Dear Loved Ones,
My thoughts cannot fully wrap around all that I have learned
this week. So I will write about the highlights of this week.
So much happened this week that has helped me learn and go
SO MUCH! It astonishes me of how much the Savior loves me that he gives me
these moments and knowledge to become like him and realize the greatness of
this gospel and what lays in store for each of us. As we rely on the Lord, we
gain that knowledge little by Little as we strive everyday to become better.
One thing I gained this week with knowledge was on my
exchange with Sister B. First off, she is one of the elect. Her testimony
was so inspiration. Second, as she teaches, the spirit just pours into the
room. Completely developing it. She literally is needed at this time. Third,
her passion made me want to gain a even DEEPER passion for this work and this
gospel as we teach others. Forth, Her caring and nurturing nature for others.
Sister B is a representative of the Savior and her full time mission in
England is going to be transforming. The foundation is going to start again and
she is going to change lives for eternity.
With our exchange, I gained a deeper understanding that as
missionaries we really do play a part to this work. We just need to ask
ourselves how big of an impact are we going to make. It really is up to us. God
knows of our great potential for this work and all that we can do. Something
that one of the leaders in our Branch Presidency in the Missionary Training
Center that I loved fits with this so much: "Are You Going To Leave A Legacy Behind?"
This week something else I have gained in knowledge is from
two girls this we taught this week. We had started with them this last week and one of the girls told a story
from her life in the get to know you section of the class. I felt my heart ache
for her. I saw how the world had really taken a toll on these two girls and
Satan had sunk his teeth into them. Later on in the class the same girl said
she had a dream to become a teacher but I saw in her eyes she didn't have faith
and confidence in her dream. I remember looking straight into her eyes and told
her, "That is an amazing dream. I know that you can do that. You have the
power to make that happen." (I felt like you, Mom, when you teach Especially
For Youth) :) The next time we had class, we could already see the difference that they have had the Light of Christ come into their
life just a little bit. Even if it were just that one spiritual thought we
shared the first time, you can see how it changes people over a short amount of
time. But I think that the Light of Christ had not just come into their lives
right then. I think the hand of the Lord is always in each of our lives. Even
if we don't realize it or don't see it, He's there. Sometimes maybe we just recognize it more?
But with these two girls I thought of two songs that really
connected with these two:
The First one is, Even when you're broken - Julie Yardley:
You wanna hide
It's hard to speak
Fell weight of your foolish mistakes
You say you're fine
But your heart its weak
From the feeling you can't seem to shake
Open up
Let Him reach into your soul
Meet you where you are
And make you hope
Even when you're broken
He's gonna love you
So pour out what you're feeling inside
You can tell Him anything
Whatever you've done
Cause even when you're broken
You are loved
The ache is real
The words comes slow
That's you tracing the steps
Where He's/you've been
You start to heal
And freedom flows
There is peace in knowing
you can start again
I don't know why we hold the past
So tight
When hands of mercy
Offer us new life
Even when you're broken
He's gonna love you
So pour out what you're feeling inside
You can tell Him anything
Whatever you've done
Cause even when you're broken
You are loved
Sometimes it's hard to make a change
(It's never easy)
Sometimes you wrestle with the shame
(Over and over again)
Through it all His grace remains
Even when you're broken
He's gonna love you
So pour out all you're feeling inside
You can tell Him anything
Whatever you've done
Cause even when you're broken
You are loved
The Second one is, One by One by Hilary Weeks
When the night is clear enough I can see through Heavens
door.
Endless stars like endless sand upon the oceans floor.
Of all the human lives to plead, or ever that will be.
I stand amazed that Heaven knows me.
He hears one by one, loves one by one.
When this crowded world around you, doesn't know your name.
He knows us, one by one.
When he saw the hungry thousand, every person ate.
Comforted the aching the soul, and looked into each face.
And when he had a world to save, he had a world of time.
To stop and hold a little child.
He hears one by one, loves one by one.
When this crowded world around you, doesn't know your name.
He knows us one by one.
He notices it all, the sparrow when it falls,
the sheep within his fold,
every person breathed was born upon his soul,
one at a time he makes us whole.
He hears one by one, loves one by one.
When this crowded world around you doesn't know your name.
He knows us, one by one.
The way he loves you is one by one.
Something AWESOME that President has felt the impression
that we need to sacrifice this month by getting up a half hour earlier and
sacrifice a half hour of our two hours of lunch so we have an extra hour of
proselyting. The next day that we followed this new sacrifice, we were
SERIOUSLY BLESSED. We met with a potential investigator. We met with her and husband and taught the restoration. So many things
happened in this lesson I am going to have to just list them. One, the spirit
was in this lesson like CRAZY. Two, Their daughter Ana came home and she looked
at us and sat in on the lesson for a moment here and there but then interesting
part about this was I felt a deep impression that this was not the first time
we had met. [After this lesson during weekly planning, Sister C and I
were talking about this lesson and she shared an impression she felt during
that lesson that it was not the first time. I looked at her and we didn't say a
word. We didn't have to. The spirit filled the room right then to confirm our
thoughts that what we felt was true]. Third and most important, we committed
the woman and her husband to Baptism.... AND THEY SAID
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #lifemade They are now preparing
for the date of April 18 next month.
