Dear Family,
Conference was 100% amazing! I was sitting in the church with Elder Weaver and two other spanish missionaries watching conference. Then President Monson said that missionaries may leave on their mission at 18. I immediately began to be jealous. I wish I could have left right out of high school haha. Then he mentioned Sisters. I just thought he was going to move it to 20, but then he said 19 and I was completely schocked! I didn't know what to think haha. It is going to be really weird seeing all these younger missionaries coming out. If I get to see any ahaha.
Then I as I pondered about what would have happened if I would have left when I was 18, I definitely know God called me to come to this mission at this time and to the area I am in at this specific time for a reason. It is incredible to think about.
This week was really interesting. Elder Barnes had surgery on his hand to take a lump out. So he has been healing up. His companion Elder Jensen had to go up to Gainesville. He has a mass on his jaw. They had to cut open the inside of his mouth and get a biopsy. I am 100% sure I spelled that wrong. Anyways, Elder Barnes was on oxycodon and Elder Jensen was on Lowertab. So they were both pretty interesting this week. (Can you see a couple of missionaries on painkillers? :) And we had to help transport them to the doctor and back because neither of them could drive. So it took a lot of time out of proselyting this week.
But, General Conference was incredible. Some things that I really learned was how we need to be 100% obedient and commited to the gospel of Christ. I dont have my notes in front of me so I cant remember who said it. But someone told a story about going to the movie theatre. He was 8 and he only had to pay 25 cents. Then he turned 9 and he had to pay 35 cents, but he lied and said he was 8. He felt horrible and went and told his Dad what had happened. His Dad said "son, would you sell your soul for a nickle?" Wow, that really hit me. Would we really sell our soul for a cup of coffee. Or to go play a soccer game on a Sunday. That talk just really hit me and I really felt the spirit.
Another thing that stuck out to me too was service. There were a couple talks on service. I also really liked President Eyring's talk. "Bold as a Lion". "Soar like an Eagle." One other thing I really learned was how I need to be much bolder with love as I share my testimony. On Sunday night we visited Chris who was baptized about a month ago. I asked him what made him want to listen to the gospel for the first time. He said it was when he first saw Elder Cervo (an Elder that was here awhile back) bare his testimony with such conviction. It was so sincere he said. He said that was the first time he felt like he was missing something.
Then on Monday morning I was studying about bearing testimony. In Preach My Gospel it talks about how important it is to bear testimony from the bottom of our heart. When we do that, that is when the Spirit will carry the message to the heart of the people we are testifying too. I realized that as a missionary we bear our testimony so much that it can easily become a rote thing that just comes from our minds. But when we bear testimony from the bottom of our heart, the spirit will be there with a lot more power. So I learned a lot of good things from General Conference this week that I loved!
Right now in our area, we are working with the same people we were working with before. Unfortunatley they seem to be staying in the same spot. We just aren't pushing them forward and I think that is mostly our fault. This last week was just crazy. But things are still pushing forward here :)
Anyways, it sounds like you all had a good week :) I love you all. Thank you for everything you do :)
Love
Elder Wise
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