Conferences

Iaorana!

What an awesome week! We had a multizone conference and General Conference. I felt like both times the messages were directed specifically to me to help me right now. It's really cool how that works. One of the messages from our zone conference was about the destructors of Faith. It is specifically there to help missionaries do a better work, but it's sure that it can apply to anyone. Here are the six destructors:

1.Doubts

2.Discouragement
3.Distraction
4.Disbelief
5.Lack of Diligence
6.Disobedience

It's pretty simple, pretty obvious, but it's true and sometimes we forget it. I certainly have forgotten some of these things. I don't remember who said it or when they said it but someone told us to doubt our doubts before we doubt our faith. Sometimes we let things things get to us rather than obedience, diligence, belief, focus, etc. So here's my engagement: Find one of these six things that is destroying your faith, and work on it-turn it into a stength (Ether 12:27).

At Zone Conference.  4th from left

As for General Conference there were so many talks that I loved. It's too bad I forgot my notes and I can't give specific details or quotes, but I few of the talks I liked were Elder Hales' and Elder Costa's. Obviously I like Elder Costa's because it focuses on missionary work, but I think that his talk is good for anybody. If you haven't studied and prayed and searched diligently in order to know if this church is true, please do so. I promise it's worth it.

Other than that we spent a total of five hours yesterday with Hamuera and Sefina. We brought a recently married couple to encourage them and help them know everything they deeded to do for marriage. He ended up talking a lot, and an hour went by and we still hadn't fixed a date for their baptism and marriage. Then the couple left and we kept discussing. Then they broke out in an arguement and we had to resolve that and then, finally, we fixed the date. Man, that was hard. 

We were discussing dates. We've been trying to fix it for april, but they think tht's too quick. Then Sefina brought up november 28, the date of their son's birthday. At this point, I could have tried to push it earlier, but I felt like I should just let them choose the date on their own. So I didn't argue that date. And then, Hamuera spoke up, anad said that that was too late. So they bounced back and forth between dates and finally settled on May 27. I'm relying on the Lord for this one. If He thinks it's good, it's good. If he wants them to be baptised sooner, he will put that thought in their heads. I'm a little sad also, because I probably won't be here for it, but that's not the most important thing. What's important is that they are making a covenant with God and recieving the remission of their sins.

Then we ate dinner with them and then we gave them blessings to encourage them. It was a really good experience. I hope I have more like that on my mission.

We also started the lessons with a woman named Jacqueline*. She's been coming to church and her copain is a member who just started coming back. We visited with them and set up a date for a next lesson. I also found out that she's the sister of Luc, my first baptism on my mission. That was really cool. She came to General Conference, every session (even though it starts at six in the morning). Super potential, I think. We'll see.

Okay, voilà some fun stuff for the week. The gospel is true. The LdM is true. President Monson is a prophet called of God. repentance and baptism is the only path that leads to Eternal Life. 

Have a good week everyone!

Elder Lewis