Changes

Well..... transfers are on Wednesday. Last night we found out that I will be staying here in Kenner but Hermana Marks will be leaving. Crazy! So on Wednesday we will be going to Baton Rouge and I will have a new companion. Transfers are so crazy. Every six weeks it's like an emotional roller coaster! Also, this next transfer will only be 5 weeks because we are getting SOOOO many new missionaries. In February we are receiving 10 new English Sisters. All of them have put in their papers since conference!! Tomorrow we will be receiving our first 18 and 19 year olds! So exciting but there are going to be a lot of growing pains. 

This week we had Zone Conference with Elder Packer of the Seventy and it was amazing. It was so great to hear from President Wall, Sister Wall, Sister Packer and Elder Packer. The meeting went from 9am-3:30pm. Followed by a practice of the National Anthem. (We are singing the National Anthem next Monday at the Hornets game. I'm currently the only soprano singing the high notes in the song. Hope I don't mess up :)  ) This year President Wall is really focusing on a motto, "Pump up the Volume". This can apply to so many things but specifically he means to turn up the volume of the Spirit. The Spirit is like the volume button verses the on/off switch. We can do things to control the volume like read, pray, serve, etc. I really love this analogy and it rings so true in my life.  President also talked about how when you signed up for a mission, you signed up for trials! Another very true statement. Elder Packer focused on a bunch of different things to help the missionary work here in Louisiana. He challenged us all to have 20 lessons per weeks. Most companionships are currently having about 10 lessons a week. The past two transfers Hna. Marks and I had 3 weeks with 13 lessons but that's the highest we've had. We definitely have our work cut out for us but I truly believe it's possible. He also taught that in order to help an investigator to baptism it needs to be 30%-prepare, 20%-teach and 50%-follow-up. 

On Sunday we had Stake Conference. This was different from any other Stake Conference I've ever been to. The whole thing was broadcast from The Conference Center in Salt Lake. And it was broadcast to 22 stakes across the SouthEast. We heard from a member of the Seventy, 2nd counselor in the Primary General Presidency, Elder Scott and Elder Cook. Elder Cook focused on member missionary work and Elder Scott focused on Temple Covenants. Both were excellent talks. 

Yesterday we had another amazing lesson with Caroline. Last lesson we invited her to read 3 Nephi 27 and she didn't so we read it with her. She had a lot of great questions and mentioned again how excited she is for her baptism!!!!! Just what every missionary wants to hear. Then before we could even ask her, she said "I really really want to read this book... I'm going to start from the beginning. I saw in the front that there are some testimonies and an Introduction, I'm going to start with that and then read in Nephi." She is just so awesome!!!!  

We have two new investigators! Marta and Judy. We found Marta while tracking two weeks ago. We had a first lesson with her on Saturday. She is Catholic and about 70 years old. Judy we've actually been visiting for awhile now. She lives in Metairie North so those Elders had been visiting her but they want us to focus on her since we're Sisters. Judy and Nelson are both investigators and received the lessons about 1.5 yrs ago when their son, Junior was baptized. So they've met with missionaries many times and have had all the lessons. 

So dad asked about my current scripture study... On Dec.31 I finished the Book of Mormon! That was super exciting and had been a major focus in my personal study. Now I'm focusing on reading D&C. I'm currently in section 40. I've also restarted the Book of Mormon with the focus of underlining examples of the enabling power of the atonement, or any time the Lord gives strength or support to his people. This was a challenge that Elder Bednar gave to the mission last year when he was here and my district is redoing the challenge. The ones that already did it are now going back and doing it in Spanish and for those that weren't here last year are doing it in English. I'm only in 1 Nephi 10 but I've already seen a number of examples. Also, every month each missionary focuses on a Christlike attribute that they choose. Last month my attribute was Patience and this month it's Charity and Love. In Preach My Gospel there is an entire Chapter on Christlike Attributes. During my personal study each day I read one of the scriptures under the Charity section. I've also been reading different conference talks on Charity during my Media Hour. Another thing I've been doing during my personal study is reading a conference talk from October's conference. To sum it all up, every day I spend my first 30 minutes in the Book of Mormon and D&C, 15 on a Conference Talk and 15 on my Christlike Attribute. 

As for Spanish, it's definitely a struggle! I know I've improved a lot but it's so frustrating to not be able to communicate with the people you see and visit every day and grown to love. The Zone Leaders saw how much we've been struggling and for the past 2 weeks we've been having Language Study with them 3x a week. It's been so helpful and I've feel like I've improved. And Elder Pope and Elder Gillett are amazing teachers! When I left the MTC they have all the missionaries take a Spanish Grammar test... I got a 26%. I took an almost identical test this past week since I've finished the 12 Week Training Program and I got a 63%!!!! Still a D but that's a huge improvement from a 26%!! :) 

Hope everyone is doing well! I love and miss you all.

con amor,

Kim