There and Back Again - An Albanian Tale: 24th pday email from Albania

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