10-13-2010

Dear family and friends,
Its been a trying but good week here in Harlem and I am really missing home and everybody. The one investigator who's baptism was going to be on saturday has decided he needs to wait till the 30th to get baptised. Its a little frustrating but I think its for the best because we still have a lot to teach him. Transfer calls were yesterday and Elder Craig and I are taking over the area while our trainer ( Elder Duran) is going to be the new assistant to the President. That means all of my trainers in the mission field have been Asisstants to the President, I have a lot to live up to in the family tree. No big crazy events have happened except for we talked to this lady in our ward and she told us her conversion story. So she was 9 months pregnant and was living at this family house who were all members, she had been taking the missionary lessons for a while but had never accepted to be baptised. On this particular night she was in a severe amount of pain due to being 9 months pregnant and was having a really really bad night. Then she woke up in the middle of the night and there was a man sitting on her bed. The man explained to her that she needed to join the mormon church becauseit was the only true church on earth. He then told her the reason it was the true church was because it had a true Prophet of God to lead and guide it. She described this man to be about 6 feet or so with reddish brown hair and a scar below his left eye. He also walked with a slight limp and wore old fashion clothing. This man told her that his name was Joseph Smith and then touched her stomach and all her pain went away. He then got up and walked out of the house with her following him, after he left she ran through the house screaming " I have seen him, I have seen him!!!!" She did not have anymore pregnancy pain till 3 days later when she had her baby girl named paula. It was so amazing to her this story and I really feel it is true because I felt the spirit when she said it and the sincerity in her eyes and tone of voice I don't think she could fake. I know that this church really is the true church of God and President Monson is the true Prophet of God to lead and guide the church. Conference was awesome and I hope all of you got to have the experience of feeling the spirit testify that the leaders of this church truly are called of God. I hope you all had questions in mind that you recieved answers to and I hope you recieved comfort and counsel.
Stay close to God through prayer, Learn His will through pondering and studying the scripture study, Better yourself by concentrating your efforts on helping others around you, Humble yourself by admitting your faults and trying your hardest to fix them. Love more, Learn more, and Live more, because this truly is our time of probation that we come to follow God or follow our own natural man. I love you all and hope and pray for your spiritual and physical welfare. Remember the Lord and you will ultimately find truth no matter what.
Love,
Elder Shepherd