Re: Happy New Year! 12-30-13

From: "Jacob Shepard" <jacob.shepard@myldsmail.net>
To: "Mom and Dad"
Subject: Re: Happy New Year!

On Mon, Dec 30, 2013 at 8:10 PM, Jacob Shepard <jacob.shepard@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Dear Mom,

                 Thank you for the email. It was great to see you guys. This week was really great. We didn´t work as much as we could have, but we are doing great. I played some cards with my companion and talked.

   We went to bring a less active member to chruch and we were surpised at the way that the others helped him out.

 Thank you for the support and the love. I know that this letter is very short, but I´ll write more about this week and send Pictures too.

Love,

        Jacob

PS M ´Ms would be great.

 

12-27-13

Here is an email from elder Shepard:

Dear Mom and Dad,

                             Merry Christmas! The language is going great. I still have a few words to learn but I don´t have any problems comunicating. I still listen better then I talk. I read the Scriptures in English and Portugues, butusually in English. I still need to get betteron my use of Portugues in my studies. I have only dreamed once in Portugese. 

   I´ll call before Christmas to tell how it´s going to happen but there are a few members with web cams here. Some members are pretty well off. 

   I´ll fast for Dad. Iknowhow everybody likes to quote Job but I know that we allpass through our specific problems: some with jobs, others with sickness, others with people who don´t want to hear about the gospel. And just as job said we pass through the refiners fire to come out like gold. Jesus taught thatwe have sicknesses or problems so that theof God could be done. I know that Dad will be alright, and I know that we all have a blessed rest waiting for us. I pray for all of you for health and happiness, and I that God will keep his promises.

   We had a good sacrement meeting too. A lot ofpeople are coming to church. We have this investigator called Katarina that´s going to be baptized next Saturday. We did have 14 people planned to be baptized but we took a beating and lost about 13 of them. We are still teaching about half of them but a lot of people suddenly lost interest because of some reason. Even though a lot of things didn´t work out, some miracles happened to give us hope for the future. 

   Man I only have one picture of me. Maybe I should get more since they´re getting popular. Bad joke, but I´ll send some christmas pictures soon. Some dust got into the camera so I´m cleaning it. Also, everything has been going great with my companion. He speaks english pretty well too. We are doing are best to work, butwewere more concentrated on teaching those people we hadthen finding new people. We learned our leason and are getting better. 

Merry Christmas and I love you.

 

Jacob Shepard

Skype Call of Jacob Shepard 12-24-13

I will call by Skype for Mom and Dad at 5 at Parnaiba Piaui Brazil time. About 7 or 8 for Mom and Dad. Be there or be square... and I will cry if you don´t.

Love Jacob

12-9-13

On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 9:27 AM, Jacob Shepard <jacob.shepard@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Dear Emily,

                  Thank you for your emails. They are always appreciated.

   I´m thankful for:

Jesus, for His sacrifice and life

my family

the scriptures and words of modern day prophets

the houses I´ve been able so live

food of any type

water

wind when we walk in the noon day sun

beautiful music

the simple moments that I can enjoy

beds(it´s a big one for missionaries on the list)

our chances to progress

God´s children here on Earth

children

I need to get in the habit of writing in my jornal again so I can write one down daily, as President Eyering said.

Love,

         Jacob 

Mailing address 12-2-13

Missão Brasil Teresina

A/C Elder Jacob Allen Shepard

CPX 2321

CER 64001-975

Teresina PI

 

And that´s the mission home address. I love you too.

Elder Shepard

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