Sister Kan'e Letter 10_28_13

well, for this week:

Can't say I've ever thanked God more for an extra hour of sleep in my
entire life :) haha

Never forget to count your blessings :) even the little ones!!!!!
especially the little ones.
Thank him for waking up.
for good dreams!
for shoes to wear and air to breath.
for listening to prayer
and for caring.
for the sacrifices he's made for us.

he's just too cool. TOOO cool. I love God :)

This week in Gospel Principles one of our recent converts shared a
really cool insight. We were talking about agency and we asked "why
did God give us our agency?" He responded, "well God sent us to come
to earth so we could learn and become like him. He has agency, so it's
probably pretty important that we have agency if we want to become
like him."
whoa. That was cool! I've never thought of God as the most powerful
"agent" before. God does have agency, which makes it so cool to me
that he always chooses to be patient and loving with us

cause let's be real here, that is NOT EASY all the time :)

There are such amazing members here in slovakia! I love them so much.
They help us in our work and they are getting excited for missionary
work. It's cool. I hope you're all still taking Elder Ballard up on
his challenge to reach out to the "one" this upcoming month before
Christmas comes in December :)

This week we had the Coolest contact! This young man got on the bus
and we just said "hey how are you, how's life going, etc." and he
started asking us about what we're doing here. We started telling him
about our missions, but then had to hop off the bus to go catch the
other bus to take us home. His response? Well I want to know what you
believe, I'm catholic actually, so I'll walk over with you to your
bus. "what?!? okay :)" We start teaching him the restoration as we're
walking to the bus. We reach the bus stop just as we're about to head
into the "joseph smith story", pull out the book of mormon to share a
verse with him, start talking and dun dun dun... what happens next?
you'll never believe it.
A woman and her husband come up and ask us "what is that book?" then
before we have time to answer, she begins to tell us about how we're
going to burn in hell for reading the book of mormon.
whoa did not see that one coming. Then, for the 20 minute bus ride
home, she keeps telling me the same things haha. Boy. It was the first
time on my mission I think i've really been "preached at" by someone.
You know the cool thing though? The whole time I felt just awesome
love for this woman. I could tell her faith was really important to
her and I admired her for having such stamina. Over and over I just
kept saying "I know the book of mormon is true" and she would get
angrier and angrier, as I got calmer and calmer :) I just kept saying
that over and over "it's true it's true it's true."
Well, needless to say she was convinced we were "lost souls" by the
time we got off the bus but! I thought it was a wonderful learning
experience :) and I love her for giving me a chance to testify of the
book of mormon over and over.
It truly is true!

Cool woman on the tram. Sister Baird was talking to her about
motherhood. She told me about the contact afterward. The woman said
that sometimes her little daughters drive her crazy, to the point
where she can't handle them anymore! So then she just goes into a room
and closes the door. "then what does she do, scream?" haha I said.
Sister Baird said, "no, she told me that she imagines what her life
would be like without them. Being alone in that room. And it gives her
the courage to go out and love those girls." Whoa! I thought that was
so powerful. I'll have to remember that one day when I have my own
children.

One of the coolest experiences of the mission, I think, is being able
to see when someone is feeling the spirit :) in the streets, in
contacts, in lessons, etc. You can see it in some one's eyes when they
are feeling the spirit and that feeling is undeniable :)
I love it!

After english this week, sister Baird and I began talking with one of
our english students. He's probably in his early 20's. He's super
cool. It was amazing to see how people are willing to open up to you
when they trust you. He told us a lot about his life, the troubles
he's facing, and we taught him about "enduring to the end"
I am constantly amazed at how the gospel can mend or improve every
situation, every problem, every heart ache. I love the small and
simple means.

The slovaks are some of the most patient people I have ever met in my
entire life. I know God sent me here to learn some patience. Still
working on that one mind you.
in fact, this week I made the joke to sister baird, "So when do you
think I'll finally or actually understand the patience God wants me to
develop?" well, that statement in and of itself was ironically
impatient. Oh boy :) onward ever onward! I loooooooove learning though
and patience is a learning process INDEED.

Sister Baird and I also were renamed "berta and Katka this week" :) We
stopped to help a little old lady sweep the street outside our
ponelok. She couldn't quite figure out our names. "sestra baird?
Sestra kane?" no you mean Berta and Katka. It's funny how our slovaks
like to rename us :)

We had exchanges this week with Sister Barney and Huggard too!
Interesting experience of the exchange? well... haha Sister Barney and
I contacted a preaching atheist. Needless to say, that was an
interesting experience. He ends the contact by giving me a giant hug
and I freaked out and tell him "you can't touch me I'm a missionary"
and he doesn't get it and sister Barney just dies laughing ah dear.
Goals for this transfer still - can't I just have ONE just ONE
contacting block where some one doesn't feel the need to touch me?
haha I don't know what it is! Maybe it's cause I'm short and slovaks
are pretty tall. but there's always someone that will pat our cheeks
and say "ste zlaty babi, ale nemam zaujem" or the "slovakly arm rub of
kindess" as I shall so deem it.

SAW THE COOLEST MIRACLE THIS WEEK :) there was a man I contacted on a
bus in august, he was atheist, he set up with us to meet, came to
first meeting agreed to be baptized, read, pray, come to church, etc.
but then he disappeared!
I was SOO sad :( but! Sister Baird texted him just randomly the other
day and guess what! He set up to meet today AHHHH I'm so excited SOOO
excited :) Turns out he had lost his phone or something (not 100% sure
since I was talking to him in slovak and only understanding about 10%
of our phone conversation) and so he didn't have our contact. I love
God :) He is soooo merciful. Sooooooo cool. I loooooooooooove being a
missionary. And sister Baird is Sooo cool too :) She just gives me soo
much hope and positive energy.

also one of our investigators decided to come contacting with us haha.
It was quite an interesting experience. Can't say I've ever gotten
more constructive criticism in my life ;)
he told us how we should approach people, stand, how to talk with our
hands, etc. He was giving us "contacting tips" he even made us
practice contacting him and it was so interesting! He even pretended
to be an average person on the street who never met missionaries etc.
I was like "who is this?? and why is he doing missionary things?" we
practice ALL the time.  It was cool I learned a lot from him. I want
to improve my contacting a lot. Funny thing is, we found him
contacting :) I wonder if he even remembers that.

okay spiritual thought! and i'll be done :)
- The example of the anti-nephi-lehi's has to be one of the most
beautiful chapters in the Book of Mormon. it's SOO poetic and
symbolic. I love how in alma 24 in verse 7 and so on, every verse is
full of gratitude until about verse 10, and then in verse 10- about 17
you get this beautiful image of "stains" vs. "blood"
It's beautiful that these people want to be "clean" and the way
they're actually cleaned is through the blood of Christ, and that they
want to be clean from the blood they shed. I wish I could more
eloquently explain what I mean when I say I'm in love with this
chapter now :) it's just so beautiful. These people were an amazing
example.

Keep reading the Book of Mormon :) it's so special

Love you all!