Elder Andrew Sheffield: Christmas

Arrived Dec 26, 2016

Love the family more than a lot of things but this week especially more than the Apple Cider I made when I was cold from rain (thanks Heber and Trudy), my custom made shirt (now pajamas) from ex-Elder Oldroyd and a healthy stomach after eating so much pork. It was a very Merry Christmas.

A stocking I stuffed for myself and the Christmas box from home

So Monday is normally our good learning experience days (some mission lingo for you mom ;) ) and this week we had an interesting lesson with a contact but a great lesson with a great investigator. Remember that one guy we shared with and gave a baptismal date to even though he was partying with friends on the patio? Well he reads and understands and has a lot of questions but hasn’t been able to come to church. We went over the importance of church and how it isn’t just learning but worshipping, obedience and renewing cleaning covenants. He gave a ¨si Dios quiere¨ answer and we didn’t think much more of it. Saturday night we passed by and he wasn’t home but right as church was starting, he popped into the chapel! You should have seen my grin from the keyboard piano. It was super spiritual and he left with tears in his eyes asking if next Sunday will be the same!

My mission posterity, I trained Elder Bouwhis (next to me) and the guy he is training,
so in mission terms my kid and my grandkid

Another miracle was on our bus ride up to the efy ¨Campamento¨ sacrament service. On the way up this one guy kept staring at me and so I started to talk to him. I guided the conversation to our message and gave a brief overview of the restoration. As we pulled up to his stop the driver asked ¨you are getting off here right?¨ and our new friend said ¨No I’m going up further with these handsome fellas¨ (I added the handsome part para que sepan) So we ended up with an investigator in church up there. The Lord has a lot in store for Alexis. It was also a miracle that on Friday we ran into a less active member son of a member who just got to the country Monday. They were driving by on their moped and we got their information and then invited them to church. The less active son introduced himself in church and said I have gone less active over the years, not for any beliefs but for issues with work, I think I will start coming again. In the meeting as my companion shared impromptu talks he couldn’t stop crying. The world is a small place and the Lord watches over everyone even if you have four days in a foreign country are less active and have no idea where or when church is.

THE group

That is the bulk of my email but Tuesday we had a small practice for our Christmas skit. Senior couple Gomez were going to play the guitar but we found another one so I ¨learned¨ the songs we were going to sing and ended up playing in our skit for half the mission. Man do I need more practice but I can fake it pretty well haha. Tuesday we spent from 8 to 5 either traveling or in the Christmas party. It was fun. Lots of food, laughs, old friends and a good spirit. We also watched Disney’s “A Christmas Carol”.

Wednesday was our branch Christmas party. We laughed watching the senior couples, a few less actives and an investigator. There was also a scripture trivia game we played. Not gonna lie, I was surprised how much I knew. We almost won but they gave us all the hard questions. Trivia: Who was Abraham’s first son? (The one we got wrong)

Thursday we did intercambios with Constanza. I LOVED the feel and smell of the cold. I think it only got to 50ish, but my body has been just expecting the cold that has never come. We went to bed with a homemade banana milkshake and woke up with Elder Sheffield’s apple cider packets. Haha we got a little nauseous on the way down the mountain the next day.

The intercambio proved to be prophetic. Elder Laureano, the Dominican district leader I was with, IS NOW MY NEW COMPANION starting Wednesday! He is one of the best missionaries in the mission and I’m really excited. Once again my Spanish will get better and my streak of American comps end. I’m now 7-2 American to Dominican and 0 other Latin companions.

I was a little hesitant Christmas Eve and Christmas with our plans. Christmas eve here is like thanksgiving and October fest mixed together and so when my companion suggested we don’t spend to much time enjoying the holidays with things less important than preaching I was a little torn. However things worked out well. I know the Lord blessed us for the extra effort. We even had a good Samaritan give us Christmas eve dinner a block from our house as we walked home. Our Christmas eve and Christmas day was spent in the Lords service, giving of ourselves.

Last night we had a sleep over since our phone doesn’t work so we needed to get together with the other missionaries to use their phone. After doing numbers we drank egg nog and played the guitar (Samoan Elder Nickel is teaching me a lot)

Today was my companion’s birthday and so we spent the day at the senior couples house playing board games and eating. I have a small surprise gift of all the different candy I have received throughout the week. I hope he looks back with good memories on our time together.

My spiritual message is simple. Father watches over every one of us. We are his work and his glory. For this purpose was His only Begotten son given. For this new year may we ponder and pray for what the Lord would have us do to improve.

Feliz Navdad y un Prospero año de felicidad por 2017!

Con todo mi amor

Elder A. Sheffield