(10/14/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a awesome week this past wee, one of the best in a while just due to the amount of proselyting we got to do. One of the things that made this week was Zone Training Meeting. We set some great goals for the month of October to help us meet the standards of excellence. One of them was 33 baptisms as a zone. There are 198 baptisms scheduled in the mission for the month November, so President Barrientos is really pushing all of us to get all of those goals turned into realities. Sadly, none of them are from Elder Morales and I, since we are just now starting to build up our investigator pool.

During ZTM we talked about doing more OYM (Open Your Mouth). For Elder M and i this has been a big thing that we have needed to improve one. We made a goal to find more people by talking to more people and it worked! One Thursday and Friday we went looking for our referrals and less-actives and we found so many people who are willing to listen to us. We have already started teaching a few of them. One of them is actually one of our referrals that we had contacted previously, but were unable to make a return appointment. I thought she looked familiar as we approached her house but i didn't make the connection till she told us her name. her and her husband are willing to listen, so we went back on Sunday. It was a good lesson, though unlike one I have ever taught before. There was also a missionary from a Pentecost Church there. At the same time. But we had something that he didn't have and that is the Holy Ghost to carry our message to the hearts of those listening. Leila was touched by the Spirit and accepted everything we taught. She also committed to read the Book of Mormon. We also set a return appointment with the Pentecost guy. Htat was a fun story to tell President and he got a kick out of it.

The best part of this week by far though was General Conference. This Conference was loaded with great talks, just as they all are. I agree 100% with what President Monson said about the Sunday Morning Session. President Barrientos did too, as he told us all to go straight out to work and use the sessions of Conference as our study time. It was that evening that we had the lesson with Leila. I especially loved President Utchdorf's talk during the Priesthood session about getting up when we fall. If there is anyone who has not yet read or hear that talk I recommend you do so. 

It really is a great blessing to have a living Prophet and Apostles on the Earth. That is one thing that I have really come to appreciate greater in this past week, both through conference and teaching. We have so much more peace and guidance in this world because of our knowledge and testimony about the restored gospel and all that it brings to our lives. Ansd as we follow these men who are called of God, we will be able to stand against all that comes in our way. I know that because I have experienced it.

Thank you for all you do. I want to encourage you all to review your notes on conference and the conference talks themselves. There is power in those words. Mahal Kita! Kita Kits!

Elder RWood