Hey Family!
Thanks for the email. Everything is going smoothly at home, and that is crazy what happened to Tyler. Hope he recovers well and wow they are having a baby in June?! Craazzyy.
Well this week in Mariano Acosta we worked hard again and had a lot of success! We on having lessons with members and references too. We ended up finding new people through members and we have a lot of new people to start working with. We had a awesome Family Night with a young couple in the ward and they ended up inviting their next door neighboor and her daughter. The daughter hadn't seen her mom for 30 years and were recently reunited during Christmas time. We had a great family night about The Family. The daughter came to church and is looking forward to hearing more and having us stop by. This week we had 8 people in church that are investigating. We still have to work on some marriage dates with some investigators but they will come! Milagros, a young mom living with a member family here wants to live with her family for time and eternity, so when we passed by she opened up and we had a short talk about the Temple and how important it is to live the gospel. She has already been to church 2 times so we just need to get that marirage date! Also during the week we were visiting some inactive families and found a 9 year old kid named Jorge who wanted to be baptized earlier in 2010 but then somehow fell off the face of the earth. We brought him to church with his older sister, who we went to see how things where. It is amazing how you find new people to teach, blessings and miracles through original plans that you make. Members make all the difference too. Working with members this week, we had a lot of people open up better and once they become friends with the members, it's a lot easier for them to progress and come to church. We have the best members here in Mariano Acosta that really do care for the Elders so much! Well with the investigators that we have, that's pretty much it. It feels like I wrote only 5% of what happened with them but it's hard to remember everything. We just have great potential ahead of us!
Transfers are coming up in a week and we got news that we are going to have 4 elders here in Mariano Acosta. So we are going to divide the area right down the middle. We dont know how it is going to work. If me and Elder Millard are going to stay together or the rumor is that I am going to be a trainer. I don´t know so we will see next week in the Email! Right now I am pretty stoked. I feel like I have the language down to a good point. It´s amazing to think I am living here in Argentina and I can talk to anybody and understand and communicate back!! I still have a long way to go. In an hour or so we are going to go play basketball with some 20 year old investigators that we have. They are really interested in America and have some interest in the Church. They love basketball and futbol so we are going to see how everything is. I feel confident that my basketball skills are better than theirs, but when it comes to futbol... yeah not even funny. They really do grow up with a soccer ball. I went to Lobos this week too for divisions. It rained over there so we got soaked and it was horrible... one of those days that you really don't want it to happen again on the mission. It is still super beautiful over there so I can´t wait to visit after the mission. I´m thankful for the water we have, it is amazing to have running water so do take it for granted!
This week it has been really nice. The temperature dropped but it is due to the rain storms everynow and then. It should rain tomorrow too but everyone is still waiting for the month straight of 38 degrees and blazing hot with humidity.
Well we had a great week. Next week should be interesting with the changes. It is going to help Mariano Acosta so I am happy. Hope everything is well back home and I miss you guys a lot. I heard there is a lot of snow (thanks global warming haha) so have fun with snowboarding and everything.
Love you guys!
Elder Shepherd
10 January 2011
03 January 2011
Feliz Ano Nuevo! No Water?
Wow we are already in 2011! The time sure goes by really fast and will only go faster and faster. Having New Year's here in Argentina really is something different. Another night of no sleep due to the fireworks but it was awesome. I´ll have to send a video home but the file is too big. Well more stuff to look at when we get home right. Well this week we worked really hard and ended up at the top of our zone with a baptism. One of our investigators, Brenda, was baptized this weekend by her uncle from a different stake. He came all the way over from (?) and performed the baptism. It was a really special baptism because he was the only member in the family and he told us thank you for bringing his niece into the church, as well as his sister who will be baptized in the future but is waiting on a divorce. A lot of members came to the baptism including Familia Diaz, who is the best family ever here. Everything turned out great and we had a wonderful baptism for Brenda. A lot of investigators came to see the baptism and they all liked the church and hopefully had a seed planted in their hearts to come back and see more.
