This week had many firsts. I had my first Conference on Friday and it was wonderful. After the meeting, I was able to talk with those who presented the training that we had and I really enjoyed it. We learned about how to use members more in the work and we were introduced to a program about receiving references. The singing was really fun too, I had one leg propped up on a chair to rest my guitar and my other leg was shaking like crazy during my singing. I tried to go up on to my toe, and all sorts of things but it was still shaking like crazy. It went really well though.
I received many many letters and that was so so good too. I love all of the letters from the missionaries, you can absolutely keep sending them. I have so many and I'm going to read one a night. After conference we came home and marked a date with Aguenauldo. He is this awesome man about 30 years old who has this little girl we know (her sister was baptized) stay at his home because her mom is not very stable. She calls him grandpa. He also takes care of his mother who is very sick. He is so so kind. He went to church but had to leave early to go home to take care of his mother. I love talking with him and we're going to go to his home after we finish emailing.
Saturday and Sunday was conference! I watched it in Portuguese, but it was still very good. I will be honest, I was so emotional the first hour of the first session I don't even know what happened. There was a constant stream of tears for an hour as I could hear the English words muffled in the back ground by the louder Portuguese, and thinking of the ears of all of my loved ones hearing the same things. After an hour of sentimental thinking I settled down. I couldn't sup really deep out of all of the talks, because I learned a lot. I look forward to reading them in the Ensign. I loved the music. I think it was the last song or second to last song of the last session that just really touched me. I loved it.
My favorite moment of all of conference was in the Priesthood session (we went and watched it in Sorocaba). I forgot who it was but the first speaker asked all of the missionaries and mission presidents to stand up. In our chapel in Sorocaba the 8 missionaries who were there stood up. I imagined all of the missionaries all around the world standing up at this time. There is such a strength that comes in thinking of the others that are serving with you.
I read a letter from Travy today and I love reading about him and all that's happening. I'd love to have his address. The closing hymn of the Priesthood session was ” Called to Serve” and I felt the Spirit so strong. I saw Creighton Hardy, a friend who lived on the same floor at BYU, like 8 times during the singing. It was awesome to see him. Oh and I loved seeing Mary! Our family doesn't even know her that well, but I just love her and I loved seeing her. My favorite talk was President Uchtdorf's and Dad that is definitely the first one that I want to read. My Bishop is going to download conference in English and put it on my ipod.
We weren't able to teach a ton this week because of 3 days of conference but what we could teach went really well. We are teaching Jamil and Sueli, a couple that we were walking by their home and just starting talking. I was walking close to this wall and rounding the corner and all of a sudden it wasn't a wall but a little front gate and she was standing there so a conversation started and now her husband has received an answer and knows The Book of Mormon is true. We were also walking past the work of a past investigator who called us in and said she wants us to come teach her again. She got engaged and stopped coming to church but I we are going to teach her again and try to teach her fiance as well.
Things are going really well here. I have so much that I want to improve. I am learning how wonderful small and simple things are. I have a few things I do every day, that just take diligence. Looking back, I can see how much those little things have added up to and it's really wonderful.
I was reading The Book of Mormon this morning in English and I learned a wonderful lesson of diligence from Nephi. 1 Nephi 3:7,15 are wonderful. When Elder Bavender's Uncle came, he called verse 7 the principle of anything, and verse 15 the principle of everything. Do everything you have to in order to complete a commandment of God. Nephi demonstrates his faith so well. The first plan, Laman goes in and it fails. His brothers were already ready to quit! How often do we do this? I think sometimes, maybe we were supposed to come here just to learn a principle of diligence. To show we are willing to go where the Lord guides. But no, Nephi understood the principle was not to simply travel, but to accomplish. He comes up with a wonderful idea to make a trade. They return to Laban with most, if not all of the worldly possessions. They were willing to trade it all for faith in a wise purpose of the Lord. Nephi didn't even know the wise purpose, but he trusted in the Lord. What happens? His plan fails. It failed miserably, they lost all of the possessions and Laban tried to kill them all. Imagine how Nephi felt at this time. Do you think he thought this plan was going to fail? No. I imagine he went to the Lord with this plan and believed it would be successful. But it failed. His brothers beat him. An Angel came. Nephi valiantly states that they need to go back again. They return and he continues on alone and all works out. The commandment was not try. The commandment was do. His words were not, I will go and try. His words were I will go and do.
There are many things in our lives that we know we are to do. I am praying to know what is my role to do here in Salta de Pirapora at this time. What is there for me to do? There is something for all of us to do in all times during our lives. Mosiah 8:18 says that "Thus God has provided means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles. Therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings." God has provided the means. Man has to provide the obedience and diligence.
Love, Elder Spencer Calvert
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