Transfers are in...and my companion and I are both leaving. He is going to the offices and I am going to a place called Cerro, which is down in Montevideo more or less. I don’t really know much about it. It is hard that we are both leaving; this is the second time that has happened to me, but I know the missionary who is coming in. He is a guy named Elder Hansen and there aren’t better missionaries in the world. He is one of the most sincere, obedient, and hard working guys I have ever met. It won’t surprise me when he is in the Quorum of the 12 someday. He is training in my area. I feel good leaving him our investigators. It is sad to leave when it felt like we were getting things together, but I did want to go so I am not complaining. He and his greenie are spoiled. We left them some of the best investigators I have seen my whole mission, including a family we found last week that is AMAZING. The 14 year old and 10 year old boy even participate in the lessons!! It is truly a whole family with mom and dad and brothers and sister. They are so nice! The mom cried when we said we were leaving, but also promised to keep reading and praying and of course to go to church this Sunday.
On the flipside of things, in Cerro I will be with one Elder Stevenson. He has been out a few months less than I have and they say he is really strong. He supposedly can bench 300 pounds or something like that, so I will be safe even though I am in the city. I am also excited for the opportunity to lose a few pounds, I hope. The missionaries don’t eat with members every day down there. Furthermore, I am excited because I hear I am going to be in a house of 4 missionaries. I have never done that before, but I think I will like it. A lot of missionaries say it sucks to be in a house with 4, sharing the bathroom and all that, but I think I won’t mind. I am kind of excited. You get to meet and get to know more people that way. It is a new adventure.
I feel content. I honestly feel I can tell myself that I gave Tacuarembo the best I could. I feel like with Elder Surtees and Elder Oliphant that we made a difference here. We did leave it better than we found it.
There isn’t much great to tell. I don’t have any funny stories today, nor any political rants, nor any funny jokes. I am tired. I packed this morning, and I HATE packing, and I still have to run around and say a few more goodbyes today.
Pray for me. I know God will hear you. He always hears me. But pray and remember that it makes a difference. Just because God knows everything already does not take the responsibility off of us nor the necessity to speak to Him with full purpose of heart. He knows our heart. It says in the scriptures more times than I know, "ask and ye shall receive." Understand and know that when you pray for me I feel it. I feel it when you don’t. There are some blessings God is waiting to give us if we remember to ask. "This is life eternal" to know God the Eternal Father, and His son whom He sent (John 17:3). If we want to get to know Him we have to be on frequent communication. I am praying for you and, as often as memory permits, by name. There are a lot of people to remember, but I do my best. I never really understood what MJ, my cuñado, was saying about falling asleep on your knees and being so tired, but now that I am out here as a missionary I get it. I have lost count of the times I have fallen asleep on my knees. I finally made a deal with God, because my knees hurt, that I would end the official prayer and get into bed and then keep talking to Him until I fell asleep. It is working out fine. He is always listening and it isn’t a joke. You need to converse with Him and He will give you rest.
I wish you all the best. I love you!
Andy
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Really Clever Title
So I am running out of ideas for really clever titles. At least today I can't think of anything and I don’t want to waste 2 minutes thinking about it.
Our hero continues preaching the gospel and suffering from Gastritis. He needs a transfer because this ward feeds him too much and doesn’t understand that he doesn’t want a Thanksgiving Feast with dessert every day for lunch, rather he just needs to strengthen and nourish his body. But our hero cannot offend anyone. It is a rule in Latin America that if you refuse a second plate it is because you hated the first and missionaries can’t afford to send that message to anyone. This is the first time in my mission I have openly stated a preference of what I want to happen with transfers. I need out of here. And for only one reason: my health. I feel sick! Everyday I dread eating. What makes it harder is that we have to return to the house after lunch for our studies. Here in Uruguay there is Siesta and so what would be morning studies in a normal mission are in the afternoon here. The problem is after eating lunch I want to die and studying is an impossibility as my intestines are turned upside down. And then I still have to work the rest of the afternoon. I am convinced that if I am transferred somewhere where I can choose what and when I eat I will be a lot better off. My studies are slacking and my health is slipping. One more week in Tacuarembo! Let us cross our fingers.
Having said that, I do love this area. The members are great and a missionary with a stronger stomach would do well here. I am still doing well despite the health. We are still finding and teaching, and we have a few people with baptismal dates, etc... The work continues. I try to avoid writing too many details about all the people because if I did my emails would be pretty dull for y'all. We currently do have some really nice investigators. If you want to hear about them, ask me in 2 years and we will read my handwritten journal which has a more full account of the people we are teaching.
Lately I have been really recognizing the importance of the family in society. It is no joke. The Proclamation to the World that the First Presidency sent out in 1995 is a very powerful document that I am coming to appreciate. They warn us that if we do not protect the family institution that all the calamities and disasters foretold by the prophets will come upon us. I believe that. Let me explain.
Uruguay is not the strongest country in the world, economically or politically. My heart aches for a people who I see in desperate need. This last week, there was a night we were walking home and we saw a guy crash on his bike. His 5-7 year old son was following on a smaller bike. We ran up to help and discovered the man to be the definition of inebriated, absolutely plastered, drunk! We helped him to his feet and he started spouting off some stuff about "Good Old Joseph Smith" and stumbling all around. The cute little boy went and put the chain on his dad’s bike back on track and said, "I put the chain on for you. Let’s go home." And then the little kid eagerly remounted his own little bicycle and awaited his father. The man was still spouting off random stuff about Joe Smith and the Gold Bible and I really wanted to take that kid and adopt him that minute. The drunk fell back down because he couldn’t even stand up straight! I couldn’t help but cry a little. My companion whispered some encouraging words to the kid while I told the drunk he needed to get his act together and helped him to his bike. I think that was the saddest thing I have ever seen in my life: That poor little kid following his stumbling father in the dark.