With working really hard this week we found a lot of miracles. One of the biggest changes I have seen is how working with members and having them give you references is the biggest change in the world. A whole new set of doors have opened up for us. We contacted 3 of our references from members and they are all now investigating the church or having other family members start to progress and have interest. We visited this one family from a reference who talked about his mother who was a member. We ended up passing by and found out she was one of the first members here in Mariano Acosta and part of her family aren't members. She told us thank you for coming to her house and bringing the spirit. We taught the whole family and the granddaughters who are 15 and they speak decent English for only studying in school. They said they want to come to church! Just so many doors have opened up to teaching new people. Including a family that is living with some members who are interested in the church. We had lunch and a mini lesson and they opened up! Milagros, the wife, came to church too and fits right in. I can´t wait to see what the future brings.
With hard work, miracles will come! Sooo haha, this week was full of work but also something else. Yeahh, we were without water for the whole week so every morning at 6.30 we went over to the chapel with buckets to shower ourselves and to have drinking water. Yeaaahhh, I am so thankful for a running showing now. The guy came and fixed the pump.. to get water from the ground.. and I had a awesome shower today on Pday... stoked! Well this ward is awesome especially our Obispo Viscarra, he seriously is a great man and loves to be involved in the ward. He cares so much and loves the missionaries that work hard. It is a blessing to be serving here in this ward. Everyone is amazing.
Well yeah thats about it. Just a week of hard working with the blessings that you can see. Another daughter entered into the waters of baptism and new people investigating the church. I hope everyone had a great new years. I loved talking with everyone on Christmas!!! Especially my Little Sister McKenna!
The weather is still redic, hot as ever but what are you going to do. You just get used to being uncomfortable haha. Oh yeah, the Internet Cafe is playing Oasis - Wonderwall.. ahh good stuff. Hope everything is great at home, miss you guys a ton and have a great New Year!
Keep it real!
Love,
Elder Shepherd
With working really hard this week we found a lot of miracles. One of the biggest changes I have seen is how working with members and having them give you references is the biggest change in the world. A whole new set of doors have opened up for us. We contacted 3 of our references from members and they are all now investigating the church or having other family members start to progress and have interest. We visited this one family from a reference who talked about his mother who was a member. We ended up passing by and found out she was one of the first members here in Mariano Acosta and part of her family aren't members. She told us thank you for coming to her house and bringing the spirit. We taught the whole family and the granddaughters who are 15 and they speak decent English for only studying in school. They said they want to come to church! Just so many doors have opened up to teaching new people. Including a family that is living with some members who are interested in the church. We had lunch and a mini lesson and they opened up! Milagros, the wife, came to church too and fits right in. I can´t wait to see what the future brings.
With hard work, miracles will come! Sooo haha, this week was full of work but also something else. Yeahh, we were without water for the whole week so every morning at 6.30 we went over to the chapel with buckets to shower ourselves and to have drinking water. Yeaaahhh, I am so thankful for a running showing now. The guy came and fixed the pump.. to get water from the ground.. and I had a awesome shower today on Pday... stoked! Well this ward is awesome especially our Obispo Viscarra, he seriously is a great man and loves to be involved in the ward. He cares so much and loves the missionaries that work hard. It is a blessing to be serving here in this ward. Everyone is amazing.
Well yeah thats about it. Just a week of hard working with the blessings that you can see. Another daughter entered into the waters of baptism and new people investigating the church. I hope everyone had a great new years. I loved talking with everyone on Christmas!!! Especially my Little Sister McKenna!
The weather is still redic, hot as ever but what are you going to do. You just get used to being uncomfortable haha. Oh yeah, the Internet Cafe is playing Oasis - Wonderwall.. ahh good stuff. Hope everything is great at home, miss you guys a ton and have a great New Year!
Keep it real!
