Hello! 7-8-13

Dear Dad and Mom,

At times I do get a little homesick. The Skype call helped me not be too homesick, but it also made me think about how fast everything is going. It´s already been seven months. I see people with their families and friends doing stuff together and then I think about home. Thinking about you guys and some people at home isn´t bad as long as it doesn´t distract me, but seeing things like TV or games is when I start humming hymns.

I´m trying to talk a lot more in Portuguese to my American companion so I don´t forget what I already know.

Most people won´t go for marriage here, just the one night stand thing. But the missionaries here know what to look out for when we teach or talk to people, and what to stay far away from.

 

The book of James is one of my favorite New Testament books. I´ve been reading in the Acts of the apostles and the epistles that they´ve written. It´s a little difficult to read the 4 gospels side-by-side since they have many of the same events, but the New Testament is where I´ve learned a lot about Jesus and my calling as a missionary. We got the conference magazine of last General Conference, but just that one and some older ones. You don´t have to send any, but thank you for the thought.

It´s funny that you say it was Fourth of July because Elder Bird and I woke up and said, "Hey. It´s Independence Day... whooooooo." And then he had this little U.S. flag that he shook a little. It´s interesting being in another country with different holidays.

I really miss washers and dryers. We had this problem with the old washer that I´ll explain about later, but I appreciate you a lot Mom. And things that tend to work for longer then a few months. I´ve run out of time, but thank you for all the news. It´s great to hear about home and everyone else. I hope it all works out, too. I´m praying for you all and I love you both.

Sincerely,
your tanner, thinner son,

Elder Shepard

7/1/13

Sent: Monday, July 1, 2013 12:49:41 PM

 

Dear Dad,

               Thank you for the quote. I´ve been reading through dctrine and covenants, the Book of Mormon and the Bible a lot during the mission. Every morning wih a hour to come, the people are afraid. The people want to help but put it down as nothing. I think that many peopleare frusrated with the government but a lo of the local govenment is still corrupt. One way or a another, all the prophecies of the prophets will be fulfilled. I forge exactly where, but I remeber the sriprtalking about how babes are not ready to eat meat first, but must drink milk. I like to think that our faith and willingness to obey is what help us move forward in the gospel. Here in Camocim, mos people are religious and most tend to not riot or protest. I´a pretty peaceful city, even though from what I´ve heard, it´s getting worse. However, Elder Bird and I have been finding a lot of new people that seem to be the eleits of th Lord. I pray for many of them to be ready to make changes necessary in their life to follow Jesus and be baptized as he was.  Is there anything tha yo and Mom want to hear about in my mission? If you want just ask.

Love,

        Jacob

Weekly Report from Elder Jacob Shepard

Camocim, 6-16-13

(Elder Shepard)

 

Good day, every one!

                              

This week has been busy and last week was as well (sorry about the missed report).

 

Elder Bird is my new companion here in Camocim. He is from Arizona and he has been on his mission for about a year and two months. He´s a lot more strict about the rules, which in all reality is good for me, since at times I can get lazy. We live in an apartment that has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a balcony, and a back maintenance room to hang up clothes. It´s the perfect size for two missionaries, but now that we have four living together it´s a little tight.

 

These past two weeks we have been working hard to find more people to teach. There are a lot of people who are Catholic, but not practicing. Most people are willing to let us in to hear about God. So it´s easy sometimes to teach people but it´s harder to find some who are willing to act on it. We found a lot of people who said that they need God more in their lives, but never had the will power to change for the better. 

 

Recently we found several young men who let us in and came to church. A lot of the youth here tend to run wild and are in bad situations in the streets: with drugs, smoking, drinking, and getting young girls pregnant. If they learn to do better by following Jesus and his teachings, it´s great to see the changes in the people for the better and a privilege to be the one to help them.

 

I love you and hope everything is going great.

 

Love,

 

Elder Shepard

Camocim, 5-19-13

(Elder Shepard)



Protests in Brazil

Dear Dad,

I´ve seen some of the protests on TV that have been going on and it hasn´t hit Camocim too bad. The news report said that the first protest started sparking other protests over various issues. The country could use a better government and the basis provided by one, but it seems like soccer has always been something to distract everyone from the real problems. Nothing happened in Camocim because it's a small city.

 

There are a lot of people here who can´t read and many don´t go to college. Education is very important to people, but it seems that there is some corruption in the government. But the people here are doing alright. Many are very humble and want to talk with us. I think that a lot of them are ready to learn because they have gone through hard times.  Religion is a hot topic around here since many say they´re Catholic but don´t practice it and some are very fanatical in their churches.

 

Also, sorry if there are any typos. This computer is very slow and doesn´t register the letters very well. I´m doing fine though, and the work here hasn´t changed because of the protests. Elder Bird and I have found a lot of other people to teach, so we´re staying busy. I love you and thank you for the emails.

