August 4, 2011

Mi Familia,

Not sure there is much new to tell you but I'll start with the week run down.

Last Thursday I got the package... those brownies were awesome. Thank you so much. They made our dorm room smell so good. And yes I shared. Too bad to hear about the picture card. Ty can probably figure out a way to get the pictures off. I only have one normal card. The other one is the HD or whatever it is called card.

Friday the only thing that was different from every other week was I started to interview Elders in my district. It was interesting and kind of fun to get to hear about their families and how they are doing.

Saturday I felt like I was starting to break out of my slump. I felt like I had been stagnant with the language for a week but I feel like I am now understanding everything again and stuff is starting to click. I think it is because I started to read scriptures and stories that I know really well in my Libro de Mormon instead of random scriptures. The story I started off with was Ammon because he is such a great example of a missionary and I felt the most comfortable with that story. Oh yeah, in the morning we saw a little bird snatch a moth out of the air and that was pretty cool.

Domingo not much more to talk about… I still haven't had to speak in sacrament meeting... keep your fingers crossed... because they had the missionaries that are leaving for Colombia speak; Elder Loutulelei and Elder Seipert. They were both great examples of missionaries. The fireside speaker was Elder Robert Swensen the Church Missionary director. He spoke on charity and how we need to have charity for everyone.

Monday was the first of August... where did July go? I was supposed to teach an investigator but I got called into a meeting and so Elders Cannon and Durfee taught without me. The whole time I was in the meeting I kept wanting to be with them. I was wondering how their lesson was going and praying that they would do well. My prayers were answered because they said it went extremely well.

Tuesday night was amazing. The devotional was by Elder Gerald R. Lund, I'm sure grandma mouse knows that name, and it was exactly what I needed. Every week we choose a Christ like attribute to work on and that morning I had chosen Faith and when I sat down and heard that he was speaking on faith I was excited. After all of the information he gave us I think I will be studying faith for the rest of my life. I don't think I will ever be able to learn enough about it because I can never have too much faith. Then we had the devotional review and it was awesome. I don't remember if I explained this but it is when we go back to the class and discuss what we learned during the devotional. The spirit is so strong with each of the Elders in the district bearing their testimonies. Before I leave I'm going to send home all of the notes on the talks I have taken (because I have a new way of keeping my notes and have been transferring all of them to my new folder) so you can read them. The devotionals and firesides have been amazing and highlights of my weeks.

Wednesday morning I was just awestruck by the fact that I have been here for 7 weeks. At TRC we taught an Elder Eastmen who is a convert to the church that is in a branch presidency here. He worked for Dupont as a mechanical engineer and then at BYU as a professor of Mechanical Engineering and a Book of Mormon professor. He was awesome and even though we were supposed to be teaching him I learned so much. He asked us about the verse in 3 Nephi where after Christ blesses the children, Christ weeps. I hadn't really realized that was part of the story until about 2-3 weeks ago when I was reading it and at that time I stopped and thought about it. He wept tears of joy for the righteousness that would come from that generation. Awesome story that you should definitely read. This
morning we went to the temple and it was a great experience like always. It will definitely be one of the things I miss about being in the MTC. Going to the temple every week has been a blessing in my
life.

Other stuff to say - It has rained some more here and I am excited to hear that it has been raining in the DR nonstop... I can't wait. Today we may get our travel plans so if I do it will be in my letter home. Not sure if I forgot anything but I probably did...I always do so there will definitely be more in the letter home. I love you all so much and you are always in my prayers.

Les Amo Mucho,

Elder Miguel Coniam