Semana 36

Hope everyone had an awesome Halloween and week! Mine was just spent at a little carne cook out at one of our members homes (the Banda family) that was super good, and then more food and candy that Elder Chacin and I enjoyed in the apartment after six. Different, but Halloween was still fun.

As always, thank you so much Fam for the package with more clothes and some treats. You guys are the best. I really appreciate it. Also thanks to the Hermansens for the letter! I was super glad to hear that you are all doing well and see some pictures of what you have been up to. Thanks also to Grandma Jeri for the letter too. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Birthday shout out to Grandma Jeri, Wes Brown, Jeff Hermansen, and Elder Cuff! I hope you all had/have wonderful birthdays! I wish I was there to celebrate with you all, but we will do something fun when I get back.

So this past week was super awesome as always down by the Rio. The highlights were throwing plates filled with shaving cream at each other for a district meeting training (sorry no pictures), Carnes (bbq) at our favorite members homes, a super cool Christmas themed Zone meeting, a miracle, and Halloween! My favorite holiday.

To talk more about the Christmas themed zone meeting. One of our zone leaders (Elder Breck, such a great guy and super funny) is heading home on Wednesday and wanted to spend one last Christmas in the mission. So we decided to throw a little party for zone meeting before he heads home so we drank hot chocolate, practiced teaching lessons that included comparing Santa to faith and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer to Christ's life, and a white elephant. It was a lot of fun. Strange for me being so into Halloween and wishing we had had a party for that, but super fun still the same.

So the miracle story is actually really long so I will have to condense it. If you want the full story you will have to ask me about it after the mission. So basically Elder Chacin and I had stopped to get some gas at the 7/11 in Rio Bravo and were talking to a less active that was there selling candy apples. After that when we went to go into the store to pick up our gas receipt a guy stopped us and started questioning us about the church. He seemed innocent enough so we started to try teaching him. Well we came to find out that this guy was probably a preacher for the Pentecostal church and knew a lot about our church and has a very negative view on us. So he starts getting heated and trying to bash our doctrine and was just overall very rude here in the middle of the parking lot for about ten minutes. We kept our cool and didn't stoop to his level, but whenever he let us get a word in we testified of truth and defended ourselves. He just wouldn't have any of it and when we realized just how hard hearted he was and wasn't willing to listen I just felt prompted to tell him boldly in Spanish. Okay, I will see you at judgement day in front of the Savior and we will see who is right. Said a respectful goodbye and headed out of there. After that Elder Chacin and I felt very bummed out. Not because of what was said, but because we just felt sad that he was so hard hearted against the truth and seemed so unhappy. We stopped and said a prayer for him and his future posterity that they would be able to find the truth and I really hope he does, After that I just looked over at Elder Chacin and said " Alright obviously the devil is trying to stop us today with all the things he has been throwing at us. So we are going to go out find a very prepared, humble person to teach right now." So we changed our view to the positive side and went right to a referral. We were met with a super friendly guy that invited us in immediately, no questions asked. Like he was just waiting for us. We had probably the most spiritual lesson of the three transfers I've been with Elder Chacin and he (Juan) easily accepted a baptismal invitation. Such a crazy cool testimony building day. The story of how we were referred to Juan is a crazy story too, but for sake of time I will have to stop here.

I know that this church is true and that truly this is Christ's work. Everything just points to that every single day out here. I am so grateful to be a part of it.

Hope everyone has a great week! We have transfers tomorrow so I will let everyone know how that goes. I think Elder Chacin and I's time together is done unfortunately, but I am excited to see where the next chapter of the mission takes me.

Love y'all and stay classy,

Elder Sheehy

Our Halloween feast of junk food, haha. Thanks to everyone for the awesome packages!

Halloween yard in Rio Bravo

Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in the background

Bye bye Elder Breck

Merry Christmas? From Laredo

P.S. Steve is heading to Corpus Christi tomorrow for work, which is in Austin's mission, and could very possibly be where Austin could get transferred. ;)

Semana 35

Buenas tardes!

