Elder Benjamin Michael Conover Mission Blog : Week 41: Last Week We Were Just Rolling With The Punches, This Week, We Socked Satan In The Face

Hello Friends and Family,

I hope that everything is so good in your lives and that life is just treating you all so well.

This week has its challenges, but brought great, great miracles directly from the hand of the Lord.

First off, Pday was great. After writing the fam, we went to a buffet called Las Tinajas, which is AMAZING. All you can eat Asado meat, pasta bar, fried food section, raviolis, fruit bar, and giant dessert bar. AMAZING! And, best part.....it cost 12 dollars.

At some point during the week, I decided to sit down and just start writing my blessings. It took me and hour and a half, but I filled three pages with 368 blessings. It made me feel so good it is incredible.

Tueday was kinda difficult. We went to go contact references, and got some of the worst rejection I have gotten on the mission. Lots of people yelling at us and telling us to go away and stuff for a few hours, but it´s ok haha. We can just keep pushing forward.

On Wednesday, however, the crazy stuff started happening. First, we passed in front of Hermana Villegas´ house, and she called to us, so we went to talk to her. She told us that her daughter was sick and had a lot of problems, and that she was scared for her daughter. Right then, she got a call telling her that her daughter had just died. She absolutley lost it and freaked out, and we rode around trying to set up some transport for her so she could get to her family. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see.

This week, we had the blessing to be able to teach Maria, the woman we gave the blessing to outside the pension. It was a great lesson, and the bishop came with us to do it. There was a sweet spirit and Maria seems to have real desires to change her life and to come unto God. We are so so so excited to teach her.

Thursday and Friday were pretty slow, but I had a great spiritual experience that was a sweet tender mercy of the Lord.

I sat down to do studies, and I was gonna read Our Heritage, the book about the history of the church. However, I felt strongly that I shouldnt, but that I shouldve read True to the Faith instead. So, I did it, and I read about baptism. I've been wondering for a while, since the mission is so stinking hard for me, if I will really look back on the hard times and look at my mission and Argentina with a positive view. When I opened True to the Fairth, this is what I found.

¨The Book of Mormon tells of a group of people who learned the gospel and were baptized at a place called Mormon. From the time of their baptism, they regarded Mormon as a place of beauty because while they were there, they “came to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 18:30). Strengthened by their testimonies and their baptismal covenant, they remained faithful to the Lord, even in times of intense trial (see Mosiah 23–24).¨

When I read that, I felt the spirit strongly, and I knew that I will have good feelings and joy from the mission, as long as I work and remain faithful, just as the Lord blessed the people of Alma, because Argentina is the holy land for me in which I have gained a stronger testimony.

Then, I had a cool experience on Friday. We were about to leave, and I suddenly felt really grateful for the trials and hardships I have gone through. I then went into my room to give a prayer of thanks for my hardships, and when I got up, the room was literally 10 times brigher. It shocked me, and I even looked out the window to see what happened, but the sun was still covered by clouds. It was a tender miracle.

Anyways, on Saturday, we went to Anestacio´s house, the man who told us he wants to stop drinking. When we sat down, he told us that he hasnt drank at all since we went the first time, and that he read the pamphlet we left for him. We had an awesome lesson, and he is going to go play soccer with the ward members on Tuesday and they are gonna go pick him up! WE ARE SO EXCITED.

Then, Sunday was amazing. I had the great opportunity to speak in Sacrament meeting, which I just loved. And, a random guy came to church to get to know it and he showed up for all three hours and met with the bishop after so we are super stoked.

Then, we got to work. We rode for an hour and a half and the appointments fell, but we kept going. We went to the appointment with some members and their friends, who are investigators. When we went by the investigator´s house, he came out really sad and I asked him what happened. He started crying and said that his wife left him and his son, and he said that there was no way he would be able to listen to us. I know that I was being guided, and I explained what a Family Home Evening is, and told him to invite his kids just to have fun so he could forget things. HE DID IT!

It was a great hour or so and we just played games outside with a lot of laughing and joy. It felt so good, and then we gave a little lesson, and it was a good spiritual experience. As we left, I shook his hand, and he looked my in the eyes, and just what seemed to be with all his soul he said ¨thank you so much, thank you so so much.¨ It was such a blessing.

Funny

We were in lunch with our ward mission leader, and we were messing with him, a we were whispering stuff to each other so he wouldnt hear us haha. But then we realized we can speak English and he cant, so we just spoke in English. Hahahaha he was so confused ¨what did you say? stoooooooop¨ hahahaha.

Saturday night, Elder Sorenson´s Exgirlfriend was at prom with another guy. I happened to wake up at 4:30 and looked at the clock. I realzed that it was 1:30 in Utah, so I yelled to Elder Sorenson, ¨hey elder! I bet your girlfriend is kissing someone RIGHT NOW¨ He didn't like that hahahaha.

This morning, as Elder Sorenson got into the shower, I filled up a bowl of cold water (It is winter here so the pension is really cold). Then, I kicked the door open and drenched him before his water got warm. The yell he let out was Priceless.

The Lord blessed us abundantly this week. This is his work, and he always takes us out of hard times.

I Love You All,

Elder Conover