Love,
Elder Shepherd
27 December 2010
Christmas in Argentina
What a blessing it was to call you guys on the phone! That was awesome! So I am pretty sure you guys want to know how Navidad passed here in Argentina. Well let's just say it is blazing hot and not that many people have decorations up but besides that it was amazing. We had to chance to visit a bunch of families, members and teach people the real importance of Christmas. Sometimes we get so caught up but I found that it is so much better to give than receive, especially something that you can´t tangibly hold on to...the Gospel. Well after an amazing dinner with Familia Garcete, we headed back to the pench and went to bed. The whole night you can hear fireworks and right at Midnight on Christmas Eve the whole country erupted with fireworks and M80´s going off everywhere. I felt like I was in the middle of World War 2. It was gnarly haha. Something I will never forget, and members told me that's not even close to the New Year's celebration. So I am looking forward to that. We had some miracles during this Christmas season, I´ve never seen members so generous as in this ward. We seriously walk by and they come out and yell at us to come in the house to drink something cold and to eat some cake hah. During the week we had a baptism of Yamila! She was baptized on the 23rd and confirmed this Sunday. It is amazing to see the gospel work in peoples lives and really change. She is one of the strongest changes I have seen in someone here in the mission. It just really tells you that the church is true over and over again and it makes you work harder to bring this blessing to other people. Just visiting people and spending Christmas in the street with people that are humble made my Christmas one of the best. It´s a bit different celebrating Christmas in the summer. Everywhere there is music playing and people outside enjoying the shade and drinking matte with the Family. It´s just a whole new culture and I love it. Then in the nights everyone is outside and enjoying time with friends, family and living life. That plus the Gospel equals what I want hah. I am just grateful for the chance to be here in Argentina. Even if the days are hard, being with someone 24/7, and having to leave things behind but it is all worth it to just be here with the people and teach them and see them enjoy the gospel and what it brings.
I miss you guys so much and it was great hearing your voices. Tell everyone thank you for the encouraging words and that I think about you guys all the time. When I talked to McKenna that made my whole year! I miss my bestfriend and little sister!
Love,
Elder Shepherd
I miss you guys so much and it was great hearing your voices. Tell everyone thank you for the encouraging words and that I think about you guys all the time. When I talked to McKenna that made my whole year! I miss my bestfriend and little sister!
Love,
Elder Shepherd
20 December 2010
Christmas Wishes
Well I want to send a Christmas email to you guys telling you all how much I love you guys and miss you. When I came into the cyber I recieved a montón de cartas... oh wait, I should be typing in English hah. I got a lot of emails from family and friends and I really appreciated it. Thank you to everyone!
Well we had our P-day navidad today and everyone met in the offices to celebrate. This year was a bit more spiritual but never the less it was still fun and we got a lot out of it as missionaries. You really do have to realize the real meaning of Christmas which is our Savior Jesucristo. We had a gift exchange too and I recieved a mug which I guess will come to good use. Better than the Pan Dulce we had hah. Then we rushed back to the pench to do our emails to inform our family when we are going to call! So I am here right now letting you guys know that!!
Well the plan is that we are going to call at 12.00 so right at Lunch! Noon! I´ll be able to talk for 40 minutes maybe more depends.. I´ll be calling Soda's house!
Well I´m pretty excited to talk to you guys so my email is short this time but I want to let you guys know I love you all and thanks for all the emails from everyone. Remember how Christmas is a lot better when we give ourselves and do service for others and see how others grow. I have learned that so much here on my mission and during this time of the season. It is amazing to see the peace and hope the gospel brings into peoples lives. Remember the blessings we have because you don't realize what you have until they are gone!
Love you guys and can´t wait to talk to you at 12am !!!!
Elder Shepherd
Well we had our P-day navidad today and everyone met in the offices to celebrate. This year was a bit more spiritual but never the less it was still fun and we got a lot out of it as missionaries. You really do have to realize the real meaning of Christmas which is our Savior Jesucristo. We had a gift exchange too and I recieved a mug which I guess will come to good use. Better than the Pan Dulce we had hah. Then we rushed back to the pench to do our emails to inform our family when we are going to call! So I am here right now letting you guys know that!!
Well the plan is that we are going to call at 12.00 so right at Lunch! Noon! I´ll be able to talk for 40 minutes maybe more depends.. I´ll be calling Soda's house!
Well I´m pretty excited to talk to you guys so my email is short this time but I want to let you guys know I love you all and thanks for all the emails from everyone. Remember how Christmas is a lot better when we give ourselves and do service for others and see how others grow. I have learned that so much here on my mission and during this time of the season. It is amazing to see the peace and hope the gospel brings into peoples lives. Remember the blessings we have because you don't realize what you have until they are gone!
Love you guys and can´t wait to talk to you at 12am !!!!
Elder Shepherd
13 December 2010
Well family what's up?
