Elder Benjamin Michael Conover Mission Blog : Week 77: With Shoulder To The Wheel

Hello Everyone!

This week was good, but it was a pretty challenging week as well, however, the Lord always allows us to feel his strength and his support while we pass through trials.

First off, last Pday, Elder Dicou and I were by ourselves, so we got to do a little Asado. It was soooo good. I love cooking steak now!

Anyways, we started off the week teaching a 23 year old guy that we found named Franco Bordon. He is a super devout Catholic, and a really good person. We got to teach him about the Restoration, and the Spirit was really strong, especially as we gave our testimonies, which is always the best way to invite the spirit.

However, as we handed him the Book of Mormon, he put it back on the table, and slid it back. Very respectful, but it was quite disappointing. But, we got to buckle down, and bear testimony of the truth of what we had taught him. Even though he didn't accept, the Spirit was strong and we were blessed to know and feel the truth for ourselves.

This week we had a Zone Conference as well, which was awesome, and we got to learn a lot. During the Conference, I got to see Elder Crist, who I was with in San Juan, my last area. I was asking him about the area, and he told me that Gabriela, who we baptized, is struggling to stay active. That was crushing. It just made me feel super down for a while, just worried about what will happen to her. However, I now have permission to write her, so I will be doing that this week.

Finally, this week we had a couple of challenges in church. We walked in the morning to get our investigators to come to church, but unfortunately, none of them came, so we will be working with that now! But, what was difficult was that Maria and Silvia didn't show up. We called Maria the night before the see how she was doing, and she was doing really well. However, when she woke up in the morning, she felt bad, and was afraid of getting attacked in church again.

So, as soon as church was over, we ran over to her house, and we tried to figure our what was going on. She expressed her concerns and doubts of how she is going to stay active her whole life, which was crushing to hear.

So, we just listened for a while. Finally, we asked, ¨Maria, if you stop going to church, what will you do?¨ and she responded that she doesnt know. So, we decided to teach the parable of the talents. We invited her to share with us what are her personal talents, and she gave us a list of the talents that God has given her through her conversion process. Then, the killer question. ¨Maria, what will happen to your talents if you stop going to church?¨ ¨I will lose them.¨

The Spirit was strong, and the tears started coming. She seems to be doing better, and I know that the Lord always heals hearts. Everyone please pray for Maria.

Maria right now needs some help and needs to know that she has people that are supporting her. I want to ask a favor of everyone that reads this. If everyone can write ¨Maria, Estamos Orando Por Vos¨ on a piece of paper, and take a picture personally, as a family, etc. with the paper, and send it to me, I will take them to her house so she can feel the support of everyone that is thinking about her. She REALLY needs the help! If there are more people that do it, even better!!!

I Love You All So Much!

Elder Conover