I hope that everyone had a great week! Mine was great! As always, thanks so much to Grandma Lorraine for the Halloween card with the gift card and Grandma Jeri for the Halloween card as well! I am so blessed to have such wonderful Grandmothers. I appreciate all that you do.

So this past week we had the cool opportunity to have Elder Dube of the Seventy come and speak to us for a day out in Corpus Christi. It was a looong day with tons of driving, but it was completely worth it. He is an amazing guy and the spirit was so strong as he spoke. He is also one of the funniest guys as well who lit up the room with his happy attitude. Not to mention he is a dope African accent that sounded way cool. I felt super uplifted from the things he talked about. He had nothing but great things to say about our mission and us as missionaries, which felt super good. He also told us something that we all already know. We have an incredible mission president who loves and cares about us deeply. Such a great day trip.

Saturday we got a bunch of rain from the hurricane system that hit Mexico. Luckily no damage or flooding here. Sounds like Mexico and other parts of Texas got hit pretty hard which is scary. Haven't heard much for details.

Yesterday I gave my first talk in Spanish! Boy it was scary, but it went really well. That gift of tongues definitely kicked in, haha. I spoke about being patient in the Lord's timing and through adversity. Overall, It's been a very good week.

That's all for now. Will send a few pictures.

Love you all so much and hope everyone is doing well,

Stay classy,

-Elder Sheehy

Found a wild tarantula! That sucker was big! (yikes)

Pretty sky out proselyting

Our investigator, Samuel's house in El Cenizo

A lady in our ward gave a great talk in sacrament meeting yesterday in which she emailed all of the missionaries in our ward and asked them their responses to this question: "How do you make Christ like attributes a part of your lives and missions?" 

This was Austin's response that she read as part of her talk...  

I would say, with all Christ-like attributes it really comes down to self examination. I try to take a moment during studies on a weekly basis and ask myself, "Which aspect do I most need to improve on?" and "What did I do well this week in?" I then prayerfully set goals that will help me become better in that attribute. It also comes down to constantly reminding yourself of that which you are trying to achieve and seeking divine help. Because we truly are not on our own and we can do nothing without the strength of the Savior. In every prayer that week or until I feel that I have improved at a sufficient level I will ask our Father in Heaven to specifically help me develop that attribute. I then focus on the outward. To be a follower and example of Christ is so much easier if we view mortality and others around us as He does. We cannot expect to see much improvement until we have worked on this. To end, I always give thanks for any success or things I have learned and repent when I fall short. It won't always be easy, but it will be oh so worth it. As long as we are improving and taking steps towards that tree of eternal life, we are doing precisely what our Father in Heaven wants of us. 

One more thing, it came to my attention today that I put the wrong zip code for Austin's mailing address on a message that I sent out a few months ago. It is correct on this blog, 78046. Hope that didn't mess up anyone's letters.

Semana 34

Hey everyone!

First, Thanks grandma J. for the letters. I am always so happy to hear about how you are doing and that Uncle Dale is now doing better. I will continue to send prayers his way.

Not a lot of time to talk right now. This past week was a little tough because I have a stomach bug or something that just doesn't want to go away, but it's all good. I am feeling better every day. We also are having some difficulty with investigators not progressing and we had to drop quite a few of them which is always really hard to do. There are plenty of prepared people here regardless and we are doing our best to find them and get them going on the path to eternal happiness.

The rest is going to be pictures for this week, but to end as always I hope that everyone is having a wonderful fall and that you look for those opportunities to serve those around you.

Something cool that is happening this week is that we are going to Corpus Christi on Friday to listen to a seventy (Don't know who it is yet) who is going to be here on a mission tour. It will be super cool to hear from him and learn some new things and get to see a new part of the mission for me. Will let everyone know how it goes next week.

Love y'all and stay classy,

Elder Sheehy

On the shores of the Rio in our area of El Cenizo with the district.

A cool tire snake at a park in our area right next to the Rio. Taken with the Cielito sisters (Sorenson and Ingleby)

Painting shirts with the district

Sign outside of Rio Bravo, because there is a jail in town. 

