learning

Dear Family,

It was a good week, especially towards the end. On Friday night, we had to find the keys to the chapel (as well as the keys to the big back gate to let the cars in) for the Mission Conference the following morning. Our building is the only one with room for parked cars, so we were responsible for bringing the keys. The Bishop was out of town and his 1st Counselor was on a campout with the youth, so we were visiting the 2nd Counselor's house all day trying to find him. It turns out that the Bishop's son had pocketed the keys and took them on the campout, so we called up the Stake President, who was happy to help us out.

All day Saturday, from 7:15am till 3:30pm, we were in our conference with President Mora. Fortunately, there were no accidents occasioned by falling asleep, such as happened in Acts 20 when Paul gave an extremely long talk. It was amazing how President Mora could keep going so long. But it was more amazing how motivated we were to work and teach better. He focused on the quality of our teaching, and we did several practice lessons to work on that. I learned a ton and was able to change some things that will help us work even more effectively.

In Sacrament Meeting, we were visited by a family we've been teaching for about two weeks. Their daughter appreciated Primary (and was even one of the best-behaved there) and the couple seemed to enjoy all of it. Josè Chilon, who was baptized the week before, was able to be confirmed at the end of the meeting, too. He was asked to give his testimony in Gospel Principles and Elders' Quorum, and he even gave the opening prayer for the Priesthood meetings. In Elders' Quorum, the Stake President paid us a visit and we sustained (after which he set apart) an Elders' Quorum President. We're only lacking a few other presidencies to have them all filled in the ward.

We began teaching five new families this week, and we passed through some sweet experiences. After teaching one family, we invited the father to say the closing prayer, and it was beautiful. What we need most right now is help to bring the families we teach to Sacrament Meeting. In our conference on Saturday, we learned great new ways to teach and help the investigators feel the need to come to church, and we've been applying them in all the lessons since. This week is going to be something special.

I'm happy to be taking part in this work. President Mora asked us during the conference: Why do you eat? Why do you shower? Why do you clean your room? We gave the natural answers: to satiate my hunger, to get clean, to keep the room clean, etc. Then he asked us once again what our purpose as missionaries is, showing us how everything we do is focused on that purpose: to invite others to come to Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. We have changed our focus now and, more than ever, we're giving our best to make that purpose a reality.

Thank you for your letters and your prayers! I appreciate all that you're doing and the great examples you are to me.

Love,
Elder Withers