Letter to Dad and Mom September 16, 2014

September 16, 2014
 

Hi daddy!

I love you!

This week has been a long one, but not in a bad way. We went to Antigua for our P.Day (and it was fantastic - I had bacon in the first time in a while). We also had a reunion with Elder Ochoa from the Seventy and it was also fantastic. I felt spiritually recharged after that. We're working hard. 

We made chili and cornbread yesterday during our P-Day with a family in our ward. It was a Guatemalan version of chili, but it was really good. And we made the cornbread in a pressure cooker (who knew?) and it was also delicious.

We had a big goal month (in March of this year) of 400 baptisms. It is between 150 and 250 as an average for each month. more or less.

And I don´t know where I´ll be for conference. We have transfers on the 1 of October, but I don´t know if I´m leaving this area or no. I don´t know where I´ll be, but for sure I´ll be in a church somewhere, watching it in English or Spanish, and that I´ll love it, like always.

This week, I´ve been really grateful for the guidance of the Spirit. I´ve learned a lot of how the Spirit works with me in the field and in life. From knowing what to say with investigators and with companions, to receiving guidance on where to go in the area to find people. It has been a learning process, but I know that as we are obedient and are doing what the Lord wants us to do, we will receive this help and we will have the guidance of the Holy Ghost with us. Like, the other day, we found a part of our area that didn´t know existed. And we decided to knock doors to find people to teach. We found a family of 10, another sister that wants to get married to her "spouse", and another hermana who´s mother just passed away and we left a pamphlet  with her and she read it and told us that she "found comfort" in it. I love this work. We are being led to the sheep of our Heavenly Father. I know it. If we´re rejected by someone, it just means that we´re a step closer to finding the people that are waiting for us and are willing to listen and repent.

I love you, dad! I hope the nationals [Michelle's dad's dwarf car race finals] go well for you! 

I pray for you and mom and our family everyday and love you all so much!

con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Conover

September 16, 2014

Hi momma!

I love you!!!

I´ll tell you when I get it, [her Birthday package] for sure. And thank you for sending it! I´ll share, don´t worry. :)

Well, I can´t control the rain. Sorry. But yes, we´re getting some good rain storms here. Almost everyday, but that´s Guatemala in September for you. [mom asked her if she could share the rain with us in California.]

That sounds like a really fun activity. And with your friend, Sister Jensen. And with Jen.[Mom, Michelle's sister, Jen, and Sister Jensen presented a music night for the young men and young women.  Mom covered the spiritual importance of music in our meetings and the blessings of using the hymns in our lives; Sister Jensen taught the music symbols in our hymnal and how to conduct hymns; and Jen finished with vocal production--4 ways to improve your singing.]. How fun! It´s good to teach the youth about music because if you go to another country, you´ll be asked to help a lot if you know anything about music or if you can play the piano (something that I wished I had learned how to do...).

And I love the new curriculum for the youth. {Mom told Michelle how she substitute taught a Sunday School class on Sunday.]  We sat in on one of the lessons because our investigator didn´t feel completely ready to be by herself in the class and I love it.  I love how it´s focused on helping the youth feel the Spirit, because learning that NOW will help in the FUTURE. Especially on missions. To feel what the real needs are of the investigators. To receive warnings. To help know what you have to say to someone. It´s so good to know how to listen and feel the Spirit. And helping them recognize it young is even better because Satan will do a lot of things to dissuade the youth from going on missions. A lot of lies. And we need the Spirit to know the truth of all things (2 Nephi 32:5).

