Jersey City - Week 9 - "This is the Life"

Things are going great! I loved General Conference this past weekend. What inspirational talks. I just

General Conference Sunday

feel pumped to go out and work and live a more righteous life. But I totally know what you mean as in the whole thing just flew by. We had meetings right up to the start and a lesson in between sessions and after we gave a few blessings. Ha it was just running from Conference session, to a lesson, back to Conference, to home, then back to conference, and somewhere in the middle of all that we found time to eat and sleep. So good though. Loved the part too mom where it talked about not abandoning old ship Zion. Just stay with it. I just thought it was interesting that they talked so much about Joseph Smith and sustaining our modern day prophet, President Thomas S Monson. And how they talked about asking God about truth. You can have questions, you can have doubts, just like Joseph Smith did when he was a boy, but always ask God for the truth not worldly sources. God is the source of all truth. I just love that. Go will answer all prayers in His own time. Don't let questions delay you from reaping the blessings of the Gospel. I just loved that.

As for the rest of the week: Time was well spent between learning and teaching. We had our big monthly Mission Leader Council this past week. Things went well. It was a little tough with the change of mission Presidents the past few months. Just things are different and lots of changes. The meeting was really good though and we all got caught up and things are all starting to click. But the things which President Taggart have brought are exactly what this mission has been needing. I have seen that in a lot of the missionaries I have been working with. Especially myself. Its crazy cool to see how sustaining and following an inspired leader can make things so much better. He is an inspired man! NJMM is going BIG!

We went and tried to teach Nu--- this week at her house. But when we got there she actually wasn't there. But instead her brother and dad were there. Which turned out to be a miracle because the brother (who is like 40 or so) was baptized when he was a teen. Ha we didn't realize it at first but he knew just way to much about missions so we thought that there is no way this guy hasn't had tons of connection with the church. Turns out he was baptized when he was 14 and kind of fell away when he was 18. We are starting to help him come back. We really just took things slow with him and just listened to his story and talked about prayer again. It was really touching to see him have desires to learn about God again.

We had some awesome lessons with a few members this past week. They are so solid. This one member Ja--- is a returning member and is so committed to her calling. She works with some of the children in our ward with mental handicaps. But she just loves them so much. She has a couple of facebook pages that she runs that helps her and other members around the world work better with primary kids with these handicaps. Oh she is so solid. Our Bishop's wife and family have us over every other week. Bomb Peruvian food, and such a strong Spirit in there house. They little daughter who is like 5 cracks us up. She always says things how they really are. It is so funny.

Our mission is actually bigger than I think I came across last week. We actually have 12 zones with 12 Zone leader companionships, and I think 6 companionships of Sister Training Leaders. The meeting last week with Elder Anderson where I was with 8 other zone leaders was just a third or so of the mission. But guess what... things are starting to shrink again. Our mission will start getting less missionaries than receiving. The main 'bubble' wave of missionaries is starting to go home.

So glad to hear that family BOM study is going strong. That is exactly what the Apostles talked about yesterday with having continual spiritual revelation. Its not just a one time thing. Family and personal prayer and study are perfect for amping things up to the happiest way of life.

Sounds like things are fun with cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. Love the pictures. Thank you for the package this past week too! We are living a good life. Thank you family I love you!

Elder Sumsion

I saw a sticker on the top of some gangster's car's windshield that said, "This is the life." Ha that's what I feel like everyday! Being a missionary is the life!

My 30 seconds of kickin it in the apartment