The King of the Geeks

Another week gone by...I wonder which week it is. Somewhere in the 30s has to be. That means I only have somewhere in the 70s of weeks left on the mission. WHOA! Don’t let me get trunky, but I only have 15 months left...I love joking with my companion and reminding him "I ONLY HAVE 15 MONTHS LEFT!!!" and I joke with all the members too. Some people think I am serious and say "Elder, you can’t be thinking like that. The time passes so fast; you gotta stay focused...blah blah blah." Most, however, take it for what it really is and that is the nerdy joking that always can be found when Andy Shepherd is around.

So this last week was nothing really new, at least not anything that would be interesting to write about. One recent development in my life is that I have realized that I think Elder Oliphant could be my favorite companion of the whole mission so far. He is the first companion I have stayed with for longer than 6 weeks. I am getting really used to him. At first he was really shy, but he is starting to come out of his shell a little bit. I feel somewhat guilty. He has started joking like me and saying the things I always say to the people. For example, with a lot of members I will joke about how much time I have left, or I will say "You may pretend to be sick of me right now and wish I would get transferred, but when this linda cara—pretty face—is gone you will wish that Elder Shepherd were back." I feel guilty because he is starting to act like me, which means he is starting to be a super geeky nerd-bomber. But at least we are having fun. Mostly, I appreciate his humble example. I think President sent me a companion to teach me a thing or two. He has a humble way about him. He just gets up at the alarm at 6:30 without moaning and he walks straight to the bathroom to take his shower and etc... He doesn’t say a word, just goes about his business. He is a good missionary. I am really glad to still be with him here in Tacuarembo.

So we are teaching some people, we are also looking for new people, we are also visiting old people... that is what we are doing. Any questions?

So yesterday we went by one of our investigators who happens to live in an almacen-house, which means he sells stuff from his house. Anyway, he had gone fishing and he always asks me when we are going to go fishing with him. This last week he went fishing and caught two decent 14 inchers. He put them in a plastic bag and gifted them to us. I was trying to figure out how I want to fry the things and his wife suggested we just put them in the microwave because that would be easier...I don’t know about that. My companion and I are going to cook them today. It was a funny gift.

We ran into a drunk yesterday, which reminds me of my new joke! Como se dice "borracho" en jápones?...Yositomo Wis-qui-sito! HAHAHA!!!! I think it is so funny. Do you want another? Here you go: Como se dice papel higenico en jápones?...Kita Kakita! HAHA! Oh, I kill myself. That "kita Kakita" one had me laughing for 20 minutes the first time I read it. I seriously was crying laughing the first time I read it. There is a little girl in the ward who I was always asking to teach me jokes who gave me a joke book. Do you get it? Kita Kakita? It is like Quitar Kaka... and it sounds like a fun Japanese name... Okay, so I have turned into one of those lame people who enjoys laffy taffy style jokes. But I gotta have something to keep me going. One more joke:

"Doctor, yo veo elefantes azules por todas partes."
"Ha visto ya a un sicólogo?"
"No, solo elefantes azules."

Ummm, I will stop with the Spanish jokes. I am sure Matt at least appreciates the Japanese ones. Hopefully you all can appreciate the last one, it isn’t too hard to translate, and you don’t need to know Spanish because it isn’t a play on words.

I am trying to decide what I want to study now. I think I just may decide to read that Old Testament again. On the mission now I have read the Book of Mormon twice in English, and once in Spanish, and the Doctrine and Covenants in English and the Pearl of Great Price in Spanish and English, the New Testament in both languages, All of the mission library books 2 times INCLUDING Jesus the Christ which is a massive book...Solo me falta el antiguo testamento. I am not sure if I am in the mood to read the Old Testament, but it may just be necessary. What I really wish was that the mission library were bigger. Us fast readers who use all their spare time to read end up reading everything too many times. I know why the mission library is so small. They want us to focus on the canonical scriptures...I understand. I just wish I had something new to read some days.

So now that I have bored you all with my reading résumé from the mission, I hope that you all can appreciate why it is so necessary that I tell lame laffy taffy jokes.

I am doing just peachy. I hope that you are all doing well! Remember that God loves us, every last one of us. Pray to Him and He will give you rest. I love you all!!

Andy