Week 62

10/2/17

Big changes are happening in the Oregon Salem Mission! We found out that this Zone Conference we will be receiving smartphones and get to online proselyte! 

Dear Oregon Salem Missionaries,

The Missionary Department has informed us that we will now be a smart phone and online proselyting mission!!! We will also have access to District 3 which will teach us how to use online proselyting. Much of this is made possible because the Brethren know that this is an obedient, diligent mission. Online proselyting content will be available on the missionary portal on October 1st, and the online proselyting applications will be available on October 25th.

You will be trained in your upcoming zone conference.

Online proselyting and social media are not authorized until after all zone conferences and training are completed, October 25th.

With great anticipation,

President Tateoka

Yay! I'm so excited to see how this helps the work progress here! 

“I believe that the Lord is anxious to put into our hands inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse” (“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, Oct. 1974, 10). 

Prophecy being fulfilled! I love being a missionary! 

In other news, Brian passed his interview!!!! I am so incredibly excited for him. In the seven ish weeks I've known him I've seen him go from someone who wasn't even sure that there was a God, to someone who believes whole heartedly that God is not only real, but that He is his Father and loves him. Brian has come to know his Savior and understand how to use His Atonement in his life. He knows that Joseph Smith really was a Prophet called by God and that we have a living Prophet today. He has overcome challenges using the Book of Mormon and truly feasts on the words of Christ! I can't believe how lucky I have been to be apart of his conversion process. He really is an elect soul who was prepared for the truthfulness of the gospel. He is going to be a great instrument in the hands of the Lord for the rest of his life. He is going to greatly bless his family as he receives and faithfully exercises his priesthood. He is going to help others come unto Christ by his example and his testimony!

Not only Brian has grown in that time, his wife, Pam, has made huge strides as well! She has returned to activity in the church and her testimony of the gospel has changed so much. As she bore her testimony to Brian and helped him find answers to his questions, she found herself on a journey back to faith. They walked...no, they ran, hand in hand on the path back to the fold. The gospel truly is meant to bless families!

I wish I had some quotes to share from Conference but I'll just share some of my notes and thoughts. 

I really loved President Nelson's talk on the Book of Mormon when he asked, "What would your life be like without the Book of Mormon? What would you not know? What would you not have?" I think if we all seriously took the time to consider our own answers to those questions, some of us would be surprised just how much the Book of Mormon has changed our lives.

I think he talk that I felt applied to me the most though was Donald L. Hallstrom's talk on faith. I just loved how he talked about having the faith to submit to God's will and accept any outcome. He talked about how when we have faith we aren't just going to ask for relief from suffering, we will trust in God's plan for us and go through our trials relying on Christ and His Atonement.

I would love to hear any of your thoughts, comments, and favorite quotes from Conference!

Love,

Sister MacKay