To Mom and Dad 9-30-13

From: "Jacob Shepard" <jacob.shepard@myldsmail.net>
To: "Mom and Dad"

Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 9:33:54 AM 
Subject: Re: Late Weekly Report of Elder Shepard

Dear Mom and Dad,

                                sometimes I think it depends on where you are with the computers. I´m serving in the 4th Branch in Parnaiba. It´s about 15 minutes by bus from downtown. A lot of the stores are more expensive because of the distance from other stores. It has these smaller stores that are opened out of these houses and there aren´t any professionally owned stores. There were better computers in Camocim, but that´s because we found a better lanhouse. This one is just annoying that´s all.

   Everyday we pray when getting up, before going to sleep, before leaving the house and many other times through out the day. I always thank God for having you all for my Family and ask him to bless you for the sacrifices that you guys are doing. Thank you for everything that you´ve done for me and the e-mails that you are writing.

   Trey is going to turn 19 pretty soon, isn´t he? I know that if he makes it a goal to at least make a few applications for jobs a day, he´ll find work soon. I know that here in Brazil, the people are still learning to do all the right things, like going to activites or Family home evening, but the way that they have fully integrated there lives with the church is amazing. I know that if everyone at home right now trys to do Family home evening, reading the scriptures together and pray together at night, that you all will have the strengh and comfort of the spirit to get through these problems. I love you all and I know things will get better. In 2nd Nephi, Lehi talksof how we need to have an opposition in all things. With this in mind I read Acts 14:22 Paul takes of how we need to pass through trials to enter into the kingdom of God. On top of this, Joseph Smith´s Pray and Answer from God in DC 121 and the following sections have helped me understand how we can work through our problems with the understanding that Jesus knows all of our sufferings because he felt them also. I bear my testimony that our Heavenly Father is very concerned with our lives and happiness and that through him we will get better and do better.

   I just got my hands on the Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister, and it´s one of the best books I´ve ever read. I think this time I have on the mission is the only time I will be able to study and learn about the gospel like this. I think some missionaries get home and are unsure what to do because they didn´t keep the habits of the mission and didn´t plan ahead.

   I do get to see confernce live and I´ll be taking notes. I know before the mission I didn´t pay as much attention or thought that it was all that great, but now Conference flys by and I hang on every word. Also, one thing we can do to understand the importance of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration is to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. The testimonies of Nephi to King Benjamin to Moroni have blessed me here a lot.

   My toe is better and I´ve found some cream for it. It still bugs me, but it`ll get better soon. Parnaiba is bigger then Camocim and it has more wind. We had a record number of people in church a little while ago of 93, but the average number is 70 to 80. How many people go to church at Arlington Heights? Here, a lot of the youth grow up poor, without a mother or father or both, are influenced by violence and drugs in the streets and are living in a pleasure based society. When I see them in church or any one changing their lives, it really is a miracle. I appreciate growing up in the Church, the food, the schools, everything. I love you both, Mom and Dad. Thanks for helping me.

    Love,

            Elder Shepard

9-26-13

Dear Dad,

I know that when we do good things, it is easier to do better. When we do bad things, its easier to get worse. We are never motionless or stopped in our progression. If we are stopped, we are regressing backwards down the path we came. If we are walking i´t´seasier to get that running start.Tank you dad for the email. I hope that you are in good health and that you ask someone to give you a blessing. Have you read any good scriptures lately.? I´ve been Reading in Roman 15. 1 through about 9 talk about how we need to help those that struggle and not thanks ourselves for what we´ve already done. I love you and pray for you everyday.

Love Elder Shepard(which is Pastor in Portugese)

Re: Late Weekly Report of Elder Shepard 9-23-13

From: "Jacob Shepard" <jacob.shepard@myldsmail.net>
To: "Mom and Dad"

Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 10:10:32 AM 
Subject: Re: Late Weekly Report of Elder Shepard

Dear  Mom and Dad,

                                 This is the worst computer I´ve ever used. I´ve not been able to get on email for a while before, and unfortunetly, all the other comperters are in use. I´m really liking it here in Parnaiba. Everything is going pretty well, but it´s hard to find new people here. I´ve met a few other missionaries that have gone through hard times and one of the missionaries in my old district went home. He was more or less forced to serve because of his Family. I know that this work is true and that I am here because I choose to. I also know that we are blessed to have the book of mórmon in our lifes. When you have time, read the book of mórmon together and pray every day before you sleep . I know that doing these simple things, you will feel the blessings of the Restored Gospel in your lifes. We have a lot of people here that have to get married or divorced and that´s why we don´t have a lot of baptisms set up yet. Thank you for the súpport and your love. I hate Brazilian computers, or at least the ones they have in the internet café.

    I love you all,

                         Jacob

Jacob letter 9/16/2013

date:		Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 10:05 AM
subject:		Re: Jacob letter 9/16/2013

 

Dear Mom and Dad,

                                forgive me for the last email. Things got a bit crazy and I ran out of time at the lanhouse. A lot of them don´t function so well. Right now I´m in a city called Parnaiba. I´m in another Branch that has about 90 people that go regularly. I am now with another misionary, called Elder Oliveara. He´s from São Paulo and has about 11 months on the mission. He only speaks Portugese, so I´ve been getting a bit better at speaking. Now that I have 6 months in Brazil, I´m speaking pretty well. There are still a lot of words that I don´t know nad I don´t speak as smothly as i´d like but it going pretty well here.

