Laura Ann Bullen

1:05 PM

To: Mom

General conference was amazing!!!  It's funny that I'm in the same area that I was for last General Conference..  We had a room in English for all the American missionaries, so it was really nice to watch in English and hear their voices.  With me, there were two other American sisters (who live in a different house) and about 12 Elders.  I loved Conference!  Some highlights from conference:

Elder Bednar called us to repent! whoooo it was so powerful (well really he called those to repent who aren't paying tithing) but it was really powerful. 

E. Edward Dube - it doesn't matter so much where you are or where you´ve been, but WHERE YOU ARE WILLING TO GO. woohhooo I loved his talk. 

They talked a lot about the importance that moms have in the home not only for the family, but for society (and they said if moms and grandmothers don't have a dominant influence, etc we will come to regret it - signs of the times)

I loved that they stressed missionaries can't work alone!! it's so true!  Having passed 9 months in the richest city in our mission, the work can be very hard.  Members have the keys, they have friends,they have testimonies.  Our message is a message of happiness, peace, and love, it's how we can gain salvation.  If we don't give people a change to accept the message, we are taking away their agency to choose. 

Highlights from the week:

S. Santos (former comp of S. Arruda) was transferred, and  now it's me and S. De Moura, & S. Arruda and S. Silva in house.  It's a house of great sisters, and it's a lot of fun (and spirituality too :)  )

rain never hurts anyone :) and its a great way to break in shoes. and even if you put on wet shoes to start a new day, you have the choice to choose to be happy.

Our mission was one of the top 3 baptizing missions in Brasil in September, we broke our record and there were 182 baptisms this past month.  Miracles are real, and baptism is the first covenant to enter into the Kingdom of God.

Even though I wasn't nor S. De Moura, a new transfer is always crazy looking for cars to pick up and leave sisters at the bus station.

Speaking of which, at the bus station I received your package and one from Katrina.  Haha one of the blessings about a new zone leader who was in the mission office means letters and packages woohoo!!

I don't know how many people we invited to go to conference and to hear a living prophet, but it was alot!!  But when they sang We Thank Thee o God for a Prophet, I was really touched by the words `they that reject him will never such happiness know`.  Truly when people reject to hear a prophet, they are rejecting to hear the words of God. We are so blessed to be able to have a prophet and to hear the words of God.

One last note - I loved how Elder Richard G. Scott said that we should give willing service in our church callings - ESPECIALLY home teaching and visiting teaching.  I'm so grateful to my mom and dad and their examples in this.  I remember many times visiting with mom or with dad the families that they visited. This is so important in so many ways. 

Love you all, have a great week!!