Howdy all!
Well, it’s been another quick week down here. We had mission leadership conference on Monday, emails on Tuesday, Wednesday was trade offs with some other missionaries in the zone, Thursday was weekly planning, ward splits, and preparing for Friday, Friday was preperation day, we made zone t-shirts with spray paint, and Saturday and Sunday was conference. Not a single normal proselyting day the whole week! Things have been good though. We haven’t taught quite as many lessons this last week as usual, but it’s been one of my all time favorite weeks of the mission! It’s kind of sad as well, this was the last general conference on the mission….. The only benchmark before I go home is calling home for mother’s day for the last time….. It’s really strange. But it’s all been good.
I loved general conference this time around (well, I guess what’s new, but man, this time, it felt like I was getting ready to go to the super bowl!) Seriously, in out flat, my companion and I were going crazy! “And on the starting line up for general conference we have at roughly 5′ 7 and 145 pounds: PRESIDENT EYEEEEEEEERIIIIIIIIIIINNNGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I can’t ever think of a better general conference than this one. I was especially proud to sustain our prophets and apostles. I had heard earlier in the week there were several opposition votes, but that still didn’t prepare me for the onslaught of feelings I had when they voted. My hand has never more proudly been raised to the square to sustain. A couple of the general conference highlights for me were:
“I can teach you how to dance, but you’ve got to hear the music”
“we learned in our family that, after all we can do, we love that person with all of our hearts and we watch, we pray, and we wait for the Lord’s hand to be revealed.”
“This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that Jesus still stands triumphant over death,although He stands on wounded feet. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that He still extends unending grace, although He extends it with pierced palms and scarred wrists. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that we can sing before a sweat-stained garden, a nail-driven cross, and a gloriously empty tomb:”
and, “Sorry president Monson, I seemed to have slipped into my native language of German!”.
I took some good notes, and I forgot to bring them with me, but overall, just a fantastic conference.
I guess it’s time to answer some questions!
So tell us a bit more about Elder Pedersen. What does he like to do? He loves drumming. He’s in a drumline back at home.
What is he doing in school when he gets home? Studying percussion at Utah State
Have you become close to any of the ward members other than the Ward Mission Leader? A couple. One of the converts before I got here named Raymond, and a family from Utah, the Greens.
How are you feeling? Tired, but I think I accepted that as a two year reality when I left.
Are you eating regularly? Occasionally.
What has been the most important thing you have learned while you’ve been out? Well, that’s a loaded question! I guess ranging from you don’t tell a polynesian no to feeding you, to the church being true -depending on how you look at it.
What was the most awful thing you had to eat? Calamari. That stuff is nasty.
Why cant Sary and his wife come to church? His ox in in the mire. He’s a full time student, and has to support his family here and back at home. He wants to come to church, so we go and give him the sacrament Sunday night.
Well, I hope all of you are doing well. Love you all!
-Elder Shelton