34th pday email from Albania!

Dear Precious Children of God,

This week was a week full of growth and finding out what I am really made of. I have felt the Love God has for me so strongly this week along with feeling the love for all His children and how each one of them are precious gems that have specific roles to play in this life. I know that the Lord has blessed me with the eyes to see all of this during our week.

First story of the week, we moved houses this week. Believe me when I say that even through this long task - that was very time consuming - it showed how there are so many others out there that are willing to help. The Elders and Senior Couple helped move our things from our old house to the new house. I just learned so much about Christlike service that brought such great love this week for me. 

An amazing experience I had was with one of our sweet investigators. I have mentioned her before. This week her cousin who had been taking the lessons from the elders got baptized this week. Well, we invited her family to it and they were just amazed he was getting baptized into the Church. 

In the end her dad, her little brother, and she came, but missed the baptismal service. They came just in time to see the testimonies afterward, but even though they missed the most important part of the whole thing, it caused her dad to ask us the question, "So when is my daughter getting baptized?" It caused us to smile really big and say, "We will discuss it tonight when we come over with the whole family." And she got super excited to hear that. :)

Working with her and her family daily, the more I grow to learn that this family is so PRECIOUS to their Father in Heaven. THEY MATTER SO GREATLY TO HIM!!!! 

With another example like this, another woman had her baptism this week. It was amazing and seriously the whole day Sister O and I just kept asking, "She's baptized.... WAIT, WHAT?" :) She talks about how her Dad is reading the Book of Mormon and says that he has been acting "weird' according to her because he now says I love you on the phone and is super kind to her now. She even told us a story yesterday in the morning before church on the phone, 

"My dad called me and it was just SOOOO weird," 

We asked her, "In what way?"

"He called me and asked me after a moment, 'So... how are your friends (meaning us, the sister missionaries)?' I said, they are good. He then said, 'So... you're going, huh (meaning, going to church to get the Holy Ghost)?' I paused, expecting him tell me I could not go or yell at me but in the end all he said was, 'Ok, have a good day.'"

There was silence for a moment on the phone. I remember Sister O and I looked at each other in confusion. "So, what's the problem? Can you not come?"

She then sighs and says, "No, I can come! But he was just acting so weird." 

We chuckled and said, "He is not acting weird. Do you see the Book of Mormon is changing him?" 

I remember Sister O grabbed the phone that was on speaker and said, "You know your dad loves you right? He really does care for you. That's why he acts the way he does. Especially now. He sees how happy you are becoming through the Gospel."

It was just a sweet testimony builder for me to see that the Gospel changes lives. When we come unto Christ, we have to be on the right path and that path changes us as we go step by step.

For her confirmation after the baptism, it was such a sweet spirit that was there. She is meant to be part of this church! Something that really hit me when we were sitting with her after she had received the Holy Ghost, I thought to myself, "Wow, I am SO blessed to be here with these people that God has so graciously trusted to me and my companion. The impression then came, "Imagine then all the ones that have not been found yet..." 

It gave me an extra drive to finding those that are the elect. I know they are here. I have felt it more and more while being here. Like we strive to be in-tune with the spirit, it is sort of the same with being in-tune to those that have the light with in them.

A spiritual experience I had this week came from the morning text saying Elder L. Tom Perry had died. I was honestly so shocked for a second, but the spirit that came after that was so overpowering I almost had to sit down on the kitchen chair. As I discussed with Sister O of his death, the spirit bore witness so strongly, "This is something that was part of God's plan that was organized before the world was."

It just gave a huge witness that one day The Savior will come and that God is preparing us for that day. It is up to us to decide if we want to follow the Savior or follow the Liar who does all he can to tear us and rip us to shreds. It sounds dramatic, but there is nothing but the truth. We know right off the desires of Christ and the desires of Satan. One lifts us up with light and love and truths, the other claws and drags us down with darkness and hatred for a person's self and he lies.

I know this to be true more this week. Satan came into my life really strongly this week. For some reason though, I wasn't stopping him from tell me these lies about myself. Well, by the end of the week, I remember I was sitting at the kitchen table just feeling so low and Sister Olsen went to go lay down because she felt super sick. I was feeling that I seriously couldn't go on feeling this way. 

At that moment I began to cry and was praying in my heart. I don't remember exactly what I said, but the spirit of Love enveloped me and was as if someone was there in the room for me. Not really saying a word. But a feeling of understanding was there and that I was not alone and that I was needed and that I matter and the work I am doing here is changing lives and that I was helping bringing souls to Christ. What greater work is there then bring others to the wonderful gift I have received in life and my family's life? 

The joy that the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is, is something that is irreplaceable and cannot be found elsewhere.

I am so grateful my Savior and all that He has suffered for me. I know that He loves each and everyone of us and understands every single moment we face in our lives, the good and the difficult. Just open that door and let Him in. I testify and can promise, He will be there the moment a person does so. I know that He lives and that the Love He has is greater than anything we even fully comprehend. This life is the time to get to know Him and rely fully on Him. 

Sure, putting full trust in someone right off the bat is almost impossible, but Christ knows this and is patiently waiting for us. Smiling and stretching forth His hands to be a steady course in our lives. A desire I have craved for recently is an even deeper relationship with my Savior. He has done so much for me, I want to have the same capacity of Love for Him that He has for me. I know that this is possible through time and giving service to Him, by becoming like him through the commitment of striving for Christlike Attributes.

A Song I found this week that added to my experience was Hymn #96, Dearest Children, God is Near You and especially when it says, 

"Dearest children, God is near you,

Watching o’er you day and night,

And delights to own and bless you,

If you strive to do what’s right.

He will bless you, He will bless you,

If you put your trust in him."

I know that as we live here during this time, He wants to help us with all that we face because as we have been invited to face them, he knows how to help us. We just need to let Him in everyday and He will bless us as we put our trust in Him.

Know this the Lord is ALWAYS waiting for us. Why? BECAUSE YOU MATTER!

Motra Bezas

 

(From her mom:

 No pictures this week because she ran out of room on her camera card. Sigh.)