November 5, 2013 Letter

November 5, 2013

Hi daddy!

I love you! That´s first, because it´s important. :)

 

Yeah, mom said that her computer was dying. That´s nice that Seth helped out with the transition.

 

About the Temple, we went to the one in Ciudad on Friday! One of the families that Hermana Cruz baptized last year went through and received their endowments. We did the session in Spanish (which was interesting - I´m very glad that I´ve gone through multiple times in English or else I would have been very lost).

 

 We have a new companion - Hermana Weatherford. She was in the CCM [Guatemala's Missionary Training Center] with me. A lot of the people with only six weeks [out of the CCM] got shuffled around in cambios. [transfers] She ´s a sweetheart and a hard worker. She´s a trooper. And I can finally keep up with Hermana Cruz while we´re walking around. I never thought that would happen! My goal from the first day was to walk as fast as her and I didn´t think it was possible. But it is! I can´t run as fast as her, but I´m working on that.

 

Yeah, our zone is pretty awesome. We were the "most successful" in October, so we get to have lunch in the house of President Brough on the 25th. Hermana Brough is a really good cook, so we´re all excited.

 

This past week I´ve been thinking about how important prayer is in our lives. In the Bible dictionary, it says how when we understand our relationship with God and how He is our Heavenly Father, prayer makes sense and is natural and we have a literal conversation with God. Some of our investigators don´t understand that they are LITERALLY sons and daughters of God and don´t pray or don´t pray in the way Christ taught us how. Or don´t see the importance of it or don´t receive (don´t recognize) the answers of the Holy Ghost. I know that when we understand that we´re literally talking to God, our prayers become that much more sincere. When we understand and have complete faith that we will receive answers, we will feel and recognize them. When we act on those answers, we are blessed. I know that sometimes, it doesn´t feel like the Lord is going to answer or that He didn´t, but he does. Sometimes, it´s in ways that we don´t expect or realize. I know He will answer our prayers, we just have to be patient. Like it says in the scriptures (I know it in Spanish, but not in English, so here´s a rough translation), whatever thing you ask for in the name of the Father in the name of Christ, and is right, that prayer will be answered. When we pray (and repent), we´re bringing our will in line with Heavenly Father´s. not the other way around.

 

I love you! Send my love to the family! Eat some chocolate chip pumpkin cookies for me! :) And some sourdough bread, también.

 

I love you!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana "Pumpkin" Conover

 

 

November 5, 2013

 

Hi momma!

How´s life in California going? I hope that you´re feeling better.  [Mom had a spontaneous rupture of the semitendinosis on the Labor Day week end and is just now getting over the bruising, pain and swelling.]

I got my package at exchanges - I´m saving the peanut butter, though, for an area where we don´t get Peter Pan peanut butter (which actually isn´t that bad, surprisingly). 

 

I´m in a trio again. Hermana Weatherford came to our area last week at cambios (exchanges). She came into the CCM with me and she´s a sweetheart. We were in Unversity Chorale together and didn´t know it! She´s a hard worker, too

.

I love this Gospel. It´s such a message of happiness and joy. Yeah, we cry a lot when we feel the Spirit and it might not seem like we´re happy, but we are. We taught a lesson this past week where we read Ether 12:6 and 12 and verse 12 says that without us showing our faith, God cannot work miracles. I started crying. Because I have seen miracles happen in Ribera del Rio. For sure. Not many and not all the time, but they´ve been there. I know that this Gospel is true and that when we show our faith and are exactly obedient, God gives us miracles. 

 

We went to the Temple on Friday. It was so refreshing and such a good experience. We had to leave our house at 4:10 in the morning to get there in time, but it was so  worth it. The reason we went was that one of the families that Hermana Cruz taught and baptized last year is getting sealed in December and they received their endowments on Friday. It was so good. We did the session in Spanish, so it was interesting. I´m glad that we went to the Temple so many times during our stay at the CCM. That helped a lot, or else I would have been lost.

 

I love you, mom! Say hola to the family for me! I love  you! Eat some sourdough bread for me! :)

con MUCHO amor,

Hermana "Pooch" Conover