Sorry I am only e-mailing today but we had a Zone conference yesterday in Manti with Elder Clarke from the 70. It was such a good conference and what a way to start our week. We needed all the help we could get.
We had another tough week last week. Including finding a dead snake in front of our apartment. I don't know what is up with us finding dead animals by our apartment. (which is actually not an apartment it is a house....) Anyway. I think Heavenly Father is really looking out for us - looked like the snake choked on a stone. And then Sister Pene picks it up and plays with it - I don't mind snakes but I probably would never do that - we had the manti sisters sleep over at our place that night. Might not have much time. Having a thunder storm outside. (sounds like home)
Well Both our baptisms for the month have fallen through. Well I guess they have been postponed till next month but still. it was a bit disappointing.
Sunday was the worst. Sister Schneider accidentally set the alarm for 05:55 pm instead of am :| and we had a 07:00 am meeting with all our ward mission leaders... we woke up at 06:55 am .... and that was only the beginning. :( so we got ready pretty quick and went to the meeting came home to get ready for church... then I stepped on my glasses... and I REALLY broke them this time.
Luckily I have my red pair but yeah. Lame. Then we were late for church in cleavland (at least we got to hear Hunters testimony. After some studies we went knocking on doors and seriously no one would answer/was not home. we finally got into a door at 04:45 pm and had dinner at 5 pm at least dinner was really good! We also had both our appointments cancel on us.
But we did have a few highlights for the week:
- I got my credit card working so I have extra money feels so good.
- Hunter bore his testimony in church on sunday!!! what a kid!! Also paid his tithing on sunday! it is so great he really just soaks up everything that we teach him. and wants to obey immediately... we will be teaching Law of chastity next week... wish us luck :P teaching 9 year olds is always fun lol
- Tim and Kelly did not make it to church but we had a real good lesson with them on sunday evening which was able to lift our spirits and his. Mormon messages are the best!
- We also had a few other good lessons in the week
Biggest highlight though was the zone conference.
It was such a spiritual experience!!! But I learned that I should really stop complaining.
We learned so many things though and I really hope to show a 10th of what I learned in this email and hope and pray that it can help someone today.
Sister Center spoke a lot about preparation. how we prepare every day for something and that we prepared in the pre-mortal world as well. All those with a patriarchal blessing please read your blessing today and find out who you were in the pre-mortal world. And also pray to know who YOU were. I know that you had so much faith. and because of that you were able to come here to earth to be tried and tested. When you read the scriptures also look out for themes of preparation. "Obedience prepares us for the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us."
President Center spoke a lot about CONVERSION, What it is and what the steps are to conversion:
- Knowledge
- Faith
- Testimony
- Repentance
- Baptism/Scarament
- Holy Ghost
- Obedience
"True conversion is when you want to help others gain a testimony or to be converted"
Please know that the road to conversion is NOT easy. It will be hard - you WILL face trails (I saw many trails this week) But I know that it is WORTH it! Repentance is also a part of conversion.
Elder Clarke is REALLY Bold... I have alot to change. I wish everyone could have heard him. what was sad is that he prophesied that there were missionaries in that conference that would go inactive in a few years. It had better not be me. I hope I am converted enough that I will remain faithful.
Just some basics of what we spoke about:
WORK OF SALVATION
- Member Missionary Work
- We watched an amazing video Please watch this and pray and see how YOU can share the gospel today. I know we can ALL do better (myself included) We have been asked to DOUBLE our baptisms. This is the HASTENING OF THE WORK. we can do this. But we as members need to gear up a bit.
- Retention
- Please show interest in recent converts. we as missionaries have been asked to visit recent converts for the last 2 years. There are way too many that go inactive because the members and missionaries stop going by or that they never get a responsibility. Are you involving the new members? They really have the coolest testimonies! You WANT to be their friends and feed off their excitement for the gospel
- Activation
- Those that are currently not attending church right now count too!! I really loved that he brought this up I feel like there are some missionaries that don't think of less actives as poeple or worth it.
- Temple & Family History Work
- Get the new and returning members to do work for their ancestors - get yourself involved too!! you will see miracles!!!
- Teaching
- Missionaries need to help investigators keep commitments.
Well Sounds like he wants us to be perfect. but it IS doable and possible to do all of these things. we are going to work hard this week!
Love you all. Thanks for all the emails and letters!
All My Best,
Sister Karen Hollander
Utah, St George Mission
881 South River Road
St. George Utah, 84790
United States
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