 

When we´re obedient with exactness and are working hard in the Lord´s work (whether it´s Temple work or missionary work, what have you), we can see blessings, miracles, and protection. I love the mission and am so grateful for the miracles that I have been able to see in the lives of so many people. I am so grateful for the Spirit and the help and guidance that we can have when it is with us. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn more to listen to the Spirit and to help other people recognize the feelings and whisperings of the Spirit. Sometimes, we have to be like Nephi (1 Nephi 4:6) or we are going to have a revelation all at once or something like the father of Lamoni (like in Alma 19:6) where the darkness was cast away by the light of the Gospel. But I know that as we learn more to listen, we will be blessed. We also have to be obedient, but we can do it. I know it
And we also had a conference with Elder Ochoa on Friday - it was really good. We learned about how we can hasten the work more in our mission and it was a really spiritually uplifting experience.
Oh - we went to Antigua last week and it was SO FUN. We went for our P-Day of the Zone. It was a good experience. We went to a restaurant named "El Mono Loco" (The Crazy Monkey) and it was delicious. It´s the only place in the mission where we can eat lettuce, bacon, etc. (all the things that we can´t regularly eat) and it was really good. And beautiful, of course. The camera is in the house - sorry. I´ll send pictures soon.

I love you, mom. I am so grateful for everything that you do for your daughter that´s all the way out here in Guatemala. Thanks for the packages, the prayers, and the letters and love. I love you, so much!

con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Conover

letters to dad and mom July 22, 2014

July 22, 2014

Hi daddy!

I love you!

It´s a little different to be back in the city. Almost all the people know how to read (instead of the majority not knowing how to read). But people still work all the time here, but we´re finding people and will continue to find people to help. And I´m not training her -[Michelle's new companion in Villa Hermosa] I´m her first companion after her training. But, it´s still a responsibility that I´m trying to grow into. It´s a little different, but it´s all good!

And it´s true - Heavenly Father works miracles with the young men and women for missions. I´m still being changed (after 11+ months) and there are so many people that are changed for the better after working miracles in missions. We´re in the process of becoming what the Lord wants us to be. Sometimes it´s hard - well, a lot of times it´s hard - but worth it because we will be the instruments in the hands of the Lord that He needs to help His children.

The work in our area is going forward. We had a baptism this last Sunday and she´s going to be an awesome member. She´s a youth that´s a friend of one of our converts. The ward is strong - the members help us and support the missionary work. The area (in comparison to my last area) is small. Really small. But there are a lot of houses and a lot of people that we can teach. And we mostly walk. We take a mini bus or tuctuc once in a while, but we mostly walk. I´m feeling good. And yes, I love the shirts you picked out. I wear them all every week. :)

I love you, dad! Thank you for the prayers and I pray for you and mom and our family everyday!

Con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Pumpkin Conover

July 22,2014

Hi momma!

I love you!

The new area is good.  It´s different, for sure.  It´s weird to see "Burger King" billboards and everything, but here´s to getting used to it again. Being out in the boondocks sure makes a difference on what you value and what you think is amazing. The first time we went to La Torre, I thought, "wow, this is the closest thing to Safeway I´ve been in in my whole mission." It looked like a Safeway and has peanut butter. JIF- I´m going to buy some next week. :)

Well, I hope that your plants will be less bothered with birds and everything. And that the sun doesn´t leave them too burned this time around. :)

It´s interesting, because learning to listen to and following the Spirit is really hard to do and learn. I know as a missionary I´m still learning about how to follow the Spirit and learning more of how the Spirit works with me. That´s why there´s a whole chapter dedicated to the Spirit in Preach My Gospel because it is so integral that we understand how to follow the Spirit because if we don´t, we don´t teach with the Spirit, we´re not where we´re supposed to be, and we don´t help who we need to help. I know that as we learn more to understand how the Spirit works with us, we will be able to follow the Spirit more ably and will be able to help the people that our Heavenly Father wants us to help. It is so important to understand the workings of the Spirit and how it communicates with each of us.

This week I´ve been learning more about covenants with our Heavenly Father. President Markham is very big on making and keeping covenants with our Heavenly Father and how when we keep and make these covenants, we will have more power to do what we need to do and will see more miracles in our lives and the lives of our investigators and converts. I´ve been doing my best to keep the covenants I´ve made at baptism and in the Temple and have made a few more promises to my Heavenly Father that will help me to be able to help this work move forward. I know that as we make covenants, are exactly obedient, and are always increasing our faith that we will be able to see miracles in our lives and in the lives of others.

Oh, and we had a baptism on Sunday. Her name is Jennifer and is a friend of one of our converts. All of a sudden last Sunday she told her friend that she wanted to be baptized. So, we helped her with that (she had been taught by missionaries before and had her attendance to church, so we just taught her what she was lacking and then was baptized).

