Post Conference, New Companion, and Baptism this week!

Things are changing a lot in our sector with the arrival of Elder Duke. He has a really different method of working and of teaching that is taking me some time to get used to but I am still learning a ton. He is a super cool dude from LA, California and has a lot of experience in the mission. We get along really well but he speaks a lot of English during the day, which isn't bad but I'm just not used to being able to talk in my native language all day every day. So I had to make a rule that we only speak English in the house that we live. He is a funny surfer type of guy but he reminds me of Brady Hammond (a guy from our local church in Moncks Corner) just a couple of years younger. We are focusing on working more effectively and especially finding more effectively.And we have seen some amazing results because of it.   

Thursday was the Zone Leader Training meeting and the President of the mission asked us to join the meeting to demonstrate different methods of finding investigators through member with the APs (assistants to the President) helping us. We demonstrated how to teach the first lesson in 5 mins to members and then with the spirit that was brought with that we transitioned into asking if they knew someone that could benefit from this message. Even though it was just a demonstration, the spirit was felt by all who were watching. Pres. Dalton even had some tears in his eyes. Definitely one of the coolest experiences in the mission so far and especially for me being so fresh to it.

 

We are also getting Erick ready for his baptism and his wedding. He is as nervous as can be for his wedding but is so excited for his baptism. He is 28 and is an awesome guy.  His future wife is Nicole and she is 26 and less active. They have both progressed so much and have turned their lives around because they both know that what we were teaching them was true!

 

And then, at last, General Conference was awesome! We had a ton of investigators show up to watch it. In the gringo room where we watched in English everybody brought snacks to eat while they watched. I am especially grateful to watch and listen to conference in English because I get to hear the speakers real voice and not the translators.

 

Love you all so much!

 

Elder Brayton