerned about be baptized twice but is
super sincere about it. Haley and Carolina are on the down hill but we will see
after tonight. I have had so much animo because of his great questions but the
second time to church is always the hardest and they are never home.
A new investigator is Jose. As we shared about
prophets I asked him if we need prophets in our days. With teary eyes he said
yes. We testified about living prophets and apostles due to the restoration and
it caught him by surprise! He asked us who is the prophet, where he lives and
all those questions and we left him a little bit with a cliff hanger so we
could come back to the next visit strongly.
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| Peanut butter, pancake and platano breakfast |
On exchanges in Constanza I gave three baptismal
interviews. The elders are making great progress in a weaker branch. They have
a new convert who is always leaving with them, who wants to serve a mini
mission. I love being able to see them working. On the other hand the other
couple of missionaries there are having a rough time. I never realized the
difference in missionaries until being a leader.
Thanks for your letters and advice. Grandma and Grandpa Sheffield your
letter was what I needed when I needed it. Thank you.
My thought is about faith and confidence. I read about something
Joseph Smith had said. He taught that part of faith is the knowledge and
confidence that what you are doing is according to Gods pan and will. I really
love that. When we are obedient we have power because we are working with Him
and there is no self doubt. Disobedience will always leave a feeling of worry
because you do not really know the outcome, only that you are no longer on
charted waters. Do what is right, ask for guidance and confide in the
confirmation that will come.
Con amor Elder A. Sheffield
Did I ever send a picture of my halloween pina?
Happy late Birthday Mom. Love you more than hammer
shakes, flies in the eyes and pat-pats! I love you so much mom, miss you and
cant wait to see you again. I finally got those letter you sent me. It made me
laugh and cry a little bit to recognize your handwriting and read your letters.
Thanks for never giving up on me mom. I still remember those long days I put
you through when you tried to get me to read Bob books and bribe me with
suckers, cuddling in the bathroom in Kansas to stay warm in winter, wrestling
Jacob and Samuel so I could get a hug, and maybe my first moment with a
testimony kneeling at the coach in Kansas as we prayed I could find a lost toy.
I always look back and admire how strong you are mom. When nobody else is
there, you are, not just for me but for everyone. I could never have imagined
having a better mother.
Love you Elder Sheffield
No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus
Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.
Jeffery R Holland