The tragedy of a story like that, and many other experiences I have had here, is that it is not just one time. But as literally as that little boy was falling his "stumbling father in the dark" it is as spiritually applicable. I tire of seeing the kids here follow the examples of their parents. But it is a psychological reality. Children very often become like their parents. We studied it in psychology and it is more than a good correlation. Take me for example. What do I want to do? I want to get my doctorate someday and teach in the meanwhile until I can someday be a professor. Who is my father? A teacher who got his doctorate who currently does work as a professor. Look at my brothers! There isn’t a single one that doesn’t talk about the possibility of wanting to be a teacher! College grads raise kids who want to be college grads. We learn from our parents. We often follow their example, because it is something with which we are familiar. Ahora, let’s try to count how many families I know in this ward and my last that have both mother and father. I can count them on 2 hands!!! Now let’s count how many pregnant 14-20 year old girls with no boy in sight I know of EVEN inside the church. In just 2 mission areas the number is in the 20´s.
One thing that breaks my heart about this country is seeing the youth not live up to its potential. In a country with education completely free, including university studies, how many students even graduate from their high school education? The last statistic I heard was around 1 in 5!! And I see it too. I am with these people every day. And then these drop outs live off of their socialist government welfare and pass the tradition on to their children, who in most cases are following in a pattern of a low standard of living, dropping out of school as well because everyone else is doing it and their parents are no example, and the cycle goes on and on. What is the remedy? What is the only solution? And now we arrive at the point of all of this, including the reason I am here as a missionary. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer.
People that live the gospel, understand the principles, do what the church teaches us to do, are the people that will finish their studies, that try to have a good job so that they can provide for a family, a family with father and mother who serve as equal partners in raising children that will hopefully set similar goals for their futures. Of course it isn’t easy or perfect. And I am not so naive as to think that everybody who keeps the commandments and tries living the gospel has an enchanted life with a perfect family. I know that it isn’t easy or perfect, that there are casualties on all sides, even in families that are trying to be centered in the gospel, but I would guess that those that are living gospel standards are seeing better results. I am beginning to recognize the importance of having a family based on Gospel Principles. Or at least even a family based on any principles.
I love the people here SO much!!! I want so badly for them to make their lives better. Whenever I teach a young person the lessons, I always apply it to their young lives and tell them they need to graduate from school. Sometimes I care as much that they graduate from school as I care if they get baptized. I testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families. That the Gospel is the answer. If a society neglects the importance of the family, the economy is worsened, the education is worsened, the politics get dirty and full of empty promises, and the people suffer. I have always heard these things my whole life, but never experienced them for myself because I lived a sheltered life in West Jordan Utah and these problems didn’t exist to me. Now that I see them every day I understand. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer for our spiritual salvation, but, even on a temporal level, we need to live gospel standards or our societies will struggle. I am not suggesting forcing people to do anything--on a political level I state no opinion right now--but as a missionary I say very boldly that I will teach this message until I die if it means I can help some families change their lives and find, if only in their own homes, heaven.
I love you all. Sorry about preaching to you all. You know I am opinionated and a man of many words. I hope you take special notice of the word "man," because this month I turn 20 and I have decided I am officially a man. Someone needs to watch the Man From Snowy River for me and tell me all the requirements of manhood so that I can ensure I have arrived. Take care! I love you!!
Andy
Our hero continues preaching the gospel and suffering from Gastritis. He needs a transfer because this ward feeds him too much and doesn’t understand that he doesn’t want a Thanksgiving Feast with dessert every day for lunch, rather he just needs to strengthen and nourish his body. But our hero cannot offend anyone. It is a rule in Latin America that if you refuse a second plate it is because you hated the first and missionaries can’t afford to send that message to anyone. This is the first time in my mission I have openly stated a preference of what I want to happen with transfers. I need out of here. And for only one reason: my health. I feel sick! Everyday I dread eating. What makes it harder is that we have to return to the house after lunch for our studies. Here in Uruguay there is Siesta and so what would be morning studies in a normal mission are in the afternoon here. The problem is after eating lunch I want to die and studying is an impossibility as my intestines are turned upside down. And then I still have to work the rest of the afternoon. I am convinced that if I am transferred somewhere where I can choose what and when I eat I will be a lot better off. My studies are slacking and my health is slipping. One more week in Tacuarembo! Let us cross our fingers.
Having said that, I do love this area. The members are great and a missionary with a stronger stomach would do well here. I am still doing well despite the health. We are still finding and teaching, and we have a few people with baptismal dates, etc... The work continues. I try to avoid writing too many details about all the people because if I did my emails would be pretty dull for y'all. We currently do have some really nice investigators. If you want to hear about them, ask me in 2 years and we will read my handwritten journal which has a more full account of the people we are teaching.
Lately I have been really recognizing the importance of the family in society. It is no joke. The Proclamation to the World that the First Presidency sent out in 1995 is a very powerful document that I am coming to appreciate. They warn us that if we do not protect the family institution that all the calamities and disasters foretold by the prophets will come upon us. I believe that. Let me explain.
Uruguay is not the strongest country in the world, economically or politically. My heart aches for a people who I see in desperate need. This last week, there was a night we were walking home and we saw a guy crash on his bike. His 5-7 year old son was following on a smaller bike. We ran up to help and discovered the man to be the definition of inebriated, absolutely plastered, drunk! We helped him to his feet and he started spouting off some stuff about "Good Old Joseph Smith" and stumbling all around. The cute little boy went and put the chain on his dad’s bike back on track and said, "I put the chain on for you. Let’s go home." And then the little kid eagerly remounted his own little bicycle and awaited his father. The man was still spouting off random stuff about Joe Smith and the Gold Bible and I really wanted to take that kid and adopt him that minute. The drunk fell back down because he couldn’t even stand up straight! I couldn’t help but cry a little. My companion whispered some encouraging words to the kid while I told the drunk he needed to get his act together and helped him to his bike. I think that was the saddest thing I have ever seen in my life: That poor little kid following his stumbling father in the dark.
