Conference Weekend!

Here we are again, another Pday. Conference was great this weekend! I was looking forward to it for a long time! I loved a lot of talks! I loved Elder Christopherson’s on mercy and justice; I loved Lynn G. Robbins’ talk. Elder Bednar's was great since it related to missionary work and sharing the gospel. So many really good talks, I honestly didn't even know that general conference was as good as it is while I was back home. There is only 2 possible reasons for that, 1, Conference messages used to not be very good, or 2, I just wasn't paying attention or showing up to conference ready to learn. More than likely it was the 2nd one. Elder Holland’s talk was amazing too and it probably hit home to me because I am just surrounded by poverty and sufering. Actually on Saturday morning before conference, us missionaries here in May Pen went and did a service project for a less active. She has been staying in a little house for a while but she hasn't been paying rent since she has no money and Saturday was the last day before the landlord kicked her out. She had no where to go. She has 4 little kids, all under 10 probably. We had to go and help her build a house. Yes a few inexperienced people built a full house in just a few hours. That right there can tell you the quality of the house. Also, it was built with materials that looked like they have been used to make many many houses over the past many years. The house was the size of Kierstin’s bedroom, the structure was just made form skinny trees that they cut down with a machete and took the branches off of them, the walls were some sort of old, used sheet rock/cement something that looked like paper mache, and zink (tin) on the roof. There is no water, electricity, there isn't even a bathroom or kitchen. There are big gaps in the walls and roof, the floor consisted of dirt, rock, broken cinder blocks and spilled cement mix powder. We weren't there long enough to help them move in since we had to go home and get ready for conference, she had some other people help with that, but it was just sad.  It made me feel bad for complaining all week long because water has been out at our house all week! There is no water from the time we wake up until about 9 o'clock at night if we are lucky. The bathroom has some, but still it's super annoying! Can't do dishes, wash clothes, etc, but we survive. And living like that is still a lot better than A LOT of people here, at least we have food to eat and a safe sturdy place to live. We have so much back home, I have learned that almost everything I have is a privilege, even down to constant running water. So yeah, that's why Elder Holland’s talk was great, and I shook his hand a few months ago, so that makes him a lot cooler in my book too. Also, Hugo Martinez, the one who spoke in Spanish in the last session is coming to our zone conference at the end of the month, so that is cool. And Elder Anderson who said one of the prayers is who I drove around in Cayman for a few days so that was also pretty awesome. We had a good turnout to conference as far as investigators go, I was sitting next to A. in conference for a session and she said, "This is kind of boring." At that moment I was just thinking this isn't boring stuff at all! Actually, conference is really exciting! I was just as excited while watching conference as I usually am about a football or basketball game. I didn't even know that that kind of excitement was possible about conference, especially that kind of excitement in myself! It was kind of cool. Anyways D&C 43 has some good advice that we can apply about conference..

  

8 And now, behold, I give unto you a acommandment, that whenye are bassembled together ye shall cinstruct and dedify each other,that ye may know ehow to act and direct my church, how to actupon the points of my law and commandments, which I havegiven.

 9 And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church,and be asanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shallbind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—

Conference means nothing until we actually ACT on what was said and felt. That's about the extent of my spiritual thoughts, at least spiritual thoughts that are easy to convey over email.

So this week we met a cool guy named D. He is 28 and is friends with a really solid member who used to live here in MayPen, but now lives in the New York. He still talks to her over the phone and she has been sharing stuff about the church and her testimony with him even before we met him. That was really cool. He recognized that she was way different in a good way as they grew up together and went through school. Pointed out that those are the fruits of the gospel. He didn't come to conference cuz he got the chickengunia virus. That stupid sickness!! 

Anyways, Treyson, keep up the good work in football! And also Kierstin in football too! (I mean soccer, sorry, I've been in Jamaica too long). And try to drift a corner of two while you're driving with dad this week! :) Have a good week! We are heading to Mandeville today for Pday, and then I am going to Spanish Town tomorrow for a mission wide district leaders meeting. Love you all!

One Love.

Big Up.

Love Elder Colton Harris