Sent: Tue, Apr 8, 2014 12:46 PM PDT
Subject: Re: conference

Hi daddy!
I love you!
First thing - WE GET TO SKYPE ON MOTHER´S DAY!!! I don´t know the details (we just found out today), but I´ll let you and mom know when I know more.:)

I loved conference - I loved how direct everyone was. Especially Elder Holland. Fantastic. And I loved Elder Bednar´s talk - how we need trials to help us move forward spiritually and "return home". I got to watch conference in English and I´m very grateful that I did. Yes, I know and
understand Spanish, most of the time (thanks to divine help), but it´s nice to hear it in English.

Yes, of course dark M&Ms. They´re pretty good.

I´m fine with clothes. And shoes, as well. There are "pacas" here in Sololá and it´s basically Goodwill (it´s stuff from the states) and I´ve bought a few shirts and a skirt and a jacket, but it´s all good. It´s not a lot and it´s cheaper than you and mom sending it from the States.

This morning I was asked to give a spiritual thought in our Zone training (in English, which was really hard to do. I almost started talking in Spanish two times). I shared Alma 37:6-7 and how it´s through small and simple things that great things are brought to pass. I shared that a lot of
people think that the small and simple things aren´t going to get them back to God and that it has to be some great thing (and, on the other end, some people think they don´t have to do anything but just be baptized). But it´s through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we return back to God and Jesus Christ with our families. Just faith, repentance, baptism (by someone that has the Priesthood), receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Just these five things. Is it hard? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Like Elder Holland said in his talk how it´s completely worth it when you think about the alternative. I love this Gospel and know that it is true. It is what we need to do to get back to the presence of our Heavenly Father with our families forever. Live the gospel and keep the faith.

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

Con MUCHO amor,
Hermana Conover


April 8, 2014
Hi mom!

THIS FIRST - WE GET TO SKYPE ON MOTHER´S DAY!!! We don´t know the details yet, but we get to Skype. We found out today. So I´ll let you know more when we know more.

I only got one of the pictures...just the one of the garden with the two huge missile looking PVC pipes with plants. (Mom sent Michelle pictures of our vegetable garden from her kindle  The missile-looking-PVC pipes are and invention of Dad's.  We are growing strawberries in them.)

We didn´t get to watch the women´s session. Just the four general sessions. And one of our converts watched the Priesthood session with her husband. It was awesome. And we got special permission from the Assistants so I could watch the conference in English with the Elders. I´m VERY grateful that I could watch it in English. But yes, six months does make a difference. I loved Elder Bednar´s talk and how we need tribulations and hard things in life to help us move forward spiritually. And Elder Holland´s talk, as well. Very direct. I loved the two sessions on Saturday - everyone was very direct and straightforward.

"To testify is to know and to say; to be converted is to do and become"

I don´t have any scriptural references, but I do have a story. There´s a sister in our branch right now that shares the Gospel with EVERYONE. She talks about the Church with all of her friends, her family that aren´t members, and so on, and testifies that this church is true, and challenges people to listen to the missionaries and be baptized. But she doesn´t go to church. She testifies that this is the true church, but doesn´t live the fullest or most obedient she can to receive the blessings. She´s not completely converted. Now, we´re not perfect, that´s the truth, but we CAN repent (change) to be become better disciples of Christ. When we testify, our faith is strengthened and helps with our conversion. But if we don´t work with that faith, our faith weakens and eventually dies (James 2:17). We can develop our faith with the small things (or "Sunday School answers") - read the scriptures, pray, go to Church, keep the commandments. It´s through these small things that great things will be brought to pass (Alma 37:6-7). A lot of people don´t believe that these things have a lot of power in our conversion, but if we don´t do these things, our faith dies. And it´s a lot harder to be converted without faith (pretty much impossible). Another example are the priests of King Noah - Abinadi said that they taught the law of Moses, but didn´t keep it. They testified of this law, but didn´t work with it. They didn´t show that they lived it. When we truly believe something, we´re going to live it (that´s my personal belief). When we believe in Christ and testify of Him and understand more of His Atonement, we´ll want to show our love for Him by keeping His commandments (John 14:15). When we´re converted, we also testify and our faith grows more, helping our desire to do good more (Moroni 7:16-17). I hope this helps. You don´t have to use it, if you don´t want to
. 

And yes, that is normal in a Latin culture - we usually start activities about a half an hour late, if not later. Church we don´t start late, but the activities, yes. But that´s normal. It´s a little hard sometimes because I like starting on time or being on places in time (thank to you and dad), but sometimes it doesn´t happen. That´s when I breathe, pause, and move on.

I think the first week when I´m home, you and I can go around to ALL the people you talked with while I´m gone. And we can have min-missionary lessons. :)  You´re doing a great missionary work, mom, and all because you "open your mouth". That´s the hardest part and you´re doing a great job. Thank you.

I felt close to you and dad, as well, this conference. During some of the talks, I thought, "Mom and dad are watching this right now, too" and I am very grateful for satellites and televisions so that we can watch and partake of the "good word of God".

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

Con MUCHO amor,
Hermana Conover