The tragedy of a story like that, and many other experiences I have had here, is that it is not just one time. But as literally as that little boy was falling his "stumbling father in the dark" it is as spiritually applicable. I tire of seeing the kids here follow the examples of their parents. But it is a psychological reality. Children very often become like their parents. We studied it in psychology and it is more than a good correlation. Take me for example. What do I want to do? I want to get my doctorate someday and teach in the meanwhile until I can someday be a professor. Who is my father? A teacher who got his doctorate who currently does work as a professor. Look at my brothers! There isn’t a single one that doesn’t talk about the possibility of wanting to be a teacher! College grads raise kids who want to be college grads. We learn from our parents. We often follow their example, because it is something with which we are familiar. Ahora, let’s try to count how many families I know in this ward and my last that have both mother and father. I can count them on 2 hands!!! Now let’s count how many pregnant 14-20 year old girls with no boy in sight I know of EVEN inside the church. In just 2 mission areas the number is in the 20´s.
One thing that breaks my heart about this country is seeing the youth not live up to its potential. In a country with education completely free, including university studies, how many students even graduate from their high school education? The last statistic I heard was around 1 in 5!! And I see it too. I am with these people every day. And then these drop outs live off of their socialist government welfare and pass the tradition on to their children, who in most cases are following in a pattern of a low standard of living, dropping out of school as well because everyone else is doing it and their parents are no example, and the cycle goes on and on. What is the remedy? What is the only solution? And now we arrive at the point of all of this, including the reason I am here as a missionary. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer.
People that live the gospel, understand the principles, do what the church teaches us to do, are the people that will finish their studies, that try to have a good job so that they can provide for a family, a family with father and mother who serve as equal partners in raising children that will hopefully set similar goals for their futures. Of course it isn’t easy or perfect. And I am not so naive as to think that everybody who keeps the commandments and tries living the gospel has an enchanted life with a perfect family. I know that it isn’t easy or perfect, that there are casualties on all sides, even in families that are trying to be centered in the gospel, but I would guess that those that are living gospel standards are seeing better results. I am beginning to recognize the importance of having a family based on Gospel Principles. Or at least even a family based on any principles.
I love the people here SO much!!! I want so badly for them to make their lives better. Whenever I teach a young person the lessons, I always apply it to their young lives and tell them they need to graduate from school. Sometimes I care as much that they graduate from school as I care if they get baptized. I testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families. That the Gospel is the answer. If a society neglects the importance of the family, the economy is worsened, the education is worsened, the politics get dirty and full of empty promises, and the people suffer. I have always heard these things my whole life, but never experienced them for myself because I lived a sheltered life in West Jordan Utah and these problems didn’t exist to me. Now that I see them every day I understand. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer for our spiritual salvation, but, even on a temporal level, we need to live gospel standards or our societies will struggle. I am not suggesting forcing people to do anything--on a political level I state no opinion right now--but as a missionary I say very boldly that I will teach this message until I die if it means I can help some families change their lives and find, if only in their own homes, heaven.
I love you all. Sorry about preaching to you all. You know I am opinionated and a man of many words. I hope you take special notice of the word "man," because this month I turn 20 and I have decided I am officially a man. Someone needs to watch the Man From Snowy River for me and tell me all the requirements of manhood so that I can ensure I have arrived. Take care! I love you!!
Andy
Monday, August 4, 2008
There was a time I loved dogs
All the movies always depict the pound as this scary evil place that snatches up the dogs. I am very grateful to be from the United States where we have a pound. I have been trying to count how many dogs more or less "live" on my street. I have counted up past 40 and I am done counting. There are more. This dog lover is starting to lose his patience. Last night at 3 in the morning they decided to have a concert. I tried counting the different barks there were. There were over 15. But counting dog barks is not like counting sheep; it does not help you sleep at all. I found myself fantasizing that if I only had a gun... I am sure a good few weeks in the states and I will love dogs again, but I am kind of sick of them to be honest.
There isn’t much to tell. We gave a 14 year old girl that has been going to church with her friend for 5 months a baptismal date. We are dropping the investigators that failed to go to church 3 weeks in a row. We are on the hunt.
One thing that makes me sad is that SO many missionaries, upon being rejected, take the attitude: "well, I gave them their chance. Too bad for them. My hands are clean of their blood." And I understand that thought process; I am not free of it at times. Paul in the New Testament was that way when he taught the Jews. "My hands are clean of your blood! I am going now to the gentiles!" My only problem with it is it sometimes seems very uncharitable. I want nothing to do with any type of thought process that doesn’t show love for my fellow men. It is hard when you teach someone, and you know they feel it, and you know they believe it, but they are just too lazy to change their lives. It hurts because we want SOO bad that they can make their lives better through the church and through faith in Jesus Christ. In my interviews with the president I mentioned, "I am fine, it makes me sad sometimes when people hate us before we even talk to them..." And what he said to me was, "The Savior said ‘They Hated Me before they hated you’." I was thinking about that, and that advice does me no good. I don’t want them to hate Him, my Savior. That actually makes me sadder than them hating me. I am really placing an emphasis this week on remembering charity. I found myself as we dropped some investigators thinking, "they will regret that someday." I didn’t like it. That isn’t me. So I have taken to reading Corinthians 13 every morning.
Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well. I gotta go. Take care and remember to love them that hate you and do good to them that despitefully use you, etc... I love you all!!
