March 25 -- Zone Conference

This was a pretty good week. I'm really happy to be a missionary, especially with Sister Serrano as my companion. She is really an angel. Last week she couldn't really eat anything except bread because she was sick, but she still cooked for me because she didn't want me to get thin by not eating rice. I really love her a lot.

We had zone conference last Thursday. It was really good. It really inspired me to strive to be a lot more focused, and diligent, and Christlike so that I can finish my mission without any regrets. I can't believe I'm already more than halfway done with my mission. Anyway, we learned how to teach so that we are mostly asking questions and letting the scriptures teach, in order to help the investigators participate more in the lesson, rather than just us talking and spilling knowledge onto them.

The other day we went to teach a less active, but there was really loud babylon music playing across the street, and it was hard to feel the spirit or concentrate on teaching. One of our fellowshippers had some speakers with him with church music, so we asked him to play it in order to try to drown out the other music. It worked. As soon as he started playing his music, the spirit was there, and we were able to teach. It's really profound how much of a difference it made. I didn't realize until I became a missionary how much music affects the spirit--I mean, I did, but I didn't realize it as much as I do now. A lot of the popular music people listen to (even members of the church) really doesn't bring the spirit at all. I really feel that we need to be careful about the music we listen to. It really does affect our ability to feel the spirit, and we need to have the spirit with us always, or Satan will attack us. That's one thing I've really learned--the moment you distance yourself from the spirit, you put yourself in Satan's territory.

Anyway, we have a baptism this coming Saturday. It is for a 13-year-old boy. He will be the only member in his family, but the young men and the YSA guys in the ward have really been fellowshipping him, and he always comes to church, so I think he'll be able to stay active after he's baptized. He's really cute  

Anyway, life is still great. The gospel is true. Always fight Satan. Don't give in to him! Just keep reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and going to church. Always always always do these things, no matter how busy you get. Always remember the purpose of life is to be obedient and to sacrifice. Always put God first. Okay, enough of my preaching to you. hehe.

I love you all. Thanks for everything!

Love, Sister Boekweg