General Conference

Well well well, it's been another week and Xalapa is just as cold and rainy as the last week. The best part of this last week was the amazing General Conference that we had!!! This was the first time in my mission that I was able to watch in English. WHAT A BLESSING. There are many new missionaries, like I was in Coatzintla, who do not understand anything and sadly don't get that much out of conference. I spent the two days with my other gringo buddies, Elder Howell who is from Idaho, Elder Bowen, the son of Andy Oblad, and Elder Dahl, also from Idaho. And also my companion who is Yucateco but speaks better English then I do!!

I loved the messages and how they can apply to our lives. I think one of my favorite talks was from Dallin H. Oaks. He said two things that I LOVE and they go hand in hand. The first was, "all efforts begin with desire." The other was, "the people will learn when they are ready to learn, not when we are ready to teach them." Maybe I really liked these two quotes because its applies a LOT to missionary work. You can really tell if someone is interested in hearing and reading and keeping commitments like going to church and such if they put in the EFFORT. That's when you know they have the desire. And if they don't have the desire, they won't put in the effort and they won't learn. Because we can't teach them when we are ready for new investigators. Only when they are ready to learn and are searching the truths for themselves is when we can really teach them.

I love this place and I love the work!! I love finding the people who really want to learn and put in this effort. Who show not only to us as missionaries but our Heavenly Father that they are ready to make a change in their lives. I love the spirit of missionary work especially with ward members. Please please please contact the missionaries in your ward and go visit with them. Not only will you feel good but the missionaries love it when ward members WANT to go with them! I love you all and hope you are all having an awesome day! Hope you enjoyed General Conference!!!

Love,

Elder Babcock