Spiritually Fed

Hey Mom!

Sorry about the pessimistic e-mail last week.  I really don't want to write those kinds of letters.  Oh well, leave the past behind you right?  I  have come to terms with the area and now I am just working my hardest to improve things any way I can.

You asked me if the families that I work with have more money than in my other areas.  The answer is there are really only two families that we are working with - and yes, they are a ton richer than pretty much any other place in the country.

In between sessions of conference, I ran a baptismal interview and had to fail someone for the first time - which was pretty disappointing. :(  He had some certain problems in his past and so now we have to wait until the mission president can come out and conduct another interview.  I just tried my best to reassure him that he still can get baptized if he has fully repented of his sins . . . and I really feel like he has, so I think he will get baptized in no time.

So conference was amazing wasn't it!  It seems to get better and better every time.  I am so jealous that Emily got to go to THREE sessions!!  Now that I have gotten my priorities straight on my mission, conference means so much more to me and I want to go watch it in person again sooo bad.  We went over to the neighboring city of Higuey to watch it with some of the missionaries there because we don't have a satellite here.  But, when we arrived, the missionaries were the only ones who had shown up to listen to the prophet!  With a little bit of time, some other people showed up, but it was a little bit disappointing.  We watched the first session in Spanish.  We can understand all of the translations, but there is so much more power in what they say when it is the voice of the actual speaker.  So, after that, we got a TV set up in English for the missionaries.  None of us were allowed to watch the priesthood session because it was too late and we were supposed to be in our houses before the time that it ended.  But, we did get to go to the Sunday sessions!  I know that I'm not a parent or anything, but that talk on parenting was soooo amazing!  It might have been my favorite talk of conference - if it wasn't the talk of President Eyring.  I was really impressed with how much they talked about putting our confidence in the Lord and having faith in Him.  Also, on how Satan leads us away by the neck with a flaxen cord until he binds us with his strong ones.  The first steps to becoming a disobedient missionary would be to get up 5 minutes late and would just evolve into becoming comfortable with more and more until it would make a missionary an ineffective servant of the Lord.  That to me, is why personal scripture study and prayer are so important.  To eliminate those little strings that Satan may have around us.  I just feel so much spiritual power after a general conference!  Just like I am invincible or something!  I am so grateful for the voice of a prophet who leads and guides us today.  If feels like he speaks specifically to me each time he bears testimony.

The rest of the week went pretty well.  Nothing too exciting or out of the ordinary, but I will keep you posted on the cool things that happen here in Bávaro!  I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Elder McBride