We may fall short of perfection, but atleast we can fall right into the Lords hands.

Dear Friends, Family, and dearest loved ones.
I am still here in Harlem, at least for another week because transfer call are next tuesday so I will let you all know next wednesday whats happening. Its a good chance that I will be changing areas because I have been in Harlem for 6 months, then again their is also a chance that I could stay here one more cycle until my companion goes home. I really don't know whats going to happen, and it drives me nuts thinking that I have to wait another week till I find out. I guess one of the purposes of a mission is to build up patience and the week before transfers is definitley one of those things. Fortunately if I do stay here in Harlem I will be able to be a part of 1 or more baptisms in my area Woohooo!!!!! This wonderful lady named Sonya has been working with the missionaries for about 7 months and is just barely deciding to get baptized on March 26th. It turns out that the major concern that she had about baptizm was she is afraid of water, but she has been praying for comfort and for the Lord to guide her in what to do and she decided she just needs to do it. She needs to start coming to church though, she used to come a lot but since the time of service has change to 1 o' clock she doesn't like that and has stopped coming for the past couple weeks. We are also going to be working with this guy named duke who has been coming to church regularly since I have got here and I totally thought he was a member, but it turns out he just needed to take his time in finding out if this church was for him. When he first started coming he had a lot of pressure from a lot of people to get baptized and that made him not want to do it, but know I guess he feels that its the right time. So thats where we come in, hahaha I don't know how excited he is to be taught by 2 kids who are barely adults but I'm sure if we just have the spirit with us everything will go fine.
Elder Irvine and i have been working really hard this last week and doing our best to help the people of Harlem hear about the restored gospel. Most of them won't give us a chance but hey atleast we help them to feel the spirit, even if its just for the 2 minutes that we are talking to them on the street. One of the members that was baptized about 8 years ago said that no one forgets the first time that they meet mormon missionaries. That means its really important to make the best first impression possible and help them to understand your purpose in wanting to help them come unto Christ. If they remember that the first time they met Mormon missionaries they felt something they had never felt before, they might want to find out why and what that feeling was.
Even though we don't have a whole lot of people to teach and we haven't been able to see many people get baptized or stay active in the church after they are baptized, doesn't mean that we don't see the Lords hand in our lives. Everyday I see something within my life that shows me that the Lord has a hand in my own individual life and the work in which I am a part of. I see plans fitting together so perfectly that everything falls into place, even if some of our plans fall through the Lord has something else for us to do. I am so convinced that if we just put our lives into His hands he will be able to guide us and take us where we need to be so that others can become happier and so that we can become better disciples of the Lord. I just barely thought of the saying that "We may fall short of perfection, but atleast we can fall right into the Lords hands." It may sound cheesy, but its so very true. All the Elders in Harlem call me Elder cheese because I have a lot of cheesey quotes and lines that I say. hahaha. I love all of you and I really hope that all of your lives are leading you towards Christ and His perfect hands. Stay safe and may the spirit be with you...
Love
Elder Keldon Shepherd