Transfer 5 Week 1

Well boy has this been a very exciting week! 

I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Jensen and she is from Denmark. She came out the same time as I did, and she is so great and is picking up things really quickly. This week has been crazy for us in the office, but thankfully we have gotten a good amount of time out teaching on the square and calling our investigators. And she brought in like 4 new Africans into our teaching pool! I'm super excited about them. 

Last Saturday was the General Women's Meeting. Wow. I can't express how strong the spirit was! I think it was my first time in the Conference Center where I was actively attentive and searching for answers. And it makes ALL the difference. Last April I had the pleasure of coming to Temple Square with the Priests/Laurels and our Bishop to attend GC. And at the time, I felt pretty great because I was the only one who didn't fall asleep in a session, and I was actively taking down notes. But because I was so focused on writing everything down, I wasn't in-tune with what the spirit was trying to tell me. It is definitely important to listen to what is being said, but it is even more important to listen to what you feel. Because we can be told things countless times without it effecting us; but it is through out feelings that we are changed. We have to listen through the spirit! "If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.” —Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. This General Conference is going to be very different for me, it is going to be a time of change. A time for God to communicate to me how I can become better. But it isn't only what we hear or feel that matters, but what we do about those things that we hear and feel! There are so many times in my life where I hear a powerful quote, or feel the spirit so strongly, but then what? Where do I go now from the experience? The question we must each ask ourselves is "What is my next step to acting on this personal revelation I received?" And I know that as we do this, that we each will become more in tune with the spirit, and that we will receive more personal revelation! And most importantly, we will become more like our Savior Jesus Christ.

So this week, I had quite a few run-ins with the General Authorities and Apostles. Started off withMonday night when Sister Yeung and I got the privilege of ushering for the Apostles and General Authorities. They have to approve the new movie coming out called "Meet the Mormons." It's a documentary on a few different LDS families and how they live as a Mormon. The movie was created more for people who are not members of the church, but I know that each of us can take something from it. The few other sisters who were ushering with us got to see it, but Sister Yeung and I had some teaching appointments. It was really hard resisting watching a movie with the apostles!!! But it was very apparent that our teaching was blessed because of our sacrifice. So you are all probably wondering who all attended this movie? We didn't really know going into it, but we knew that some Apostles and GA's were going to be there. Thankfully I got assigned to one of the great assignments, helping people find their seats. So I got to talk to each person as they walked in! Which included most of the quorum of the 70, Elder Perry, Elder Christofferson, Elder Bednar, Elder Nelson, Elder Dube (he's just awesome), Elder Holland, President Uchtdorf, and none other than David Archuleta! I was so glad that I had been able to teach so many people that day because the first thing Elder Perry asked me when he walked in and shook my hand was "What have you accomplished today?" Before he even asked my name... But I imagine this is a lot like what judgement day will be like. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know us each personally, and when they ask us what have we accomplished, what will we be able to say? This is something I have pondering a lot since then. And I realized that there have been many days in my mission where I feel accomplished because I finished all the office work I needed to do that day, or I finally didn't accidentally scramble my eggs. Yes these things are great, but what goal does this accomplish? My goal and purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, and to do so by word, example and deed! This is a great question to ponder each day, to recognize how we can become better each day. After our appointments, we were able to go back and greet them after the movie. I was able to talk to Elder Holland, Elder Bednar, President Uchtdorf and David Archuleta again. Everyone wanted to talk to David Archuleta, since he just returned home this last week from his mission, and even President Uchtdorf had to wait in line to meet him! haha thankfully he came and talked to me right after he got out of the movie. Sister Jensen and I got the privilege of ushering with just us and the AP's for a meeting consisting of the entire quorum of the 70, Elder Ballard, and Elder Scott. So we got to meet and shake every. single. one. of their hands just yesterday.

With so many encounters with the leaders of the church this week, and with general conference coming up, I've been thinking a lot about how blessed we are to have a prophet and apostles on the Earth today! They are here to lead and guide the church, just as in days of old. And what greater time have we had need of a prophet? The world is becoming more and more corrupt, and as said by President Eyring in the general women's meeting, as Satan is attacking at younger ages, Heavenly Father is lifting his children higher and higher. And one of the ways he lifts us is through his prophets! In preach my Gospel, it says that God reveals the truth necessary for salvation through prophets and apostles. So these things that they share with us, usually over and over, are the things necessary for our salvation. Makes general conference pretty important don't you think? And I can promise each and every one of you that you will know that these are God's messengers by just listening to them! You will feel of God's love and spirit through their words. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. Through his different talks and devotionals, he has very specifically answered questions that I came into the meeting having. I know that Heavenly Father loves me, and sent me a prophet to help me understand more of his will and plan for me. I am so grateful that we have the opportunity to hear semi-annually from our prophet and apostles. And I will never again take general conference for granted, I have too much I need to change to do so. This gospel is true.

My last district!

Saying goodbye to Sister Yeung :') She'll do great things in San Jose, California!

I am very excited and nervous for this weekend! But please, if you're in the area, please come find me! I'd love to have the opportunity to talk with each and everyone of you. You're great, and I love you all!

Sister Brock