1/25/2010 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

Another transfer has come and gone. I have now been transferred, and am now serving on a different Island, São Vicente. I served on the Island of Fogo for three transfers with Elders Nobrega, Chun, and Almeida, and enjoyed my time there very much. I am now serving in the area of Monte Ssosego Norte Mindelo in Mindelo Branch 2. São Vicente is different from Fogo, but I am sure I will adjust soon.

My last few weeks in Fogo, we starting teaching three brothers about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were great kids, and loved each time we visited, but it was always the younger brother that seemed to have the most excitement every time we talked about the gospel. Every time we would teach a lesson and invite them to do something, this little boy was overly excited and just couldn't sit still in his chair. His excitement for the gospel was something that just made he overly happy, so see a young boy so excited about following his Heavenly Father's plan. We invited him to attended a baptism service of someone else that was being baptized, we invited him to come to church with us on Sunday, and many other things, and every time, he replied and acted with a smile on his face and great joy in his heart. Being "excited" about the gospel is a wonderful thing. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan of happiness for everything, and when I see people "excited" about the gospel, it makes me have the desire to be even more excited myself, and surely helps me recognize the many blessings in my life.

This past week here in São Vicente, I was pleased to meet many of the members and our friends here in the area. They are humble and happy people, all who are learning more about Jesus Christ. During our lessons with many of these people, I could easily see in their responses and appearance that they recognized us, as missionaries, as "True Messengers" of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everyday it is a blessing to serve my Heavenly Father, and help others find the blessings which I enjoy in my life. I know that Christ lives, and that Heavenly Father is always ready to listen and respond to our prayers. Until next week...

For more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit http://www.mormon.org/

1/11/2010 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This week was an exciting week as I became one more year older.

Now I am 20 years old. Wow! My friends here had an amazing party for me, and I enjoyed my first Birthday in the mission very much.

There is a Hymn of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is titled Called to Serve that outlines and explains well the purpose of Missionary Work and why it is so important.

The words are as follows:

Called to serve Him, heav'nly King of glory,

Chosen e'er to witness for his name,

Far and wide we tell the Father's story,

Far and wide his love proclaim.

Called to know the richness of his blessing--

Sons and daughters, children of a King--

Glad of heart, his holy name confessing,

Praises unto him we bring.

Onward, ever onward, as we glory in his name; . . .

God our strength will be; press forward ever,

Called to serve our King.

I love the message of this hymn. The message is clear. We, as missionaries, are called and sent forth by the Lord, through His living prophets, to lands and countries around the world to proclaim his great message, to witness for His name and tell of His story. As missionaries, we enjoy the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and truly reap the blessings of service.

As a Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a Representative of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I am filled with joy everyday, having the privilege of serving our Father in Heaven, and telling all of His children about His wonderful plan for us, and how we can experience joy and happiness in our lives.

This past week I spent 2-3 days on a division, when I went to another area to serve with a different companion for a short period of time. I had the great privilege to serve together with one of my friends, Elder Coleman, and we had a great time together. Elder Coleman and I spent my Birthday together, but, we also worked our hardest, and really thought and pondered about the needs of those people that we were going to teach that day. As Elder Coleman and I sat in our Companionship Study, and one by one thought about each of our Heavenly Fathers children that we would teach that day, we followed the Holy Spirit, and planned accordingly. At the end of our day, we looked back at some of the lessons we taught, and realized that we had a really good day, and really helped some of our Heavenly Father´s children learn more about Him, and come closer to Him.

I know that the Holy Spirit is real, and that as we listen to the soft still voice of the Spirit, we will follow the will of our Father. I believe, without any doubt, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord´s Kingdom on Earth. I thank everyone for their letters, cards, thoughts, and prayers, as I serve our King, Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ.

1/04/2010 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This week is the first week of the new year, 2010. Wow. As they new year begins, one thing that I have been thinking about lately, is goals for this year. In our personal lives, we have many things to accomplish. School, work, and family take a lot of our time, and somethings we find ourselves saying "There just isn't enough time in a day."
Having a goal, or a desire to do something, along with a final result in mind, helps us to progress and accomplish things more easily.
When we think of "goals" we may begin to think about how much weight we want to weigh, what we want to do with our education or work, and other things of other subjects. One thing we may sometimes pass by and not think so much about is our spiritual life. What about the goals that will affect our spiritual progress. Some ideas for spiritual goals might be, our prayers, our reading of the Holy Scriptures, or even the time we spend with our family.
I know without a doubt, that when we make goals, we will progress and find much more success in our lives.
Missionary Work is going forth with full force here in Cape Verde, and I am enjoying every minute of it. This past week my Branch had a huge New Year's Eve party for the members, and they were nice and brought and shared some food with us in our house. With the beginning of this New Year, I see a lot of time ahead of me, a blessing, that I look forward to with all of my heart.
I know that Jesus is the Christ; our Savior and Redeemer. I love and thank everyone for their support as I serve here in Cape Verde.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

12/21/2009 Letter from Elder Joshua Shelhamer

This past week has been a week full of many wonderful things.

One thing that I really noticed during this past week, is the power and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

As I Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ here in Cape Verde, I am never surprised when our message, the message of God's Love for His children, changes the lives of many people.

This past week as we were teaching a house of 4 young men between the ages of 14-19, we had a wonderful lesson about some of the commandments that our Heavenly Father has given us to follow. The presence of the Holy Spirit was strong, and the messages was clear. Every time we teach a lesson, one of the most important parts of our visits is the end, when we ask our investigators, our friends, if they have any questions for us. During this visit our friends had many questions between what they have already learned about the Gospel in their Church and what we were teaching them. With the many different religions today, there is much confusion about plain and simple gospel truths. With the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, these confusions and questions are clear and answered.

As our friends began to ask us many questions about "Why does the Bible say..." or "Why do most people think..." and "Why does my church say...," we answered their questions accordingly, clearly, and simply. The one thing that was continuous in our answers was "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ" and how once they gained a testimony, and knew without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true, all of their questions would quickly and easily be resolved. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ as Savior, Redeemer, and King. The Book of Mormon clarifies truths of the Gospel that are not clearly noted in the Bible. Surely, the Holy Bible, and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ contain the fullness of the Gospel.

I testify and know without any doubt, that the Book of Mormon contains Words of God; teachings of prophets anciently that we can still apply and use in our daily lives. I know the God Lives, and Jesus is the Christ.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year filled with many joyful things. As I am here in Cape Verde, experiencing my first Christmas away from home, I am reminded of the many blessings that our Loving Heavenly Father has blessed us with. I am so very thankful for my family and friends who I love and care for greatly. I hope that everyone enjoys a wonderful Christmas full of Joy and Happiness.

I would highly encourage everyone to check out this wonderful website with many great things about Christmas. ( http://www.lds.org/topic/christmas ) This site contains great videos, music, ideas, and resources about the Christmas Season.

From my heart, with Love, MERRY CHRISTMAS! ( Feliz Natal! )