2nd email from the field

Here are portions of the second email from Motra Bezas in Albania!

Dear The Loves of My Life,

This week was pretty intense. So much has happened this last week. It was crazy. :D But first I will get into the questions Dad sent me.

 How was the first discussion that you have been involved in and did you get a chance to participate?  I cannot honestly remember what was the first true discussion I was in. We taught a lot as soon as we got to our area. Motra L, my comp, was here about a year ago and now is returning here, so she is getting to know the people.

The people here are just amazing! I just love them! Everything about this place is without a doubt amazing to me. The culture and history and the backgrounds of the people are just so fascinating. :)

What is the most interesting thing that you have learned about yourself this week?
That I can endure. This week was hard in some ways. The language is still at times where I think, "Come on Rach, were you not at the Mission Training Center for two months learning Albanian? You should know this!" Ha, but alas, I realized that I am not perfect and I never will be... :) Well, at least not in this life. But that is the whole reason why we are here. To gain experience. :) I just learned about the Atonement this week and how it truly fits in each of our lives. It truly is the key to returning to our Heavenly Father. Because Jesus Christ was selfless and died for us, along with atoning for our sins, we now can come home when everything we needed to do here is finished.

I really tried to connect that with myself with week and that is a role in being a missionary for him. I realized that I represent him for this next year and a half by being selfless towards all that we come in contact with. :)

Something I learned in the MTC before I left was that as missionaries we a portal to shine His love and LIGHT to those we meet on the streets or in their homes or wherever it may be. They recognize it and begin to have a seed planted within them. I saw this this past week when we talked with a few while street contacting. :)

What is the most interesting thing that you have learned about Albania this week?
Well, there are a lot of culture differences here that in America you would not see. But one is that people when you visit them at their home by appointment or just a surprised visit for them, they always give you a treat. Like a drink or a candy are just some of the examples that are smaller. :)

What have you learned about your companion this week?
That she is just AMAZING! I saw the rich blessing of having Motra L as my trainer. I always feel open to asking her questions and don't feel judged if I don't get something. She is so patient. Something I really admire about her is that she loves people with all her heart and when she talks and is in the middle of a lesson, she honestly transforms. It is an amazing sight that I can't even explain. :)

What was the most important thing that happened this week?
That prayer is an aid for the spirit to enter a home or whatever setting it may be. I experienced that this week. We visited an inactive lady. She is elderly and lives with her parents. A long story short, one of the things that happened was when we first walked into the home, there was an odd feeling to the place but subtle enough you wouldn't really notice it. We talked with them for a bit, her mother, who is not a member, and the inactive. When we asked if we could give a quick message to them. They said sure and we then asked if we could start with a prayer. They consented and I said I would say it. As I began, I didn't truly notice a difference, but as I got near to the close of the prayer, I began to feel a peace that was more prominent but still subtle. The inactive looked at me and told me that all the evil spirits left the room for the first time in a long time. My heart was filled with a love that I could not truly comprehend.

I love this gospel with all my heart. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. He loves and knows us each personally and what we are going through. Something I also got to do this weekend was see the General Women's Broadcast. In English! The elderly couple in our ward, the S's, they had it set up so I took the opportunity. I am so glad I did. The spirit was so strong. It was like being enveloped in a blanket. We also got to the watch the Sunday Morning Session of General Conference. That was also amazing! I love you all and hope things went well this week!

You are in my prayers. :)

Motra Bezas