(hoping they won't be picking up hitchhikers to teach!)

Zone breakfast

Semana 33

Hey, sorry not much time to write this week and sorry about not sending out a mass email last week.

First,

Thanks so much to grandma Jeri for the letters and amazing Halloween package! Wow I owe you big time after the mission. I appreciate so much all you do for me. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing family who have taught me so many valuable things. Love you all around the world and back again.

Other than that things have been going good. Fairly ordinary weeks so not too much new. Not a lot of time to give details this week as well so I will just send pictures.

Love you all so much and hope that you are having a great fall.

The church is true!

Stay Classy,

Elder Sheehy



Here is a part of the letter he wrote to me, since he didn't write much in the mass email again this week... :)

I know how tough this life gets sometimes. The mission isn't easy either, but I am learning so much and helping so many people I don't know how I could ever turn back. There are so many precious things to learn out here that I don't think I would have ever gained otherwise.

Hope all is well and you have an awesome week! Oh, President Maluenda told me to tell you all hi for him at the interviews I had with him last Friday. I always love the time I get to hear from him. Such an amazing guy.

Starting Halloween celebrations right. Elder Chacin at Burger King with the black colored buns on the Halloween Whopper and a pumpkin shake.  Looks nasty, but it tasted good.

What happens in a two man apartment, stays in a two man apartment, haha! 

Maybe Elder Chacin and I have been together too long? ;)

Dinner by candlelight in the apartment. Thanks to a great member who brought us some super good fish.

Tied up for a district meeting training

Sun setting into Mexico

Semana 32

Austin didn't send a general email this week,  I'm not sure why? But I decided to post the one he sent to me. :) 


Hey Mom!

Conference was wonderful. It was exactly what I needed. That's awesome to hear that you are re-watching the talks. I find that to be true as well that we always get more out of gospel studies when we show God our diligence in rereading. I loved the talks about the importance of women as well. I'm not going to lie, all of us elders watching that missed our moms for a little bit, but it was good, haha. I really do appreciate all you have done for me though, and all the incredible good influence you have put on my life.
I totally forgot that was Wes's mission president! (Devin Durrant, who spoke about "Ponderizing") That's super cool. I really liked his talk a lot. Yeah, president Monson did look very weak and seemed to get more tired the longer he stood up there and talked. I hope we have him around for awhile longer, but it's hard to say with all these changes in church leadership. Seems like God is calling a lot of them to positions in the spirit world right now.

I watched conference at the "Hillside chapel" up in northern Laredo which was fun and got to spend some time with Elder Olsen who lived in the same apartment with me in La Joya.  I think my favorite talks were President Uchtdorfs about re-simplifying when things seem overwhelming and Dallin H. Oaks talk on the atonement.  Elder Hollands was powerful as usual as well as Nelsons. It's hard for me to choose favorites. I also really loved Bednar's talk on the leaders of the church and the powerful final testimonies that the apostles and president Hinckley gave.

I miss rain so much! haha It seriously is so wonderful when we get rained on here. Our yard and the mountains look so pretty in that picture you sent.

Did you love that concert? I bet it was great. I love Def Leppard live a lot and would love to see Styx sometime.

Glad to hear you had a fun time with Kyle's family, grandma, and the rest. I miss the little twins sometimes and not seeing them before they grow up, but we will do something fun when I return.

I love the Nordfelts too! I think back at how much brother Nordfelt helped prepare me to go on a mission. Tell them all hi for me.

Haha, hard to explain more of what I am experiencing. Every day is pretty much a typical missionary day. Not a lot of new details as well because my area of Rio Bravo is so small that i've just about said all there is to say about it. Especially being here since July. I do love it a lot though.

I asked him what his biggest achievements and biggest challenges were this past week:
Probably biggest achievement was meeting a lot of prepared people and setting a lot of baptismal dates with them because Elder Chacin worked super hard and stayed connected to our daily goals. God blesses us always as we focus like that and it's cool to see the little miracles he gives us to place those prepared people in our path.

