Winslow Week Five

Hello, friends!! This week was incredible. We made over 10 dozen delicious frosted sugar cookies. But that wasn't why this week was so amazing. Let me expound.

Two words: Mission Conference.
...

Three more words: with Elder Uchtdorf.

Yes, you absolutely read that right. On Friday we had a mission conference with a few VERY special guests. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wonderful wife, Harriet, and Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy.

It was incredible, to say the very least.

Elder Robbins is an incredible teacher, first of all. He reminded us of how important it is that we make sure that the people we teach understand that the invitations we extend to them to read the scriptures, pray, come to church, even be baptized, are NOT from us, but rather they are from Jesus Christ. And he was 100% right. The work I'm apart of isn't about my agenda and what I want people to do, it's absolutely about what Jesus Christ wants people to do. The invitations I extend have already been extended to them by Jesus Christ. It's something I already knew, but it was a very good reminder. Like I said, he's an amazing teacher.

Elder Uchtdorf is everything that you would expect an apostle of Jesus Christ to be. The moment he stepped into the room, the spirit that he carries hit me like a ton of bricks. He is warm and loving and calming but also exhilarating. I imagine that shaking his hand felt a lot like it would feel to shake Peter or John's hand. Elder Uchtdorf's normal way of speaking sounds like music. It has dynamics and impactful pauses and changes in tempo that perfectly match his message. That's how he speaks in General Conference, but there's something different about it when you're right there next to him. And his countenance is BRIGHT. He carries himself with confidence, which I know comes from the knowledge of Who's hands he is in.

One of my favorite things that Elder Uchtdorf spoke about was the symbolism of a sunrise. He talked about how, even when we are working our very hardest to do what God wants us to be doing, we will make mistakes. But at night, when we pray to our Heavenly Father and give Him an accounting of our day, we can sincerely ask for forgiveness and He will remember those mistakes no more. And what will happen in the morning? The sun will rise and we can start again. We can get on our knees at the start of the day and ask Him for help to change the things that we need to change, that we discussed with Him the night before, and then we can get up and do our best again, which with God's help can be a little bit better than our best was the day before. But the important thing about the sunsets and sunrises is that after we repent, the sun can set on those mistakes and it can be like they never happened, and when the sun rises again we have a whole new chance to be something more. I love that, because so many times the sun sets, but I don't let go of whatever mistake I've made that day. For some reason I'm too stubborn to forgive myself and move on. But who does that help? No one. Let the sun set on you mistakes. Let yourself have a new day. Thanks for the lesson, Elder Uchtdorf.

And Harriet is just precious. She really is the sunshine of his life.

That Friday was just absolutely amazing. Besides our special guests, it was also really neat to be in the same room as every single missionary in the New Mexico Farmington Mission. I really didn't think that would ever happen on my mission! There hasn't been a mission conference in 3 or 4 years because of how spread out we all are. The energy and JOY of being all together was incredible.

And for another tender mercy: we got to stay that night with Sister Corpus and Sister Reneer. Now I already know that you know Sister Corpus is my favorite, but you haven't met Sister Reneer yet. She is confident and kind and I love her. Definitely another favorite. And this was a huge tender mercy miracles because Sister Corpus goes home in like 10 days and I don't know what I'll do without her. But we're not going to talk about that anymore. I'm just grateful God made it happen that we got to spend a little more time together. It was the sprinkles on an already perfect day.

So that was Friday.

Sunday was beautiful too. Want to know why? Jodie Foster. She is on date to be baptized on December 29th and she just came back from a super long trip to Illinois to visit her daughter. She came to church on Sunday and it just happened to be Fast and Testimony Meeting, so guess what she did? She bore her testimony. In front of everyone. And it was BEAUTIFUL. She told everyone, "I'm not a member of your church, but I'm excited to become one. I'm a convert."  She expressed the love she felt in her heart from hearing everyone else's testimonies and told us all that she knows she's in the right place. Then she turned around to the bishopric and asked them what the prophet's name is because she forgot, but she wanted to stand and say that she knows President Nelson is truly a prophet of God. And then she testified that Jesus is her Savior and that she wants to be one of His children and follow Him for the rest of her life. It was all just so humble and pure and sincere and I couldn't have said it better myself.  

I love her.

Life is good. The Church is true. Jesus Christ lives. He leads His Church through prophets and apostles, that's just one of the many ways He is extending His hand out to each and every one of us.

So much love,
Sister Bohman