Working Hard in Rosario

Jose and Ionara, and of course - Me

Parade of Gauchos  (Cowboys)

Eliane and her whole family! I love them!

Pedro, Vanisa and their family

Dad and I have been wondering about letters.  Have you been getting our letters?  

Yes - but I randomly get them. I got the package that you sent here today. It took 31 days. So a lot longer for things to get to here than to the other areas

How is your new area?

Very good. The branch is really weak though. We´ve been talking about things with the mission President. I like it a lot because there aren´t a lot of hills.

How is you companion doing?

He´s doing well.  

Obama is going to be president for another 4 years.  Did you hear this?  If so, what do you and the people of Brazil think of this?

Yeah we heard about it the next morning. For me it´s fine because no one even knows what´s going on down here.   

How are your clothes & shoes holding up?

Everything is really good. I´ve repaired some seams in the pants at times and the backs of some ties. Everything else is just dandy. 

Where should we send your Christmas package (in the next couple of weeks)?

Here to Rosario. Remember the address:

Elder Carson Shepherd

Caixa Postal 40, Centro

Rosario do Sul - RS

97590-000

Brasil

What have you been eating there in Rosario?

Just lots of fried things and sandwiches and crackers at home on our low budget. With the members the meals are just typical. We eat usually a plate of beans and rice and a couple pieces of thin beef; nothing to special, but it´s way better than nothing. 

How is your new companion coming along.. are you getting along? : )  And that new area, are you finding it dangerous or just have to watch what you are doing?

Good, and yes we get along just great. We won´t have any problems, just a lot of encouraging him right now. The new area is for sure a lot more dangerous than what I´ve been in my life. Before opening the door people make sure we aren´t police. We are always careful though, and I have now memorized what neighborhoods to not go into at night.

Are you enjoying the package that mom and I sent out with Sister Taylor?

It is awesome.

Have you received letters there in Rosario do Sul?

Yes I have just received a couple from you guys. I think that maybe the letters are getting held up somehow because I for sure haven´t gotten all of the letters you´ve sent me either. 

How are your lessons/ Preach my Gospel coming?   Are you getting them down?

I have all of them memorized with all of the scriptures as well. It´s not too bad, just had to get the language down first. 

Hello!

This transfer has been crazy so far.  

This week we did a lot of running around. I was still trying to meet a lot of the members and the inactives so that I can see the needs of the branch and who needs visits and what not. We will be having a baptism for a young woman in the branch in these next few weeks. Her parents didn´t want to sign the papers and wanted her to wait ‘til she turned 18, but I gave a message about procrastination and they said they will sign it now. She is at church every week, so I´m positive she´ll make an instant contribution to the branch.   

We practice teaching for 2 hours every morning, but it is very different teaching me than teaching an investigator. I made a rule for him last night that from now on he has to teach the restoration every day when we give the message after lunch. Then he will practice with other people. I told him that all I´m going to do is bare testimony and help him when he´s lost. I told him that people will understand if he messes up, and that they will help him as well. This city has terrific people that are always willing to help us out. They are warm and always understanding. The only pain here is that we don´t have bikes. So sometimes we literally have to run from one appointment to another. 

We taught about 31 lessons this past week, and worked very hard. I was also doing part time divisions during the days with Elder Mason´s companion. I´d guess that I taught almost 50 lessons this past week. We will see some success and some baptisms coming out of my area here in these next couple of week, I´m confidant of that.  Sorry today is short. We just did a lot of sweating and teaching this week. We had 3 investigators at church, but next week there will for sure be more. Our branch has an attendance of about 40 people. So not super weak, but there really isn´t a lot of priesthood.  

I love you all!

Elder Shepherd