Well, as expected, I had a wonderful time at conference. In my notes, I put stars next to my favorites that I need to look up and study as soon as possible. Dieter F. Uchtdorf Sat. morning, Robert C. Gay Sat. afternoon, D. Todd Christofferson Priesthood, Jeffery R. Holland Sunday morning, Daniel L Johnson Sunday afternoon. One of my questions was how do I take what I have learned and become and make it stick in my old environment? I not only got answers on how to do it, but as I consistently thought of the question that I had, I received a desire to do the things that I needed to do. And I just need to say how much I love David A. Bednar. He speaks clearly and powerfully and is organized in every single word that he says.
Other than that, This week was pretty intense. We went on 3 companion exchanges. I am continually impressed by the quality of the missionaries in my zone. They really are all top notch. Elder Woolsey, who just moved in, is a new senior and district leader in a new area and he is doing really well. He is very crisp. That is just the word that comes to mind. Sharp.
One of our really great investigator friends came to english for the first time. His English is actually pretty good it turns out. Every week, I teach the Advanced English which turns out to be just practicing our conversation. Anyways, he came for his first time and despite his super good english, he didn't have an english name. So I wrote three names up on the board that sounded kind of like his Chinese name and gave him the option. He picked Logan. Good name. He is really cool and has big thick rimmed glasses. He is actually from the place that my companion Elder Bailey just came from. He is progressing along quite well.
It is always an interesting experience to teach somebody who has no belief in God and see them slowly start to believe as they do the things that we ask them to do. It may take awhile longer before he is baptized, but he has started to make that change. It really is a feeling. And it comes over time by exercising faith. I am grateful that I have had a chance to meet this cool kid, Logan.
My companion and I have a chance to go up to the North to do a training on the culture of our mission. There is something that we say. it is "You2 Ban4 Fa3". It pretty much means, there is a way. When we are faced with difficulties, we often say "you ban fa" and then find a way to make things work. This is a way to display faith. The presentation is going to be pretty fun and intense. We put together a monologue from the scriptures and are also giving them a book mark with the definition of "you ban fa". Elder Bailey owned a business before coming on his mission, so it is really fun to do presentations with somebody who knows what he is doing.
I hope you have a wonderful week!
-Elder Sanford
