Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Letters to Dad and Mom April 22, 2014



April 22, 2014

hi daddy!

I love you!!!

The trip from Sololá to the city was...interesting, to say the least. our whole zone had changes, so we fit 21 people (all of the companionships except one) into a 12 person bus. And all of our luggage on top. For about 3.5 hours. on windy roads. Interesting, but we didn`t get hurt. And that`s the good part, that we didn`t get hurt.

And I am now in Patulul, Tiquisate. I`m with Hermana Johnson (who entered with me) and she is a fantastic missionary. I`ve learned so much in the past few days. And our area is FLAT. It`s so weird to walk on flat ground and not hills. And it is hot. And humid. but I love it. It`s just different than Sololá. Every time we tell people that I came from Sololá, the look on their faces is hilarious - it`s as if they are saying, "You poor missionary. You must be dying of the heat." But I can`t complain - it`s the mission. And I`m grateful to be here to meet new people and have new experiences.

I think here in Patulul parallels your experience in Georgia in your flight training (weather wise). It`s hot and humid, and I love it. It`ll take a little bit to get used to, but I love it. There`s a joke here in the mission about the city and area of Tiquisate - it`s where the devil lives because it`s so hot. I laughed about that and now I understand.

The members are fantastic and the investigators are progressing,and we`re seeing miracles. Last night, a former investigator (of about three months) told us that he wants to get baptized. We have an appointment with him tonight and we`ll help him prepare for baptism.
You`re not ward mission leader? What`ll you do? Maybe you`ll finally be called to help in the nursery! :)

What happened to your back? Did you hurt it again or is it just from before?

I can`t believe that April is almost over either. It just seems like last week that we started January. I feel like I`m going to blink and I`ll be in the airport back home. Like it says in the Missionary handbook, our time in the mission is extremely short. It`s true, especially when you`re working hard and focusing on the investigators. The time has flown and it`ll fly faster and faster. Here`s to giving all and more in these next 9.5 months.

My first night here in Patulul was fun - it rained really hard for a while, the lights went out twice, and we found a scorpion in the kitchen (which was promptly killed and sprayed with insect-scorpion killer and then thrown outside). 

This morning, my companion and I were talking about the Spirit world. We`re reading in Preach My Gospel about the Plan of Salvation and we wee reading about the Spirit World. A lot of missionaries teach the spirit world as two separate places, but it`s not like that. It says in the scriptures two different "states" - a state of happiness and a state of misery. I think (this isn`t verified by anyone, but this is what I think, as well as Hermana Johnson) that the Spirits are in one place, just that some are happy and some aren`t. It`s like here on earth - there are people that are happy and some that are sad. And, like here on earth, there are missionaries preaching the Gospel and proxy baptisms that are taking place to help those who have passed on to accept and  have the blessings of the Gospel.

I love the Plan of Salvation. It definitely is a plan of happiness. And we can have this happiness NOW if we`re obedient to the commandments of God and endure to the end.
I love you, dad! I pray for you and mom and our family everyday!

Con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Conover


April 22, 2014

Hi momma!

I love you!

I`m in a place called "Patulul" in Tiquisate. It`s a little different than Sololá. For one, the humidity. And the heat. The sun doesn`t burn us, but the humidity makes us sweat a ton. There`s a joke with the missionaries that in the city Tiquisite, it`s where the Devil lives, because it`s so hot. Patulul isn`t the hottest in the area, but it`s a whole lot hotter than Sololá. And for this Sololateca (citizen of Sololá, like Californian), Patulul is a different place, for sure. But I love it here. The members are really supportive and we have investigators that are progressing and I`m here for a reason. I`ve learned that, at least, that we`re in our areas for a reason. We just have to work hard and be obedient with exactness to find that reason.

sorry that you`re Easter Bunny wasn`t there. I`ll make up for it next year. promise.

And Andy? Where`d that come from?

And Easter sounds great - they do the "Semana Santa" here and go all out. The Catholic presence is really strong here. And they don`t really celebrate Easter, just "Holy Friday, Saturday,and Sunday." So we found Easter eggs and bought jelly beans and gave them to our district today. :)
My first night here in Patulul, it rained really hard, the lights went out two times, and we found a scorpion in our kitchen on the ceiling. It was a pretty exciting day (and don`t worry - we killed the scorpion with a broom and afterwards, Protox...aka, Raid on steroids). 

And my companion is Hermana Johnson - we entered into the CCM the same day. She`s a fantastic missionary and I`m really excited to get to work with her. I`ve already learned so much from her these past few days and I can`t wait to see more  miracles with her. 

We taught a lesson last night (in a recent converts house) to about 10-11 young men that aren`t members. one of them is our investigator) and we taught about the 10 Commandments and how they can remember them. We taught them and at the end of the lesson, the grandson of the convert told us, "I want to get baptized. What do I have to do?" He was taught by the missionaries before us and he was dropped as an investigator because he wasn`t progressing. But I guess he just needed time to think. We`re going to help him prepare to be baptized the 11 of May.

This week we`re reading the lessons in Preach My Gospel (chapter three) and we read The Plan of  Salvation yesterday and today. I realized (once again) how central Christ and the Atonement is to EVERYTHING in the Gospel. I love the scripture in Mosiah 3:17, how there`s no other name or way by which salvation can come. It`s ONLY through the Atonement that we can return to God`s presence and stay there and live with Him.

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

Con MUCHO amor, 

Hermana Conover

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