Senior Zone Conference

 Talofa Lava Aiga! ( A big hello Family!)

Another busy week here in Samoa!  We like to stay busy because it makes the time go faster and there's never a dull moment. The week started out with Elder Godderidge setting up a couple more bunkbeds, and a few other leftover jobs that he didn't get to over the weekend.  I think everyone's finally settled into their new mission quarters now after the big shake up with transfers last week. Tuesday our zone came to the temple so they held their district meeting at the mission home which was nice because we didn't have to drive across the island to attend it.  We have a new district leader and four other new Elders in our zone after the transfers.  New blood is good I guess.  But we will miss some of the Elders who moved out of our zone. Wednesday we worked all day instead of taking time off because we needed to be caught up with things so we could attend our Senior zone conference that was held on Thursday and Friday.  The conference started at 1:00 pm on Thursday and we had instruction from some of our fellow senior missionaries. The theme of the conference was "Seek Christlike Attributes".  We heard messages from Elder Tagg, Elder Martinez, Elder Bott, Sister Lunt,  Elder Bell ,and Elder Schroeder.  We did an exercise where we were supposed to choose one or two attributes of Christ that we felt we'd like to work on to help us become more like him. and set some goals to help us achieve these attributes.  

We went to a temple session on Friday evening and they did the session in English because the whole session was reserved for the senior missionaries. It was nice not to have to wear the headphones for translation.  After the temple session, we ate dinner together.  On Friday we were to wear p-day clothes and take a bus to Saniatu for the remainder of the conference, but of course, Elder G. had to repair a broken water pipe because Sisters had no water and I had an Elder that cut his hand late Thursday night, so I had to meet up with him to clean it up good put a couple of steri-strips on it so we didn't get to ride the bus and we just drove up after we got the missionaries fixed up.  We were late and didn't get to hear most of the program for Friday morning.  But we listened to Sister Reid and President Reid and then had boxed lunches,  After everyone else loaded the bus to return to the mission home, Elder G. and I stayed and explored a little trail on the Saniatu property before we headed back. 

On Saturday, we did a longer run in the morning and, took care of a few medical issues, watched the first half of the SV football game on utube and then went to a baptism.  When we got back from the baptism, we were surprised to find out that SV pulled off an upset and won the game in the second half!  Saturday evening we took a new mattress to one of the sisters that had bed bugs in her mattress, a new microwave to some Elders who had their microwave stolen because they left it outside after finding it full of maggots in their MQ because "someone" left a container of chicken in it for who knows how long.

Sometimes I wonder about these missionaries and their lack of common sense!

Sunday was an early rise to make the hour and a half drive to a 9:00 church meeting in our zone. Then we delivered needs to the whole zone after that.  Before heading back home, we stopped at a place  where we'd seen signs for a coastal walk but never had time to do it.  It was a beautiful walk along the coast where there were lava fields that we walked on and a pretty big drop-off down to the water. The force of the waves crashing into the rocks had formed big holes in the rocks. When we got home, I made Sunday dinner and Sister Schofield came and ate with us and shared her home made rolls. After that I made Elder G. his favorite raisin filled cookies so he'd have something to snack on for a few days.  But I've eaten more of them than the has!  HAHA

Here's a few things I gleaned from our zone conference last week:

-Our missionary Purpose is to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end." This is the Doctrine of Christ.

As Senior missionaries, we are kind of like a a M.A.S.H. unit, we're all working together for the same purpose.  We may not be on the front lines like the missionaries are, but we are still important and have the same purpose.

-We are here to provide strength to our young missionaries.

-Just as vital as what you do is who you are and who you are becoming.

- Ether 12:41 "And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may abide in you forever."

-D&C 6:36 "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." 

 

Hope you all have a great week!  LOVE YOU !!!