Andy
There isn’t much to tell. We gave a 14 year old girl that has been going to church with her friend for 5 months a baptismal date. We are dropping the investigators that failed to go to church 3 weeks in a row. We are on the hunt.
One thing that makes me sad is that SO many missionaries, upon being rejected, take the attitude: "well, I gave them their chance. Too bad for them. My hands are clean of their blood." And I understand that thought process; I am not free of it at times. Paul in the New Testament was that way when he taught the Jews. "My hands are clean of your blood! I am going now to the gentiles!" My only problem with it is it sometimes seems very uncharitable. I want nothing to do with any type of thought process that doesn’t show love for my fellow men. It is hard when you teach someone, and you know they feel it, and you know they believe it, but they are just too lazy to change their lives. It hurts because we want SOO bad that they can make their lives better through the church and through faith in Jesus Christ. In my interviews with the president I mentioned, "I am fine, it makes me sad sometimes when people hate us before we even talk to them..." And what he said to me was, "The Savior said ‘They Hated Me before they hated you’." I was thinking about that, and that advice does me no good. I don’t want them to hate Him, my Savior. That actually makes me sadder than them hating me. I am really placing an emphasis this week on remembering charity. I found myself as we dropped some investigators thinking, "they will regret that someday." I didn’t like it. That isn’t me. So I have taken to reading Corinthians 13 every morning.
Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well. I gotta go. Take care and remember to love them that hate you and do good to them that despitefully use you, etc... I love you all!!
Andy
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Can Soap Be Dirty?
So I was taking my shower the other day—and one quick fun fact about Uruguay is that the bathrooms are horrible and I will show you all pictures someday. So the toilet and the shower are basically in the same spot in our bathroom. Most bathrooms here are only 3 feet by 3 feet, so the toilet and the TP always get soaked every time one showers. Anyway, so the inevitable finally happened. My whole mission I have known at some point I would accidentally drop my soap in the toilet. It happened. I stood there in the slow drips of my shower, (we shower in drips because we only have 3 minutes of hot water, but if you do it in slower drips you can have 6 minutes of hot drips), and I just stood there looking at my wonderful strawberry scented soap bar sitting in the toilet bowl. It was a very tough moment for me. I thought about it: Can soap be dirty? If I reach in and pull it out I can still use it right? Soap is pure cleanliness. I could scrape off a layer I guess and still use it, but it is pretty small already... And, after a minute of thinking about it, I decided I didn’t need to be cheap or super desperate and I just opened a new bar of soap. But I still ask the question, can soap be dirty?
So we had a baptism on Saturday of one Noelia Melina Nuñez Benitez, a 10 year old girl who is smarter than I was when I was 16. We have been working with the family and activating the family for a few months. I didn’t want to push it. And finally they asked us if she could be baptized. It is always good when they ask, and she asked for herself. We didn’t even have to challenge her. I really like doing it that way sometimes. Anyway, she is SO amazing. I love this family so much. They are such a good family. The dad has always been going, but the mom no. The mom is coming back and the dad comes every week with his daughter. They are SO cool. The dad Freddy is a super stud and served a mission back in the 90s here in Uruguay. Anyway, it was the best baptismal service I have been a part of here in Uruguay. The whole extended family came, and there were musical numbers; there were a lot of people that came to support her. Anyway, I was gonna say why she is so smart. She asks really profound questions that most at that age would never think of. "Why did Jesus have to suffer so much if so many were still going to reject him in the end?", "How does God answer a prayer no? I have prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true and I felt the good feelings of the spirit so I know that it is true and was answered yes, but how does God say no?" etc... She is very sensitive to the spirit. When we started teaching her it was because she had said "Today in church I felt something really good inside. I just didn’t want to leave." After she said that her dad explained the Holy Ghost and the teaching began and 2 weeks later she was baptized.
I normally am not too excited for teaching little kids, but I daresay she was one of the best investigators I have had my whole mission. And I really think she will stay faithful in the church. She has been working on her mom. She is 10!! But she has been saying "mom, I want you to say prayers with us as a family every night", because she had recognized her mom would never actually say the prayer she would only listen. She will stay faithful. She already has friends asking her at school why she was going to the Mormon church and she just simply told them she believed and invited them to come to her baptism and some actually came. She is an amazing little girl.
We have some other possible baptisms coming up, and some really good investigators. The theme is getting them to go to church. It isn’t part of the Uruguay culture to get up on Sunday and do anything for 3 hours, unless that 3 hour activity is sitting home and drinking Mate. It is really hard to find people that are willing to go to church. I tend to give investigators 2 weeks of teaching without going to church as a maximum, and if they don’t go after that I just want to drop them. It is rare that I want to visit someone into a third week if they haven’t gone to church yet. We are looking for the elect and the elect will be willing to walk a few blocks to church on Sunday mornings.
So one last story para terminar: we clapped a door the other day (because clapping is what you do here, you rarely knock on someone’s door). It was a door already open and I saw the lady sitting at a table in her chair. We made eye contact. I don’t know who she thought she was kidding. She all the sudden drops to the floor under the table. We can still see her. She begins crawling across the floor to the other room and we watch her push aside the curtain of a door that separated that front room from the other room. She crawled out of sight and the curtain closed. ... ... I just can’t believe we are that pesado to some people that they can’t even come say "no thanks." It was comical.
I hope everyone is well and that you are all behaving and keeping the commandments. Take care!! Love you all!!
