Gringo day of Gratitude

Arrived 28 nov 2016

Love the family more than Thanksgiving Turkey (Pavo) Legs (Piernas)  So it fell to the “Sheff in the Field” to cook turkey for us this year. We got a few districts together in different parts of the zone because everyone is spread out and then feasted. We got a sweat deal on turkey legs at a La Sirena grocery store so I ended up making 8 pounds of turkey leg. It all turned out great except for my gravy didn’t work out.

 

Our first real week of the new transfer started out with high hopes. Jose our best new investigator read a little from the Book of Mormon and every time we teach the spirit is there and he really understands the message. He said “I’m coming to church” this week so we were really excited. Sunday morning he got robbed away by a friend with a work project since things are going hard for Jose but we still think he is in it to win it.

We had a super good district meeting this week. Part of what we talked about comes from the greatest missionary talk (or one of them) there is, it’s called the fourth missionary. That and my personal and district goal to work on the chapter six of preach my gospel self examine made it a good day. (You guys should look that up in preach my gospel to)

We have a new investigator who is Haitian, which my companion really likes. I think he would’ve loved to serve in Haiti and has even learned Creol, the Haitian language, pretty well. With our new goals of finding tons of new people and sharing the first lesson more fully and putting out more baptismal dates, we are realing burning through those that are ready for the gospel and those who aren’t for now. One family made a new experience for me when they sent us a text saying they aren’t interested in our message, most people just try and put the next lesson as far away into the next week as possible haha. The mission is up and down with excitement for new people and also sadness for those you have come to love that aren’t progressing.

One of a great new investigators named Hipolito is doing well, but his new job has him working a lot, and especially Sundays, which is sad. 

Gustavo y Juana were set on coming to church and bringing their kid and his family (who have a date for the 24th of December) but couldn’t make it. We called them and everything was set Sunday morning but who knows what happened. 

Sunday was our district conference, which is like a stake conference. I finally got to show the branch I can actually play piano decently - well when I have practiced the songs haha. The choir and I presented Joseph Smith’s Prayer (sorry I forgot the name in English), the Battle Hymn of the Republic and I know that my Redeemer Lives. There was a lot of pressure since President Castillo was there to. It was fun to hear one of the Distict Councilors quote straight out of the restoration pamphlet that we recognized immediately. We almost quoted it with him, word for word. I loved hearing president talk. It just seems like he knows what he is doing and is so firm and like a super hero. He is a super good speaker. 

 

Getting the supplies to make a yummyThanksgiving dinner, missionary style

Saturday we had a baptismal interview in an area called Cotui. We were late since we had been without water for a several days when as we were walking out the door ,water came on. We spent an hour cleaning up a sink full of dishes, doing quick laundry so there were clean clothes and filling up our big tank of water so we had some if the water turned off. In the end the baptismal candidate didn’t feel ready yet, but he really wants to be baptized so it will just be postponed. 

This week I was thinking a lot about consecration and submissiveness. In a talk several years ago Elder Holland shared a scripture in 3 Nefi 11. He shared just two versus, the first two things of what Christ said. What he said was I am Jesus Christ and I have submitted myself to the father. Elder Holland then goes on to talk about maybe that will be the first thing he said or rather asks us when we see him again. Did we submit our wills, actions, heart, might, mind and strength to that of our Fathers? I think that is really what makes true people great people. Doing what is best. Taking one for the team. Or as Grandpa Sheffield always says “Me third” and “Obedience with understanding”. That is why mission work in some ways is so great. It is two years of surrender, consecration rather than sacrifice. It’s giving up ourselves for Him. It is something I have said before and something that continuously comes back to me. We have only completed our missions when we have come to be one with Him as He and the Father are one. It is one in heart, in purpose in holiness. The greatest part is that it is reachable. It is reachable through him, His atonement and His gospel in His church.

Elder A Sheffield

Thanksgiving desert of apple pie topping on top of cake and frosting (Missionary apple pie)

Food and Thanksgiving (which is the gringo day of dia de accion de gracias which is noramlly not celebrated here)

God shall reveal his secrets

Arrived 21 Nov 2016 
Love the family more than winter! Last year I was in the hottest part of the country so being here in Bonao I actually feel like its winter, and my first one in two years haha. The cool breeze and even the smoggy air sometimes makes me trunky but I am loving the weather!

This week was a little bit of a roller coaster. 

