Power to Change and Talking with Father

This week has been kind of crazy!  We had leadership council this week, and it was super cool, because we baptized and confirmed 158 people in February!  To put that in perspective, a couple of months ago, we were struggling to make a hundred.  That's an average of about 16 converts per stake, more or less 3 per ward!  What's even crazier, is the goal for our 10 stakes in March is 376!  It's so cool to be able to meet these people that are getting baptized, and seeing the strength of their conversion, and the happiness in their eyes!  It's incredible to see the power the gospel has to change people!  People are getting married after living together for 30 years, people are overcoming addictions that have plagued their lives, and people who felt a little like a hamster stuck in its wheel, are beginning to broaden their vision.  To think that in March, we have the potential to bring those blessings to 376 people, is absolutely amazing!  We were all super, super excited.  To celebrate this historic moment in the mission, President took us out to Rodizios, all the leaders of the mission.  It was even better the second time!  It was just the coolest experience to really see the growth of "the Lord's Kingdom" (Intro to The Book of Mormon), and to be a part of it!  It is so much fun!

This week I read a BYU speech by Truman G. Madsen, talking about who we are, and it had some very interesting ideas.  It related how Heber C. Kimball, one of the original latter-day apostles, prayed.  It talks about how he prayed with love and warmth, talking "with Father," not talking to "the Father," emphasizing the trust and warmth in the relationship between us and God.  He talks about how Elder Kimball would occasionally burst out laughing in prayer, when praying for a specific brother, and the continued the prayer with: "I’m sorry, Lord, but I just can’t help laughing when I think about Brother Brown."  That's when we have real trust in the Lord, and know he exists.  It was such a beautiful reminder of what we really are, and where we are going.  It was so cool to read that, and analyze my own prayers.  I'm definitely working on making my prayers more sincere, less of an email, and more like an actual, in person conversation.  It is something that helps us immensely to really feel the spirit in our lives.  It was absolutely awesome!

I love you all, and I hope you have a good week!