   I´m feeling pretty well . I´ve got a little problem with my Toenail on my big left toe but I think it´ll be alright. I just need to see a clinic tha can fix it. I´ve been eating ric and beans for every lunch  at the members house. If I want something diferente I have to buy it or make it home. It took  while for my digestive system to adjust, but now I´m used to it. I don´t think I´ll every compain about food ever agin, not that I was ever a picky eater. Last week we had Lazanga. It diferente here in Brazil. It´s made with ham, cheese, the pasta sheets a bit of meat and nothing else.

   I got the câmera charger by the way. It works perfectly.
Here in Parnaiba, the leadership Works and the activities happen. This place is relly great and is how a branch would hope to be. However, there aren´t many investigtores here. The missionaries in the past have knocked all of these doors here around the church and other members, so we working hard at finding News here. Of the few investigators we have, there is a family that are doing great. Their names are Francisco and Maria Jose. They have two kids and would be baptized already if not for the divorce problems that Francisco has with his ex wife. Maria has been Reading the Book of Mormon and they are going to church every sunday. Francisco works outside of the city and is trying really hard to get days off.

   Here on the mission, everyone that doesn´t have a priesthood holder in their house wnts the missionaries to give them blessings. But for me, baptizing and giving the gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest way I can us my priesthood here. It´s really great to have all the work we´ve done here come to frutation and to also see the changes in the peoples lives here.

  I will have to look at the chart that Emily gave me so I can remember everyones birthdays. It´s pretty cool that Martha got to see James Taylor.   I´m loving it here in Brazil and I´m geting better at speaking everyday. I know that the gospel is helping the people here. It´s allready almost a yer so I think that the next year is going to fly by fast. I love you all and I hope everyone doing well.

Love,

        Jacob 

9/9/13

Sent: Monday, September 9, 2013 8:56:15 AM
Subject: Re: Late Weekly Report of Elder Shepard

Dear Dad, 

              People here in Barzil tend to jump to conclusions fast and like to have unchangible opinions. Some People here think I look like  Joseph Smith from the side, Asian or that I´m from São Paulo. But the church members are usually smarter and have a more open mind and heart. I try to tell people it´s the church that Jesus started. By the way, the charger arrived and charging the camera now. Thank you very much. You´re the best. I also heard that the U.S. has gone to war with Siria. On top of North Korea, things must be getting pretty interesting. I love you all. I´ll have pictures for you by next week of my companion, me, my area and the members.

   Love you both,

                        Jacob

Late Weekly Report of Elder Shepard 9/2/13

Mon, Sep 2, 2013 at 7:57 AM

Dear everybody,

 

                       It´s probably been a little more then a month since I´ve written one of these. A lot of stuff has happened and I don´t think I can write it all. I´lll just have to ask forgiveness and keep on going. So these past few weeks I´vee still been in Camocim, beach city thats all about fishing. It´s been hot here but it´s got wind here. There´s been some gang violence around here, but in the farther parts of the city where we don´t usually go. Other then that everything here has been great. 

 

   As missionaries we got out trying to find people to help and teach them about Jesus Christ. There are the people who live here that are members of the church who help the work along here in Camocim. The church is still relatively new, so everyone here is still learning. 

 

   I´ve been here for about 6 months and 3 of those most recent have been with Elder Bird. He´s from Arizona and He´s been on the mission for abput a year and a half. I´m most likley going to be leaving here pretty soon. We switch out every 6 weeks, if we do leave.

 

   These past few weeks we have baptized two new people who have entered the church and are really liking everything. One of them is named Lucas Lima and the other Airton. The both have had a lot of trouble in the past but are doing well. 

 

I supose I´ve run out of time but next week will be longer nad better.

 

Love,

 

       Elder Shepard

Jacob letter to Mom 9/2/13

Dear Mom, 

                The unfortunare part about transfers is that the Zone leaders of my area usually call after we do emails. If you semd mail or packages, just send them to the mission home. We get our packages and mail every zone conference. It´s nice and cool latley in about the 80´s. The sun is still always out, so walking in the sun makes it pretty hot. That´s cool that you got to be on TV for a bit. While we study in the house, we use the fans because it´s pretty humid and warm there. Are still teaching the same classes in English? or have you started on others?

 

   Here in Camocim, there are always tons of kids running around outside of schools and in the streets. Most couples that have been together for more then two years seem to usually have a child. A lot of the men here are fishermen or work outside of the city.

 

   I do think sometimes about what I will do when I get back. I know I´m going to find a job as sson as I can and start the 2 years at Harper. After that I´m still not sure. Something in English, Computers or who knows? Something along those lines. 

 

   Speaking of churches, I miss going to our ward. I love the members here, but at times it´s a bit unorganized. It´s still a branch here so they´re still learning. There´s mo choir, but they started a hymn book class to teach people some new songs. We, the missionaries, are working really hard to help with the activities. Do you have any ideas about some activities that don´t cost a lot or any money? That would be great if you have any.

 

   Latley I have been studying in Mosiah chapter 2 through 6. King Benjamins Speech is really good. To be truthfull I had started memorizing scriptures in english in the beginning, but now I try to memorize where the scripture is and the main idea of it. The importance to me is to get the key words and phrases that will help the person understand. I ´m not sure where    I´d find poems. The charger hasn´t come yet, but packeges sometimes take a while. When you send stuff in packages, you should put pictues of Jesus or Mary, the Mother of Jesus on all sides. It´ll help stop people from stealing things from them. 

 

I love you both,

 

                     Elder Shepard