Big Toe in a Big City

Well, I find myself yet again in the city of Montevideo. I hope you all can recognize that this isn't usually, and really shouldn't be, a frequent occurrence for missionaries who are working in places like Artigas and Tacuarembo. But my big toe finally hurts enough... Let us go back to the MTC, all those many months ago. You will remember, that our hero had an ingrown toenail that was causing him immense amounts of pain, and the bloody and pus-infected toe was operated on. Well, that operation was a perfect success and he has never had a problem with that toe again. But these last few months my other foot and other big toe has begun to swell and bleed and pus. I don't know if it is the walking or the sunday shoes or the fact that we Shepherds all have HORRIBLE feet. So, after the pressure from my companion Elder Fernandez of 3 months ago, Elder Surtees of April and June, and my current companion Elder Oliphant, I finally decided that enough was enough and I called THE Hermana (President's wife, who is in charge of all medical affairs), and she commanded me to come to the big city for my big toe. So I went to the doctor this morning and he said "let me see your foot. He looked at it and then grabbed my big toe and squeezed as HARD as he could. A ton of pus and blood came out that I didn't even know existed. I had been playing with it myself, of course, but never managed to withdraw that much pus. It relieved a lot of pressure but it hurt like crazy. He said "well, that looks infected. I think we will have to remove it. I will see you next week." He gave me a prescription for some antibiotics to fight the infection in the meantime. So now I get to come back AGAIN to the big city next week where I will be operated upon. Here they make you wear special clothes for the operation so I am kind of excited because I have never worn hospital clothes, and, even if it is only for my toe, it is a special occasion. I will try and take pictures, and rest assured I already have taken pictures of my toe. My mission scrapbook will have plenty of documentation.

This last week was really hard, to put it lightly. My companion and I both are sick; it isn't fun. It has been rainy and really cold, as Uruguay will be for all of July and August for the rainy winter season, and we have not had the best of luck in the streets. There aren't a lot of people outside...one day we walked the busiest street of our area for a whole hour and only found 4 people to talk with. That makes doing the prescribed 70 contacts each a week very difficult. So we are visiting members, trying to get references and working for the trust of the ward, we are visiting some less actives and of course all of the few investigators we have. We are trying a little bit of everything. Anyway, so this week being especially tough, it was absolutely euphoric to have the best first lesson I have ever been a part of Sunday night to finish off the week.

I have never ever cried when relating the story of the First Vision before to an investigator. Now, recognizing that tears do not equate the spirit, as President Howard W Hunter cautioned us, I add that the spirit I felt last night was completely unprecedented. I have never felt more strongly the veracity of the Restoration of the gospel in my life, at least that I can remember. We were teaching an older couple in their 50s in their almacen (a small store that is a home) and they were very attentive. We had passed through the almacen a couple times, having bought alfajores there before and knowing that their daughter who lives in Montevideo is a member. We finally had the guts to say, "can we sit down and talk for a few minutes". I say "guts" because almacen houses are very unideal teaching situations. People come in and out at random to buy little things and I have never liked teaching in almacens. We taught uninterrupted. The man, upon discussing the life of Jesus Christ, asked a question that any LDS Missionary should love to hear. "So, and not trying to be rude or anything, why are there so many churches all from the same bible, the same book?? Does it really matter which church one goes to?" We felt very equipped to answer that question and did so, relating to him the story of the Apostasy and the Restoration. I loved this lesson because we were already on a friend basis with them before teaching. I talked to him about fishing for 5 minutes one day. We had talked with them about America, answered their questions, and we had shown a general care for them that they felt. So when we invited them to listen and they gave us a few minutes, we were already feeling good with them. And as it came my turn after my companion explained what an apostasy is, I came in and talked about Joseph Smith. I was filled with emotion, rarely expressed by me in a first lesson or any lesson for that matter, and tears streamed from my eyes as I recounted the story of the first vision promised them that God cared about them and had called prophets in our days to guide us. They gratefully accepted the invitation to pray about it all and we will see them again on Wednesday night. I KNOW that they felt the spirit. I saw it in their eyes. I know it without a doubt that they felt that there is something special about the message we were sharing. Now let's just hope that they take those feelings to action!!! But there can be no denying that they felt something, as did I.

The point of that story to me, is that I was feeling supremely low and wanted to go home. Both my companion and I were sick, my throat hurt and my voice was soft and hoarse, it was cloudy and threatening to rain, and I really wanted to go home. We had agreed to make one more visit before going home and selected that almacen-house for our attempt. It turned out pretty well I think. We left the lesson, and as soon as I was outside I began coughing my head off, and I felt like throwing up, but I felt so AMAZING inside that not even the 20 minute walk home in the threating rain could get me down. Missionaries live for the rare and in-between moments like last Sunday night.

I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ is on the Earth today. Understanding, believing, and applying the principles of the gospel can bring us greater satisfaction than any other worldly thing.

However, I still am sick so somebody back home isnt praying hard enough for me. Y'all need to get on that. I love you all so much!! Take care of yourselves!! Gotta go!

Elder Andrew W Shepherd