Yeah, it's a been little hectic today, but I finally got back on to
write you guys! This week was a little disappointing, but we are just
trying to have success. It's been interesting to see what is success for
me now as I'm in a different kind of area. The highlight of my week
though, was definitely our district conference. We had the opportunity
to have it broadcasted from Salt Lake, so it was super cool! We got to
listen to Elder Scott and Elder Ballard.
These are the notes that Sister Cabral took. I had
the majority of this stuff down, but she just makes it seem so much prettier
and I think you and her are so much alike! You both love planning and
planners and this kind of stuff haha.
Our Heavenly Father didn’t put us on this earth to become weak, but to have infinite success.
- We can come closer to Him with confidence
- Don’t
rush through your conversations with Heavenly Father, reserve time to
share your feelings and to hear His answers, that way you will be able
to become what He wants.
- Recognize answers to your prayers:
1. Peace, comfort, safety—we know that the choice we made was right.
2. Discomfort—we know that the choice is wrong.
3. Nothing—to
grow and exercise faith in Him. We exercise faith by being obedient to
His commandments. When the Lord doesn’t give us an answer, we must ACT.
We must also thank Him for trusting in us. IF we are (1) living worthy
and (2) asking with confidence, God won’t let us go far without helping
us. He wants us to act so that we can have necessary experiences.
- If it is right, the confirmation will come in small inspirations. The feeling of peace is the most common testimony.
- Sometimes
the Lord makes us act so that we can exercise our faith before we
receive an answer. That way, our character will strengthen and our faith
will grow.
- Rarely
will the answer come while we are praying. Instead, it will inspire us
when the Spirit can touch our mind and our heart effectively in quiet
moments.
- When
we err and think that we aren’t worthy to pray, we must pray to ask
forgiveness so that we can be cleaned and become worthy to pray. Subtle
whispers will show us the steps that we must follow to become clean
through the Atonement.
- The
most important principle in prayer is GRATITUDE. The sincere
recognition fills our heart until it overflows with gratitude. Shouldn’t
we thank Heavenly Father for the gift of prayer?
- “Everything that you ask the Father will be given if it is for your good.”
- Your
life will be easier if you accept that everything that God does is for
your well-being—whether you be rich or poor, free or enslaved.
- He will always answer with what is best for your.
- Elder Ballard – Teach each other with love.
- Our
work will not be complete until EVERYBODY has had the opportunity to
hear the gospel and all of the members go to the temple.
- Use technology wisely.
- Have calm time to meditate, to have a personal interview with yourself, to hear the whispers of the Holy Ghost, to find peace.
- During the sacrament, concentrate on the Spirit of the Lord. For this brief moment, be with Him.
- The temple is a wonderful place to hear answers to prayers. (Your house has to be a temple.)
- Battle
against pornography – it is physically, mentally and spiritually
destructive. It leads to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. It is
fatal – it destroys individuals and families. Like venom, it kills the
body and mind. If you are involved, seek help with your priesthood
leader and lds.org.
- Always
study The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Marriage and family are
under attack. Great blessings flow when we obey God. Pray for government
leaders so that they follow the commandments of God.
- Who
will separate us from the love of God? Tribulation, or anguish, or
persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? As it is
written: 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I
am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:
36-39)
- Thanks to the love of Christ, everything can be fixed. Invite everybody to enjoy this love.
I'm
sure this week will be busy getting McKaylee all set up to stay. I was
just thinking now that you and dad got shafted....two kids left the
house in 9 months, that's rough!!! I'm sure dad is taking it a little rougher
because you got to stay.
I'm
glad McKaylee had a good last week though and that she was able to say goodbye
to the people that she needed to! I think this is definitely the right
path for her to progress in the right direction.
For
things that I have been craving, the licorice was on point last time
hah, but mac and cheese, not really. I tried to make home made mac and
cheese one day and it worked a little bit, but it's not as good as yours
obviously, but it was edible hahha. Beef jerky would be cool as well. I
cant think of anything else. Can you send me the recipe for the Cookie Dough Brownies? I want to try to make them next P-day.
I think we really all have the same testimony that is said in 1 Nefi 1 "Having been born of goodly parents".
I
started doing something similar with my studying - I sing or hum
a hymn before I read. It has helped me transfer my thoughts to the gospel
and feel the Spirit and its whispers.
I
watched a movie this morning about the life of Emma Smith - it was super
cool, felt the Spirit a ton, but the thing that I liked most is a quote
she said, "Strength isn't something you have, it's something you find,
with the help of God, day by day, hour by hour."
My
companion has been difficult. He struggles with the way our
mission does things - rules and the way we teach, but then when he tries to do it his
way, it doesn't work. I've learned to just be patient and let him
learn by himself because he doesn't listen to me at all. I told President Cabral that I was having some troubles with him and he just
told me, "Elder, I know, but unfortunately someone has to be his trainer,
someone has to suffer through the first couple months with Elder Veiga
and you were the one the Lord chose so that you could be better." I
was like, thanks, President, but then how do I help him and basically he
just said, "Prayer is a good place to start." It has been getting better, but
it's been a tester for sure.
I'm hoping that we can have some success. I've really been focusing on the sacrifice that it takes to have success. It has been really humbling, but we are having a little bit at a time.