I can´t believe that it is almost Christmas? Time is flying here because it is hot and really I don't even realize that it is Christmas. There is only a few decorations here in Mariano Acosta but hopefully I will start hearing Christmas music! We had a stake activity with every ward bringing their own Christmas desserts. All the missionaries enjoyed some time with the stake for about 1 hour then we went back out to work and back to the pench! Well I have a new companion and this week has been a great week. We worked hard and guess what.. our baptism worked out perfectly! Lisette Diaz was baptized on the 11th of December and was confirmed a member on the 12th! It was an amazing baptism and I am so glad she has made the decision to be baptized and follow in the church. Her brother Eric is going to receive the priesthood too next week.
Well the week went great with the baptism. We also found a lot of new people to start working with, but of course it had to rain this Sunday!! So that means, everyone was scared and didn´t want to come to church! Brenda and Marcela still came! They seriously are members and Brenda is going to be baptized on 2 of January! I´m looking forward to the 23rd because Yamila and Marcos are going to be baptized then after their baptism we have a ward Christmas dinner!! Wooo I am stoked. This week our lunch list too got full of people. We have dinner for the 24th and lunch with the bishop on the 25th! I am excited to open up my Christmas gifts from the family!!!
Well I´m stoked from the baptism this week. I need to buy a thing to transfer my pictures from the SD card to the computer because I can´t find my cable anymore so next week I´ll send some pictures.
Thanks for everything and tell Soda thank you for the package!! I love it!
Love
E`Shepherd
I can´t believe that it is almost Christmas? Time is flying here because it is hot and really I don't even realize that it is Christmas. There is only a few decorations here in Mariano Acosta but hopefully I will start hearing Christmas music! We had a stake activity with every ward bringing their own Christmas desserts. All the missionaries enjoyed some time with the stake for about 1 hour then we went back out to work and back to the pench! Well I have a new companion and this week has been a great week. We worked hard and guess what.. our baptism worked out perfectly! Lisette Diaz was baptized on the 11th of December and was confirmed a member on the 12th! It was an amazing baptism and I am so glad she has made the decision to be baptized and follow in the church. Her brother Eric is going to receive the priesthood too next week.
Well the week went great with the baptism. We also found a lot of new people to start working with, but of course it had to rain this Sunday!! So that means, everyone was scared and didn´t want to come to church! Brenda and Marcela still came! They seriously are members and Brenda is going to be baptized on 2 of January! I´m looking forward to the 23rd because Yamila and Marcos are going to be baptized then after their baptism we have a ward Christmas dinner!! Wooo I am stoked. This week our lunch list too got full of people. We have dinner for the 24th and lunch with the bishop on the 25th! I am excited to open up my Christmas gifts from the family!!!
Well I´m stoked from the baptism this week. I need to buy a thing to transfer my pictures from the SD card to the computer because I can´t find my cable anymore so next week I´ll send some pictures.
Thanks for everything and tell Soda thank you for the package!! I love it!
Love
E`Shepherd
06 December 2010
Hey Family
Well right now I am enjoying the short time I have in the offices with A/C and emailing you guys. I spent the night here in The Offices. Its cool to see the backend of the mission.
Wow what a crazy week. Where do I start with this last week? Well last time I emailed I was in 9 de Julio for a little bit to stay there. Ended up I went to go work with Elder Baldomero in Chivilcoy for 3 days and I had a great time. We seriously worked really well together and had a great time. He is from Hawaii so he is already chill and a great guy. We tore it up with 24 lessons in 3 days and had some great lessons and sacked 2 fetchas with new people. His new companion is Elder LaTorre. But I had an amazing time in Chivilcoy and I am really wanting to go visit again someday. It really does feel like Southern California with a European accent. We had some great nights with empanadas, asados,and just talking about everything at night. Our window had a perfect view off the pizza resturant(that was super nice)and we just watched people hhah. Next I was sent back to 9 de Julio because Elder Baldomeros' companion returned. There it was me and 3 others elders and we had a blast too. I am sad to say but we didnt work a bunch because he was leaving and was visiting the people there. I got to know a lot of new people and for the 3 days that I was there I felt they took me in too. I already have a nickname and people that want to stay in contact. They all thought I was going to stay there but I told them I had to leave and head back to my area regular. I had a great time and I would love to go back to Campo.
Well Elder Bennett se va and I have a new companion right now who was the old secretary in the offices ( Elder Millard) so they just traded spots so I am excited to work with him in Mariano Acosta. We left in a hurry but I miss the people that we are teaching and we actually have a baptism this weekend and on Wednesday. I am hoping to make sure they all work out. I am pretty nervous to see how the future brings.
