Sheppard learned to speak the Kuba* language, which helped him to discover parts of the Congo region where no American or European had ever gone. Sheppard and his local Bakuba guide would go from village to village buying eggs at different markets. For three months, he bought and ate eggs and preached the gospel at every village where he stopped. Sheppard stayed and studied the culture and, because of his excellent language skills, he was welcomed into the villages by the local leaders.