Sisters' Conference

May 15 was a special day for Sister Blue and me.  We were invited and got to attend the Sisters' Conference, held in the same building our office is in.  It was an all-day affair for the sister missionaries in the mission.  It was wonderful, and the spirit was there in abundance.  I have to say, the more I am in the presence of President and Sister Castro, the more I admire, respect, and love them.  It is evident that they are called of God to lead this mission!  They are so humble and yet such dynamic leaders.  I am also impressed by the great sister missionaries in this mission.  They are awesome :) 

So . . . following will be some of the things that impressed me during the day.

President Castro:  We can prepare a talk or a lesson, but most importantly, we must prepare ourselves.  He shared how he sees Sister Castro prepare herself as she studies and kneels in prayer and expressed his love for her, his eternal companion.

Sister Castro:  We need to learn to recognize the Lord's tender mercies for what they are, realizing they are not just coincidences or good luck.  She shared her feelings (and shed some tears) of becoming a grandmother for the second time.  "And, " she said, "I am not there.  But I am here."  [It is a sacrifice for her to be here, but she is so loving, caring, and kind - a blessing to President and to all the missionaries.]

So I reflected upon some of the Lord's tender mercies to me lately.  I have had a couple of strange pains.  I don't deal with pain very well -- not like Randy does.  I'm a wimp.  The pain was pretty severe -- one time in my back, and more recently in my hip area.  Both times, while it was indeed intense and kept me awake in the night, in a matter of three to four days, it subsided and then completely went away.  I consider that a great blessing from Heavenly Father. 

President:  He described how Emma's Smith's baptism was not a peaceful, lovely occasion (something I did not know).  It was disrupted by a small mob who mocked the ordinance and threw rocks at them.  Shortly after this experience, the Prophet received the revelation, now section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants for Emma, which is summed up in verse three: "...Thou are an elect lady, whom I have called."  This was the theme of the sisters' conference.  President reminded us that "many are called, but few are chosen (elected)."  He said each sister, in a unique way, beyond being called, has been "elected" to serve here in this mission and has a special contribution to make.  The sisters are a source of strength and inspiration in the mission.

In the afternoon, President presented a workshop on meditation, which is different than pondering.  When we ponder, we are actively engaged.  When we meditate, we allow our minds to be still and the thoughts and ideas to flow in. I intend to try out this new-learned concept -- it does not have to take a long time, and it can be a source of inspiration. 

Sister Castro's workshop was on having balance in our lives and taking care of our bodies.  She has such a sweet way about her.

Sometimes we are so worried about offending people that in the process we fail to save them.  (I forget whom was quoted here, but so dynamic!)

(I will finish my notes on the conference later.  For now, I am going to move on and try to get caught up with this journal :)