Ward Conference & the Spirit

Aldo our former ward mission leader

Zone at the temple

I feel the best when I feel the spirit. This weekend I felt
amazing. The spirit was so strong almost all weekend and it gave me a
huge boost going into my last transfer. This weekend we found out that
my last transfer I will be staying here with Elder Cottle in the YSA!
I was really happy to receive that news! I would have gone wherever
the Lord needed me to go, but I'm really glad he needs me right here.
I love this Ward so much and I feel like part of their family. The
past four and a half months here have flown by but I'm glad I get to
stay here for another 6 weeks.

Since I just wrote on Thursday I don't have too much to say but I
did want to tell you about the amazing Ward conference this weekend.
It started on Thursday night with a trip to the temple and prepared
the jovenes spiritually for the next few days of service, dancing,
tacos, movies, more dancing, and then ended with an amazing church
block with the stake presidency. Presidente Villegas, our stake
president is a very inspired man and ever time I her him speak I feel
like he tells me exactly what the Lord would tell me if He was there.
We were really excited to get our investigators there but Adolfo was
out of town, Leo wasn't home in the morning when we went to wake him
up, and the others all had their excuses. But we had really good
success getting recent converts there. Sergio and Alfredo came and
passed the sacrament which was a really cool experience to see them
both in a white shirt and tie passing the sacrament. They have
completely changed! :) Brandon came and loved almost every minute of
it. He even fasted on his own so that he could be spiritually prepared
to be interviewed for a temple recommend and that made me so happy.
Early that week we promised him a change a heart if he read a chapter
a day from king Benjamin's discourse and so he did so and because we
promised it user the spirit it came true. He is changing a ton.
We also had the privilege of eating with the Pablo family
yesterday. They told us their conversion story while we ate their
delicious food and it was incredible. Long story short the son of the
family went to the city and and told the missionaries they should come
teach him family who lived in the middle of nowhere and so they had to
make a few hour trip to get to their house and then spent all day
there the first day teaching them the gospel. They then had to take a
3 hour drive to church on Sunday's to be able to attend. They got
baptized and then moved here. Since then three kids have served
missions and they are preparing to be sealed in the temple. It's a
really amazing story and the spirit was so strong in their house it
was amazing.

Today at transfer meeting we had to say goodbye to so many amazing
missionaries. About 30 missionaries from the mission leave tomorrow
and it was a great meeting to hear their testimonies and then we heard
a musical number that words won't do justice to describe. She sang
Joseph Smith's first prayer with a piano and cello in the background
and it was absolutely beautiful. I don't think anybody could have been
in that chapel and not felt the spirit. The restoration is the most
glorious thing. Joseph Smith did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
They appeared to him to begin the restoration of Christ's church to
the earth once more. What a glorious experience and blessing we have
to know that for ourselves. I know that it happened because I have
received a confirmation from the Holy Ghost to my heart and mind that
it did. Prayer is essential in conversion and just as Joseph smith
received an answer to his humble prayer we can and will receive
answers to ours. Have a wonderful week and I will tell you how
Adolfo's baptism goes this Saturday next week when I email!

Love,
Elder Hyde