Start Of The Transfer. Start Of The Quarter.

So this week was a very exciting week! Not so much because of what happened but because of how everything lined up. This last transfer ended just a few days before the end of the quarter, which hardly every happens. It was pretty exciting because this week with those few days before the end of the quarter we had Zone Reviews in the mission. On a side note, the reason why I keep saying quarters is because the way President Kendrick does our goals for baptisms in the mission is not by year, but by quarter, so the first quarter (January-March) is ending and the second quarter (April-June) is starting. For Zone Reviews President Kendrick said that with how the "stars aligned" with a transfer ending nearly the same time as a quarter this is a really good time for all of us to recommit to any goals that we have, and strive to be better, and using one of President Kendrick's favorite sayings, " Forget the last shot" and move on to a new quarter. Overall it was really good.

Also this week we had Zone Breakfast again, and it was very delicious. Waffles with a homemade buttermilk syrup. And then after the food we had a little spiritual thought where the Zone Leaders told a story about a person who when he gets on a plane from Florida to Salt Lake City sees at the front of the plane a new missionary heading to the MTC, full of nervousness and excitement, and then farther back the plane he looked across the middle and saw another missionary asleep against the window, this one coming home from his mission, and the person comments that he looks like a very hard working, worn out missionary. And then when the plane lands and he wakes up the RM when he looks at the RM's eyes he sees a true disciple of Jesus Christ. It was a very powerful story that made me really desire to be that RM, to strive to be the best disciple and servant of the Savior that I can be.

Other than that the only thing that really happened is we were able to meet with S a couple times this week. The first time was she fed us dinner! It was really cool that she did that. We were able to meet her husband, who was a really cool guy, though he isn't interested in taking the lessons at this point, and we had some really good conversation with them at dinner. And then the next day we had another lesson with her where we combined teaching the Plan of Salvation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because with how ready Susie is and how much she wants to get baptized, we have been trying to teach the lessons a bit more condensed for her. It has been helping that in between appointments she is studying on lds.org a lot on her own.

For my spiritual thought and for my last General Conference quote I want to share one from Elder Holland's talk, "Are We Not All Beggars?" It says, "...I do not know all the reasons why the circumstances of birth, health, education, and economic opportunities vary so widely here in mortality, but when I see the want among so many, I do know that “there but for the grace of God go I.” I also know that although I may not be my brother’s keeper, I am my brother’s brother, and “because I have been given much, I too must give.” It is a really good talk about how we need to try our best to help others when we can. And I really like in that quote about how though we aren't in charge of our "brother's" lives, we are our "brother's brother" and should try to help out our "brother" when we can.

I am really excited for General Conference this weekend!

Love,

Elder Wixom