What a wonderful week we have had. We started with a meeting with the office and assistants to take care of last minute details for our mission tour with the area president, Elder Bowen and his wife. The elders had everything looking great so we took off for the airport to pick up Bowens. We took them to our home for lunch and our interview and then back to the office for meetings with the staff and assistants. At 2:00pm we had our first of 4 zone conferences. We finished at 5:30 and then had a zone leader council. Afterwards we went back to the mission home for dinner and sleep. The next three days we had three more conferences in Asuncion, Encarnacion and Ciudad del Este. We would have a conference and then drive to the next city so we were really on the move. Thursday we took the Bowens to the airport in Ciudad del Este and stayed on for a couple days for Mark to interview all the missionaries in the zone there.
We had such a great experience with the kind and loving Bowens. They are great people and we have learned so much from them. The missionaries were invited to read and study before the conference so they would be prepared to learn. They really responded to the invitation. When we arrived at each conference the spirit was so strong and we could tell they were ready to be taught. It was a great week especially for me and Mark as we attended each conference and learned so many things from Elder Bowen and his wife. We enjoyed the drives in between cities as we were able to visit and learn even more from them.
Elder Bowen taught about the priesthood and covenants and related it to who we are and what we need to do now and in the future to make and keep our covenants and progress. He ended each conference asking the missionaries to think about the kind of characteristics they would want their future spouses to have and to list them along with the characteristics they would need. It was very powerful and in speaking with the missionaries afterwards they were all excited to move forward and step up their efforts here in the mission. Elder Bowen told us that our missionaries showed by their preparation that they are doing well and just need to work harder and more effectively. We have enjoyed our association with the Bowens over the last year that we have been here.
Saturday we left Ciudad del Este and went to Cau’uazu for more interviews and ended up in Coronel Oviedo for a District Conference there with President Aguilera . It was a nice conference . There was a sweet choir who sang from their hearts and helped us feel the spirit even more. President Udall ,the temple president and his wife and councilor and wife also came . There were great messages about temples and families. We met some wonderful people . One was a sweet girl in the choir named Cielo Ayala who I visited with on Saturday night and then Sunday she brought me a sweet note and some earrings. Her mother passed away when her sister was born 5 years ago so she lives with her dad and aunt now. She is a stalwart in her branch and sang in the choir. One of the blessings of the mission is the sweet people we are meeting and learning from.
As I think about the past week I am so grateful for the blessings of the Spirit. Because of the preparation we made as a mission for our conference the Spirit was able to teach each of us exactly what we needed to learn. Many missionaries told me of the specific things they learned and how perfect it was for them. I also had some things I needed help with and received my answers. If we do our homework before any meeting we have whether it is sacrament meeting or going to the temple or teaching a lesson the spirit can magnify what we will learn and personalize it for each one of us. I love that about the Spirit and I’m so grateful for the help we receive.
We again are so grateful for another wonderful week with our wonderful missionaries. We learn so much from them and are grateful for the good things they are doing and the way they are trying hard to be good servants here in the mission to bring the gospel to the people who are prepared to receive it.
We hope you all have a good week. Love, Mark and Sandy
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