Alright, where'd we leave off. Well I've been in Simoca for about the last 6 months, but that just all changed pretty quick. ¿Donde esta Elder Shepherd? ¿And why is he emailing on a Saturday?
Friday night last week, we were out teaching, Elder Weaver and I (It was Divisiones so there were 6 of us in Simoca, Elder Weaver is our Líder of the District). We were teaching a family and when we left, we saw we had gotten 4 calls from the Assistant to the President of the Mision. Woah. We decided we would call when we got back to the apartment in the night. And this whole time I figured it was just for Elder Weaver, because he was supposed to return from the mission a week from then (yesterday). So we finished out the night and headed home.
When we got to the apartment, the Elderes were acting really strange, saying that I'd make a great Líder of a District, a great father in the mission, or a great Sister Training Líder. They too had received calls, and so they knew there were changes being made, but they didn't know exactly what. So after an anxious wait, we got the call. They gave me the rundown on the changes of the other Elderes there, that they had already known. Elder Luthi and my Companion Elder Donoso, were going to stay in Simoca as companions. Elder Weaver is going back to Detroit and Elder Rojas is going to fill his place with Elder Sullivan. A big shuffle of us 6 Elderes there. But a shuffle that left me out. Where am I going???
The AP then asked me if I wanted to see my companion and let me know that I would be trained again, and with all of us 6 Elderes huddled around the call turned into a video call...and all of the Elderes of la Oficina/The Office were there and went off like a BYU stadium right after Jimmer nailed a 3. Elder Shepherd, Your Coming to the Oficina, Salta Capital.
What.
So just two days later, I took the front-upper-window-seat of a double decker bus, and took a 7-hr ride to Salta, Salta. Just a little bit bigger than Simoca (that's a joke... it´s like I just went from Arlington, WA to like San Francisco. Not exactly, but we be in the big city now).
I have 2 new companions now, too. Elder Pedro from Brazil (Tecnologia de la MAS) and Elder Braegger (Sectretario, Materiales, y Salud de la MAS) who is training me to replace him. We serve in the Office everyday until 4, and then go out to serve like normal in the night.
So after like 6 months in Simoca, I guess all the changes were waiting to hit a once. But it has been so good. My companions are great, we're teaching an amazing familia of 10+ people (I'll have to update you on that next week), and I´m here in Salta Capital, just about 25min from the temple. And after just 3 days here, I got the amazing opportunity to see it. And I want to share a little bit about Temples.
el Templo
Temple of Salta, Argentina
This Temple is the Temple of Salta, Argentina, and has a special place in my heart, even more now. And as this Temple has been founded, and grown, so has my testimony of los Templos.
In April of 2018, I got the chance to go to General Conference, the only time in my life, and hear Profeta Nelson talk. In his final message, he talked about Temples. And as I recalled when I opened my mission call, in this conference filled with the spirit, he announced many Temples, including this one.
Salta, Argentina.
This week, Friday, I got to see this Temple for the first time in person. And it is so close to being finished, it is beautiful, and it reminded me of these moments, as well as more, and so I went back to study some of this talk, and I´d like to share some of this with you.
Prophet Nelson talked a lot about the work and the blessing that we have waiting for us, all of us. And the message that we have to share with the world.
"Our message to the world is simple and sincere: we invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life.2"
-Prophet Russel M. Nelson
The Sacrifice of the Savior, has opened up the doors to more blessings than we can imagine, but the blessing more special than all and the way he has shown us to get there is this:
7 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7)
It is only because of the Savior that we have this blessing in our lives, that all are promised the resurrection, and those who follow and live what He has taught will give families united together for eternity. As we follow what He has taught we will be blessed in this life and in the life to come. He has given us this power, and the access to the fullness of His blessings and His power is found in Convenants, promises that we make with Him, of Baptism and those that we make in His Holy House, the Temple.
"My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will." -Prophet Russel M. Nelson
The Temple truly is the House of the Lord in the Earth, and our time there will change our lives and those of our families. I´m so excited for this Temple to be open soon because I have gained a seed of a testimony that continues to grow of how important these Temples truly are. Temples are blessings, as we follow the commandments and are worthy, we will have access to their saving power. We have the special responsibility in these last days to help others to gain access to this power, including those around us today and those who came before us (Jacob 5:63). We have been sent here in this time, in these places, in these families to find these blessings ourselves and help others to find them as well. I know that because of Christ, and only because of Him, we have these blessings available for us and our families. I know that the family is central to His plan. I know that as we enter the Temple we can feel closer with our Savior, our Father in Heaven, and receive peace and inspiration for our lives there. His presence, His spirit resides there. As we prioritize the things our Father in Heaven has asked of us and make the sacrifices we need to to enter His House, our testimony and relationship with Him will grow. Your time there will change the course of your life.
Gracias for all your messages, love, and support.
¡Welcome to Salta Capital!
Les amo!
