"I have been filled with joy and gratitude"

(written Oct 4th)

I'm very excited as today is Saturday of conference weekend! I have been looking forward to this since the last conference ended. Last night I was so excited that it took me a while to fall asleep and I woke up before my alarm because I'm so anxious to hear the talks. I owe a lot to my mission for the love I have for General Conference weekend.

Part of that excitement comes from the fact that we have a new family that we found this week committed to coming to the afternoon session. We were able to work a good share in our area this week and on Thursday we found a woman that seems very excited to get involved with a church again. She is actually the girlfriend of a man I taught when I was here last year. We went back to visit their home and the brother of the man answered the door. He wasn't too interested but as we were talking to him his sister-in-law to-be came out from the back and listened in the doorway of the room. We invited her to listen and she jumped on the idea. She said that she went to church a lot as a teenager and loved reading and studying the bible. In recent years she had fallen away but with some recent events in her life she is looking to return to a church with her boyfriend (to-be husband). She talked hopefully of a future family and seemed excited to hear that we focus on the family relationship and how it can be continued onward after this life. As we talked about this she kept touching her stomach and looking down... haha, we aren't doctors or anything but all of her statements and actions lead us to the conclusion that she is pregnant. We told her about conference this weekend and she seemed very excited to tell her boyfriend (who I already know very well) about it. We talked to them again yesterday and he told us that they are all set to go for the second session tomorrow. Woohoo!!! 

Since that experience on Thursday I have been filled with joy and gratitude. It has been a rough week health-wise for me but I'm learning to deal with it and I have a better idea of what does me in. The blessings and joys that come from living and sharing the Gospel makes life's trials bearable. 

I hope that all of you back home can grow a greater appreciation for conference this weekend as you listen and apply the teachings from the messages shared. I still feel very blessed for some of the principles that I learned in the last conference that I applied and for which I have grown stronger in my testimony. I'm grateful for a living prophet, apostles, and leaders of the church today that receive revelation to guide us in our constantly changing and moving world. 

Much love,

Elder Rainock