It is hard to choose a subject line that could uphold everything that went on this week, so we will just go for the easy out-I didn't get transferred. Elder Ewell and I will be staying another transfer together here. Of course, the rest of our zone got pretty shaken up. We will be getting ten new missionaries this week into the zone, two areas are being opened up, one here in Pasadena and one in Baytown. So a lot of new people to come to know and love!
We will go back to the beginning of the week, though. It seems like an eternity away! Tuesday was our Mission Leadership Council, so all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders gathered to discuss the needs of the mission. The big goal for the mission is 100 baptisms before the end of the year, so we are focusing on that.
On Wednesday we went on exchanges with a set of our Elders...we had had then planned earlier, but Imelda threw a wrench in a lot of our plans. We didn't even make it on exchanges with another set.
Exchanges went well, I was with Elder Bell in Broadway. We talked with a recent convert, she was just baptized two weeks earlier. She is very sweet, and clearly loves the missionaries.
Thursday we had an incredible lesson with C__. We met C__ on the Sunday before. His long distance girlfriend had invited him to church, and so he showed up on his own! We taught him a little after church, and then had a more full lesson on Thursday. He is quiet, but super awesome. As we were teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, I wasn't sure how much was getting through to him (I stress a lot during lessons, sometimes). However, as we were reading, the spirit touched me strongly, and I knew that if I was feeling it, he must be too. We invited him to be baptized, and he said emotionally that he wanted to, so we set a date with him. He also expressed his desire to be an example to help his family return to church. We wanted to watch conference with his family, which didn't work out, but he watched and enjoyed it. He was also at our YSA FHE yesterday!
On Friday we taught our district training, on how an understanding of our identity helps us to fulfill our purpose. As an object lesson we had everyone write what they felt that their purpose was on a piece of paper, put it in a balloon and blow it up. Then we tossed a streamer between us in a circle, forming a web. As the streamer got to you, you stated a spiritual gift or part of your identity, then passed it on,eventually forming a web. The balloons were then placed on the web, and because of our identity our purpose was supported. It went pretty well, and I only popped one of my balloons ;)
That night I went to Faith Meets Family for the first time. The mission reserves the temple baptistry for the first Friday of every month for recent converts or returning members, but I have never been able to make it. We went with a recent convert from the YSA, and it was awesome. The feeling inside the Temple is definitely different from anything else you can experience. We are probably also going at the end of this week for the YSA temple trip.
Saturday and Sunday, of course, were general conference! I loved hearing the messages of the Prophets, Seers, and Revelators of our day. The thing that stood out to me most was that our focus has to be on Jesus Christ, and then everything else will take the appropriate place in our lives. Definitely a lot to reread and learn from! Also, the changes to the young men and young women were pretty unexpected to me, but hopefully they will help our youth!
Things are going well, a cold front is moving in so highs are only in the 80s ;)
Lots of love,
Elder DeFord
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