General Conference

Well, everyone, it was conference weekend! which is very very exciting since conference is only once ever 6 months. I had a lovely time in general conference, the messages were very inspiring and I found that one of the strong themes, "keep the Commandments", was very beneficial and relevant.

This week was also transfer week. Nothing happened o sea, we both stay where we are.

But back to conference! Two less active families came to different sessions of conference. That was really great!

Also, I personally got a lot out of the conference. My favorite talk, I believe, was Elder Bednar's closing talk, when he talked about the teachings of President Faust, President Hinckley, Elder Wirthlin, Elder Perry, President Packer and Elder Scott. I think it really is true, that the older these wise men grow, the more solid and valuable their teachings become- as Elder Bednar put it, the learning of a lifetime as a servant of God. That strength of testimony was particularly evident to me in President Monson's priesthood session talk, "keep the commandments". He spoke directly and powerfully of the importance of keeping the commandments- something so simple, but so essential for our eternal well-being...

I was very grateful for all of the teaching imparted in the conference especially since in that same moment I decided to put some goals for my life- and many of the talks imparted valuable wisdom for a wise way to live and apply the gospel to make it work in my life.

Moving on from the conference, this week I learned that Elder Sims, (serving in the Uruguay Montevideo mission) went home because of a concussion- and so, that leaves only elder Harris and I as still in the mission from our small 5-person MTC group. of course in different missions, he is in Bahia Blanca, but we end the same time. Still, I felt a little sad since elder Sims has been sending me his weekly email for a long time now, and vice versa, and now he is home... However, there is not more than to continue on.

hmm, well, I have to go, since I still have to go to the bank today for the rent, but, in this email I left you all a photo of.. Peanuts! I love peanuts. guess how long that little bowl lasted me. less than a week.

AH! yes, almost forgot. this week I did two exchanges with rodeo del medio and colonia bombal, the two other areas in the district. colonia bombal is a very rural zone, with lots of agriculture (and ironically the richest people in the province- agriculture pays way good here, but there is like a mental block for the people from doing it.) rodeo is more centro. but they were cool experiences (in colonia bombal I was with elder Debono, from Australia... it was super funny to tell people that they had got the only two English-speakers in the whole mission who are not from the states!) and in rodeo I was with elder Bravo, who is brand new and from Buenos Aires.

alright, later- have a good week all-

Elder Backstrom