Sunday, April 5, 2015

Leadership Training and General Conference

This has been such a fun week.  So much has happened that I don't know what I'll have time to tell you.  

So this week we had our Mission Leadership Council.  Basically all of the zone leaders and Sister Training Leaders meet together and we discuss problems and set goals.  Well, I had been to 3 of these before as a zone leader, but this was my first time being in charge of it.  We made some pretty big changes to the format and really wanted everyone to participate and be involved.  The 4 of us Assistants have really been praying and asking Heavenly Father what our mission needs.  Before we got into our training President Wilson lead all of us in a kneeling prayer that was so powerful and motivating.  We decided that we needed to set a mission goal of how many baptisms we could have in the month of June.  We opened it up for discussion and really set the stage with some powerful scriptures talking about the miracles that can happen when everyone is unified.  We set a goal of 75 baptisms in the month of June.  That is something this mission has never seen.  We all got on our knees as a council once again and had the Spirit confirm to us through prayer that this goal was what Heavenly Father wanted us to work towards.  I cannot explain the incredible feeling that I felt and the excitement to help as many people as possible.  I don't want to coast through my mission without seeing real miracles.  The California Bakersfield Mission is changing.  We aren't here to stay the same... but to see miraculous changes due to our Faith in Jesus Christ.  I was nervous to give the training but my prayers were answered and the spirit took over and helped me to be confident.

Friday we went on exchange with the zone leaders in West Bakersfield.  I have always loved exchanges... but they are even better now.  Our focus has been to expect miracles and find the Elect.  When we go out with real faith.... we come back wiped out having seen some real success.  We literally spent the entire exchange teaching!  There wasn't a single minute where we were wandering and wondering. I love the feeling of being in the right place at the right time.  We taught this guy named Freddy who is really really smart.  We taught him about the Plan of Salvation.  He wanted to know why good people wouldn't be able to go to heaven because they haven't heard of Jesus Christ.... Actually, the person he was worried about was Ghandi haha.  We taught him and what do you know... it just made sense.  God is a loving and fair God.  We might not all have the same opportunities in this life... but thank goodness this life isn't the end:)

I loved General Conference.  I had some pretty specific questions that I wrote down before it started and I got some pretty specific answers.  I really really loved Brent H Nielson's talk.  It was so personal and what I needed to hear.  

Jeffrey Holland is and always will be THE MAN!  The story of the 2 boys climbing hit very close to home.  I have had the feeling of falling.  I've been in situations while skiing, rock climbing, and mountain biking that gave me the same empty and ugly feeling that I might be going down.  I've also had times in my life where I felt like I was falling spiritually.  The Savior really will wait in silence until we reach out to him... the very instant that we feel helpless or like we are falling He will grab us and pull us to safety.  

Dieter F. Uchtdorf is very inspired.  He talked about how the desire to impress can become deceitful when taken to extremes.  It is always better to inspire than to show off.  The condition of our heart is more important than any kind of statistical measurement we can try and gauge from.

"Saint: A sinner who keeps on trying.  If we don't try... we are just latter day sinners." -Dale Renlund

 Shout out to my boy Blaize! Happy Birthday on April 6!! I couldn't be happier for you and what you are doing!!

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