Winston Churchill once said that we receive our inspiration from the mountains and receive our maturity from the valleys of life.
I find this quote very enlightening when examined through Book of Mormon lenses J
Lehi had a couple sons – we all know them pretty well. We know that a couple were pretty righteous, and couple liked to complain. A lot. We also know that Nephi often retired to the mountains to commune with the Lord. Meanwhile, we learn that Lehi named a “valley” after Lemuel, one of his disobedient sons. I have come to feel in my own life and in my own heart that the Book of Mormon is replete with stories written specifically for us. Just like Churchill teaches us to be inspired from on high; so taught Nephi many many years ago.
This week I had my first 24 hour exchange! Sister Graham (from the Czech Republic) came here to trencin. We had quite the varied day. We taught one of our investigators, we studied and shared our testimonies together, we taught free English, went contacting, did a singing display, and uplifted one another. I was very impressed by her. She is a great missionary. It was interesting to speak Czech and Slovak together especially on the street J People don’t quite understand why we’re speaking 2 different languages haha. That’s okay J Spirit is the same everywhere.
I learned the importance of being open and sharing spiritual experiences. We drove for a long time in the car to return to Uherske Hradiste and pick up sister Krauel. I was blessed to see that my opinion mattered to her (since she is one of our sister trainer leaders) and that she had a great understanding of who Jesus Christ is for her personally.
So the exchange was great. Also working on our concert again with Zilina! We are working on a plan spasy concert for next week! It’s coming along.
The highlight of this week was branch conference on Sunday. Wow. I wish I WISH wish wish wish wish wish you could all have been there. It was an amazing experience. The spirit was SO strong. I was so filled. I KNOW that God is SO real and that the Spirit speaks to us RIGHT to our hearts J!
First, we had interviews with Prezident McConkie. Those interviews are sacred. Mission president interviews are so special.
Cataloging ---- president spoke to me about how I know how the spirit speaks to me and I recognize his promptings. Then he spoke to me about how missionaries, they get so focused on learning the foreign language, they forget they have to do the same thing with the language of the spirit. Just like you write down new words in your word books, and apply grammar principles, so much you do with spiritual promptings and experiences. You have to go back into your life, catalog the times you have KNOWN you felt the spirit and reflect “okay, what was it that I felt?” learn how the spirit speaks to you. You can only do this by study and by faith. He said, Sister Kane you have done this. What? I thought. I haven’t cataloged and analyzed my experiences. Then I realized, I have kept a journal since I was 12. All this time I have been doing that. Catalogging. And I didn’t even know it. I want to do this more.
Then we went in and branch conference started! The spirit was bursting from the beginning. Prezident Vaclav spoke first. He talked about turning our weaknesses into strengths. In Slovak there is this beautiful phrase about things being like poison first and turning into honey, where some things taste like honey at first but become poison. In English we talk about the bitter and the sweet J I truly know that God can turn our weaknesses into strengths if only we let Him J His hand is in our lives SO much.
Then Prezident Tichon spoke about missionary work. It was in Czech so I didn’t quite understand all of it but I personally appreciated his testimony of how the gospel has blessed His life. I felt the spirit VERY strongly in my heart.
Then, us and the few women in our branch sang “on bol v pokore narodeny”(jesus once of humble birth) The spirit was more and more amplified.
Then sister McConkie stood up. She spoke of how she was a missionary in argentina. How, one day, she was playing that same hymn on the keyboard in a little branch just like ours, and how she reflected about Christ. She had been in my shoes. EXACTLY where I was. She spoke of the testimony she received of the spirit she felt. I wish I had recorded her words. But I am forever grateful I instead chose to listen. 2-3 weeks prior, sister Vaclavova had asked us what hymn we should sing. I suggested that one. No one really wanted to sing it because it was a sacrament hymn; but I thought “no, it needs to be this one”. Now I know why. The members of the Branch needed to hear her testimony and that song, through the spirit, “brought all things to [her] rememberance” J Sister Siedlova translated sooo beautifully. I am amazed by the members here in Slovakia. They are talented.
Sister McConkie challenged us all to share with some one we love why we believe what we believe. I challenge you to do the same J (tell me about how it goes next week :D) She told us that as long as we are obedient we will have the spirit with us. The spirit is soo powerful J I am impressed most by her humility, courage, education and dedication as a mother.
Prezident McConkie then spoke and he is a powerful teacher! The spirit was so strong in the room. Apologies – not 100% sure what he talked about but what I got from the spirit was that we never give up on anyone (he spoke about the prodigal son) and that our influence on others is SOOO important. Be the example God designed you to become J
Then We had relief society and sister Kolkova had a beautiful demonstration of a bridge and the book of mormon being the keystone. I can’t explain it in words. You’d have to see it. It was genius!
She has a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon. Sister Seidlova had 2 cubes of butter that she stuck under a lamp. One was not in the light at all, one was close to the light but not touching it. She spoke of how the butter represents our hearts. They can be hard. The light will soften the butter; but how soft our hearts become depends on how close to the light we are. She asked us if our hearts had been softened by the light. Who is the light? “I am the light and the life”- Jesus Christ
I would ask the same.
Has your heart been softened by the light?
Will you get closer to the light so that your heart can be softened?
I was privileged to translate for sister McConkie as Sister Siedlova explained the demonstration. I was blessed with the gift of tongues 100% J Translating felt so easy. (normally its very hard) Sister Krauel teasted me a little later because she said “as sister Siedlova started sharing her testimony of the book of mormon, you just stopped translating. You were soo focused on what she was saying.”I hadn’t realized it then that I had stopped translating (hope sister McConkie forgives me J) but sister Siedlova has one of the strongest testimonies and most beautiful testimonies of the Book of Mormon that I have heard. Wow. I love our members here. I truly was filled on Sunday.
The church is true J the gospel is GREAT. (better than great) and I love having the spirit with me.
Have a great week :D
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