Last week we cleaned up an Elders house, that had a special transfer, preparing everything for the new missionaries. We taught a few lessons and then we were going to have a member lesson but we showed up late and he had gone. Not having spare minutes is a general thing, so he had just left and when we called him we sort of received a boche, not good for our struggles with more member lessons. 

 

Old Bonao district with Sister Decker

Tuesday we had a district meeting in Senior couple Decker’s house. He is from the states and she is from Honduras and they are really kind. We had a small testimony meeting and announced transfers. Two brand new sisters came in and then a companionship of elders into the house we had cleaned. In the afternoon we taught a baseball player named Carlos Pena. For some reason he really liked us even though we turned down the offer to go to the movies with him and we never had time to go to the baseball field with him. He understood the message pretty well and said he would read the Book of Mormon on the plane ride to Toronto where he will hopefully sign with the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. 

Wednesday we had transfers and a district leader named Elder Melling spent the morning proselyting with us. It definitely looks like we are the CIA of the FBI when three gringo missionaries are walking around in the street. Also, its funny rotating between the three to teach. Our lesson and baptismal date with the man that we thought may or may not have had been drinking alcohol turns out to be really good! In our second lesson he remembered his baptismal date and kept bringing it up! He had read the Introduction to the Book of Mormon and understood it and has a good friend who is a member and lives nearby! He is excited to be baptized. Our other really promising new investigator Jose had lots of things going on so our second lesson kept being put back. We had a little bit of a contentious lesson when the friend of an investigator asked some questions, without real intent, and our ward mission leader bless his heart has to prove his point. Things worked out but one always gets nervous.

Thursday was anther rough day. My companion re-contacted a pastor we had met and it was a rollercoaster. Then later an old investigator who occasionally goes to church gave my companion a boche on charity and things. Then one of my favorite investigators, Pedro a.k.a Haley, told us he can’t change religions because of his wife and family problems. 

Friday we had an interesting weekly planning and companionship inventory. I really respect my companion and things are getting better. That day for the crazy rain the country has been having we were all told to be home at 7:30 instead of 9. Our area recently has had less rain than usual, but the rest of the country is being hammered by rains and floods.

 

A little look at the rain

Saturday we had a decent day and an amazing couple of lessons. At first we were a little discouraged that we had invited all of our investigators to a baptismal program in the other branch here but that fell through and we had to tell everyone it wasn’t going to happen but in the night Jose and then Hipolito made my week! We taught Jose when we contacted him smoking. When we had told him about prophets he asked us tons of questions about what his name was where he lives etc. In this lesson we finished the restoration. At one point we asked what it meant or would mean to him that there are prophets on earth in our days. Half crying he said ¨It means a lot. It means a lot.¨ It was an amazing lesson but we had run out of copies of the Book of Mormon! With our new goal of teaching the restoration entirely in the first visit we have been putting a lot of dates and running out of even the four copies of the Book of Mormon we carry around. We didn’t have one to give him or a talk from President Monson and I felt terrible. I offered him my personal Spanish scriptures and my favorite Holland talk I had about two rock climbing brothers. He turned down my scriptures and said next time but he took the talk. Today we will get him a copy and a conference Liahona. I have never seen someone understand more and feel the significance of a prophet than this man. His baptismal date for right now is Christmas Eve. Hipolito like I said is super excited for his baptism on the 17 and we have to tell him to stop talking about it in lessons. It was a good night.

Sunday at 12 preparing our numbers, my companion on the phone

Sunday Juana Gustavo, a daughter in law and a granddaughter came to church! Four people! I almost didn’t see them walk in because I was playing the piano, but they loved it and I think they are back in the game. Our less active is indeed coming back. After one lesson reactivated! good stuff.

Today we cleaned the house, played soccer, learned net ball from Sister Kennerley from New Zealand, who is brand new, and bought things for thanksgiving. I think some Americans would even be jealous of what we have planned.

Other highlight included our recent juices of beets, carrot juice with milk and oatmeal, everyone trying to talk to us about President Trump, and Sister Nicelers friends. Sister Niceler just came into the mission this transfer, but turns out she is from Ethan Christensen’s ward in Saint Luis and she knows him! Also she met Sister Lawrence from Ogden High in the MTC and Sister Lynch also from Ogden High in the MTC and she met my trainer as he was going home in the MTC. Turns out she knew who I was before she got here!

I have been thinking a lot about how we as members of the church take for granted what it means to be guided by Gods prophet and have latter day revelation. It is latter day hope and guidance. Surely the Lord God will do nothing save he shall reveal his secrets unto his servants the prophets, yet how often does it strike us that we are part of the church that have received some of these secrets. Like Jose it should mean so much we cannot contain it. I am very grateful for a living prophet, for a living savior, a loving family, a divine calling of two years and for a hope in a better world. 

