51st Pday Email from Albania!

Dear Loved Ones,

The Lord is one of great mercy and great love for each of us and is always wanting to give us the chance to become even better than we are now, over and over again. I am so blessed that the Lord has given me the opportunity again this week to become like him more as I serve in his vineyard and among his children. 

An experience with this was found at Sister's Conference this week. I LOVED IT SO MUCH! I testify that I knew that each of those trainings that were done were from our loving Heavenly Father and each testimony that we heard from each of the wonderful sisters that are serving here in the Adriatic South, have come from experiences from their Lord and Savior to help them become even better than they were before.

The light of Christ was a huge piece to what stuck out to me and how we can bring it in to our lives and especially as missionaries for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by bearing witness and testifying of the simple truths that you know without a doubt to be true.

Another thing was looking for all the blessings in our lives and especially the flecks of gold that seem at a glance not much, like one girl said - just a simple smile someone gave you adds up to be a lot more than something small. I love the commitment that the Sister Training leaders from Tirana gave to write down the flecks of Gold each day. As I have been doing this right away, I have honestly seen how the Lord works by the small and simple things, because that is how big things are brought to pass. Our Father in Heaven is a God of great patience as things are brought to pass.

Two things that I loved that were said by a sister going home were, "It doesn't matter how much you bring someone closer to Christ,as long as you are shining your light.."

"If you want to know if you have had a successful mission, look at the MTC and see how your relationship was with your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ to now and you can know that you have had success..."

Also, "If you are loyal to the Lord, nothing can go wrong. There is nothing you and the Savior can't do together..."

I know that as surely as the Lord lives, he has been through what we go through everyday. Therefore, we need to know that he knows us best and what we need to do to have a happy life that will last through this life and the life to come. Like Sister Z said, "... When we focus on time, we freak out because we are not used to that. We are used to eternity."

I know that every step we take, he is there. We are here to take these steps we face every single day to know that God is our Father in Heaven. "... be still and know that I am God..." (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16). Once we understand that, we can begin to comprehend how much we matter to him.

I know that as I have been serving here in this particular area, I have seen I was placed here for the past 6 months to touch the lives as Christ needed me to do.

I know that we can receive all that God has in store as we come unto him and learn of him. That is a goal I am wanting and am planning on doing this coming new transfer. To get to know my Savior better.

I know it can be the same for you. LOVE YOU ALL!

Motra Bezas

So many wonderful people Motra Bezas adores in Albania!

A scenic picture

Picture from the sisters' conference

50th Pday Email from Albania!

CKEMI!

This week I learned more about how the Lord is watching over us. He is really aware of us at all times, in all things, and in all places. As we live here in this life, it is up to us every single day if we are going to accept him. It is a choice every single moment in our day everyday. What a glorious opportunity it is to come unto Christ and the blessings that come. The moment we take a step towards the Savior, the moment blessings begin to pour forth and our Father in Heaven is then able to come and be able to fully reach out and help us.

This Sunday, Sister L gave a talk in sacrament meeting. It was all about prayer. Something I loved that she said was, "When we pray we are communicating with all three parts of the God Head. We are talking with our Father in Heaven, we have the mind of Jesus Christ when we pray, and We receive answers through the Holy Ghost."

It gave me a different perspective of praying and how it is a sacred privilege when we pray.

A miracle I saw this week came from one of our investigators. She has been investigating the church for about a year now because her mom won't let her get baptized until she is 18. Her birthday is this coming March in 2016, but the miracle that happened this last week was that she told us she was going to speak with her mother about getting baptized early. On Sunday she came up to us and requested of us to come to her home and speak with her mother about baptism and have her sign for permission. This is such a miracle!!! The fact she is willing to meet with us, that is just an amazing step towards her Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that the Lord really does love us and desires our eternal happiness. He wants nothing but the best for us. That is why he has given us all that he has and has even more than we can comprehend. Our God is a God of Love. And He desires for us to come unto him. By taking the simple first steps, taking us by the hand, he walks with us the moment we take that first step towards him.

I know God lives! He is there! It is just according to us if we will turn to him. But the moment we do, we will never regret it!

Know you matter!!!

