Week 15

Week 15

Dear Family and Friends,

Did you take the opportunity to watch General Conference? I loved watching it in the chapel, but nothing compares to sitting with grandpa and Uncle Steve (and Connie of course) in at Grandpa’s in Oregon and watching conference with those people I love and respect. Plus, afterwards we get to eat some of Melissa’s pies and I would get a chance to see uncle Kirk and go to the priesthood session with him. It would always set me up for my next six months of “conference talks study” (the most important study in the church!) It was my favorite holiday! That is one down side to being a missionary; I can’t listen to conference talks while I’m on my bike.L Another down side is that we cannot go to the temple until our last week in the mission.

I want to talk about my week but all I can think about is conference, it’s still fresh in my mind. I was thinking about it while I was running and forgot to review all the scriptures I’m trying to memorize. I’m so thankful for the sacrifices President Monson and the other general authorities make. They have so much to do in their lives, yet they take the time every six months to help us come closer to Christ as families and individuals. We are so indebted to them! They invite us to repent and receive more faith, hope and charity. Every conference (and especially this one) I leave with a mixed feeling from the Spirit. I feel edified, and enjoy the new understanding I receive, but also a little bad because that understanding is often focused on how I fall short of the Savior’s expectation for me, yet happy because I can improve and repent. I’ve learned to love repentance. Progression is sometimes hard, but it’s worth it. Just like in Elder Christopherson’s talk about the man who suffered through the winter and only remembered the sweet morning when he finally arrived at his camp.

Sometimes I think that I’m making big sacrifices as a missionary, such as not being able to spend time with you and not being able to take a day off or even sleep. But then I think of how much more difficult it is for my mission president, President Wilkey. He has taken two P-days since he’s come to the mission over a year ago (and they were short). We also had the privilege of a hearing a seventy at zone conference, Elder Grow, and I could quickly tell that Seventy’s have it even worse. Then I think of the life of an apostle, everybody wanting guidance from you as a representative of Jesus Christ, never getting a moment to yourself because you’ve given your life to the Savior and His Church on the earth today. When I think about President Monson my head just about explodes. Either he has a twin, or he’s a prophet of God, so much to do and never enough time, it gets stressful. Although I can understand how much the Lord would help him. When I was feeling stressed the Lord put me at the right place at the right time to be an influence for good in His name, and I realized I don’t need to worry about it at all. The Savior has it all under control; my stress was just a manifestation of my lack of faith. Since then I’ve been much more tranquil in the missionary lifestyle.

Well, I’ve completed my first in field transfer and have already started my second. My companion and I will stay in the same area together, but the threesome that was with us has been broken, and one of the Lawrance missionaries is being moved one city over (because he broke his wrist in a bike crash and needs to be in a car area, but also needs to stay close enough to his doctor) the area he is going to is in our district and we share a chapel, so we will see him often. It will be nice though having one less elder in that apartment (mornings are crazy!). I love you very much and am excited to see you again in a little more than 20 months.

Elder Matthew D. Evans