Mission meetings

            Today we drove to Santa Cruz to watch a broadcast from Salt Lake presided over by President Nelson.  Elder Soares conducted and spoke, Bishop Davies of the Presiding Bishopric and Sister Durham from the General Primary Presidency also spoke.  President Nelson spoke last and spoke in Spanish which was very cool.  When he visited for the Rancagua stake conference, he also gave that talk in Spanish.  It is amazing that at 90 with all of his responsibilities he is still able to work on learning a new language.

            I am also amazed by the technology involved in broadcasting from Salt Lake City to 77 stakes and 18 districts here in Chile.  The signal was so clear we could have been in the same room.  When Elder Bednar was here he said that some day we will look back at this type of broadcast as being very elementary and amazing things will happen that will allow contact between far-flung areas of the Church. 

            The subjects of the talks were very simple and direct, including President Nelson who focused on obeying the commandments.  It is what the missionaries teach their investigators as presented in Preach My Gospel but it is always good to have a reminder that we have our own personal obligations. 

            Here’s a brief summary of mission events last week:  Monday was the final lunch and testimony for 14 go homers; Tuesday we welcomed, trained and sent off to their areas 18 new missionaries, including one who returned after being ill; Wednesday was district meeting; Thursday we had mission leadership council and Friday was a training meeting for new leaders.  This week we start zone conferences for March so be sure to tune in for that report next week:)

Pictures this week include one from the temple trip last week, the picture we always take with those going home, new trainers, new missionaries and two of group of new arrivals and trainers as the news are getting off the bus: