31st pday email from Albania!

Dear Precious Gems,

You are all amazing and I hope you know that Heavenly Father loves you so much and that as you go througout each day, He is there for you and understands you and all you go through.

I SERIOUSLY WANT TO EXPRESS RIGHT OFF OF HOW TRULY GRATEFUL I AM TO BE A MISSIONARY FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

The spirit I have felt this week has been unreal. I just don't even know where to even begin. I know that I have a purpose here and that is to bring others to Christ through Baptism. We are the guides to bring others to the gate of baptism and they hold the key (which is the promise and covenant they make) and start their new life in a world of PURE JOY!

I think of this through an analogy. While we were driving up to Tirana for Zone Conference I saw a highway sign and it said Fier was the next stop and a stop way along Tirana. I feel that is what life is like, a highway sign. We know of an event or two in our lives that are going to come down the road and other things WAY down the road but the little events in between (littler towns along the way) shape us and get us ready to get to that next big stop of our lives.

A spiritual feast that I had this week was the Zone Conference. Believe me when I say I was physically and spiritually drenched in the spirit and was all the way home to Vlore. Dripping all the way. It was so inspirational. I have gained huge insight of what I need to do to become a better missionary, which has been a desire of my heart as to how I can become a better teacher, better at showering love and service on others, and a better representative of the Lord.

The spirit was just throughout the whole conference and I seriously can't even express the knowledge and wisdom I learned, for example with Elder Cani's conversion story while He and His family were living in Greece before they came back to Albania when he was a kid. I know that he was saved for this time to serve a mission for the people of Albania. It is just such a great witness that we each seriously play a serious role that NO OTHER PERSON can do. That is why we CAN NOT even compare to each other.

I learned a deeper understanding of how talking with everyone is a huge success even if they do not accept the Gospel then. It is okay. The Lord knows the progression of His vineyard and how long it takes some fruits to ripen and be prime to accept the Gospel. So when it comes to talking with people even more than ever on buses and on the street it is so crucial. Because even if they do not take part of the Gospel right then they need that to water the seed that is planted in their heart. (I imagine us as missionaries having big tubs of water, which is the gospel, and people on the street have a seed in a small potted plant. Are we going to be selfish and not share the thing that blesses our lives right now that one day they could have? No, we are going to water their seed! No matter where they are in their progression).

The commitments of being more bold about opening our mouths to proclaim the gospel has given Sister O and me a challenge and we can honestly say that we have seen MANY blessing come into our lives and not to mention 4 new investigators and another we received in church from a member. We are just overwhelmed with the Love the Lord has for His children. It is now up to us to do His will and share the water we come to share for those that need it.

We had an amazing experience actually even today during our Pday. We were heading out to this food place by the beach and were at a bus stop when we kept making eye contact with this lady, who was college age. Well, after a moment before we could go to her, she came up to us and asked if we saw the bus coming. We began to talk and got to know this daughter of God. As we got on the bus, we continued the conversation. She was in her second her of studying to be a lawyer at the university. In the end she asked for our number so we could continue our conversation. She didn't seem super interested in the gospel as others we had talked to but didn't turn us down.Well, I can say right now the Lord was in this conversation, because she so wrapped up in our conversation and missed her stop. Second thing that happen was she forgot her sack of food she bought from the store on the bus. After she left we saw it and grabbed it as we got off. We got her number already and gave her a call. We finally met up again and met two of her roomates. I knew that this didn't happen by accident. I think the Lord was using us as tools to do Christlike Service to soften her heart for the day that we will met again. The Lord knows this girl.

The thing I expanded a deeper understanding on this week was on the Atonement. About how specifically how He suffered for each of us one by one in the Garden. He searches one by one, and we need to pray for the one that God needs us to find that day. I know that even if this girl does not move forward right now, it okay, because she felt the Lord come into her life and she will remember this day for the rest of her life. That someone gave service to her and asked nothing in return.

I love this Gospel. I know that I am not perfect and that I am not the teacher and testifier of the truth that I want to be, but I know that through Christ and His atonement, all can become to people that He knows we can become. I know that as we come to understand the Atonement more in our lives and how it relates to us personally, the more meaningful and overwhelming love will we feel in our lives.

God lives and because He lives, we know that we can become like Him THROUGH CHRIST.

Until next week, remember you are loved and you MATTER!

Love, Motra bezas

During their prep-day (the day they do their wash and go visit sites)...

this is Gjirokastër Castle