I was able to see Nelson Cisneros from Villa Celina in the transfer meetings. Hna. Cisneros made Milanesas for a bunch of missionaries and Nelson brought them and gave them to me to give to everyone. It was great seeing him but at the same time sad because I am not in that area anymore. I talked with Hna Cisneros on the phone of Nelson too, that was great. I really do miss them.
That's about it for the week. I can't explain everything because it was a great week but hopefully the fotos bring some actual proof from it. I received four packages at conference today!! Everyone was jealous hah. One from Soda and 3 from you guys. Thank you so much for sending me packages to support me.
Love you guys, enjoy this week and I will be talking with you guys in less thatn 20 days on the phone!!
Elder Shepherd
Well right now I am enjoying the short time I have in the offices with A/C and emailing you guys. I spent the night here in The Offices. Its cool to see the backend of the mission.
Wow what a crazy week. Where do I start with this last week? Well last time I emailed I was in 9 de Julio for a little bit to stay there. Ended up I went to go work with Elder Baldomero in Chivilcoy for 3 days and I had a great time. We seriously worked really well together and had a great time. He is from Hawaii so he is already chill and a great guy. We tore it up with 24 lessons in 3 days and had some great lessons and sacked 2 fetchas with new people. His new companion is Elder LaTorre. But I had an amazing time in Chivilcoy and I am really wanting to go visit again someday. It really does feel like Southern California with a European accent. We had some great nights with empanadas, asados,and just talking about everything at night. Our window had a perfect view off the pizza resturant(that was super nice)and we just watched people hhah. Next I was sent back to 9 de Julio because Elder Baldomeros' companion returned. There it was me and 3 others elders and we had a blast too. I am sad to say but we didnt work a bunch because he was leaving and was visiting the people there. I got to know a lot of new people and for the 3 days that I was there I felt they took me in too. I already have a nickname and people that want to stay in contact. They all thought I was going to stay there but I told them I had to leave and head back to my area regular. I had a great time and I would love to go back to Campo.
Well Elder Bennett se va and I have a new companion right now who was the old secretary in the offices ( Elder Millard) so they just traded spots so I am excited to work with him in Mariano Acosta. We left in a hurry but I miss the people that we are teaching and we actually have a baptism this weekend and on Wednesday. I am hoping to make sure they all work out. I am pretty nervous to see how the future brings.
I was able to see Nelson Cisneros from Villa Celina in the transfer meetings. Hna. Cisneros made Milanesas for a bunch of missionaries and Nelson brought them and gave them to me to give to everyone. It was great seeing him but at the same time sad because I am not in that area anymore. I talked with Hna Cisneros on the phone of Nelson too, that was great. I really do miss them.
That's about it for the week. I can't explain everything because it was a great week but hopefully the fotos bring some actual proof from it. I received four packages at conference today!! Everyone was jealous hah. One from Soda and 3 from you guys. Thank you so much for sending me packages to support me.
Love you guys, enjoy this week and I will be talking with you guys in less thatn 20 days on the phone!!
Elder Shepherd
29 November 2010
Flash Transfer
Well I just want to say Hello from 9 de Julio in Campo!
So much has happened in the last 24 hours. So here I go!
So after church on Sunday we went back to the pench to change our clothes back into street working clothes for the mission. Then out of nowhere the assistants call and told us that they are coming by in 3 hours to come pick us up. Elder Bennett is heading to the offices to be the new secretary of materials! So basically it´s a flash too because he has to go to the offices to train. So I was thinking I was going to get a new companion right away and keep working in Mariano Acosta, but they told me to pack enough stuff to last me a week! The thing is that we didn´t know anything until the assistants picked us up. So we left Maiano Acosta in a hurry and we are driving to centro and we get a call from the assistants again and I guess I am heading to a bus station!! So I took a double decker bus for 6 hours to a city called 9 de Julio! So right now, I am here in 9 de Julio in a computer cyber emailing you guys! What a 24 hours right???!?! I´m still kinda shell shocked but I´ve learned I'll be in a companionship with Elder Boldumero from Hawaii in this area. So for now I am out here in Campo for one week until transfers next Monday, at which time I will be assigned a new companion to start working with back in Mariano Acosta! So I´ll let you guys know how it goes this week! It´s going to be weird and excited I hope hah.
