BEDNAR

Date: October 22, 2012

Area: Santiago, Chile

Companion: Elder Barnes

Hey Fam,

This week was a great week! Actually is was an awesome week! But first with you guys, it sounds like you are all doing really well.

But there are CRAZY things that are happening with the missionaries that are leaving now. Because there is a huge flood of missionaries that are going out they have to change things to better accomodate the missionaries (all the new ones won`t fit in the MTC in Provo) So, I heard from Sister Essig, that instead of having the normal time in the MTC that the new missionaries are only going to be there for 2 weeks. It doesn`t matter the language. And after they are going to leave to thier missions and learn in the field. CRAZY RIGHT?? Also for that reason, our Mission home is going to be changed. President Essig is going to have to move, most likely to an appartment (I don`t understand exactly why...) But the new missionaries will live with him in his house for a time when they first come...loco! But basically what it means too is that I am probably going to be training until the end of my mission. 65% of the mission has less than a year in the mission. 45% has less than 6 months, so the mission is really really young. And its going to be even younger here soon. But it will be interesting when you go out! I bet you´ll go to Colombia. And great job on your talk, it sounds like it was great! Good luck this Sunday too. You are going to have to share different things now =) because people that heard the first one are going to the second too haha.

Mom, it sounds like you are doing well, spoiling Lindy on her trip=) How is your jaw? I hope it is doing better.

But it was a great week last week. We received lots of blessings last week (thanks Spencer for the fast, it worked) We had lots of great lessons and the sector is in really good shape. They are going to have two baptisms, pretty much for sure, in two weeks. So Im sad that I won`t be there but its ok, its part of the mission. There are 7 people that have a baptismal date there. Elder Barnes is going to do well there.

But the highlight of the week was without a doubt the conference that we had with Elder Bednar! It was without a doubt the best conference that I have ever been to. It was incredible. He was there, President Hallstrom what there and Elder Ceballos was there (Pres Hallstrom is in the presidency of the 70 and E Ceballos is a 70 in the area presidency) and basically it was amazing. The entire thing was like a Q and A session. What happened is that 2 weeks before coming Elder Bednar gave us two talks to read and study. They talked about Learning By Faith and are excelent. So he talked about those talks a little bit and then basically he opened up the floor to a Q and A. He asked us questions and people could respond and then he let us ask him any question that we wanted. The spirit was really strong and I have no doubt that he is called of God. He is a prophet, seer and revelator. And the best teacher I have ever seen=)

I loved it. The principles and truths that he taught are really going to change my mission. He explained that we must take action. We as children of God have our agency and we must use that agency to act. We do not want to be acted upon. When we act we are following the plan that God has set forth to be our own agents. When we are acted upon or act upon others we are eleminating the element of agency and the spirit cannot work within us. In essence that was the plan of Satan. He wanted every person to be acted upon, that they really wouldn`t have to do anything for themselves.

Because of this, in the learning process, we must take action. The investigators must take action. The responses to our prayers will come after we act. The scriptures say ask, and ye shall receive, knock and it will be opened unto you. We must act first and then the confirmation will come. The Lord says open your mouth and he will fill it. The response is always proceded by an action. And so what he did was he asked the group of missionaries what they observed from the talks that were read. Then people began to respond and as people chose and vollunteered to respond and share what it was that they observed, the spirit testified to eternal truths to everyone in the room, individually. It was really amazing. It was a process of asking and listening to the response, and then he would ask follow up questions that allowed us to think and process what it was that was happening, what we were seeing and learning and that is how the spirit was able to testify to everyone in the room.

He allowed us to ask him questions and there were various great questions that were asked. But not everyone was able to ask their questions. Only like 10 people or so. But what was amazing to see was that at the end of the Q and A he asked a question. He said that he wanted everyone to raise their hands that in the conference received an answer, from thier thoughts or feelings, to a question that they had that was different from any of the questions that were specifically asked. I`m not kidding, 95% of the people rose their hands. It was pretty amazing. He then explained that that is because the Holy Ghost was the teacher, it is always (or should be) the teacher. The Spirit testified to the people in the room of the truth and because they were open in the learning process they were able to recognize and receive answers to their questions. He said that what we just saw was a miracle. It was a miracle just as significant and big as the parting of the Red Sea. And I agree. How else could that many people get answers to questions that weren`t mentioned or explained if it wasn`t by the spirit? It had to be by him. It was really an amazing conference. I Loved it.

But right after the conference we were walking out and we saw President Essig. He saw us and said that he needed to talk to me. he pulled me aside and told me that I was going to have changes of the sector and that I was going to go to a sector called Principal in the zone of Conchalì and that I was going to be one of the Zone Leaders. I asked him if he was serious. I wanted to make sure that he wasn`t joking. He said that yes he was serious. Haha. So now i`m here in my new zone and whats more is that I`m in a Trio! It is going to be awesome. My companions are Elder Willowbee (sp?) and Elder McCombs. Elder Willowbee is still training and Elder McCombs has a little more time in the mission than I do. It should be a great change.

But thanks for everything. I`ll send pictures next week. I don`t have my camera with me. But I know that this church is true and that at the head of this church is Jesus Christ. It is the only LIVING church. He lives. He speaks to us through his servants the prophets and I was able to hear from one 3 days ago. And I am lucky enough to be able to be an embassador for Him and spread the wonderful gospel news, Spencer is soon to follow and then Cutler after. I am so blessed to be here and I wouldn`t trade this time for anything. Love you all,

Elder Jaromy Holland