Perëndia Jeton (Guess what.... GOD LIVES!) :) - 20th pday email from Albania

Dear Everyone,

This week was a week of seeing promised blessings for Sister C and I. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. :) First, Halfway Training was such a Spirit filled event. I learned so much. I am honestly so grateful for this opportunity to train a new sister missionary. I have learned so much along side Sister C. She is such a GIFT to this mission. I am so privileged that I get to see her grow. God has saved her now at this time for these people for a purpose. She is a tool in the Lord's hands.

Something that I learned while we were at Halfway Training was the question of, "Do we use prayer enough?" I took this question to heart and pondered on it. I realized that every category there is always room for improvement and so I personally committed to pray even more for even the smallest of things. I know that as I do this, I will become even closer to my Heavenly Father and be more in tune to the spirit. I receive more and more witnesses that the Spirit is the TRUE teacher.

We are just the tools to testify so that the Spirit can come in right away and teach what we have taught is true. This week I've noticed that as I have this mind set in lessons, the lessons are the lessons that they needed at that moment. Teach people NOT lessons. I find this principle to be so true. I am so grateful for this. I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity to bring others to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and see how the gospel changes their life.

As we do this, our testimony grows along side with their's and gain a further witness. That is what Endure to the End is all about. We are always progressing and gaining a deeper depth to our testimonies and relying on the Savior more fervently.

Something amazing that happen this week that I just really wanted to share was there was one night we kept having lessons not work out and so we kept trying to go by the spirit as to who we should visit. Because Sister C and I have agreed after having many experiences that when something doesn't go through as planned, the Lord needs us elsewhere.

"And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;" (Doctrine and Covenants 29:7)

I testify that I know of this scripture to be of so much truth. Sister C shared this scripture during a Companion Study we had that she had read. Well, an example of this was Friday night. Like I was saying before, things kept not going through and so we would follow the spirit as to who we should visit and then followed the prompting. After 5 or 6 times, we then realized that the Lord needed us to go street contacting, well as we were about 2 minutes away from the place we felt to go, we received a call from one of our investigators.

We began to talk with her and how her life right now how her life is just going up in smoke. We asked her if she had been reading her scriptures lately? She said that she hadn't and didn't know why that it is always so hard to just pick up the book and read it. She says she can't figure out why it is so hard. Sister C and I looked straight at each other and mouthed the word SATAN.

This was not the first time we had heard one of our investigators say this. Satan knows the power of the Book of Mormon and does everything he can to get us to not pick up the word of God translated by a prophet called of God to give to the people of the world to use as a guide to live their lives and to find that pure joy and pure love of Christ in their life.

Well, we then felt impressed that we should teach her lesson right then and there on the phone. We asked if we could and she said alright. We then asked her if she could say the opening prayer. She at first didn't want to, but the spirit worked on her and she finally agreed. (Satan was really working on her that night).

Well as she prayed, the spirit came into the area where we were at and there was no denying that this is why every other lesson went through, because the Spirit knew where we needed to be. To teach her at that moment in a parking lot. As we taught, we followed the commitment we were given at the Halfway Training of Teaching, Testifying, Testifying, Teaching. As we did this, the spirit guided us throughout that whole lesson.

I have grown a personal love for the spirit to guide the lesson than ever before. Not like the spirit wasn't there before in lessons. I just have now seen the difference when the lesson is fully relying on the Spirit. I see a HUGE difference now when the spirit is teaching the lesson and how lesson goes in a completely different direction of where these people need to go.

So you must be asking, "What is the latest update with one of our other investigators?" Well no need to wait any longer. :) SHE IS GROWING SO QUICKLY AND IS PROGRESSING! We taught her about the three main commandments you need to live before and after baptism. Prayer, Scripture Study, and Going to Church. As we taught this lesson, the spirit. MAN! It was there. You could tell by how she was willing to follow the commitments we gave her. She is on her way to following the Savior's example by being baptized. We then had a follow up lesson two days later and she was doing so good with them and we even asked if she was planning on going to church this Sunday. She said she would. LIFE MADE. Coming to church was something that was hard for her to understand at the beginning but now understands that the Sacrament is of importance to take every Sunday.

A cool experience we had about Sacrament we had with her about that was she said her first time she went to church with us awhile back, she said as she took the Sacrament, she said that she FELT the importance of it she just didn't fully understand why. HOW COOL IS THAT. She has been prepared all her life and with moments like this to come into Christ's Church.

Well, this Sunday... SHE CAME TO CHURCH! It was the best feeling ever! :) I am so happy for her! Another example of her willingness to change was we were about to pray and asked her to pray. She agreed and then we asked if we could do a kneeling prayer (which btw are the BEST kinds) and she at first was surprised but agreed and told us she never had done one before. Her heart is so open to growth. It is so inspiring to sister C and I.

Something I learned more this week is that as missionaries we only have so much time and that as we teach we need to be straightforward as we teach that we are disciples of Jesus Christ sharing that Christ's full church has been restored back onto the earth! What an exciting time we are living in!

I am so grateful of all the knowledge I receive hear from people we talk with on the road or lessons we teach to learning from other missionaries. For Example, Sister C (a different Sister C) and I were on a split for a big street contacting activity. SHE IS A GIFT TO THIS MISSION. I learned SO much from her in 4 hours. I know that examples are set so that way we can set a model and foundation of who we can become.

I think the biggest thing this week that Sister C and I learned is that we have a motto: THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS COINCIDENCES!

We have seen this in EVERYTHING in our lives recently.

I know that God LIVES. He KNOWS us each individually. We are HIS. I know that we gain this knowledge for ourselves as we study the scriptures, pray to him, and going to church and partaking of the precious sacrament and remember of the wonderful covenants we have made through baptism. I love my Savior and for the Atonement. Because of Him, I can become better. I can start again every single day.

I just want to testify that as you do all that you can to live the Gospel Of Jesus Christ, you will find the joy that cannot be found anywhere else. And as you do this, look for opportunities to share that joy that you have felt. Of the Love of God.

"And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." (1 Nephi 8:12).

As you do this, the Lord will bring those to mind that you know of who is ready NOW to come unto Christ and to come into the waters of baptism. As you do this you will find a greater joy that will come into your life.

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

"And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16).

I love this Gospel and the opportunity and privilege I have to serve alongside my Savior in Albania.

I love you ALL, but know if nothing else, your Heavenly Father LOVES you and will always will.

Motra Bezas

The whole reason for a mission...

to help others realize Jesus stands ready to help them have 

faith and hope in an ever-darkening world. 

Motra Bezas's Albanian Bible

Motra C is reunited during a training with her MTC companion, Motra R!

These are wonderful young ladies! 

New pass-along cards that teach about the Savior's amazing grace and gift of redemption

The Valentine's card made by Motra Bezas's awesome companion

The sweet messages Motra Bezas gave as a "wall" Valentine's card 

for her missionary companion

Albanian candies traditionally given when a visitor comes to the house

Some of the missionaries in Motra Bezas's district on a pday playing a friendly game of 

dominoes in the park with friendly Albanians

On the same pday, having a picnic in the park with the district missionaries. Pday's are their "rest" days; the other six days of the week they spend teaching about the Savior.