Week 39

Jeff spends a ton of time on the phone calling other missionaries and members in his "district".

In their apartment

Looking over Saltillo

And...there are even horses in Saltillo!

Jeff's "Heaven" room (Mom thinks his hair is very short!)

Event Helpers

Dear Family and Friends, 

This was a good week!  Today doesn't really feel like Monday because the week went by so fast. I was coughing and had a headache for much of it, so that slowed us down but we never stopped because everyday on the mission is super important! 

The highlight of the week was the ward missionary activity that Elder Smith, Elder Domiciano, Elder Aguilar, and I planned and held on Friday night! It was an incredible activity and I have to give a big shout out and muchas gracias to Elder Augilar and Domiciano because they planned most of it! We had about 120 people attend! It was great! 

The activity was called the "Trip to Hawaii".  We separated everyone in groups of about 40 and sat them in chairs in the hallways that resembled the inside of a plane. Then we simulated a plane ride with sounds and some young women from the ward helped us by being flight attendants. Then, we simulated a plane crash and accident with a smoke machine and everything and it was super cool!   We then talked about what it would be like after we die.  

I was in the Celestial kingdom (heaven), so there was cake, comfy chairs, and I gave a message in my white baptismal clothes. I explained that the celestial kingdom is where God and Jesus Christ will dwell someday and that we can all return to the presence of our Heavenly Father with our families if we follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to develop faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. If we follow these steps, and receive the ordinances of the gospel, we can be clean from sin and return to the Celestial Kingdom! This should be the goal that we all share! 

As it says in the Doctrine and Covenants 76 verse 62: "These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever". The group of people that are being referred to, is the people that have followed Jesus Christ, accepted his Gospel, and endured to the end! 

This promise brings me a lot of joy and peace. Imagine how great it will be in the Celestial Kingdom with our families!  That makes the effort and time to do the little things like read in the scriptures daily, pray daily, and attend church worth it. If we do the small things that God asks us to do we will be happy! 

Much love! Have a great week!

Elder Shipley