Week 46: General Conference!!!

Hola! General Conference was awesome!  We watched it in our Zone Leaders area and went door knocking in between sessions.  I felt that they talked about families a lot! While watching I felt so grateful for the wonderful family that I have, that they are great examples and raised me to be the man I am today. Another cool thing, I've learned that sometimes we receive inspiration on something we need to do that may not necessarily be spoken in the talk. 

The weirdest thing about General Conference was watching TV.  To go from watching no TV, to watching 6 hours in a day! It was a little weird to say the least.

Here are some quotes I liked from conference...

Its far better to follow the Creator than the crowd.

Don't fear, just live right.

Jesus Christ is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us strength we only have to ask.

The past is to be learned from, not lived in, faith is always pointing toward the future.

The Holy Spirit helps guide us by seeing the things we cannot.

We may need to let go of the world, to hang onto heaven.

God is determined to make us more than we thought we could be.

I liked when they talked about the young man who came to the Savior and asked what we had to do to receive salvation. ( Mark 10:17–30)

First, he said follow the commandments but then he said sell all your things and follow me and the man couldn't do it. As I was pondering this story,  I realized that to be better disciples of Christ, we all have something that we have to give up. Maybe we don't have to sell all we have but we all have something in our lives we could give up to become better disciples of Christ.  

Funny experience:

During conference, I was sitting in the front row and this 2 year old kid runs up and stands next to the wall. Then his 4 year old brother walks up next to him then takes 10 steps back and just chucks his toy car as hard as he could at his brother. It was more shocking then funny, but it made me chuckle.  

On Monday, we had our Zone Olympics for P-Day. One game you had to run 3 circles around a bottle of soda then drink as much as you can; but once you take your mouth off the bottle you have to run back and someone else goes. I went 4th and drank almost the whole bottle for the win.  Afterward, I was literally throwing up for the next 40 minutes, but we still got the win. We also had a big water balloon fight it was a good time.

• Do you still have the same companion? Yes but we have changes this week so maybe not well see.

• Is the weather hot? Yeah, I mean I feel acclimated to it, but basically you just sweat the whole time...even in the shower. ha ha.

I love you guys have a great week!!!

Elder Thackeray

Week 45: Same ole' Same ole' here in Nicaragua!!!

Me and My Birthday Package

My Sweet New Shoes!

Hola! President flew out for a zone conference and they showed us a video by Jeffery R Holland called the Atonement of a Missionary. It talks about why missionary work isn't easier, why the only risk in the work isn't getting pneumonia from being in the baptism font all day and night. MISSIONARY WORK ISN'T EASY BECAUSE SALVATION IS NOT A CHEAP EXPERIENCE!!!! I really liked that because sometimes it's not all easy and we wonder why its not easier. Jesus asked if there was another way but there wasn't. He didn't do his will he did our Heavenly Fathers will. In that talk, it talks about that when we pass through the hard times are rejected, spit upon, cast out,all of these things... we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest missionary that ever lived, Jesus Christ.  It makes me feel grateful because my mission is no where as hard as his, not even close. I get to leave after two years, but he had to die for our sins. His mission was the hardest ever and he was a perfect missionary. It always helps me when I feel like I'm going through hard times. I think of him and his sacrifice and I stop thinking it's hard, because in reality, it's not and that just helps me work that much harder.. Afterward, we had interviews and those went well. He also is doing some rearranging in the branch presidency cause we are having some problems with that, so that's good..

We had a good "following the spirit moment" again on Saturday. We were walking to an appointment and we passed one of our old investigators houses. I said, "Maybe, we should go by and visit him." But, my companion said, "Uuhhh I.D.K., because he's like super crazy and always has the wildest of questions." So, we were thinking probably not. But,  then I just felt we should really go, so we went. When we get there his sister was there. We only talked to her one time before, and she didn't say much. But, when we got there this time and she said to us, "Finally, you guys came!  We have been waiting for you to pass bye!!!!"  Lesson, always follow the spirit.

Anyway,  pretty good week!!! I always love hearing from you guys!!!! 

Thanks for the birthday package!!!!  My knife that dad lost so long ago is reborn haha!!!

Love yall

Elder Thackeray