Andy
So we had a baptism on Saturday of one Noelia Melina Nuñez Benitez, a 10 year old girl who is smarter than I was when I was 16. We have been working with the family and activating the family for a few months. I didn’t want to push it. And finally they asked us if she could be baptized. It is always good when they ask, and she asked for herself. We didn’t even have to challenge her. I really like doing it that way sometimes. Anyway, she is SO amazing. I love this family so much. They are such a good family. The dad has always been going, but the mom no. The mom is coming back and the dad comes every week with his daughter. They are SO cool. The dad Freddy is a super stud and served a mission back in the 90s here in Uruguay. Anyway, it was the best baptismal service I have been a part of here in Uruguay. The whole extended family came, and there were musical numbers; there were a lot of people that came to support her. Anyway, I was gonna say why she is so smart. She asks really profound questions that most at that age would never think of. "Why did Jesus have to suffer so much if so many were still going to reject him in the end?", "How does God answer a prayer no? I have prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true and I felt the good feelings of the spirit so I know that it is true and was answered yes, but how does God say no?" etc... She is very sensitive to the spirit. When we started teaching her it was because she had said "Today in church I felt something really good inside. I just didn’t want to leave." After she said that her dad explained the Holy Ghost and the teaching began and 2 weeks later she was baptized.
I normally am not too excited for teaching little kids, but I daresay she was one of the best investigators I have had my whole mission. And I really think she will stay faithful in the church. She has been working on her mom. She is 10!! But she has been saying "mom, I want you to say prayers with us as a family every night", because she had recognized her mom would never actually say the prayer she would only listen. She will stay faithful. She already has friends asking her at school why she was going to the Mormon church and she just simply told them she believed and invited them to come to her baptism and some actually came. She is an amazing little girl.
We have some other possible baptisms coming up, and some really good investigators. The theme is getting them to go to church. It isn’t part of the Uruguay culture to get up on Sunday and do anything for 3 hours, unless that 3 hour activity is sitting home and drinking Mate. It is really hard to find people that are willing to go to church. I tend to give investigators 2 weeks of teaching without going to church as a maximum, and if they don’t go after that I just want to drop them. It is rare that I want to visit someone into a third week if they haven’t gone to church yet. We are looking for the elect and the elect will be willing to walk a few blocks to church on Sunday mornings.
So one last story para terminar: we clapped a door the other day (because clapping is what you do here, you rarely knock on someone’s door). It was a door already open and I saw the lady sitting at a table in her chair. We made eye contact. I don’t know who she thought she was kidding. She all the sudden drops to the floor under the table. We can still see her. She begins crawling across the floor to the other room and we watch her push aside the curtain of a door that separated that front room from the other room. She crawled out of sight and the curtain closed. ... ... I just can’t believe we are that pesado to some people that they can’t even come say "no thanks." It was comical.
I hope everyone is well and that you are all behaving and keeping the commandments. Take care!! Love you all!!
Andy
Monday, July 21, 2008
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
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
Friday, July 18, 2008
Amazing Grace How Sweet The Sound
No I am just kidding. I would never write an email that lame. There are actually plenty of good stories from this week if you all want to hear. Whadda ya say?
So I was feeling extra spiritual this week and I was really looking for the hand of God in my life. One thing I have recently been coming to realize is that my prayers, for quite some time, had been lacking. I had the sad logic in my head, and I am embarrassed to admit it, that God already knows everything. So he knows everything I can say thanks for and everything I want Him to help me with. So I would still say my "gracias por eso" and "bendiceme con eso", but it was very short and very...more or less, as the Spaniard puts it.
Well, I woke up last week. I finally came to. I began to realize that I had stopped noticing the hand of God in my missionary work and if you aren’t with God, or you aren’t giving Him the credit as a missionary, the work becomes very dull and even more difficult. I encourage everyone who doesn’t feel as close to God as they would like, and so that means everyone I am assuming, to pray out loud. I have taken to praying out loud at any opportunity I can. If my companion goes to the bathroom for 3 minutes, I begin talking out loud to Him. It has been helping me A TON! For a while I forgot that He is my best friend. I promise you that if you pray, as the scriptures say "with real intent", you feel the love of God pouring down on your shoulders. For me, I am ADD, so that means praying out loud to make sure I am paying real attention and am sincere. For you it may just mean a stronger effort. But say your prayers! Talk to Him as if He were right in front of you, as if He were your best friend and you were talking to Him about anything. Jesus Christ wasn’t kidding when he exhorted us to pray. Nor were any of the prophets. "But ask with faith, doubting nothing."(James 1:6) I felt peace from heaven this week. I testify that God is always listening. I testify that the pride cycle is deadly. When we forget to pray to God with real intent, He will humble us. If we ignore Him, we will get lost and feel alone. Pray!! It works. I teach it to people every day. It is so sad that this primary answer still has me on my heels sometimes.
So in my spiritual high, I have been feeling a lot more guided. This story is weird to me, but I will share it anyway. We were walking the other morning and all of our appointments fell through in no time flat. We were headed for a house that we had knocked that had said we could come back "cualquier otro momento" "any other time"...whatever. Side note, I have taken to telling the people, "Everybody tells us to come back any other time. Do you actually want us to come to back? Will you let us come in for a few minutes to share a message when we come back?" ... it isn’t yielding results because everybody still says "Sí, cualquier otro momento." UGH! Anyway, so we are heading for a house that had said we could come back. We pass an intersection and I look over to the right on the intersecting street and hundreds of yards away I see a lady walking with a baby. I immediately felt impressed to go talk to her. I told myself "no way, it is way out of the way." and we continued walking in our direction. I felt it again. To my mind came the story of young Bishop Thomas S. Monson and a story about him learning to follow the spirit better. He had made a promise NEVER to ignore a spiritual prompting. Recognizing that the Spirit was talking to me I said "Elder, lets go talk to that lady I saw back there." His response was "what lady?" We went back to the intersection and she still was walking. So we begin moseying along, pretending like we actually had intended to be on that street, and after a long walk, she was WAY far away, we approached her and said good morning, told her who we were, had some casual morning "nice day for July" talk, etc... She was SUPER nice...and she said she wasn’t interested.