 

Love, your son,

 

Elder Shepard

 

Unrelated photos :-)

 

Camocim, 4-14-13

(Elder Shepard)

 

 

Weekly Report of Elder Jacob Shepard

Dear everybody,

 

Sorry about the lack of reports and how the last one was sort of short, too. There has been a lot of crazy stuff that´s been going on here in Camocim. This last week was the end of the transfer, a 6 week period. At the end of each transfer a missionary can be sent to a different area, and my companion Elder Morris left to serve in Teresina. I now have a new companion named Elder Bird. He´s from Arizona and has been here in the mission about a year and 2 months. He and I are now working in an area that has not had a lot of missionary work done, so we are working hard to find new people to teach who are willing to learn and do more.

 

As missionaries, we have to work with people that have one way or another come into contact with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So we´ve begun teaching a man that has visited the church before to quit drinking, but relapsed and was ashamed to come to church again. It was about a few weeks ago that he saw us walking on the streets and said he wanted to try again. He had started using drugs and spending less time with his wife and family, but he has been doing better. He´s given up drugs and been spending more time at home. He just has to quit drinking, and in his words, he´ll almost be a saint.

 

Elder Bird and I have talked to a lot of people but we´re trying to find people who would take what we´re talking about and make an actual difference in their lives. A lot of people talk a lot about God and say that they love their neighbor, but many times it doesn´t matter. In the Bible one of the apostles said that faith without works is dead. So saying that you love everyone and believing in God makes no difference if you don´t act on it. My dad sent me a quote about how being in a church doesn´t make you a Christian as much as being in a garage doesn´t make you a car. To tell you the truth, me being out on a mission doesn't mean I´m a good person if I don´t believe in it and do it grudgingly. I know that what we´re doing out here is where I´m supposed to be and that by this work, someone will have a better life because of it.

 

I love all of you and I hope that everything is going great. I hope that these few words will make you think about what´s important in life and I´m grateful for all the help and support you all have given me.

 

Your, something or other of some kind of relation, in the service,

 

Elder Shepard

Camocim, 6-10-13

(Elders Morris and Shepard)

Jacob's Email Response to Mom

Dear Mom,

It´s funny how Ohio seems farther away than home, even though it's about the same distance. It´s great that everyone out there is doing well.

 

Here in Camocim everything is going great. We found a man named Claudio who at first was not as interested, but after we sat down and showed him the Book of Mormon he was excited and wanted us to come back.

 

My companion and I have been working in the upper half of the city where not a lot of missionary work has been done. It seems like there are a lot of golden people. This next Tuesday though, I´m switching companions.

 

It´s unfortunate that my camera charger was left in the States and my battery ran out. However, if you want pictures, a church member named Maria Felix has a few pictures of me on Facebook.

 

I don´t have time this week to write more because we have to drop people off at the bus. I love you all and hope everything is going great.

 

Love Elder Shepard

 

Camocim, 6-10-13

(Elders J. Santos, Portela, Shepard, and Morris; Sister Felix)

 

Before eating a pepper, Camocim, 6-2-13

(Elders Shepard and J. Santos)

 

After eating a pepper, Camocim, 6-2-13

(Elders Shepard and J. Santos) 

Camocim, 6-2-13
(Elders J. Santos, Morris, Shepard, and Portela)

 

Camocim, 6-9-13

(Elders J. Santos, Morris, Shepard, and Portela; Sister Felix)

 

 

 

Camocim, 6-1-13 

 (Sister Felix; Elders Shepard and Morris)

 



2nd Weekly Report of Elder Shepard

Hello Everybody!
 

Thank you for being supportive and it´s great to have you as my relatives. I wouldn´t want anyone else in the world.

 

Things have been going a little crazy the week before. My companion, the other elder I´m paired to work with, was sick for a whole week with a stomach flu. Since we can´t be alone, I was basically under house arrest. I got through a lot of my studies and cleaned my apartment. So at least something good came of it.

 

This last week was a lot better, though it was a lot harder and rewarding. We used to be just one set of missionaries working in Camocim, but now we are lucky enough to get another. Camocim is a city big enough to make hard for just two people together to walk around in. Now our area is split in two. All of our hard work and people we have been regularly talking to has gone to the two new Brazilians. We are working to find people that would be interested so we have been walking non-stop for a week without much rest. Here in this city, most of the roads aren´t well put together, since they're basically a ton of hand-sized rocks pounded into the ground. My feet are still killing me. But...it´s been worth it.

 

We´ve found a lot of people who want to hear more and think that what we´re doing is good, instead of calling us antichrists and telling us to leave. Just kidding. Mostly. Brazil is a very religious country and most people think they just need to pick a church that sounds good. I know that Elder Morris, my companion, and I are doing our best to be the best examples and helping them see the benefit of our message.

 

I love the time I´ve already been here and I don't think they´ll send me anywhere else soon. It´s one of the nicer places because it´s been windy, so the heat isn´t as bad. I´ve already been here 3 months and time is flying by.

 

I hope everyone is doing well and that you all are happy.
 

All of my love and wishes,

Elder Shepard