So switching gears to another piece of knowledge I learned
this week. We taught another woman, an AWESOME investigator (they are all awesome in
reality because they are God's children). We taught the Law of Chastity but
mostly talked about modesty. I noticed as we taught, the spirit was there and
that our tongues were loosed that we could be bold and confident in teaching
her in love that God loves her and has given her and each of us a body, and they
are precious. They are temples. And modesty is a way of giving back to him in
gratitude. Like tithing, we pay one tenth of what we receive back to God to
help build his church. It goes to show that as we dress with respect for our
bodies, we receive a confidence we can't get anywhere else and that there is a
special glow. If you have ever wanted to stand out in a miraculous way, dress modest
and you'll notice something different growing inside you. The spirit can dwell
with you when you dress modest and classy.
Another thing that I gained witness of this week was from our
District Meeting. President Weidmann came to ours this week. He spoke at the
very end and said something that really stuck with me. "People you teach,
they feel peace. There is something special. That's why they invite you back.
So use the power of testimony!" That really brought a deep witness that
the spirit is a gift from our Father in Heaven and is a TRUE teacher. The other
thing he taught was with a question. "Why do we have District
Meetings?" He waited a moment and asked another question. "What do we
breathe, eat, live for?" He paused a moment to have us think. "Our
Areas." He said that as a District, you can come together to help one
another to help your area grow even more in times of struggle and times with
success. He shared Moroni 6:4-5 relating this scripture to our District...
4 And after they had been received unto baptism, [after
visited by the missionaries] and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power
of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ;
and their names were taken [to the district], that they might be remembered
and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep
them continually watchful unto prayer [in the district], relying alone
upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
5 And the [district] did meet together oft, to
fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their
souls.
He filled those spots to emphasize how important the
district meeting is. It added to my testimony of how we are never alone. There
are so many to lift and bear you up!
The last thing I wanted to share was what I learned from
Elder Smith at his English Institute Class. It was about Putting First Things
First. We sang the song "We Are Sowing".
1. We are sowing, daily sowing
Countless seeds of good and ill,
Scattered on the level lowland,
Cast upon the windy hill;
Seeds that sink in rich, brown furrows,
Soft with heaven’s gracious rain;
Seeds that rest upon the surface
Of the dry, unyielding plain;
2. Seeds that fall amid the stillness
Of the lonely mountain glen;
Seeds cast out in crowded places,
Trodden under foot of men;
Seeds by idle hearts forgotten,
Flung at random on the air;
Seeds by faithful souls remembered,
Sown in tears and love and prayer;
3. Seeds that lie unchanged, unquickened,
Lifeless on the teeming mold;
Seeds that live and grow and flourish
When the sower’s hand is cold.
By a whisper sow we blessings;
By a breath we scatter strife.
In our words and thoughts and actions
Lie the seeds of death and life.
4. Thou who knowest all our weakness,
Leave us not to sow alone!
Bid thine angels guard the furrows
Where the precious grain is sown,
Till the fields are crown’d with glory,
Filled with mellow, ripened ears,
Filled with fruit of life eternal
From the seed we sowed in tears.
He then went into the question: WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?
The lesson was emphasizing on leadership but also for
everyone as well. He then had a few points listed. One, leaders place higher
priority on eternal like than on temporary things. Two, balance is important attribute of
church and family leaders. Three, leaders MUST learn to budget their life. He
then shared a principle that we should plan our lives with eternity in mind. The best part was when he shared the scripture in Like 2:52
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour
with God and man.
He then testified that these are characteristics of Christ we
should strive for. The coolest part about this moment was the spirit that came
in the room.
I love this Gospel for many reasons. One is that we can make
the choice of how much we want to grow and enhance our knowledge and wisdom and
become like our Father in Heaven. He is waiting for us. And as he is waiting
for us, he helps us along the way. Like in the song, "Lead Me, Guide Me,
Walk Beside Me, Help Me Find The Way..." That is something that I have
begun to understand on a deeper level...
HE IS ALWAYS WITH US! Really! As I serve here and work His
Vineyard, He knows and understands how I am doing and knows His Children there
and knows who are ready to hear His word and are ready to come unto Him and
follow in His ways. That is when we as missionaries need to do everything we
can to be worthy to receive His promptings from the Holy Ghost as to where to
go and what to do. He wants us to succeed... And we will when we rely on HIM!
I know that we are here to stand strong to what we believe
and we are here on the earth at this time to take part of this great work.
Thank you for all your examples in my life.
Motra Bezas
Some views of Albanian streets
Her watch broke this week.
One of the elders doing a handstand competition with an Albanian child. :)
Neither this elder nor Motra Bezas could participate in this week's rock climbing activity for pday (due to injuries).
Motra Bezas babysitting all the motras rings while the other sisters did rock-climbing.
One of the English class students gave cookies to her and and her companion .
Motra Bezas said these kind are very common.
Creating a quick dish on the Sabbath - pasta, corn, and pesto. :)
Modeling her companion's reading glasses for fun!
Went on splits and then enjoyed these homemade treats (byrek) at a family's home