I was SO frustrated in that moment. I said to myself "I know the spirit told me to talk to you. There is no way you are rejecting us!" But she did. And now we were on a completely different street way far from where we wanted to be. We just kind of stood there puzzled. I think my companion had expected that to work out better too. Wanting to feel like I was in control, I said without thinking "Let’s knock this house right here while we are here." So we knocked the house that we happened to be right in front of. We actually clapped our hands from her gate, that is how you knock here. So she opens her window in her door and begins to give us the same old "oh, it is all the same God. You boys are doing a good thing. I already know all about it..." but while she was talking my mind was drawn to Preach My Gospel. I had just recently read about saying quick, powerful truths to catch attention and invite the spirit. I would typically have just said "we want to share a message about Jesus Christ, or the family, or etc..." But this time I said very boldly, "So you know that we believe that right now, this very moment, there is a prophet of God on the Earth who receives revelation and guides us as did the original apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ?" It was a good sentence, if I do say so myself. To make a long story short, she was stunned. She stopped her little routine "get lost" and asked rather inquisitively "excuse me? What did you say you believe?" Moving towards her window, not wanting to talk from 10 feet away I said "let me show you." To make a long story short we taught her the first lesson and she was AMAZED to find that we had the same Bible. She was intrigued from the get go. It was a message she had never heard, although she had been telling us off "oh it is all the same God. I already know what you believe..." Preach My Gospel works. That whole getting to the point strategy works. I am gonna do that a lot more often. We have an invite to go back and she is super nice and maybe she will go somewhere if Satan doesn’t place more complacent "oh it is all good" feelings into her heart.
The miracle is that we never would have knocked just that house and we weren’t planning on knocking that street we were on any time soon. It is kind of an ugly street and we have a lot more streets that are still higher priority knocks even now.
Anyway, that is one story, but I think stories tend to be on the boring side when you are a missionary. It was really dragged out. I used to be a creative writer, but when you are writing a true story and you want to fit in a bunch of boring details it makes for a long drawn out story.
I have been thinking a lot about Grace this week. We are SO often criticized for not putting enough emphasis on grace. As Mormons, we are accused of trying to "work our way into heaven". The truth of the matter is that it "is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23) We were sharing the Plan of Salvation with someone and they told us we didn’t talk enough about grace. I found myself asking, "what greater grace can there be?" The message of the Restoration enhances our understanding of grace to ASTRONOMICAL levels!! What greater exhibition of grace could there be than that of a Father who offers to his completely unworthy children the oppurtunity to progress and become like Him? The issue is that progression requires action. Our opportunity to "act" is an act of grace from God. He is offering us the opportunity to find ourselves on a much higher plane and is willing to take us there after our best effort, even when we don’t necessarily deserve it. Anyone that says Mormons don’t understand grace are uninformed of the Mormon Doctrine.
So I have a billion things I could say, but this email is getting pretty long. I hope that everyone is doing just peachy! I am happy. I am trying to work hard. I will write more stories and insights from the mind of Andy Shepherd next week. Until then, be good! Love you all!
Andy
So I was feeling extra spiritual this week and I was really looking for the hand of God in my life. One thing I have recently been coming to realize is that my prayers, for quite some time, had been lacking. I had the sad logic in my head, and I am embarrassed to admit it, that God already knows everything. So he knows everything I can say thanks for and everything I want Him to help me with. So I would still say my "gracias por eso" and "bendiceme con eso", but it was very short and very...more or less, as the Spaniard puts it.
Well, I woke up last week. I finally came to. I began to realize that I had stopped noticing the hand of God in my missionary work and if you aren’t with God, or you aren’t giving Him the credit as a missionary, the work becomes very dull and even more difficult. I encourage everyone who doesn’t feel as close to God as they would like, and so that means everyone I am assuming, to pray out loud. I have taken to praying out loud at any opportunity I can. If my companion goes to the bathroom for 3 minutes, I begin talking out loud to Him. It has been helping me A TON! For a while I forgot that He is my best friend. I promise you that if you pray, as the scriptures say "with real intent", you feel the love of God pouring down on your shoulders. For me, I am ADD, so that means praying out loud to make sure I am paying real attention and am sincere. For you it may just mean a stronger effort. But say your prayers! Talk to Him as if He were right in front of you, as if He were your best friend and you were talking to Him about anything. Jesus Christ wasn’t kidding when he exhorted us to pray. Nor were any of the prophets. "But ask with faith, doubting nothing."(James 1:6) I felt peace from heaven this week. I testify that God is always listening. I testify that the pride cycle is deadly. When we forget to pray to God with real intent, He will humble us. If we ignore Him, we will get lost and feel alone. Pray!! It works. I teach it to people every day. It is so sad that this primary answer still has me on my heels sometimes.
So in my spiritual high, I have been feeling a lot more guided. This story is weird to me, but I will share it anyway. We were walking the other morning and all of our appointments fell through in no time flat. We were headed for a house that we had knocked that had said we could come back "cualquier otro momento" "any other time"...whatever. Side note, I have taken to telling the people, "Everybody tells us to come back any other time. Do you actually want us to come to back? Will you let us come in for a few minutes to share a message when we come back?" ... it isn’t yielding results because everybody still says "Sí, cualquier otro momento." UGH! Anyway, so we are heading for a house that had said we could come back. We pass an intersection and I look over to the right on the intersecting street and hundreds of yards away I see a lady walking with a baby. I immediately felt impressed to go talk to her. I told myself "no way, it is way out of the way." and we continued walking in our direction. I felt it again. To my mind came the story of young Bishop Thomas S. Monson and a story about him learning to follow the spirit better. He had made a promise NEVER to ignore a spiritual prompting. Recognizing that the Spirit was talking to me I said "Elder, lets go talk to that lady I saw back there." His response was "what lady?" We went back to the intersection and she still was walking. So we begin moseying along, pretending like we actually had intended to be on that street, and after a long walk, she was WAY far away, we approached her and said good morning, told her who we were, had some casual morning "nice day for July" talk, etc... She was SUPER nice...and she said she wasn’t interested.
