11-25-13

Dear Mom,

                transfers are crazy and I´m going to respond really fast, but please bear with me. I´ve met the president 4 times in the mission field, not including the first week I entered Brazil. We have district meeting weekly and zonemeeting monthly. The missionaries just stay in their areas.We eat with the members 6 days a week. Now I´m just with my companion. It´s cool that the mission pres passed by. One interesting thing is that if we do what joseph did, go to church, read the scriptures and pray, we can receive a testimony and personal revelations.

   The shift key here is not working well. That´s great that Christopher is doing well. I know that family will be blessed immensly.

I was also thinking about that song. I´ll be home for chritmas in my dreams this time, but next one I´ll make it just in time.

 

I love you so much and thank you for your examples.

Love Elder Shepard.

Re: Some love from the worst sister ever 11-25-13

From: "Jacob Shepard" <jacob.shepard@myldsmail.net>
Date: Nov 25, 2013 7:30 AM
Subject: Re: Some love from the worst sister ever
To: "Martha Shepard"

Dearest Martha,

                       You are not the worst. I´m the worst. I should write more to everybody, and you have a Christmas card on the way. Also, I love you a lot to. I´m doing well, I´m happy, and safe. If you decide to serve a mission, your also a boss. Don´t worry about the age. We´re all children at heart. Eu tenho um futuro uncerto tambem. Estou ainda aprendendo Portugûes. Etendo quase tudo, mas um dia voi aprender mas sobre aquela lingua.

   At time I´m exhausted too. I am speaking Portugues almost perfectly though not fluently, but because of my slight american accent, some people put menatl blocks and don´t understand me. We walk at least hours everyday. If i let myself stop and think about college, work and dating, I probably could have an anerism. (bad spelling) But I know when the time comes, the Lord will help me out with everything.

The hardest thing: People don´t understand my humor and like to talk over or interrupt when I´m teaching

The best thing: When things finally turn out right and all the suffering is worth it and when I see God´s miracles in the mission

I really like Portuguese. i think it´s a lot more interesting then spanish. Martha, are you messing around on the internet? Because I´m recognizing all the memes. It´s hot here in Brazi during the Christmas season. They don´t have  thanksgiving here. We eat rice and beans everyday. A lot of people here sleep in hammocks since it´s hot. I love the book of mormon. And I love you too. *Tarzan yell*

Beijos de seu Irmão

11-20-13

Dear Mom,

                 I usually write at 10 or 11 in the morning. I don't get a lot of emails; but that is oaky. It´s funny how I just received your email an hour ago.

   That´s cool that Trey made it on the team. It seems like the effort he´s made for basketball has worked out for him. It´s funny how there are so many of the youth on missions now. I know I´m just twenty but I feel old. I think it´s because all the things that are going on. I really appreciate what bishops and Ward council members do. Here at the Branch, they sttill are working out the kinks, but these members are dedicated. The way that these members, with their Jobs and families, are still able to frun their organizations, is incredible.

   How is Brother Chappell? I Always liked going out to their house with Brother Waite. They´re one of the best families I know. How are Christopher, James and Elizabeth? Also, does Trey want to study before he goes or just work? I know that encourgement and love will help him decide to act.

   Here on the mission, a lot of Elders have problems with thier back and legs because they don´t stretch or exercise during the week. We try to strech every day since we relly just walk for hours everyday.

   It´s pretty rare in Parnaiba to have rain, but it does get really windy. I don´t think Brazil has too many tornadoes.

   The other day we were knocking doors and we found this 62 year old man named Bernardo. We talked with him on his doorstep and he really wanted to talk to us. He had been going to a church for a long time, but after a 31 year marriage, he divorced and his church didn´t want him any more. He´s been alone and said that he was all alone and didn´t feel God in his house anymore. We taught him about God´s love for him and about the Restoration of the Gospel. We came back and he already had been Reading and he was happy for the chance to change his life. I think that he´ll like the church.

   The District here started a choir here, but since it´s in another Ward we can´t participate. I love honey also. I´m sorry you forgot to put "you." Thank you for the eamil I love you too.

Love Jacob.

Dear Dad 11-11-13

Dear Dad,

                I love you too. The other day I saved a old Church manual about the Teachings of the Living Prophets. It talks about the importance of having a living ser, prophet and revelator in our days. It was written in 1983 and has many teachings of Boyd K.Packer, Elder Peterson, President Lee and Benson and Bruce R Mconkie(bad Spelling). Theyspoke of how the revelations of the current prophet Always change from the last. The principles are what stay the same, such as the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a story where a Catholic Priest attended Sacrament Meting and was disgusted at how we had changed the Lord´s Sacrment, how we didn´t use wine,  when clearly Jesus used wine. Even in the Book of Mormon they used wine. But the thing is that what we do in these later days is what the Lord has commanded us, as his people did anciently. The Jews sacrficed lambs becuase they were told too. Jesus died on the cross because it was the will of his Father. We keep the commandments and act as we do because Jesus himself has commanded us too through a living prophet. Just as Adam didn´t receive the commandment to build a boat, Joseph Smith did not receive all the commandments we need in these latter days, making what President Monson and what he says very importante to our welfare. When God tells us to do something we must do it without out doubt or letting our opions of past revelations get in the way. Just as Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his sonin the similitude of Jesus, he was then commanded not to kill him. If we do not keep the current commandments and revelations, with the interpretations of the living prophet, we are at risk of losing the blessings of the Gospel. I know that we have a Prophet of God with us today and that he speaks with and for God. I testify that he will not lead us astray. Thank you Dad for all the help and support. ]

            I love you,

                            Jacob

Baptism of Cleidmar and Thalyton

 

After Lunch and cleaning the chapel for a baptism

 

 

The Gaspar Family.

 

 

 

11-4-13

From 11/4/13

Dear Mom and Dad,

                                I´ve begun to right a lot of letters, and I´m going to send them to you. Could you send the rest that aren´t for the Family to their adresses? They should get there in the middle of december. Thank you very much. I´ve been doing pretty good out here in Parnaiba. It´s  been very windly lately though thedown side is that we were with out electricity for a day and a half. We have a baptism set up for a Young man names Talito. He´s been with the church for a while but finally decided to be baptized.

This week the President wanted very long letters to some questions he had so I´ll write more next time. 

Love Jacob