So on Tuesday we had our last zone conference with President Killpack. Zone conferences are always exciting, but at the same time, it was so sad! We did a lot of farewell things for the Killpacks. They have a tradition where every missionary either designs a quilt square (all the sisters) or designs a tie (all the elders). Usually you don't do it until you are going home, but everyone just did one so that they will have one from all of us. There was obviously tons of picture taking and at the end the Killpacks gave their "dying" testimonies (every missionary bears one final testimony with their zone before they finish their mission and it is called a dying testimony). It was incredible. President listed a huge list of the things he has learned on his mission and we were writing like crazy to get it all. All of it was so inspiring! It was a good day. I love meetings like that because it is like a spiritual rejuvenation to give me renewed energy to go out and work hard.
At the conference we had a really cool conversation about the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law. There is this thing missionaries seem to do where they categorize themselves as a letter of the law missionary or a spirit of the law missionary. Letter of the law follows all the rules to a t, and spirit of the law does what they feel the spirit prompts them to. Both sound like really good things right? Well we talked about how you can't be one or the other and do the best good you can. The two laws were compared to the Jews and the people Christ came and visited here in the Americas. The Jews followed the Law of Moses to a T and then the extra laws the the Scribes and Pharisees added. They followed all of these things and of course were blessed for it, but a lot of them never really knew the "why" of the law. Whereas, when Christ came to teach the people in the Americas, they followed the laws, but also understood why. It is not enough to just follow the laws, we need to understand them as well. And sometimes we are given things that we really don't feel like we do understand. But that is where that faith comes in. We have faith that as we act, we will be blessed and that although we don't know why, we will one day. So we all need to be letter of the law and spirit of the law kind of people.
We also discussed a lot of information about the new Mission President, President Passey. He will get here next Monday and the minute the plane lands, he is the new mission president. That very second. Crazy huh? We will have a meeting with him in 2 weeks to get to know him and his wife and we are excited!
We also found out that 24 new missionaries are coming in this transfer. That is about how big the groups were when the age change was made! We are excited, but it is going to be a lot of hard work. A lot of new areas are going to have to be opened, but we know that their excitement will help us have a lot of success here!
Sean is doing really good! He is still progressing and preparing for his baptism on July 5! There was actually a baptism this Saturday and he came. We asked him after it was over what he thought and he just said "It makes me excited. I just cant wait for my day". It is just so exciting to watch him eat everything up and be so excited about it. He has really started getting into the Book of Mormon. On Wednesday we went to visit him and left him with a chapter to read. He texted us that night and told us that he had already read it. We asked him what he thought of it and he said "i am hooked!!" He had a really cool experience last Sunday. Him and his Dad went to visit a less active and the less active offered him a cigarette. He took it, but before he smoked it, he passed it back and said "i can't. I made a promise to him (and pointed up) that i wouldn't anymore". Both Rudi (his step dad) and the less active told us that story. It also inspired the less active to quit smoking too! We are just loving this! Sean has his interview this Wednesday and if all goes well, we will be able to start inviting everyone! Can't wait to see what miracles come this week for him!
1 John 4:19
Love you so much!
Hermana Lundquist