2/15/16
Wow dang that is a big surprise to hear about the new bishop Baker. I did not think that would happen but that is cool. My birthday is on the 26th so just after changes. I don't know exactly what we will do but I hope I can get something nice for my birthday. As for that family they haven't gone to church recently and they still need to get the interview done. We believe it will be on the 27th if they go to church. Last Sunday (yesterday) they didn't go as the family that normally takes them wasn't there. Oh well. The most important thing will be to serve and help.
My toe is doing well and I am staying healthy. I believe there will be photos next week as this Sunday is when we get changes and I should get a new companion. We have no idea about what will happen with changes but this week we have divisions with the zone leaders planned so I might hear more but of course this Sunday we get the changes.
We were reading recently in Preach My Gospel about our purpose and Elder Holland also reminded us about what our purpose is. He said it doesn't matter if you baptize one convert. To your mission president it does but to God it really doesn't.
Well with the interviews it was all in English except when I prayed in Spanish which I found surprising. I guess I forgot to mention that part.
So as for the conference I am not sure if they have the photos yet. During the conference we were specifically told don't take photos. I am hoping there are photos and I promise to check. As for what we learned. A bit of the conference was a rebuke. Elder Holland spent some time yelling at us in English (his Spanish wasn't the best he had a translator to help.) A big portion was reminding us that we are representatives of the Lord and we have no right to demean our calling. Another big portion was him mentioning we can lose the sheep but we can't lose the shepherd. He also explained (in his own words I promise) that he sometimes goes so crazy because he understands the importance of our calling. He did literally strangle an Elder to start the conference. No one got sent home but he wasn't exactly happy all the time either. He loves us but wants us to step up. I believe the conference will leave a lasting impression on the mission.
Well I was called out to do an example for Elder Montoya of the 70. The example required two missionaries. He asked who was the tallest and I looked over to the tallest missionary in the mission (who is not me) and then I saw the finger of President Christensen. Pointed at me and saying Elder Throop. You can imagine that I was a little scared as I had to walk from my seat to the front with 180 something odd missionaries two seventies and Elder Holland all staring at me. I chose not to tell my Mission President that I wasn't the tallest. Elder Montoya then called for the shortest missionary in the mission, who was a Latino, to come forward. To show the extreme of difference in our heights, his head came to my hip. Quite the difference. He then asked us to do a specific example where the other 70 tied our legs together with a tie and then asked us to walk down the aisle of missionaries without touching each other and without falling. We walked. Then he told us to stop turn around then changed the instructions. He said put your arm on the shoulder of the other Elder. We walked back and it was easier. The point of the example was to show missionary work (represented by myself) trying to work with ward leader (the short guy) He said often missionaries are bigger and more powerful but asked what we noticed. We both had to answer. Still the point was to show that we had to work with the rhythm of ward leaders to get a better unity as it was hard when we were separate walking awkwardly. I mean I got to shake Elder Holland's hand but then I got a lot more attention being put in the front. I was a lot more comfortable in the back in my seat learning. After that I didn't answer any questions mainly because I had enough fun for that one day and it was pretty interesting being able to look Elder Holland dead in the eyes literally five feet away and being in front of so many people giving an example. So yes I did get called to do something and it was scary but I still did well and afterwards I didn't have to do anything else but listen. Yeah I paid close attention to Elder Holland and all of them but I did have to stand in front to be used as an example for a seventy.
That is what I will share for now. Next week I plan to bring my notes and I don't believe there are photos available yet.
Love you all and look forward to writing next week.
Elder Throop
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