I love you, mom! I pray for you and our family everyday! And thank you for the prayers - they help.

Con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Sweetie Conover

Letters to dad and mom July 14, 2014

July 14, 2014

Hi daddy!

I love you!

Definitely did not think of 7-11. Hm. We´ll have to celebrate it next year. :)

That´s nice you went to the Temple with Laura and Ryan and his parents. I can´t wait to go back to the Temple. Especially with you and mom and our family.

I´m in a place in the capital called Villa Hermosa. My companion is Hermana Santos. She´s from Peru and really sweet. She just finished her training. I´m excited to get to know her better and help her grow more as a missionary.

We had interviews with President Markham today. He has been called of God to be here in this mission and I´m grateful that I have the opportunity to have two mission Presidents that listen to the Spirit a lot. He shared something about the Atonement that I liked a lot. He said (quoting Elder Maxwell), "The Atonement makes an uneven world even." And after he said, "And that´s hard to do." The Atonement, when we use it to the fullest in our lives, makes such a big difference. We can be clean. We can be whole. We can have help and strength to do the hard things we need to do. I think of Kelly´s phrase of "Suck it up, cupcake, and sometimes we do hard things." It´s true. As we move forward with the strength of the Atonement and we truly repent, we can have the assurance that the Holy Ghost is with us and guiding us and that we are clean.

Dad, thank you for your wonderful example in everything you do. I hope to be like you and mom someday. You both have done amazing things for other people and you are such a great example of service. I want to thank you for your letters every week. You listen to the Spirit when you write them. Just know that. I know we´re many miles apart, but I do feel of your love and support all these miles apart.

I love you, dad! I pray for you and our family everyday!

Con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Pumpkin Conover

July14,2014

Hi momma!

I love you!

And yes, I´m senior Companion in Villa Hermosa. I´m back in the capital after many months. :) My companion is Hermana Santos from Peru. She´s a sweetheart and she just finished her training. And responsibilities - from what President Markham told me in my interview is to love my companion, follow the schedule, be obedient, and work hard. And be a leader through example. He said, "If you have to say ´I´m Senior Companion´, you´re not doing it right." And thanks for reminding me about hte Six B´s - that´s a good reminder. And a good thing to live by, as well. And the section of 121 - we call it "giving chicote with love" (dando chicote con amor). "Chicote" is like reproving someone or correcting them (literally chicote is a bull whip). But if you love someone, you´re going to correct them. If you don´t, then you won´t correct them. But yes, you have to do it with love or else the people won´t accept it at all and will take offense. Well, they still might take offense, but you did you´re part.

Here in our mission, we have the person be confirmed the Sunday after their baptism. If they get baptized one Saturday, then the next day. If they get baptized a Sunday, then the next Sunday. It´s rare that someone gets confirmed right after their baptism (and you have to get permission from the Mission President).

 

Patulul was hot and humid. But, you got used to it. Here in Guate in Villa Hermosa, it is definitely cooler. Especially at night. It´s nice. 

I´ll write more about the area next week - I´m still getting to know it. It´s a lot smaller than my last area, but there are more houses closer together. It´s nice to not be taking a pickup or tuctuc every hour. We can walk to all of our area. Well, most of it. There´s only a hill that goes up to the GATED COMMUNITY of the Bishop. I haven´t seen a gated comminuty for a really long time. And I´m in a ward. And the members help us a lot here. 

This week I have learned a lot about prayer. And how we have to have patience to wait for our answers. There´s a scripture in Mormon 9:21 that I love. If we believe in Christ and don´t doubt for anything, then it will be given unto us. But we have to have patience. It´s hard sometimes - I know for me that when I´m passing through a trial, I want an answer now and it´s hard to wait. But I know that as we wait with faith and patience and are diligent with our prayers, Heavenly Father will bless us with the thing we need. He will answer in His time and in His way, but He will always answer. We just have to be patient and work hard while we´re waiting.

