Revelation of Old

Hello Loved ones!

  Sorry for the later e-mail. In Australia Easter is not only a Sunday Holiday. It is celebrated in the form of "Good Friday" on Friday, were everyone is off work. Easter Saturday where everyone is off work,  the usual Easter Sunday and Easter MONDAY! where you guessed it! Everyone has work off! ha. The Aussies will try to get out of anything for any reason so Easter is a good enough reason for a 4 day holiday I guess! ha. Good Friday or my birthday was a Good Friday! I didn't tell anyone and me and my companion went out for lunch at a nice BBQ restaurant. I bought. It was a good day. Sister Howes called in the morning and said happy birthday as well as Elder and Sister Fiel that evening to SING happy birthday! ha. My companion was curious why such people were calling for. He imagined it was a problem or home matters I was sensitive about.. ha. at 10:25 pm I flipped my license on his desk and said that's why these people called. Then I got up in bed and started praying. I hear him say "is something wrong with it?" goes quiet again. all then sudden "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?!?!?!?" he was mad i didn't tell him and got our district leader in the other room and so after I said AMEN i looked up to see the 2 of them standing there arms folded with angry looks on their faces. it as so funny!! haha they told the family we had dinner with the next night and they ended up making me a cake and stuff. it was pretty funny! A good week though!!

    This last week I have been thinking about conference. I kept thinking back to the Temple celebration I was a part of for the Draper temple. The celebration was held in the conference center, so seeing the setting again brought back joyous memories. It brought back a decision I had made. I was furious one day after coming home from middle school because I forgot I had to go and practice the celebration down town. I had "plans." and didn't want to go. After I returned home my mother noted how happy I was and that she was glad I had such an attitude change while I was gone. The spirit was obviously there as we sang of the temple in that practice. I felt it prompt me to change. being so young I had not experienced this before. I followed. I now see the blessing of following this prompting. YEARS later. Similarly I remember a family friend that was like an older brother to me, Brother Schwendiman in my home ward. He always followed the council given at General Conference. When I was younger I did not understand such dedication. It was "just something they said at conference." Seeing his dedication to following promptings to the.. less dedication of following promptings of other examples in my life... I can see the difference it has made YEARS later. Complete differences. I am reminded of President Uchtdorfs talk years ago about how a plane 1 degree off can make the biggest change in destination. this stuck out because following EVERY prompting is on my list to start doing for my "40 day fast." It is incredible to see the lord motivate you through general conference and your own personal experiences. the lord helps us to change no matter how hard we struggle.

    I am trying to make my points flow much better while teaching. As with anything I do it takes me a while to change. I am getting better. I ask my Companion how I am doing and he helps me to improve and tells me what I did right. I am blessed to have a caring companion. We are teaching better and notice the huge difference it makes when we and our points flow steadily. I like to teach.

    When I look at this past conference I remember 2 talks mostly. Elder Zwick of the 70 speaking of how we need to "let no corrupt communication proceed from our mouths" struck me. I need to continue working on changing the way I speak to show that I am a representative of Christ. Also, President Halstrom of the presidency of the 70, who spoke in priesthood. When we can't change because "it's just the way we are" we lose instantly and the adversary wins. If we give in to commonly accepted practices in this world we CHOKE our priesthood power. That is what stood out to me this last conference. To evermore effective change self and honor the priesthood I hold.

Sorry there are no pictures this week.. I for got my card reader at the flat...LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

   Elder Ford