40th pday email in Albania!

Ckemi Family and Friends,

This week, Wow, it was one of stretching and lifting and rising to new challenges and facing fears and simply pushing forward with Faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that I was called here at this time to Serve here with Sister H. I know that the struggles we are seeing in our investigators and the people we come in contact with on the road, I know that we were preordained to help these precious children of God to help them up from the dark ashes of the world.

So On Monday after we had finished our Preparation Day we got a call from one of our investigators that she wanted us to come over right then. We then booked it over and the way she talked on the phone it sounded as if she was dropping hints that she was not wanting to meet with us anymore. My heart sank as we were going over and I just pleaded that the spirit could be with us as we taught with her.

Once we got there she brought us in and I just remembered that I was really on edge in worry for her. With time she told us that she has started to take Anti Depressants of cigarettes and coffee. As she went on she finally sighed and said that she knew she could not get baptized until she stops taking them to follow the word of wisdom and was sounding on the verge of just giving up.

I remember we began to just testifying that she mattered to her Lord and Savior and that what she was going through, we were going to work through, together. We testified that as she worked with us to help get through this time in her life, she would be able to conquer this with God and she would never be alone.

I then felt an impression of a memory that my mother did when I was going to school back home. We would all be leaving in the morning really early and so she would always read a scripture and do a morning family prayer every morning before we left to start the day right. Sister H and I both felt that she just needed the spirit constantly in her life and so with this impression I felt to then share with her this experience with her and then asked if this was something that she would like us to do for her. By calling her on the phone before she goes to work at 5:30 and share a scripture and start the day with a prayer together. She said she would really love that. Another thing that we felt impressed to ask her was if she wanted a Priesthood Blessing for health and comfort for the trials she was facing. She said she would like that as well. Through the lesson she also wanted us to end the day together with a closing prayer. It was such a cute thing we couldn't help but smile.

I testify that The spirit has been stronger with her as have met with her. We have seen the Lord bless us as we sacrifice each morning to get up for a few minutes to give a spiritual start. But I know that the blessings already coming forth in her and our lives.

An amazing experience we had this week in street contacting as a group was with this family that was visiting from Brooklyn from America. The parents were both from Albania but not live in America. Their daughter that was 17 was born in America in the New York life. The cool experience I saw with this family was Elder W speaking with the Father and I began talking separately to the Mother and her daughter.

At first I could tell right away the daughter was not at all interested in talking with the missionaries, but I saw with time that I followed the spirit, I began to ask her questions that opened her up and I felt for a moment that the Love of God and appreciation and worth was working through me to touch her heart that was broken. To feel that she MATTERED! I could see the love her mom had for her but didn't know how to express it fully to her daughter that her daughter didn't reject.

I felt that this moment was a moment of seed planting for them so when the missionaries come into their lives again, they will be willing to listen to them again just a little bit longer and with time have their hearts gain a desire and conversion for their Lord and Savior.

Something that Sister H has given a challenge and activity every time something doesn't go through is to give a certain amount of English Course Flyers and Pass Along Cards for others. Something that we changed up about this activity was to give a one sentence of a testimony as we gave them the pass along card.

The last experiences I wanted to share start with Zone Training!

MY GOODNESS! THE SPIRIT WAS JUST FANTASTIC!!

There was so many things I learned that I don't want to go on forever but the biggest things I learned is that we are here to bring others to Christ, that could also be the members that are active, recent converts to the church, or even less actives. Another I learned was more of the confirmation of the new Goal for every transfer of having 4 conversions for each companionship. This could count people that have already have come into the fold and need an extra boost to gaining their long lasting conversion. The emphasis of going out and doing serve and doing all we can to study and to develop Charity in our lives.

The second last experience I wanted to share was connected with finding the four conversions everyday was with a sweet less active member. The more interesting part was she contacted us to know if we could do a lesson. As we met her, the spirit guided the lesson completely and with time, she expressed her deepest desires of how she wants to serve a full time mission but felt she didn't know enough to go. We testified to her that not a single missionary knows everything and that as we teach and testify our testimonies grow bigger as we serve and love others. We then asked her if that she would like that we could meet once a week and work through Preach My Gospel together to help prepare for the day to go on a mission when the Lord needs her to go. She was so thrilled that we offered and accepted willingly.

This whole week the Lord has blessed us with getting in contact with Less Actives in the ward here. Whether it be on the road or on the phone or at church, The Lord saw our efforts and desires and gave us the opportunities to accomplish our desires.

The last extraordinary experience that we had was coming home last night. As we walked home we had a challenge to talk with people and give out a certain number of pass along cards and testify. Well, the last two we stopped, we received an amazing experience with a daughter and a mother. We began talking about the English Course and as we began to talk with them, they also began to be interested in the lessons we had. We then made an appointment to meet with this week. They were just so golden by the tender kindness that had. I know that the Lord blessed us by putting them in to paths because of our efforts this week.

I know that the Lord is aware of us and desires to receive all that he has for us. He just waits for us to come unto him. And how we do that is by becoming like him along the way with Charity and by doing it till the very end.

Remember Charity starts with a single step.

Love, Motra Bezas

Several of the sisters having lunch after a district training