Motra Bezas

49th Pday Email from Albania!

Dear Loved Ones,

This week the small and simple things really brought to pass miraculous events in our lives this week. 

I know that the Lord really is the small details of our lives. He is the literally foundation that keeps us together. In someways I think of it as a piece of fabric. When you see it from a distance you see the pattern and the big picture. But when you examine it up close, you see all the threads that linked to one another to make the pattern.

I know that the Lord has a given us plan and that we each are a thread to complete the pattern and the greater picture of why we are here, who we are, and where we are going. We can, through the gospel, gain this deeper understanding (or in this case gain a deeper understanding by looking up close seeing each individual thread) that we each first of all matter to him, that through his son Jesus Christ we can become cleaned and healed from things we do wrong, and that the Gospel is the key to be able to follow God's plan. 

The Lord has given us this wonderful opportunity to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ with us every single day so that we can follow hHis steps and gain the eternal happiness that doesn't just last in the moment, but forever.

We saw that this week with one of our investigators. She has been having a hard time praying in our lessons, when one day we saw how the gospel has been working in her life. This last week we went to teach her and she even volunteered to say the opening prayer. THAT WAS A MOMENT THAT SISTER J AND I REJOICED BY HOW THE LORD TRULY TOUCHED HER LIFE AND OURS.

Once we have that faith in Christ doesn't mean we have perfect faith in him, but when we have a great desire to follow him and trust him, we actually go forth and take the first step. Every day is this way. "Do I have Faith in my Savior, who has suffered and died for me?" If so, you then take that step every day to go out the door and live how the Lord would have you live. From there we then gain a witness by the blessings that come forth everyday when we have faith in him, that we can repent and be able to be worthy of his spirit that we have received through going into the waters of Baptism and making that promise with God that we will follow his commandments and to endure to the end.

So this weekend was Stake Conference. This is the 4th Conference we have had here in this new stake in Albania. THAT IS JUST AMAZING TO ME!! What a great work the Lord has for the people here. I just loved seeing all the members that is in the Lord's vineyard here. I literally felt as I was looking out at the audience that I was looking out at His garden of precious seeds.

As we invited others to the Conference, we stopped by lots of the ward handing out flyers and ended up getting into many homes that we have not been able to get into during this summer time period. The Lord literally blessed us so much this week. With every lesson that canceled, another one was replaced by it. The Lord was literally in our day. It was just amazing!!!!!!

I know that we are not perfect. Not in the slightest. But that is why we are here. To gain a witness for ourselves that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that HE LIVES. He suffered for our faults and shortcomings so we can repent through his Atonement and come to know him. We only really can learn of him if we are doing all we can to repent everyday for the mistakes we make.

I know that our Savior desires so greatly to know each of us on a deeper level everyday. It is up to us to study his words everyday in the scriptures, keeping the commandments, coming to church, and studying of him and who he was when we was on the earth and is today and what his purpose is.

He is just waiting for us every single day to simply come unto him.

WAITING FOR ME

By Julie Yardley

Here I am again

Seems like I'm standing still

Knowing that it's finally time to start

There have been some things

Keeping me from moving forward

I can feel them holding back my heart

So I will face my fears

I'll give up my pride

The choice is mine, that's how it needs to be

Trusting in Your love

I feel a change inside, and I can see

You were just waiting for me

You've helped me believe

That I can move this mountain

That I can reach the other side

This is what I want

And the road, it won't be easy

But with you there, I know it's worth the price

So I will face my fears

I'll give up my pride

The choice is mine, that's how it needs to be

Trusting in Your love

I feel a change inside, and I can see

You were just waiting for me

You never gave up, you've always been there

Patiently waiting for me

So I will face my fears

I'll give up my pride

The choice is mine, that's how it needs to be

Trusting in Your love

I feel a change inside, and I can see

You were just waiting for me 

I know that the Lord loves us. He truly does. He died for us because of the great love he has for us.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

I testify that he is our Savior, brother, and friend. And that he is just waiting with open arms to deliver us from our sorrows. BECAUSE WE MATTER TO HIM!!

Know that you guys are amazing!

Love, Motra Bezas