I was SO frustrated in that moment. I said to myself "I know the spirit told me to talk to you. There is no way you are rejecting us!" But she did. And now we were on a completely different street way far from where we wanted to be. We just kind of stood there puzzled. I think my companion had expected that to work out better too. Wanting to feel like I was in control, I said without thinking "Let’s knock this house right here while we are here." So we knocked the house that we happened to be right in front of. We actually clapped our hands from her gate, that is how you knock here. So she opens her window in her door and begins to give us the same old "oh, it is all the same God. You boys are doing a good thing. I already know all about it..." but while she was talking my mind was drawn to Preach My Gospel. I had just recently read about saying quick, powerful truths to catch attention and invite the spirit. I would typically have just said "we want to share a message about Jesus Christ, or the family, or etc..." But this time I said very boldly, "So you know that we believe that right now, this very moment, there is a prophet of God on the Earth who receives revelation and guides us as did the original apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ?" It was a good sentence, if I do say so myself. To make a long story short, she was stunned. She stopped her little routine "get lost" and asked rather inquisitively "excuse me? What did you say you believe?" Moving towards her window, not wanting to talk from 10 feet away I said "let me show you." To make a long story short we taught her the first lesson and she was AMAZED to find that we had the same Bible. She was intrigued from the get go. It was a message she had never heard, although she had been telling us off "oh it is all the same God. I already know what you believe..." Preach My Gospel works. That whole getting to the point strategy works. I am gonna do that a lot more often. We have an invite to go back and she is super nice and maybe she will go somewhere if Satan doesn’t place more complacent "oh it is all good" feelings into her heart.
The miracle is that we never would have knocked just that house and we weren’t planning on knocking that street we were on any time soon. It is kind of an ugly street and we have a lot more streets that are still higher priority knocks even now.
Anyway, that is one story, but I think stories tend to be on the boring side when you are a missionary. It was really dragged out. I used to be a creative writer, but when you are writing a true story and you want to fit in a bunch of boring details it makes for a long drawn out story.
I have been thinking a lot about Grace this week. We are SO often criticized for not putting enough emphasis on grace. As Mormons, we are accused of trying to "work our way into heaven". The truth of the matter is that it "is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23) We were sharing the Plan of Salvation with someone and they told us we didn’t talk enough about grace. I found myself asking, "what greater grace can there be?" The message of the Restoration enhances our understanding of grace to ASTRONOMICAL levels!! What greater exhibition of grace could there be than that of a Father who offers to his completely unworthy children the oppurtunity to progress and become like Him? The issue is that progression requires action. Our opportunity to "act" is an act of grace from God. He is offering us the opportunity to find ourselves on a much higher plane and is willing to take us there after our best effort, even when we don’t necessarily deserve it. Anyone that says Mormons don’t understand grace are uninformed of the Mormon Doctrine.
So I have a billion things I could say, but this email is getting pretty long. I hope that everyone is doing just peachy! I am happy. I am trying to work hard. I will write more stories and insights from the mind of Andy Shepherd next week. Until then, be good! Love you all!
Andy
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
That Aint No Symmetry
email dated 7-8-08
Our hero has suffered much this week. The desired "symmetry" as he brilliantly put it was unrealized. The doctor took well over half of the toenail, cut so deep that it still bleeds a little bit, and it has stitches...but hey, at least it feels better!
The suffering never stops, however, for our hero in the land down under Brazil. After months of off and on stomach aches and nausea he reluctantly took advantage of the opportunity to see a doctor. It turns out young Elder Andrew Shepherd is suffering from the ever common GASTRITIS!!! UGGH!! OH I so had it coming!!! How do you spell Karma? I actually don't know. Anyway, I teased Matt like crazy for coming home from Peru with Gastritis. And now look at me. I am not even a full 9 months into the mission and I got the disease. My stomach lining is apparently in complete shambles. One word: SICK! And the Doctor tried saying, "well, avoid eating anything with too much oil, or any sweets. Avoid rices, milanesas, porotos, anything with noodles, etc..." which is EVERYTHING that they feed us down here. One of the best parts about it is that I was DYING on Monday and I couldn't figure out why. I had had my toe surgery and guess what the doctor had me take. Go ahead, guess! Aspirin and Ibuprofen!! There are no drugs worse for someone with gastritis than Aspirin and Ibuprofen. They rip your stomach to shreds. My stomach ache was unbearable on Monday. And the saddest part is that I blamed my stomach pains on emotional stress...nope. It was gastritis, only I didn't know it at the time. So there you have it Matt. Yuck it up and enjoy it while you can. Because I am going to beat you up when I come home. Way to jinx me!
In later news, Elder Shepherd has decided that Global Warming is a definite reality. I am supposed to be in the coldest month that Uruguay knows. But we hit a warm front and last week my companion and I went around in short sleeved shirts. It has been SO nice. Our roof is dripping like crazy on us from humidity, but I could care less because at least I am not cold. Pero, éste calamiento global me preocupa bastante! California won't exist by the time I finish my mission and I still want to go to Disneyland one more time at least. But, I am delighted to report that this warm week came as a result of your prayers. I am decided on that. I criticized you all last week for not praying hard enough, and I felt your prayers this week. Not only did we find some "in the bag" investigators this week, but it has been really warm. Thank you for your prayers! Uruguay owes you all a debt of gratitude. If they only knew that God gave us good weather just because Elder Shepherd's fans back home were praying...
