Sorella Rebekah Tiffany Acton: Week 5 Halloween & Zone Conference

Tuesday November 5, 2019

This week has been a bit of a slower week and I don't have my journal so I don't remember what happened every day. It was a little bit of a hard week because a lot of our investigators and people we're teaching are showing that they're not interested or they won't meet with us, so we are going to be trying to find a lot of new people to teach this week.
Thursday was Halloween and we did studies, did a little bit of contacting, tried to go and visit somebody, and did some weekly planning. We were going to have a scambio (exchanges) that weekend and then it was going to be Zone Conference interviews on Sunday so we were doing our weekly planning early. We had french fries in the shapes of pumpkins and ghosts and for lunch we had pasta that was in the shape of Halloween things. Later we had correlation and then that evening we had a "festa" where we invited ward members, less actives and investigators. There were also missionaries, members, and people from the Palermo II area so basically it was a combined ward activity. That was fun, they had ping pong, fuse ball, musical chairs, karaoke, and another game gaga ball. You tie a bunch of tables together so they won't move and then you stand inside the circle and hit the ball with your hand and whoever gets hit from the waist down is out. And the object is to try and stay in as long as you can. My companion and I made chocolate chip pumpkin cake for that and everyone loved it so that was a good idea. It turned out really yummy.
Friday, we had a meal appointment and ate soooo much food. The first weekend in November was "festa" and so a lot of people were at their houses and they make a lot of food. We went over to a member's house for a meal appointment and we had pasta forno, which is like pasta in rings and they put some different meats in it and sauce and this one had eggplant in it as well. It was super yummy. We had a big plate of that and then after that they went and cooked sausage for us and then we also had some bread. After that we had salad, tuna rolls, and they also brought out pastries. I was super, super full after that meal appointment. But it was really good. We taught them the ward mission plan, what it means to be a shepherd, and how in callings (because some of them are ward missionaries) that they have a responsibility to look after the sheep that they are put in charge of. After that we did a scambio, so Sorella Johnson went to Palermo II and I stayed here in Palermo I. That night Sorella Stutts and I did some finding and contacting. Then Saturday we woke up, did studies and some more finding and contacting. Then we met at 4:30 and Sorella Johnson and I bought some stuff that we're suppose to have for the weekend to prepare for Zone Conference. Saturday night we had a "gesso", that's were we go down to the busiest part of town and try to hand out flyers for a comedy/play thing we are putting on next Thursday.
Sunday was Stake Conference, all of the Missionaries were together because it was also Zone Conference interviews. After Conference we had interviews and I was able to talk with my Mission President and his wife. It was just what I needed because the week was a little bit hard and so it was really good to have them as parent figures and to talk with them and be encouraged. I was just having a bit of a rough time and putting myself down a little bit. The Mission President told me that he sees a lot of potential in me and that one day I'm going to be grateful for all of the hard experiences that I have had on my mission. I really appreciated that and know it to be true. They are amazing! They have so much love and they are just what this Mission needs right now.
Monday we had Zone Conference. We got up and went to the church in Palermo II and started Zone Conference. I did my "birth testimony" or my first testimony at a Zone Conference and it went pretty well. I was told I did a really good job but I knew I could have done better. I also had to travel to go get my premesso so Sorella Johnson came with me. It was frustrating though because the workers wanted to go home since it was still the three days of "festa" and so we got rescheduled to come back on the 19th of November. So, I missed the rest of my first Zone Conference for nothing. But it's okay.
Tuesday was our P-day and we went bowling together as a District and then went and had lunch together. We went to a store with hundreds of ties and then went to the church and played fuse ball together, it was a lot of fun.
I studied a lot about conversion this week and why it is so important. Conversion includes a change in behavior, but it goes beyond behavior; it is a change in our very nature. In Mosiah 27:25-26 it reads:
"And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his son and daughters;
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
Conversion is a process, not an event. Conversion comes as a result of righteousness and our efforts to follow the Savior. Conversion is a quiet miracle. Angelic visitations and other spectacular occurrences do not bring conversion. It's changing one's beliefs, heart & life to accept God's will. Complete conversion comes after many trials and much testing. Conversion includes a conscious decision to give up one's former ways and change to become a disciple of Christ.
To testify is to know and to declare; to be converted is to do and to become.
Charity, the pure love of Christ, is not an act but a condition or state of being. Charity is attained through a succession of acts that result in a conversion. Charity is something one becomes.
I think it is important to ask ourselves from time to time how converted are we.

I love you all and hope you have a good week!

Sorella Acton