October 6, 2014

Well another week has gone by, Its been a very good week full of memories(: As we prepared for this general conference this week, we contacted many people and invited them to come and hear our Prophet of God speak to the world! on Friday I spoke to many people! my Spanish is getting better, haha only in contacting and teaching lessons, but that's the important part right? (: I still have a very hard time understanding what people are saying and conversations outside of gospel words. Well anyways, one day as I was on my way home one night I bought two dozens of eggs from the store haha and as I was walking through the tall grass a dog jumped out and lunched his body towards me and bit me leg off! haha just kidding the dog didn't bite me or touch me haha but I got scared and tripped over a rock, and my eggs fell, as my eggs were falling to there death I held them tight but a few eggs fell out and I guess it scared the dog away haha, in the battle only 3 eggs died and non other damage was done haha that's my exiting story this week for fun(: anyways on Saturday morning I unfortunately wasn't able to understand the first session because it was in Spanish, but the rest of the sessions I was able to watch in the high priests room with Elder Schmitlein. It made me very happy! after to first session we went to a lesson and during the lesson there was a small earth quake that lasted 4 seconds haha but I felt it. It was very weird and we laughed after. Well back to general conference. I learned a lot and I will always remember the conference. It seems like now the conference goes by so fast! and when its over I get sad haha. Anyways  with the talk given by Tad R. Callister he talked about families had how the parents are the prime teachers in the home! The church is not the prime teacher the home is, to me the church is only a hospital where we learn together and partake of the sacrament. the home is a sacred place. Also he talked about teaching the power of prayer not the routine of prayer! As I was watching this talk I thought a lot about my family, they mean so much to me and I just want to say thank you for all the times I've spent with them. I've learned so much and have so many memories that are very sacred to me. In the talk of Joorg Klebinatt he talked a lot about spiritual confidence! This talk made me want to do better in my life. The first thing is to 1. take responsibility with your feelings and accept that you are free. 2. take responsibility with you physical well-being. take care of it and watch what you do to it and what you put into it. Your body is a Temple always remember that! 3. what I got from this one is that, embrace and acknowledge that you cannot love god and mammon. and 4. become really good at repenting regularly and even daily. 5. Forgive everyone all the time! and 6. accept trials, and surprises in this life. This life is A TEST. God is anxious for your confidence. with Eyring talked about personal revelations and also priesthood keys! very direct and I loved it. The session on Sunday morning was all about sustaining our prophet. Thomas S. Monson is truly a prophet of god! the talks were amazing! Robert D hales talked about how when  he first knew there was a god, It made me remember when I was in elementary school and I  was out in the field laying down looking into the blue sky, I marveled at how amazing it was and if there was someone looking at us like someone looking at a marble. I thought and knew right there that we are the offspring of a supreme creator.  Thomas S. Monson talked a lot about how we left out pre-mortal life to come here to mortal life to prove ourselves. We brought with us our agency. Also that walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as Jesus walked. Each of us will walk the path of unhappiness and of pain. Or we can walk the path of prayer and service. Lets all ponder the path that we walk. One of my Favorite talks was M Russel Ballard, He talked about the boat Zion!  The 3 most important rules are 1. Stay in the boat! 2. Always wear a life jacket and 3. always hold on with both hands. The river is the river of life. The Boat is the church, the river guides are the leaders of the church, they have had lots of experience in this life and and have been tutored by other river guides, they will not lead us astray!. The church is the ship Zion!, let us stick to the old ship, it will take us home. When we fall off, they will always help us get back on. Unfortunately many people get to close to the end or want to leave, they fall off and drown.. Well there were other very great talks that I didn't write about but I just want to put some of the most important things. WOW the church is amazing and I'm so happy I have this opportunity to be here right now in Tuxtla. haha during the conference every time they mentioned the missionaries, Elder Schmitlein and I got really exited and said! ¨That's us!¨ And when I saw Brother O'Very in the choir I was jumping up and down with happiness and pointing to the screen, also I knew a few missionaries in the missionary choir!  That was pretty cool.  Well I'm glad to be here right now. I love you all and I bid you all farewell till next week. Hurrah For Israel! con amor- Elder Portlock  (next week I'll try to do better with descriptions on pictures, but I am out of time for now, so here are a bunch of pictures from this week.)