May 20, 2014
Hi daddy!
I love you!
The cookie dough was good. (Chuck's good ol' recipe that Michelle likes.) We`ve
made it about 2 times now...and it goes just as fast.
I am on the taller side here in
Guatemala. There are people that are tall (by U.S. standards) but it`s rare.
And yes, you would be tall here. :)
That`s sad when the Temple closes
for cleaning and reparations every year. But it makes you appreciate the Temple
that much more. I know I appreciate the Temple more because I can`t just get up
and go whenever I want. I definitely will take advantage of going every week
when I get home, for as long as I can. But really, it makes going to the Temple
that much more special. And I`m realizing how much family history helps
converts stay in the Church. in Preach My Gospel, it talks about how using
family history work will increase retention with the converts. We started
focusing more in family history work with our converts and I think some of them
will come back to church because they are looking for their parents and
grandparents and ancestors to take their names to the Temple.
It`s true - I was reading Alma 32
this week and Alma was saying how much more blessed are the people that humble
themselves without the Lord`s help (or, they choose to be humble and are not
forced to be humbled). As we choose to allow the Lord into our lives to change
our characters, we will be happier and we will become what the Lord wants us to
be.
This week we had a day where we had
12 lessons (8 with member) and it was incredible. It was probably one of the
craziest days of my mission (we met a lot of different people that were really
different). But I learned that I have patience for people. A few times during
the day, I recognized that I have developed more patience in my life for other
people. I`m still working on patience for myself, but that as well is getting
better. And I know that I can change because Jesus Christ paid for the
sufferings and afflictions that we have. He already paid HIs part and we just
have to do our part. We need to do the little things - read the scriptures,
pray, go to church, keep the commandments - and we have the right to ask for
help with the things that we need to make better in our lives. I have seen many
people here that don`t do the little things because they don`t think that they`re
important or won`t help, but that is so far from the truth. Like it says in
Alma 37:6-7, "by small and simple things are great things brought to
pass". As a companionship, we`re going to do better with explaining that
with all the people that we teach - less actives, investigators, inactives,
etc. I know that it is through these things that we improve and have the Spirit
more with us.
I love you, dad! I pray for you and
mom and our family everyday!
Con MUCHO amor,
Hermana Conover
May 20, 2014
Hi momma!
I love you!
I`m glad Sister Silvester got her
letter. And that Sister Nelson read my note to the Young Women to the girls. It`s interesting to see
how the Spirit works with me - for me it works through thoughts most of the
time. I keep thinking about a quote from Elder Bednar, "If you`re worried
if it`s you thinking or the Spirit, stop worrying about it. Be a good boy, be a
good girl, do what you`re supposed to do, and you`ll be led to do the right
thing" (paraphrase). AKA, if we`re doing good things, it doesn`t matter if
it`s us or the Spirit, because we`re doing good things (Moroni 7:16-17).
Kelly told me that Sarah Jane`s
still afraid of the water. Give her a hug for me and tell her to pray have
faith (Alma 32:21) and that God will help her have peace (John 14:26, I think).
And yes, it is better that you lose
your shyness before your mission. It might act up again and you need to know
how to overcome it. And being able to sing really helps, especially in the
countries where there isn`t a piano and no one really knows the tune. So tell
the kids to learn how to sing the hymns and play them, if they are learning to
play piano.
And guess who got to play trombone
this past week? Yep. We had a talent night in the branch and the branch
president found one somewhere and I got to play (I played "Abide with me,
tis eventide" and "The Spirit of God"). Considering that I
haven`t played for a while, it was pretty good. And I also sang a Spanish
version of "Come thou fount". Every says that my voice is pretty good
and I`ve been singing more. I`m going to sing for hte baptism we have this next
weekend.
And Samuel didn`t get baptized this
weekend and we`re going to meet with him tonight. Some things came up and we think
that he didn`t feel prepared (because he didn`t come to church on Sunday nor
got up for his interview on Saturday). But he still wants to get baptized, we
just have to work with him.
BUT we will baptize 4 people this
week (Sunday) - Natalia and three of her daughters. And her other daughter will
get baptized on the next Sunday and her nieces are starting to investigate the
church. She`s awesome - she`s going to do great things in the church.
This morning, my companion and I
were talking about how we need to do the little things that are the part of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ - read the scriptures, pray, go to church, keep the
commandments - because we have seen so many people stop coming to church
because they dropped the "little things". They don`t think that the
little things offer salvation, but they do. Hermana Johnson was reading in 4
Nephi and how the people started to divide, but it first started with a small
part of the people. And I read yesterday in Alma 32 and how we need to nourish
our seed with the small things. It`s true when it says "by small and
simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6-7). We`re going
to help people see that more and that they really do need to do the small
things to have salvation and not just keep the "big" commandments
like the word of wisdom or law of chastity. It`s the small things that will
keep us safe and keep Satan out of our hearts and minds. Because if he has a
millimeter of space to work in our hearts, he will attack us with all the force
he has until he "seals us as his". So don`t let Satan in and do the
small things in the Gospel to keep us safe.
I love you, mom! I hope that you and
everyone are safe and well! I pray for you all everyday and love you!
Con MUCHO amor,
Hermana Conover
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