Mom, I love you. I´m thankful for everything that you have done for me and are doing for me and will do for me. I´m sorry if I wasn´t appreciative before my mission, but now I am. Thank you. I love you. You are an example to me and hope to be like you someday.

Con MUCHO amor,
Hermana Conover

Letters to Dad and Mom July 8, 2014

July 8, 2014

Hi daddy!

I love you!

Well, I think it´s ok that you bought an air mattress this year. I know you turned 25 again this year, but I think it´s ok. :)

We didn´t go to the re-dedication of the CCM, but they were definitely remodeling while we were there. That´s good that they finished.

We had a conference this last Thursday and we met President Markham and Hermana Markham. They are very sweet and are also very firm in "obedience with exactness". I´m grateful that we have the opportunity to learn from 2 mission presidents and apply their teachings in our lives and to help the lives of the investigators and converts and members. 

And yes, we asked a member to buy us a watermelon for us and then paid him for it. It was the best watermelon that I´ve eaten in my mission. It was really good.

We had a baptism this week - it was the husband of the sister we baptized a few weeks ago. His wife was so happy on Sunday. I can´t wait until they go to the Temple.

And I´m leaving Patulul. I have changes tomorrow. I´m sad to be leaving Patulul and Hermana Flores. But, I´m needed somewhere else and I know that I´m meant to help other people in another area. But, I´m grateful that I was here in Patulul and that I was able to see miracles here. I know that this is the Lord´s work and that we are only instruments in His hands. 

And love the sister missionaries in the ward. Just love them. They want to help and help the members have good missionary experiences. Missions are really similar and I know that they want to help to invite people to come unto Christ. 

I love you, dad! I pray for you and our family everyday. Have fun with Laura and Ryan and the kids this week! I love you!

con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Conover

July 8, 2014

Hi momma!

I love you!

[Michelle woke up to a 6.9 earthquake on Monday the 7th.  It was located just southeast of Chiapas in Mexico.]

Yeah, we´re fine. It was a pretty good jolt, for sure, but we´re ok. We didn´t lose water or anything. And our house is fine, but it was a pretty good jolt. 

We went to Satiago, Atitlán yesterday for our P-Day. We got permisison from President Markham to leave our zone. It was so nice to see Atitlán again. And it was so nice - we weren´t burning up from being hot. It was a relaxing P-day.

And I´m leaving Patulul. I´m being transferred (aka I have changes, as we say in the mission). I´ve only been here 2 changes (transfers), but I´ll miss it. it´s been a good 12 weeks here in Patulul. We definitely saw some amazing miracles. We baptized a family - we baptized the husband of the sister we baptized a few weeks back. They are going to be such a strong family in the church. I´m excited for them. I can´t wait until they go to the Temple to be sealed.

And I got the package last week (when we had the conference with President and Hermana Markham. I love the shirts and also understand why dad was so shocked about how expensive they were. But I shared the candy with some of the Elders from my zone. And thank you - I am very grateful for every part of the package, from the Carmex to the gummy worms. :)

We bought a watermelon on July 4th - or, rather, we had one of the members buy one for us and then we paid him for it. It was the best watermelon I´ve eaten on my mission.

I´ve decided that I´m going to learn piano when I get back home. I wish that I had learned more before the mission because not a lot of people play here. Only once in a while in a few wards or branches can you find someone that can play piano that isn´t a missionary. And not all the missionaries play, either. So I´m going to learn a little here in the mission (right hand with a pedal note, like today in zone Training) and learn more after. 

This week, I have been learning a lot about praying with sincerity. My prayers have gotten better since before the mission, but they are still lacking. I´ve been trying to do better about telling Heavenly Father about what we did during the day and being more specific in my prayers. In chapter 4 of Preach My gospel, it talks about praying by the Spirit. And who we should pray for and how. I´m applying that more in my own personal prayers and am hoping that it will help the people I teach, as well. I know that as we pray with more sincerity and more specifically, we will see blessings in our lives and we will be able to see those blessings more.

Give Laura and Ryan and their family hugs for me and I hope that you will have a good time with them.

I love you, mom! I pray for you and our family everyday! Siga adelante en la fe (keep moving forward in the faith). I love you and hope you´re doing well!

con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Conover