Week 15

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Ha, what a great week. This week I have two highlights.

1) The baptism of Steven Garcia.  He’s younger brother of Hermano Luis, who had been inactive since age 11 until we baptized his wife Alejandra. I love their family so much and it was so neat to see Hermano. Luis baptize his younger brother. They both are so completely converted.

2) General Conference. I can't even begin to describe how much I loved General Conference this year. I've always enjoyed it, but this conference, my first in the mission field, was way beyond anything I have experienced before. I eagerly devoured every talk and hung on every word. Each time a session ended I was incredibly distraught, knowing that it meant I had one session less left to watch. I still despair every time I think that I will have to wait for 6 more months to listen to conference again.

It was also neat that I was able to watch it in English, with the other 9 gringos in my zone, knowing that many of my friends and family were listening to the exact same thing at the exact same time. However, this, as well as seeing so many white people and hearing so much English made me feel pretty baggy (missionary slang for sentimental/thinking of home). And man, when the world report came on and they showed clips of the Marriott Center and of BYU, I was definitely freaking out a little. Still, it was an incredible experience to receive guidance from our living prophet.

Speaking of which, did you all get the bit about the importance of members in missionary work? I'm pretty sure it was M. Russell Ballard who talked all about that. You really do have a responsibility in the work (the baptism we had on Sunday is proof of the efficacy of member missionary work). The missionaries are full time teachers. You are full time finders. That also means you too can partake of the joy that comes when you spread the gospel and see it bless people's lives. If any of you didn't watch that talk (or any other for that matter), you should do it ASAP.