Our Mission Experience: Curacao Zone Conference (1 FEB 2019)

CURACAO ZONE CONFERENCE

We always have the Sisters from BonAire fly over for Zone Conference and they stay in the mission home so we invite the Sisters in Curacao to come and spend the night too. It's fun for them to be all together. We really enjoy going on the morning walk together!

Sister McGuire, Sister Robertson, Sister Melendez, Sister Anderson, Sister Zaugg, Sister Woolsey, President & Sister Baird

We took this with a camera on a timer....not too bad but a little crooked - it was propped up on a rock 😉😆

ZONE CONFERENCE......

This time for Zone conferences we are talking about effective study and how that increases gospel knowledge and then the Spirit can use us better as we teach others. The more we prepare the more "sharp" of a tool we are for the Lord to use. We also talked about how you teach for understanding. You will never teach everything that you know. The trick is to keep it simple and to the edifying of those around you. I loved the teaching of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians where he is basically chastising them for "showing" off the gift of tongues but it is not doing anyone any good. In 1 Corinthians 14:19 he says: "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue". I loved that! He also talks a lot in that chapter about how when we seek for spiritual gifts we should seek for them with the intent to edify the church. This went right along with what we learned last transfer about obtaining Christ-like attributes. We then talked about how when we keep the first and great commandment of loving God with all our heart, might, mind and strength, our capacity to love grows. I have discovered this on an even deeper level as I have been on this mission. I knew I would love the people and the missionaries but I didn't realize just how deeply. And what was surprising to me was how much more I love my family -- I didn't think that was possible. But, as we love God, our capacity to love increases and we have a desire to serve Him by serving those around us. It's pretty incredible!! It brings such joy, purpose and fulfillment in life. Service truly is the Genius of the Gospel. Christ never did anything for himself, he was always in the service of others. As we follow His example we will find the key to joy and happiness in this life and the next.

One of the greatest things I have learned this month was from a talk by Elder Chistofferson. He talked about receiving personal revelation and how he learned from his Mission President Elder Scott on how to become better at recognizing and receiving personal revelation. He said that when he would learn something and feel the promptings and teachings of the Spirit "thoughts to the mind and feelings to the heart" he would write them down, then he would pray about them and see if he had learned them correctly. Then he would pray to see if there was anything more he could learn. It was then that he would write and study and more and more was added to what he had learned. I have started studying this way and have been absolutely amazed at what I have been able to learn! I have always studied but have not been consistent about writing down what I am learning. It is amazing at how when we open the lines of communication the Lord truly can teach us line upon line and we can learn so much!

Elder McBride, Elder Heaps, Elder Naef, Elder Richards, Elder Buxton, Elder Heimdal

I thought it was funny how some were standing on their toes to seem taller.... ha ha

Sister Melendez, Sister Robertson, Sister Woolsey, Sister McGuire, Sister Zaugg, Sister Anderson

The "moms" of the group can never get enough pictures.....
Sister Jones & Sister Parr

Curacao Zone Sisters

Sister Parr, Sister Melendez, Sister Robertson, Sister Jones, Sister Woolsey, Sister McGuire, Sister Zaugg, Sister Anderson, Sister Baird

We got to Celebrate Sister Parr's Birthday!!
Any excuse for cake😋

Group Hugs!!

Sister Parr is in the middle
of all this Love!

Back Row: President Baird, Elder Heimdal, Elder McBride, Elder Buxton, Elder Heaps, Elder Richards, Elder Naef, Elder Jones, Elder Parr
Front Row: Sister Baird, Sister Robertson, Sister Melendez, Sister McGuire, Sister Woolsey, Sister Zaugg, Sister Anderson, Sister Jones, Sister Parr