Conference with Elder Holland

Well, it has been a really great week!

We got to see Elder Holland ...CRAZY...

We left from Puno at 12 at night... had a crappy nights sleep with a terrible stomach ache in a bus for 7 hours.... We arrived and got a little breakfast and then we like .. took a few pictures and waited for Elder Holland. When he arrived it was insane.

In the beginning, he shook all of our hands and looked us in the eyes as we told him our names and where we were from. It was amazing. He spoke about obedience. It put a lot of things into perspective for me and I think that it will really help me in the future. He is so powerful.

He speaks really strong and passionately, practically like shouting half the time.  It was awesome what he said though, I think everyone in the room felt the spirit. Was actually a bit scary though because he was legit walking around like...talking to people and like touching them grabbing them and calling them by name, crazy...

I got to shake his hand and talk for like 15 seconds hah!

How was your week?

And yeah, I like that bit from their blog, that is really what its like here haha.

[Connor was responding to a paragraph I found from a senior missionary couple who are working in Cusco Peru on a family history mission.  Basically the senior couple had made a trip to Juli -- where Connor is -- and spoke about their experience.  That blog entry is below:]

[Sunday morning we drove to Juli.  It is a tiny branch South of Puno.  The branch was so small that the Elders were doing everything. (I just have to say that all the missionaries here are simply amazing.  They just see what needs done and do it, it was especially true in this small Branch).  The Branch President was there and he had to conduct and give the opening prayer.  There were a handful of women there.  The Elders led the music and prepared and administered the sacrament.  There were no other men, so they called Lyle up to help.  Lyle ended up blessing and passing the sacrament and blessing a baby.  The little blessing circle consisted of Lyle, the elders and the baby. The mother stood just outside of the circle.  Lyle was taken by surprise and didn't know what he was supposed to be doing at first.  He said later that he just hoped he got the name right, luckily the baby was in a blue blanket so that was a clue to the gender. Later toward the end of the meeting, I noticed two young boys had arrived, they probably weren't old enough to pass the sacrament, but someday they will.  There is hope for this struggling branch.  It was testimony meeting and the testimonies were sweet and strong.  Even though their numbers are small these saints have faith.  As we were getting ready to leave Sister Hassler asked if Lyle had done the paperwork for the baby blessing, we were glad she remembered.  So this little boy who lives in a tiny area of Peru will have Lyle's name on his blessing certificate.  When we came out of church, we were surprised to see all the market people selling in front of the Church.  That was different -- a picture is below.]

Here is a pic that Elder Segura..my old comp sent me...my hair is a MESS because we were in a bus sleeping for 8 hours before that haha

Was weird there. LITERALLY more than 20 people asked me how much weight ive lost!

Here is a pic of me and my MTC group!

Well my time is up.  I gotta go love you guys a ton.

Dad you can also add whatever you want to it though, please do haha i want as much songs as possible...

[Connor and I had shared a few emails: what music was ok via mission rules for him to have and so I am off to try and fill a nano with some music for him!]