Week 99 - Final Zone Conference and Thoughts on Prayer

So on Tuesday we had a lesson with Cri-Cri and Donovan a mom and 17 year old son we've been teaching the last couple weeks. She has a ton of health problems and they're a little interesting, but super kind.  We taught about the Book of Mormon because we had watched the restoration video the last time. Donovan was super interested and he started reading the intro and asking questions before the end of the appointment. He finished by saying," I hate reading but I'm excited to start this book" :)

Wednesday we had Zone Conference and boy was it something. I was the only person dying in our zone so everyone made a big deal about it and kept making jokes about me dying. I hate the question, "What does it feel like to be dead?" 😡. But those young bucks don't know better yet, so I can't be mad ;) haha It was super cool during President's training at the end of the conference. He was talking about searching the scriptures not just reading and about praying and fasting A LOT.  He used the first part of Alma 17. And at the end of his training just as a little side note he talked about how we can become the kind of servants that merit the approbation "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". Then he added, while looking at me, "and the Lord will be pleased with the service you have given Him". I felt the Spirit like a fire inside me when he said that, and it was just what I needed as I neared the end of my service.

We had a dinner appointment 4 nights this week! I don't know what got into the members but I like it :) haha

I've been reflecting a lot this week on prayer and how great a blessing it is to be able to talk to our Father in heaven, the creator of the universe about anything and everything that is important to us.  A quick story to illustrate this.  Friday we get a call from the Bishop asking us to take the first five minutes after the sacrament and give the ward a specific challenge about missionary work to give the ward a little boost. Well we sat and were thinking about it all day Friday and Saturday, but we couldn't think of anything that felt appropriate.  It's like 8 o'clock Saturday night and we're eating dinner and just pondering over our problem. Anderson goes to make himself something to eat and I just start praying and begging for some help. After I finished my prayer I remembered that a few days earlier Anderson shared a quote during comp study from the end of chapter 1 of preach my gospel where there is a list of quotes on missionary work by prophets. So I go back there and find this one by Harold B Lee, "Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the Church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members”. Then I received the inspiration to challenge each home and visiting teacher to provide an act of service for each person/family they visit during the next 40 days(which leads right up to conference). So we plan out our little talk and when we ask Bishop before church if he approved of our challenge he responded, "That is inspired! I love it!" Apparently there have been some problems with home/visiting teaching so the Bishop was really happy with that challenge. In short, prayer works....really well! :)

Loves!

Bronson