Well this last week in Mariano Acosta was pretty normal. We had a great investigator assistance in the church again. We hit 7 even with some of our strongest investigators having other obligations. But the best news is that our Investigators Yamila and Marcos got married this Thursday! They are officially married and are able to be baptized in the future. We have their set date on the 23 of december! It´s awesome. It´s amazing how much the gospel can change the lives of people. Marcos told us he really is happy and content with his life right now.
With that, I dont know what to write more besides the fact I am 6 hours away from Mariano Acosta hah but we werent able to get Turkey for Thanksgiving. We ended up eating some Oreos and that's about it. Life on the mission! I can´t wait till Christmas hah. I´ll probably upgrade to double stuffed oreos or something like that! I´m sure we are going to have a great dinner with a family here. The weather cooled down this week so that was nice. Instead of it being 32º and humid we had temps of 24º !! It´s the best blessing in the world haha! Well thats about it for the week. We had the chance to head to another area to do some interviews for the Sister Missionaries. I love riding the train there. It takes about 30 minutes but you def have time to think. On the way back it was just about sunset and it was amazing outside and I really felt how blessed I am to be a missionary right now. Times are hard, usually everyday is a challenge but it´s worth it. I´m almost hitting 9 months now. Time has flown and has been really slow... but thats life and you just have to keep going along. The Gospel is evverything and we are so blessed.
Love you guys, I´ll get my mail next week since this week is a crazy week but I´ll talk to you guys next week.
Elder Shepherd
So much has happened in the last 24 hours. So here I go!
So after church on Sunday we went back to the pench to change our clothes back into street working clothes for the mission. Then out of nowhere the assistants call and told us that they are coming by in 3 hours to come pick us up. Elder Bennett is heading to the offices to be the new secretary of materials! So basically it´s a flash too because he has to go to the offices to train. So I was thinking I was going to get a new companion right away and keep working in Mariano Acosta, but they told me to pack enough stuff to last me a week! The thing is that we didn´t know anything until the assistants picked us up. So we left Maiano Acosta in a hurry and we are driving to centro and we get a call from the assistants again and I guess I am heading to a bus station!! So I took a double decker bus for 6 hours to a city called 9 de Julio! So right now, I am here in 9 de Julio in a computer cyber emailing you guys! What a 24 hours right???!?! I´m still kinda shell shocked but I´ve learned I'll be in a companionship with Elder Boldumero from Hawaii in this area. So for now I am out here in Campo for one week until transfers next Monday, at which time I will be assigned a new companion to start working with back in Mariano Acosta! So I´ll let you guys know how it goes this week! It´s going to be weird and excited I hope hah.
Well this last week in Mariano Acosta was pretty normal. We had a great investigator assistance in the church again. We hit 7 even with some of our strongest investigators having other obligations. But the best news is that our Investigators Yamila and Marcos got married this Thursday! They are officially married and are able to be baptized in the future. We have their set date on the 23 of december! It´s awesome. It´s amazing how much the gospel can change the lives of people. Marcos told us he really is happy and content with his life right now.
With that, I dont know what to write more besides the fact I am 6 hours away from Mariano Acosta hah but we werent able to get Turkey for Thanksgiving. We ended up eating some Oreos and that's about it. Life on the mission! I can´t wait till Christmas hah. I´ll probably upgrade to double stuffed oreos or something like that! I´m sure we are going to have a great dinner with a family here. The weather cooled down this week so that was nice. Instead of it being 32º and humid we had temps of 24º !! It´s the best blessing in the world haha! Well thats about it for the week. We had the chance to head to another area to do some interviews for the Sister Missionaries. I love riding the train there. It takes about 30 minutes but you def have time to think. On the way back it was just about sunset and it was amazing outside and I really felt how blessed I am to be a missionary right now. Times are hard, usually everyday is a challenge but it´s worth it. I´m almost hitting 9 months now. Time has flown and has been really slow... but thats life and you just have to keep going along. The Gospel is evverything and we are so blessed.
Love you guys, I´ll get my mail next week since this week is a crazy week but I´ll talk to you guys next week.
Elder Shepherd
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