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!