12/14/2009 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

Wow! This past week has been a great week; a week of hard work and great things happening. This week I met so many great people, and have helped so many people come unto Christ. This past week was the first week of a new transfer, and my companion and I worked really hard, walking a lot, talking a lot, teaching a lot, and leaving people with many invitations to come unto Christ.

One great thing that happened this week is that a family I am teaching, decided to set a date for marriage as well as baptism. They are going to be married and baptized together here in the next 5 weeks, and I am very excited and happy for them.

Right now I am teaching and helping many people learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and helping them come unto Christ, and it is just incredible. The blessings and happiness that come from being engaged in the Lord's work is amazing.

It is wonderful to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ can change a persons desires and lifestyles, and can help them come closer to their Savior, and begin on the pathway with leads to Eternal Life.

I am so thankful for the privilege I have to serve as a representative of Christ here in Cape Verde. I know, and have a testimony with without any doubts, that the Heavens are opened, and that our Loving Heavenly Father continues to hear our prayers, and answers accordingly. I know that we have a Prophet that lives and leads our Heavenly Father's kingdom here on Earth, along with 12 Apostles. They are men called of God, and special witnesses of Jesus Christ.

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Christmas Season!

12/7/2009 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

Another transfer has again, finished. This past week was my last with with my companion, Elder Chun. Elder Chun and I served together in Fonte Aleixo for 6 weeks, and we had a great time. It was Elder Chuns last transfer of his mission, and he finished his 24 months and is now headed home to his home in Hawaii. I learned a lot and had a great time with Elder Chun, and saw it as a great pleasure to serve with him.
Now, I am staying in the Area of Fonte Aleixo for my third transfer and will be serving together with Elder Almeida. Elder Almeida is from Brazil, and just finished serving for 6 months in the mission office as Secretary. I am excited to see what great work I can accomplish with him.

This past week as we taught our investigators, we found and taught some people who have made some big mistakes in their lives. These people are great people, and have come to develop a desire to change their lives, and accept and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is such a wonderful feeling to be an important part in the lives of the people I serve, and to have the privilege to help them accomplish their desires, be baptized, and live their lives in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am so thankful for the gospel in my life, and especially grateful for the privilege to serve here in Cape Verde. I am very happy that I am able to serve here in Fogo, in Fonte Aleixo for another Transfer.

I hope everyone is doing well, and are enjoying this holiday season.

11/30/2009 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This past week as family and friends in America celebrated Thanksgiving, I realized the importance of "The small and precious things" in our lives. As I am serving my mission here in Cape Verde, I often will think of many of the precious things I left behind to serve the Lord; my family, friends, and all of the things we enjoy in America that other people don't have. This Thanksgiving truly gave me the feeling of "Thanksgiving" as I truly thought and pondered about all of the blessings I enjoy in my life. I am so thankful for my family, for my friends, and for everything I have in my life.
Life here in Cape Verde is going well. I can not believe that today is the last day of November already. Time is going quickly. When I woke up this morning I was a little cold, and looked at the temperature, and it was 70 degrees. haha.
The Lord's work is going forward. These past few weeks I have seen many people be baptized and make that sacred covenant with the Lord. It is wonderful how all around the world, people are enjoying the blessings of the gospel, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to share the gospel with the people of Cape Verde. What a blessing. There is no greater joy than sharing the gospel with others.
I thank my family and friends for your prayers and thoughts. Your letters and packages mean a lot to me and bring me great joy. Thank you!