February 11, 2009

We had the best zone conference yesterday. This elder from Hawaii Elder Auna gave his dying testimony because this is his last transfer. It was incredible. I needed this conference so badly, it was exactly what i needed to pump me up and get that powerful missionary excitement. The zone leaders, elder Auna and Elder Taylor did a wonderful training on getting in the game. They started with a skit. They related missionary work to playing a sport. It seems really long at the first but once you play the time flies. There are struggles, challenges, tiredness comes, joys, sorrows, we must have indurance, and stay excited and focused during the whole game. It was amazing and exactly what we all needed. They then shared the most touching story of a ship that was at sea during a huge tempest. They saved all of the remaining men except for one who was holding down the ship. They went to the island and asked for volunteers to go out and save this man. Most of the men were already exhausted or injured so they was one boy that was 19 who said that would go. His mother begged him not to go because her husband died, lost some children, including one who was lost at sea that they never found. The son replied that he felt that he had to do it and he went and sacrificed his life for this one man. At the end of the story you come to find out that that one man was his brother who was lost at sea. They then related that story to us and showed us pictures of our brothers and sisters who were lost at sea but then saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ and they are now baptized. Oh, i cant fully explain how powerful that training was. It was exactly what i needed. Then we had the training given by the assistants on FEAR and the antedote which is THE SPIRIT, LOVE and FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. I loved it. I will have to show you all of my notes that i wrote some day. Elder Allen and I sang a musical number " I need thee every hour " in english and italian. Our theme was really neat. We imagined Elder Allen as the missionary that had need of the Lord to find a new investigator in the first verse and then in the second i played the investigator that had need of the gospel. In the 3rd we sang together (finding each other) and then the 4th verse we did a round. He started and sang in English and then i followed singing in Italian and then we finished together which was baptism. It reminded me of my good friend Manolo who lived in Ostia who asked me to baptize him. I really hope that he is doing well. President Acerson and Sorella Acerson gave powerful trainings. The spirit testified to me how lucky and blessed i am to have them. I know that He is called of God and is working so hard to bless this Italian people. They love us missionaries with all of their hearts. After that zone conference we all had the fire and the desire and we talked with many people on the metro. I love you Dad. I am so grateful for the gospel and for this church. I am so blessed to be having the opportunity to serve a mission. I am learning, growing, and changing in a way that i could never do doing something other than this mission. Love, Elder Beau Brewster