The Nashua Stake Conference, January 2013

This last weekend was stake conference! There was a leadership training meeting for all members of the ward council (including full-time missionaries) on Saturday afternoon, an adult session on Saturday evening, and the general session on Sunday morning. The adult session was cool - each ward presented a musical number (solo or small group number) and a spiritual thought to accompany it...it was almost like our stake's rendition of "Music and the Spoken Word" that airs each Sunday morning. I enjoyed that, and actually played the piano for the Heritage Park ward's number, "This is the Christ." Translating for the general session was difficult (2 hours long!), but a growing experience for sure. Pres. Packard spoke at the leadership training meeting, and both he and his wife spoke at the general session. I love hearing them speak, especially Pres. Packard. He's an incredible man, and every time he speaks, it's inspiring, powerful, and deeply moving. We actually had interviews with him this last week as well, and mine was really great. I honestly believe that I'm not only here to be with the companions I'll have and to serve the people where I am while here, but also to be under his leadership, influence, and guidance. My life has been altered and strengthened from having him as my mission president, and I am forever grateful.

This week has been pretty great! We had dinner for the first time at Bishop Sears (of the Heritage Park ward)'s home with him and his family. I truly feel like we have a good working relationship with him now, and that he trusts us to do the work we say we will do. I'm grateful for the chance we had to associate, discuss what we can do to help the ward, AND "coach" their family in their missionary efforts.

I am also happy to report that our new investigator from last week, Josh, is rapidly progressing, and has already committed to quit smoking! He's been reading the Book of Mormon, praying, etc. Unfortunately, he didn't make it to stake conference, but he's super open to us teaching him on a regular basis. He has already told us that we are his friends and that he trusts us. He also accepted a baptismal invitation this week, with a date of February 24th. =]

I am NOT so happy to report that I was pulled over by the police for the first time in my life this week. I had just barely missed the yellow light at the previous intersection by a fraction of a second, and it just so happened that there was an undercover cop in the next lane. He pulled me over, charged me with running a red light, gave me a ticket, and told me to be more careful. I know that it was my fault and I do drive safely, but we were late for an appointment and I thought that I was in the intersection before the light turned red. I admitted my fault though, and paid the fine. That's the last time I will ever pull a move like that - an infinitesimal fraction of a second cost me $150, but I learned my lesson.

We had a really great experience this week with an inactive Cambodian member, and I'll close this email with that. We were leaving a member's home in downtown Lowell after dinner, and as we began to drive down the road, we passed a street - Chapel Street. Instantly, my mind flashed to a member who lived on that street that we had tried to visit on two separate occasions, and I felt a strong prompting to go visit him right then. At first I pushed it away, thinking that he probably wasn't there, and no one would answer the door, like the past times we tried, but the thought persisted. So, I flipped the car around (safely, of course) and we drove to the house. I explained my feelings to Elder Butters and we went up to the door. Someone answered, let us in, and we were finally able to meet this member we had been trying to track down. It turns out that he goes back and forth between here and Cambodia, that he has been in Cambodia for the last several months, and that he had just arrived back here in Lowell a day or two before. He told us about when he served a mission in Cambodia (he was the first Cambodian member to serve in Cambodia), expressed his desire to come back to church, and bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon. I felt like a true missionary that night, knowing that I was on the Lord's errand. I am honored and humbled that He trusted me with the prompting to assist one of His needful children.

I hope you all are healthy and doing well - I certainly am! If you want a further measure of the peace and joy that the gospel brings to your life, then share it with others. I promise that the Spirit will be more richly abundant in your life as you do so. =]

With love,
Elder DeLong