I feel like a broken record, but I swear this was the longest week in history. We did so many things. As most of you know, conference was Saturday and Sunday. So we spent all the week trying to prepare ourselves for it.
Wednesday we had interviews with the president. I got a package!!! I say this not to offend, but to help you understand my joy. I really don't get many letters or packages... So when something does come it is the thrill of a lifetime. Who was it from?! What does it say?! What is inside?! Needless to say, it is amazing to get things from the other world. So thank you mystery person. You know who you are... it`s great!
Anyway, interviews went well. I always expect the president to drop the cane on me... but he always just tells me I'm doing great and to continue doing it. So, I guess I get to stay in the mission for at least up till next interviews.
Thursday we did a Family Home Evening in the church with a whole lot of investigators to teach them a little more about the Prophet Joseph Smith and what a FHE really is. We watched the majority of Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration (which none of you have seen because it hasn't come out yet... hehehe... only missionaries have seen it). It turned out great... with lots of kids. You see, we are teaching a young couple who have 4 kids between the ages of 2 and 6. They are a handful. And we want our investigators to focus, so we normally play with the kids to keep them quiet while the parents learn. I’ll be honest... I still have a headache. Babysitting is something that I can do... it isn't ever easy with 4 kids... but even less easy as a missionary with 1001 rules pertaining to the child-missionary permitted conduct.
Friday we got a lot of people together to finish the movie and play volleyball (which doesn't really exist around here). I again was on child entertainment duty.
Saturday and Sunday during conference I was also on child duty. I basically only heard Priesthood and the last session of Sunday. Which were AMAZING by the way. I fought with kids for hours and then sat down to hear Elder Holland bear pure testimony about the Book of Mormon. It was extremely wonderful. Priesthood was off the spiritual hook as well. I took a million and one notes and only saw 2/5 of conference. I’ll be honest, I was starting to wonder if it was all worth it and then saw the change it made in the 5 investigators who went. DEFINATELY WELL WORTH IT!!!!
The young couple who went have had a very deep change of heart. The wife sat down for the first session on Saturday and during the talk of some lady leaned over to me and told me she had heard the talk already. I looked at her with a puzzled look and she asked me why I look so bewildered. I explained again that conference was happening at this very moment. That she was in fact giving that talk for the first time at that VERY moment. She stared at me and then clutched her chest. Soon tears were forming in her eyes and later she explained to us how she felt. We explained that feeling is the Holy Ghost and she looked at us as if she finally understood. The husband is a little more hard-headed. He only came to one session and loved every minute of it. Hopefully this week we will be able to take out a baptismal goal with both of them.
That wasn't all that happened. A lot more went down, but I can’t really explain how or why. Here is a cool little thing though.
Every day we need to do 5 contacts. Conference makes that hard. But we decided to do it anyway. Between sessions we returned back to our area to find more people. We did divisions with a few young men to get two groups. We took 15 minutes to do contacts. The only thing is that when we do contacts we don't just give them a pamphlet and leave. We try to find them at that very moment. Well, God always blesses us for being faithful and doing what he asks us. I decided to clap a house where a family was working on cleaning their clothes outside. The member that was with me said, "Hey, I know them. I just never thought we had time to stop by, so I never told you." We entered and taught them about the Book of Mormon and left all within 15 minutes. It turns out that they normally are not together, but that day they were because we took advantage of every minute of the day... God helped us find a family of 6.
There are just so many things that happen like that. We go a little bit more and God goes miles ahead of us to prepare our paths.
I’ve been thinking that it has been a long time since I have given my family/friends my testimony. I assume all of you are alright. But I know that there is something I’ve learned here on the mission that I want to share with you all. And it just so happens to be what Elder Holland talked about. The Book of Mormon really is everything. Every person we teach needs to gain a testimony of that book. They often ask us questions and the answer is always simple and findable within the Book of Mormon. We have been asked to divide the wheat from the tariffs more. The best way to do that is find out who is reading from the Book of Mormon and who isn't. It is amazing that every person who reads is progressing. Every person who doesn't gets dropped within a week. Many people have asked me why I don't use the Bible to teach. Well, it is simple. Everything I teach can be easily found within my triple... ESPECIALLY The Book of Mormon.
So I would like to add my testimony to that of Elder Holland. I am not as great at word choice as he, nor am I as powerful of a speaker, nor am I an apostle. But I want you all to know that I know The Book of Mormon is true. It is "the most correct of all the books on earth." I love it`s pages and glory daily in the power it has as I read and share with others what prophets have written to us. I love that book and will continue to read from it every day until the day I die.
Now is that dreadful parting we all hate. The moment where I go back into the Spanish world and leave you all to wait breathless for one more week (I doubt your breathless, but I`d like to imagine so). If anyone wants anything from me... let me know. I think I can find at least 20 minutes to reply to you all. I’ve learned one thing here on the mission. If you want to do anything special... you need to take sleeping time. I basically don't sleep anymore. So, if anyone wants anything... I now know how to find time ;) But in all seriousness... Is there anything I can do for my loyal listeners?
Love you all,
E. Tommy Steinkuhler
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