Crazy Week

February 19, 2016



Hello! How is everyone doing? I love getting your emails, and am truly touched and blessed by your support. So we sent our sempais off on Sunday Night to Japan. Elder Monopori (The Polynesian from Australia) is the biggest G of all time. I've told you about him before. All of the Polynesian Elders here from new Zealand Australia came to our residence Sunday night, and we sang hyms and then they did the Hakka to say farewell!! It was insane!!! Did you get the video I shared with you? Be aware, The video is a little bit scary. The Hakka is a war dance, and this was a REAL Hakka. I've decided that Islanders are the biggest G's of all time, and they really know how to love people. They have such a good culture! We need to change American culture to be more like their's! I was playing basketball on Tuesday, and I went up for a rebound and I was jumping one way and this other Elder was coming in from the other direction. I went above him, and his leg and my knee smashed into each other. My Knee cap felt like it got completely knocked sideways and then back. It was pretty scary. I hit the floor and it just hurt a ton. I was able to move it so I was grateful for that. The Physical trainers there ran over and took me into the sports med. room, where they did some ligaments tests and stuff, and then iced it. They said that the ligaments seemed to be okay, which was really good news. I was able to walk on it okay the rest of the day.

Elder Rasband talked at our Tuesday night devotional! He is super awesome! He talked about the divinity of our call as a missionary, and about a lot of super awesome stuff. Later that night our Branch president, Butler Keisho (President) was at our residence talking to us. I was looking at my knee which was at least two times as big as my other knee because of the swelling, and was a little bit worried about it. He looked at it and let us know that he is a physical therapist!! How cool is that? It was a cool tender mercy, because he had been leaving, but an elder wanted to talk to him, and when they came back he saw me and my companion assessing my knee. He did some movement tests and also confirmed that the ligaments seemed good, but that the swelling was concerning. He talked about a couple of things that it could be and was confident that I could heal before it was time for us to leave for Sapporo. He said that I should see a doctor sooner rather than later though, so that if something needed to be done it could be done quickly and in time for me to not be delayed going to Japan. So I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said that it could be a couple things as well, and then sent me over to the byu student health center where this hilarious guy named skip gave me an xray. He was a character. The xray didn't show the Doctor and I too much, except a lot of swelling and that no bone chips had been broken off, and that nothing super major could have happened. At this point the doctor is just having me wait until next thursday, icing it and taking 3 doses of 3 ibuprofen a day, to try and get the swelling down, and then we will see where it is at, and if I should see a specialist, or possibly get an MRI. So that's fun!!! haha it hasn't been too bad though, I can still shoot free throws in gym, I just can't jump, and I can study Japanese like crazy!!! I can still walk at a pace that seems unbelievably hard for the Elders in our district to be able to keep up with.

I can still function well, I just really hope that my ligaments are okay, and that I can just heal in the time that I am here. So pray for my knee! This Wednesday Hess Choro,(My companion) and I taught 5 lessons in Japanese on that day! It was crazy! They were all pretty good though, which was somewhat shocking! Maddy Dyer, Amanda Crawley, Brandson Gifford(from School) and Andy from my soccer team all came in this Wednesday!  Also a really good friend from BYUI came in too! I see all of them all of the time, which is super fun! Sister Dyer, and Elder Gifford, and my friend from byui will all be here for the rest of my time here! The weather is getting nicer which is super awesome here! I miss the sun! Harper Choro (the DJ) has some interesting logic regarding any rule he doesn't want to keep, which keeps us on our toes, because he can literally "logically" convince himself, even if it makes no sense of anything! haha it's quite hilarious actually. I think that he even convinces himself that something that he says that is a lie, is actually true! He has the potential to become a great missionary, right now we are just trying to help him become more willing to change, which is hard! It can be frustrating, but we love him and just want him to progress, and become the fourth missionary! haha that talk is so amazing by the way Eric. Thankyou so much for giving me that talk and the talk "Become a Consecrated Missionary" Those talks are shaping our district and have shaped my foundation of what kind of missionary I want to become. Those talks are being passed around the district, and are helping our elders be able to see the vision that the Lord sees missionary work as!

Missionary work is awesome! We get to go out and share the most valuable gift in the world, the thing that will cause people more happiness then anything that the world can offer them, and we get to do that all of the time. That is our full purpose. How great is that? Missionaries and members should be literally be filled with an overwhelming desire and enthusiasm to share the gospel with people! It is the best thing ever! Never take the gospel for granted! If you are not happy, look at what part of the gospel you are not applying! I PROMISE that If you are trying to live the gospel the best that you can, and are trying consecrate your will to God's will, you cannot be unhappy!! That is the beauty of the Gospel, it causes us to become joyful, and we find that joy by losing ourselves in the service and love for other people. Here is my challenge to you: Look outward, think outward. This life is not about us, it is about what we can do for others. Change your heart not just your behavior, when our heart has the burning desire to do God's will then we will understand charity, then we will understand the enabling power of the Atonement. Look not inward but look outward; only then will you find what you were looking for within yourself, to be there. We become who we want to be by not thinking about ourselves, but by thinking about others! "For he who shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it." Consecrate all you have. Hold nothing back! Give everything to God, and he will make you a person you are happy to be. I promise you that. The gospel is amazing and the Church is unbelievably true. Share the gospel with everyone, members and non members. Helping members to not fall, is definitely just as essential as helping investigators join the church, a soul is a soul and the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. You can be that influence and tool for the Lord to save his souls. We are God's servants, and to be a servant for God, is a humbling and amazing responsibility to have. This week choose something that you will do to give your will to God. Give something up, work harder to be patient, humble, kind, etc. Choose something that you can do to submit your will to his. I love you all so much, and am so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to share the gospel with sons and daughters of God. I know that the church is true and I know that our weaknesses are made strong if we will humble ourselves and give them to the lord.

Thank you,

Love, Elder Conover

Ps: Thank you family so much for the package this week!!! They were so fun, and really meant a lot! Thank you to Jacob and Jenn and Macy and Olivia, and Ty, for your very thoughtful package! I feel your love, and am so grateful to have inspiring and loving family close to me. You are amazing people, thank you for your example.