It did rain yesterday, however. It wasn't cold at least. However, the rainy day provided that I was carrying my umbrella. As often happens, all of our morning appointments fell through and we were left out in a rainy empty street. My companion asked "now what do we do?" I stemmed my umbrella from the top of my head and began making radio noises. I turned the umbrella to try and catch the signal. To no avail. I said "I am not getting anything...hold on a second...no I am not getting anything." I continued making my radio noises and he still didn't laugh yet. I was most disappointed. I am so funny that they should put me in movies, and he didn't even crack a smile. He eventually admitted that it was funny.
Speaking of Elder Oliphant, he will be the first companion I stay with for longer than one transfer!! We're staying here in Tacuarembo. I am glad. I feel really good about it. I wasn't ready to leave. I haven't done everything I need to do here yet. We are getting along just swimmingly. Yesterday when I suggested we write a song-poem for companion study about the mission, he actually agreed. Sometimes you need a day like that. It was fun.
So here is my story for the week. We got a guy to reactivate and start going back to church...to the Catholic Church. But here is the best part. I feel GREAT about it. Half of his family are members of our church, but he isn't. He never went to Catholic mass, nor did he even own a bible. He doesn't want to change yet, but we have been inviting him to read the bible. He has been reading the bible and going to church for a month now. His mom yesterday thanked us with tears in her eyes. "I don't care if he is going to the true church yet" she tells us, "but at least he is back on the path of Jesus Christ." He is reading, and praying, and went and found a job for the first time in 5 years and he is 25, he is going to church, etc... That is missionary work. That is inviting someone to come unto Christ, which is our purpose as missionaries. I feel really good that he is going to church again.
Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your love. I am feeling better than I remember ever feeling out here on the mission. I love you all so much! Take care!!
Andy
Our hero has suffered much this week. The desired "symmetry" as he brilliantly put it was unrealized. The doctor took well over half of the toenail, cut so deep that it still bleeds a little bit, and it has stitches...but hey, at least it feels better!
The suffering never stops, however, for our hero in the land down under Brazil. After months of off and on stomach aches and nausea he reluctantly took advantage of the opportunity to see a doctor. It turns out young Elder Andrew Shepherd is suffering from the ever common GASTRITIS!!! UGGH!! OH I so had it coming!!! How do you spell Karma? I actually don't know. Anyway, I teased Matt like crazy for coming home from Peru with Gastritis. And now look at me. I am not even a full 9 months into the mission and I got the disease. My stomach lining is apparently in complete shambles. One word: SICK! And the Doctor tried saying, "well, avoid eating anything with too much oil, or any sweets. Avoid rices, milanesas, porotos, anything with noodles, etc..." which is EVERYTHING that they feed us down here. One of the best parts about it is that I was DYING on Monday and I couldn't figure out why. I had had my toe surgery and guess what the doctor had me take. Go ahead, guess! Aspirin and Ibuprofen!! There are no drugs worse for someone with gastritis than Aspirin and Ibuprofen. They rip your stomach to shreds. My stomach ache was unbearable on Monday. And the saddest part is that I blamed my stomach pains on emotional stress...nope. It was gastritis, only I didn't know it at the time. So there you have it Matt. Yuck it up and enjoy it while you can. Because I am going to beat you up when I come home. Way to jinx me!
In later news, Elder Shepherd has decided that Global Warming is a definite reality. I am supposed to be in the coldest month that Uruguay knows. But we hit a warm front and last week my companion and I went around in short sleeved shirts. It has been SO nice. Our roof is dripping like crazy on us from humidity, but I could care less because at least I am not cold. Pero, éste calamiento global me preocupa bastante! California won't exist by the time I finish my mission and I still want to go to Disneyland one more time at least. But, I am delighted to report that this warm week came as a result of your prayers. I am decided on that. I criticized you all last week for not praying hard enough, and I felt your prayers this week. Not only did we find some "in the bag" investigators this week, but it has been really warm. Thank you for your prayers! Uruguay owes you all a debt of gratitude. If they only knew that God gave us good weather just because Elder Shepherd's fans back home were praying...
It did rain yesterday, however. It wasn't cold at least. However, the rainy day provided that I was carrying my umbrella. As often happens, all of our morning appointments fell through and we were left out in a rainy empty street. My companion asked "now what do we do?" I stemmed my umbrella from the top of my head and began making radio noises. I turned the umbrella to try and catch the signal. To no avail. I said "I am not getting anything...hold on a second...no I am not getting anything." I continued making my radio noises and he still didn't laugh yet. I was most disappointed. I am so funny that they should put me in movies, and he didn't even crack a smile. He eventually admitted that it was funny.
Speaking of Elder Oliphant, he will be the first companion I stay with for longer than one transfer!! We're staying here in Tacuarembo. I am glad. I feel really good about it. I wasn't ready to leave. I haven't done everything I need to do here yet. We are getting along just swimmingly. Yesterday when I suggested we write a song-poem for companion study about the mission, he actually agreed. Sometimes you need a day like that. It was fun.
So here is my story for the week. We got a guy to reactivate and start going back to church...to the Catholic Church. But here is the best part. I feel GREAT about it. Half of his family are members of our church, but he isn't. He never went to Catholic mass, nor did he even own a bible. He doesn't want to change yet, but we have been inviting him to read the bible. He has been reading the bible and going to church for a month now. His mom yesterday thanked us with tears in her eyes. "I don't care if he is going to the true church yet" she tells us, "but at least he is back on the path of Jesus Christ." He is reading, and praying, and went and found a job for the first time in 5 years and he is 25, he is going to church, etc... That is missionary work. That is inviting someone to come unto Christ, which is our purpose as missionaries. I feel really good that he is going to church again.
Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your love. I am feeling better than I remember ever feeling out here on the mission. I love you all so much! Take care!!
Andy
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