Happy June!

Hello all!   The time is flying by!

My companion sprained her ankle this last week, so we were in the house a lot and we got to do a lot of studying and listening to talks. It was good. 

Ive noticed... I am a morning person now. If you knew me before the mission you know that I didn't talk to anyone before 10am, but this morning we were on a bus to the capitol at 7 in the morning and I could not stop talking.  I am probably annoying my companion a ton. 

Another thing,  I have perfected the technique of making Dominican rice and beans aka Modo.  Even a Dominican ate it and said it was good. I am basically a professional cook now. PARTY.

I have been studying the book of mormon a lot lot lot this week.  I was also listening to a talk and the speaker said something that I like a lot. He asked "do you believe in the book of Mormon?" Anybody can say yes, but you don't really believe until you "see the teardrops on the plates" Until you can see the agony and the time that went into translating and that every single word in the book of mormon was written for a reason and we need to find that reason. Always we need to search for ways to liken the scriptures unto ourselves and find the meaning in them. Then when we find it, we have to apply it. 

So yeah, this week was really great. I am excited for another one. Les quiero!

Love,

Hermana Shepherd

A man we found today walking on stilts in the middle of the road.

Halo :)

This week has been super great. We had  a mission tour which was an amazingly spiritual experience. We talked a lot about having faith and being completely obedient. We are trying to make the mission the most saint like that we can, but with everyone being more saint like that means that satan will work harder and harder with us to try to stop the work.

This week I had an amazing experience with the Priesthood and the power that men have to serve others with. How amazing is it that we have the restored power of the priesthood to bring about miracles. Miracles  heal people and cast out spirits. It's the same power that Christ used during his dispensation. What a blessing!

Anyway, this week was awesome. Still learning a ton everyday. Talking to everyone. Finding  lots of prepared people. :) The mission is the best decision that I have ever made. It is so hard sometimes but every second is worth it.

Love you guys! Have an awesome week!

Hermana Shepherd

pictures from a couple transfers ago.

6 Months :)

Hello all, I will have six months in the mission... WOW.   I can't believe how fast it has gone by.   

I am now in Villa Verde with Hermana Jackson. She is from Idaho and this is her last transfer before she goes home.  She is awesome!  We have been working so hard these past few days and have met a ton of people ready to be baptized. I am super excited for this transfer.   It will be so fun.   This area is perfect.  It's a ward so here so there are tons of people to help us.

Fun fact: I got my first sunburn this week (which is weird)  also super exciting because that means all the other times it just went straight to being a tan. I am very tan, or I mean tanner.  I dont know that I have ever been actually tan... :)

WE FOUND A FAMILY THIS WEEK. They are a husband and wife (not married) and their 5 kids. They are ready to follow what Heavenly Father wants for them!   We are extending a date for baptism the next appointment so I will keep y'all posted. 

Love you all,

Have a good week! Bye!

Hermana Shepherd

Serving a mission in paradise!

Happy Mothers Day!

Hello!  Sorry I haven't written for a couple weeks. It's been crazy and I have had no time. 

First of all, this transfer has been the hardest of my mission yet, but I have learned so much from it.  Mostly, I have learned to have more faith in the promises that we are given. 

Last Saturday we were supposed to have a baptism for Joven.   We woke up and had one tiny lesson and then cleaned the chapel. Then we went to eat really fast and came back to the chapel and Joven wasn't there.  We looked for him for a long time and he never showed up.

Pres Corbitt had given us a promise that everyone would have a baptism and we didn't. We were out until 10;30 that night with the ASSISTANTS (who came all the way from Santo Domingo) to help us find a person to baptize. We found one, but she didn't want to get baptized. I have never cried more in my life, but I'm over it now because if we wouldn't have gone through that then she wouldn't be getting baptized this next Saturday.

We had a long phone call with our mission President  that night until like 11:30.  He said that we did everything we could and the promise was completed.  It's just that people have their agency. I believe him and it makes sense. It was just hard.  Then I was reading in 3rd Nephi  where God introduces Jesus Christ to the people saying,  (this is my son, in whom I am well pleased.) I felt like that was about me. If god were to introduce me in that moment he would say the same thing, because I did everything that I could. I could feel that it was true. He is proud of me and the work that I am doing here. 

I am now being transferred to VillaVerde. Which is in La Romana. It is southeast of where I have been serving. 

 I will be with Hermana Jackson. I have met her and she is super sweet, but I am a little worried because she is from the states so I hope I can continue learning Spanish really fast. I am super excited for this next transfer.

Something super cool that happened yesterday is that I talked to my family through skype. It was very nice to see them and that they are doing well.  I had been a little homesick and seeing them really helped with that. I got to skype with my family in Washington and also family in Utah.  I loved it!

I am super tired still. I think I will be for the rest of my mission. YAY. But hey, I am almost at six months in the mission. It has gone by so fast. I will try to put some more pictures on from Monte Plata which is where I was in this last transfer.

Hey! also, we had a tarantula in the house. It was as big as my hand. I died. We had a lot of random bugs lately that are big .  I took some pictures of what it looks like in the CAMPO, or country.

Other than that, not too much new. I have learned a ton. I am still loving it here!

Oh, one other thing, I dont remember if I have told you this before but so far on my mission I have had Zika virus, and Ameabas. WOOOOO! hahaa. 

Have a good week guys love you!

Hermana Shepherd

The beautiful countryside

Lots of spiders.  This one is poisonous so we sprayed it with bleach and then hit it with a broom!