Con pila de gratitud

Elder Sheffield

Sunday at 12 reporting numbers

Old Bonao district plus Sister Decker

<andrew.sheffield@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Quick! what spices do you use for turkeys?

sheffield.emily  wrote:

Mom uses lots of salt and sometime season salt! Lots of people like rosemary or sage too

Or garlic and basil. Honestly just salt would be delicious too!

<andrew.sheffield@myldsmail.net> wrote:

 Haha Im just gonna put a little bit of everything we have and lots of salt

Faith and Confidence

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)

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.

 

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. 

 

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

Rain everyday

Arrived 7 Nov 2016

Love the family more than navigating Bonao streets like a water maze. We joke about the “Elder Sheffield” curse because whenever I am in the area it rains. We have had rain everyday except for one day when I had intercambios with a district leader. The water comes down suddenly and floods all the streets! We leave on a small fan at night to dry the shoes.

Well, once again we got late to the internet center so I don’t have much time to write, sorry. But I do have a few highlights to this week.

We met this really cool young man who will probably pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team in the near future. I think he really wanted us as friends because it’s a little lonely living here alone. We got invited to the movie theater. I really love my really nice rain jacket but my companion doesn’t have anything, so I decided for now I’ll just keep it in the house. I made Dominican hot chocolate a few times this week, they put clove in it which gives it this Dominican taste yum.

I have been feeling a little bit like I haven’t been a very good companion lately and like we haven’t had a lot of results so that is something I am really trying to be better at. I really like the Liahona this month. I am really studying prayer, love, faith and charity and hope. And I have been really improving with my piano lately.

We had two members go with us this week, its really hard for us to get members right now, in the rain. For the people it’s like walking the plank to have to go out in the rain. It made our day to see a member pull up on his moped.

A member and I joked about Johnny Lingo the other day. Good old times. “Ocho vaca esposa, majana tu fea, Mr. Harris”

We had a few service projects for the day of service, but we had an intercambio so it wasn’t long for us. We got forced into a baby shower at the chapel. We sang and I gave a message about families.

Nobody came to church and things have been going a little slow. We have a few amazing people but they are just kinda learning, we are hoping for conversion. They ask some great questions which is a good sign and two families have come to church before, but we are really focusing on baptizing. That is a mission goal, to challenge everyone to baptism and to always be thinking about baptism.

I heard that in my old area things are going really great. Paulino still goes to church, and so does De Luna even though he has problems which prevent him from being baptized. Two of my investigators got baptized a little while ago and the young girl bore her testimony about us (the elders that taught her) I guess. I sometimes think I’m bad luck or that I’m just destined to not see some of these people get baptized, but it is good to be here and things are going well.

I really like a scripture in Moises 6. Enoch is told to go, to go and do, and preach. The Lord says go and I will justify your words, and I will be with you and you will be with me and we will walk together. How great would that be to have such great faith and hope that not only mountains flee from you but it is as if you were walking with The Father himself. The branch president in his testimony posed the idea at what it was like when Heavenly Father asked “Who shall I send?” What was it that we said? Oh how I believe we reverently sustained our Savior to be Jesus Christ. I want to be everyday more valiant in my love and faith that I may walk with Him who was chosen from the beginning. We need him. I pray that everyone of us can have the faith to love others as He loves them.

Elder A Sheffield

P-day at Campamento

Arrived 31 Oct 2016

I have no time but we had a good p-day and a good week. Today we went to Campamento or the church campgrounds and had fun.

Two people came to church and we have some very good investigators right now. Haley and Carolina came to church but before I could get to them from I was at the piano, they escaped. I feel like my companion, and I, could have done more by helping them during the sacrament but we gave them a chance right?

Sorry Bonao has tons of traffic for flooding and we had a late trip back from our p-day activity.

This week I was thinking a lot about love and charity. I think sometimes we forget how important charity is. Not in action as much as in thought. Sometimes I get a little unsettled when people in their laziness cause problems or in their ignorance, make a mess. I think we often start thinking to ourselves how ridiculous somethings or people are when in reality it seems okay for that person and it isn’t a big deal to them at all. I love the way Moroni writes about it in Moroni 7. Love and charity are patient, and longsuffering. I think sometimes we must suffer ourselves to abandon our negative thoughts to be charitable.

Love Elder Sheffield

Focused on 2nd lessons

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