Biggest challenge was dealing with a stomach bug for the last couple of weeks that won't go away and having my ears gummed up that i need to go get cleaned out, haha. It's fun trying to understand a language that is already foreign, but when you're half deaf it is even more fun trying to communicate. It's all good though.

Love you so much and have a wonderful week,

Elder Sheehy

Semana 31

Well, not much time at all to type a good email out , but just wanted to report that I am still in Rio Bravo with Elder Chacin! I am way excited to spend another with him! He is a great missionary and has really become one of my very good friends. I am learning so much and am having a blast seeing Laredo grow!

Not much to say about this week unfortunately. Kind of the same old same old, but it's all very good!

One super cool experience we had this past week was contacting a home where a son there is special needs. He can only make sounds and can't speak very much at all, but his actions and experience we had with him spoke much louder than any words every could. After greeting him and asking him if anyone else was there, he went to go and grab a parent which happened to be very catholic and didn't want anything to do with us. It was amazing though because the son knew exactly who we were and why we were there. He got way happy and his face lit up when we testified, and I know without a doubt that he knows what we were saying was true. His mother rejected us still though and you could see the frustration he had when she turned us away. I know that our Father in Heaven sent him there to help that family, and hopefully someday through his good influence the rest of his family will accept the true gospel. This experience was just such a great testimony to me of the truthfulness of this church and how loving and just our father in heaven is. I know without a doubt that people like him are truly heirs of the celestial kingdom and that they are only here to gain a body and help the rest of us out to return home to the God who gave us life.

That's all for now. Love y'all so much and hope everyone is enjoying their fall. I can't wait to hear the prophet and apostles here at general conference. I know that their words are the most beneficial for us at this time and if followed we will be strengthened tremendously.

Stay classy,

Elder Sheehy

Semana 30

Hey Everyone!

Well, transfers are coming up tomorrow and I will find out tonight where I will be for the next six weeks. Hard to say what's going on, but it will be a blast wherever I go. I feel like Elder Chacin might be splitting which will be tough, but it will be cool to get to know some other elders here.

As always, thank you so much to Grandma Jeri for the letters. They must have gotten backed up because I got three this week which was super cool. Also Grandma Jeri that's cool that president Call at the Mexico MTC is your former stake president. I was around him quite a bit there. He was a really cool guy. Also thanks so much to Aunt Bertha for the letter as well. I really appreciate the time you take to write me.

So, I don't have a ton of things to write about this week because it's just been kind of the end of transfer craziness, but on Tuesday we had another zone conference with President Maluenda. I enjoy every time I get to hear him speak. He is an incredible guy that has an amazing gospel knowledge and testimony. You can really tell how much he and his wife care for us missionaries as well. It's great to know that I can always turn to him and he will drop anything to help, if it ever was necessary. 

On Friday Elder Chacin and I enjoyed a little fiesta birthday party of one of the recent convert's son in our area. They are a super cool family with Brother Deleon who is an ex-army Iraq veteran, a die hard 49ers fan and the whole family is way into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So it was a ninja turtles themed party with delicious mexican food and spanish music. It's cool getting to know and love the culture here more. It is definitely a Mexico/America mix which is really cool.

Yesterday a couple of the sister missionaries in our district baptized which was way cool to see because we have been so involved with helping them. They have been working super hard and they definitely deserved to enjoy that incredible gift of baptism with their new convert.

That's all for now. Have a wonderful week everyone! I will let you all know how transfers went.

Love,

Elder Sheehy

Bye bye Elder Eskelson :(

Zone shirts we made. I am in the upper right corner

Primary kids dressed of for Mexican Independence Day at the branch party

Guard goat in the middle of inner city Laredo. Only would you see this here, ha ha

La Cucaracha. I'm so glad we don't get these and the other big bugs at home.

Road runner in the fanciest neighborhood of South Laredo

Lake Casa Blanca from last week when I was on exchange with Elder Eskelson