Members going to the temple!

Dear family and friends!!

So week has been a way better week!!  It was super fun and kinda a little packed.  But that was worth it!! So first off, we have been getting some good progression in one of our investigators.  His name is Michael and he is on a bgd (baptismal goal date) for March 22th.  So that should be super exciting.  We are loving teaching him because he's super smart and actually understands some stuff that we teach, which is cool!  Then the next thing that happened is we had zone conference!!  Zone conference was super good!!  In our mission we are doing a great job baptizing.  For this year, our mission has already baptized about 200 people and we are just 2 months in.  So that's pretty flippin legit if ya ask me. hahaha  But one thing that the mission is struggling with is being more consistent in those baptisms.  So we talked a lot about a pipe line effect and how we need to be constantly baptized people every week in order to hit our goals.  So we talked a bit about the conversion process and how we get investigators to particpate in that and help them realize the holy ghost working in their life!  So that was super cool!! (:  Learned how to help them a little more!!

This is a less active member who is going to the temple soon.

Then also something big, we talked about how we measure our real growth as people, and seeing if we have changed and become more converted to the gospel.   But ya there was 7 questions and I was like woah... I am not the same person at all.  hahaha  It's so funny!  One of the questions was how you approach reading the scriptures and how you study them and if you try and apply them to life.  Just seeing a change there... President said that some of you probably were like "oh ya I finished 3 pages today.  That means I don't have to read till tomorrow!!!"   And as he said that I was like, oh freak if I read 3 pages I was like oh ya I'm done for a month!!!  So that's just different seeing how much that has changed and seeing how much I love the scriptures.  I finished all of Mosiah this week and I'm reading Ama chapter 10 right now.  So that was awesome!!!  There was some other questions also.  I wrote them all down but they were all so good.  I would have to say I am a lot more converted to the gospel for sure because I'm loving the mission so much! It's so fun and I can't wait to do some family stuff and be a more involved!!  When I get back , Quinn will be my home teaching partner and ima teach him how its really done. hahaha  So that was zone conference.  I got to see some other people from my batch again which was awesome!  Gotta love that!!

Zone Conference and fellow missionaries!

Then another thing that happened this week, I found out that one of my recent converts is getting sealed to his family, the one that was baptized back in December.  I thought he would have to be 1 year before he can get sealed to his family, but apparently just the parents have to have been 1 year in the gospel.  So that is so awesome!!!  They are going to the temple this Saturday!!  I, sadly, can't go, we're to far away ):  But that's so okay with me.  My recent convert is getting sealed with his family in the temple!!!!  And then another one of our less active returns is going to do baptisms for the dead.  It will be the first time she has been to the temple also in her life!!  So that is so awesome!!   I was so excited when I found that out!!  So that probably was the highlight of my week!!  His name by the way is Mark, and their family just hit a year and are super active in the church.  So they are getting sealed which is so amazing!!!  So keep them in your prayers because its so incredible!!! (:

Church was a good thing also I would say.  I learned some new stuff but only Michael, our investigator, came to church.  But that was okay.  We had a meeting with President Clark and the district president here, basically stake president, but were not a stake yet, so that was good!!  We discussed some good stuff about missionary work and that was great!!  Got some great new ideas and they are loving the work that is going on here in Guimba (his zone) and Munoz (where he lives).

 

She is the child of the branch mission leader.  Holy cute! 

He said this is what Jessie (his sister) looks like when she wakes up.  His words...not mine!

So today for p day we went to the college again and played some basketball.  That was awesome.  I still am not good... but hey it was fun!  The college kids can actually play a little so they gave us a challenge and that was awesome.  Got some great exercise in but now I'm just dead tired.  But that was basically today!! It's been a good week.  Remember that the church is true and the gospel is true!!  I love you guys!!!

Elder Hedman