Sister in Sacramento: Zone Conference

Hola Everyone!!

I hope that everyone has had a great week this week!

So this last week I had my first real zone conference and it was great! I love being able to get together with other missionaries and get to know who it is I am serving with. I also look forward to any opportunity I can get to learn how I can be a better missionary. This conference the focus was on the scriptures and using them to teach the doctrine. It was really cool to be able to see why it is so important that we are using the scriptures to teach our investigators. I love in "Preach my Gospel" where it tells us that using the scriptures gives us authority as missionaries. When we are using the scriptures our investigators are able to see and feel that what we are teaching is the word of God and not just some mumbo jumbo that we are asking them to do. The scriptures truly are what lead us to becoming truly converted. When we study the scriptures we invite the spirit and He is able to testify to us of the truths and then our desire to apply what we learn grows. It has been cool to already see the difference in my teaching as I have worked to apply that this week. The word of God speaks for itself!

Benito is still progressing greatly as well which is awesome! We taught him the Law of Chastity this week and the Word of Wisdom. That is the first time I have actually taught those lessons and to be quite honest I had it easy because minus coffee he is already keeping both of them and even with Coffee he had no problems with having to stop. We will check up on him this week but I know that he will be fine. He always says that he can do anything he put's his mind to and I believe it. I really am just so excited for him to be baptized and receive the priesthood and be able to start working with his wife to go to the temple next year!

This week I also had a cool experience as I was teaching with Hermana Torres this past week in Tracy. We were teaching a lesson to their investigator and he was talking about some of the stuff he had been through the last couple of months (he was in a really bad car accident and is still recovering). He was talking pretty fast though and it was our last lesson of the night so I was tired and my Spanish brain just wasn't working all that well so I was struggling to understand what exactly he was saying. I knew he was kind of repeating himself and that he was talking about difficulties and about his accident but that was about it. However I was trying hard to listen to him and then I got this strong feeling that I needed to testify once he was done talking but like I said I really didn't know what he was saying so I had no idea what it was he needed to hear. I kept listening though and the thought kept coming to my mind that I needed to testify. As he was wrapping up I said a little prayer that Heavenly Father would help me to say what he needed to hear and that I wouldn't sound like I didn't understand him. When he paused for us to talk I glanced at Hermana Torres (who is fluent by the way) and went for it. I ended testifying that everything he went through happened for a reason and that Heavenly Father has a plan for him and that because of the Savior and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ this life isn't the end and that we can be with our families forever. Anyway so we wrapped up, gave commitments and then left. Once we were in the car Hermana Torres told me about the experience she had at that same time. She was listening and could understand him but when she started to think about what she should say when he stopped talking she just drew a blank and felt like she shouldn't talk. She then had the impression that she needed to pray for me. That is what she did. She said a prayer that I could understand what he was saying and that I would know what to say. I didn't understand really what he was saying but when the moment came it was put into my mind and heart what I needed to say and after Hermana Torres said that it sounded like I knew exactly what he had been saying and that if she had been able to think of what to say that she would have said the same thing to him. Anyway it was really awesome to see the unity we had as companionship in that lesson and how through following the spirit we were able to tell this man what Heavenly Father needed him to hear. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost and how miracles truly happen when we follow the promptings we receive.

Anyway, I am loving serving the Lord's children and am so glad that I am where I am right now! I know that I am where the Lord want's me to be and am helping His children in more ways than I think I will ever realize.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

p.s. California is the best...it has been clear skies and in the high 60's/low 70's all week long! Hope you guys aren't too cold back there in Utah!