October 15th letter 2013

Hi daddy! (and the rest of the fam)

 

I take that as a good thing that I don´t look like a pumpkin. [Michelle's dad asked her why he called her Pumpkin in his letter to her.] Although, I am getting a slight tan. I´m starting to get a watch tan and a lot of freckles. Tons of freckles on my arms and a few on my face. It´s fun.

The people here are really nice and the ward is really nice. Some of the time I don´t understand what´s being said, but people are kind and patient with my Spanish. If I ask them to repeat something, they do. Our ward mission leader is funny and nice. 

We offer service to people we teach after our lessons and ask the members if we can do any service for them (laundry, cooking, etc.) but usually, no one takes us up on that offer. We helped a recent convert move the other day. She moved two streets away from her original house, but she didn´t have a car to move her stuff. So, poco a poco, we moved the toys, the clothes, and other things. It was good to help her move.

Dad, I´m so glad that you have the opportunity to work in the Temple. That is a great experience.

Services? Our cook cooks lunch [and dinner] for us and does our laundry once a week. That´s about it.

Oh - last night, we had FHE at the Bishop´s house (the mother in law isn´t a member) and last week, the bishop´s wife asked me what I missed. I said PB&J sandwiches. The refreshment last night? PB&J. She had somehow found Planters peanut butter and Nutella. Oh man. It was heaven.

An average day in my life as a missionary:

 

5 - wake up

5-5:30 - exercise

5:30-6:30 - get ready for the day and breakfast

6:30-7:30 - personal study

7:30-9:30 - companion study (an extra hour for me because I´m being trained; hence getting up at 5:30)

9:30-10:30 - language study (English and Spanish)

10:30-1 - appointments and contacting

1-1:30 or 2 - lunch

2-9 - contacting, teaching, appointments, etc.

9-9:30 - planning

9:30-10:20 - dinner, journal, ready for bed

10:20 - prayers

10:25 - lights are usually off (or before)

Yep. It´s the life. The missionary life.

As we were running around Sunday to help our investigators get to church (yes, running), a thought popped into my head. This message - our message - that is central to Jesus Christ is a message of change and action. We invite people to repent and become more like Christ. We have to have faith and then act on that faith. In Ether 12:6, it says that only after a trial of your faith does the testimony (and blessings, as the case may be) come.  In verse 12 of that same chapter, it says that the Lord performs miracles only after we show our faith. Entonces (So), we invite people to repent because we´re all working on becoming more Christlike. We repent, we change, we act on our faith, and then we´re blessed. I know that life is hard sometimes, but that doesn´t mean that we have to be sad about it. When we look forward to the future with faith and hope, Heavenly Father blesses us and we are able to endure the trials and problems in our lives.If we continually look back on things that have happened in our lives, we cannot progress forward. So, we access the Atonement, repent and/or find solace in the Atonement, and move on and press forward with a steadfast faith in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.

I know that this Gospel is true and that this is the Lord´s work. When members and missionaries work together, miracles happen, and when we´re exactly obedient, miracles happen. And when we have faith and hope with exact obedience, more miracles happen.

I love you all! I hope all is well at home! ¡Esta todo bien!  [Michelle's signature:  "Its all good!" in Spanish.]

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Conover