Wow. What a week! :)
I am forever grateful for the chance that I had this transfer to serve as a sister training leader. I have learned so much from the missionaries that I get to serve with. We have some of the most talented and compassionate sisters in this mission. I serve with some of the choicest spirits :)
I couldn't ask for a better companion, disctrict, or mission president. I truly am serving with the cream of the crop.
That being said :) let's tell you about this amazing miracle filled week.
We began our week with teaching a retired policeman/potential mafia gang member. Claims he's an atheist, but we all know atheists are only as real as boogiemonsters. Anywho, he collects cigarettes from all over the world, but doesn't smoke. Fascinating right? In fact, he almost agrees with the Word of Wisdom. I find it fascinated that we, as people, spend time and effort on things that we don't actually believe in nor want. Why do we do that?
Then there are some people who are just soo mad at God, that they refuse to see the good in the world.
Then...
We had 2 koncerst! One in Trencin and one in Zilina. 31 people came to our koncert in trencin!!! We read the family proclamation, and played songs/sang inbetween in the paragraphs. The spirit was very strong. At the concert I sat down with a woman from Sweden. She began talking to me about her country, what it's like there. Then she said " you are all so beautiful. I heard that you don't give yourselves away before marriage, is that true?" I told her yes. "why?" she asked. Little did I expect that I'd be teaching a 70 year old woman about the law of chastity at our koncert on families, but the Lord always knows better than I do. We had a beautiful discussion about the law of chastity and she told me how much she believed in love. She ended our conversation by saying "you know, I think I'd like to be a mormon." well, can we send missionaries to visit you? So grateful that she said yes :) I hope the swedish missionaries get in contact with her. She was an angel and sooo ready for the gospel.
Unfortunately one of our investigators parents forbid her from meeting with us, so we lost an investigator this week. But we'll keep praying for her and respecting her parents.
We also had a first meeting with a man SOOOO prepared. He's only in slovakia about 10 days every month, so we're not sure how we're going to teach him yet, but we asked him why he loved being a father. He said"it's just so good to have some one to take care of you know? To look after and protect." We related that to how God feels that way towards him. He shared with us very sacred and special experiecnes he has had in his life. He asked us "do you believe in spirits?" and we told him yes. We then had a wonderful dicussion about prayer and the holy ghost. He accepted a book of mormon, and LOVED moroni. Wonderful father, his kids mean a lot to him. He talked about how hard it is for him to have to be away all the time and how he's looking for another work, but so far this is all he's been able to find. We talked about God really feels the same way towards us. We're out of his presence and I'm sure he wishes every day he could see us. How grateful he is when we get on our knees to talk with him. I can't imagine how much he must miss us.
We also taught a new woman who is SOOOO wonderful. SO prepared. She came to church on sunday and felt the spirit really strongly. Elder Brousseau gave one of the best lessons I have ever had on baptism. Everyone was participating and LOVED the doctrine. The spirit was soo strong. He talked about how baptism is something that he keeps in his heart. I truly believe our covenants can become treasures for us, that are valuable beyond price. (matt 16:19-21) And as we keep those treasures in our hearts, we will learn to be christlike.
If only you could see into the lense of missionary life. There is so much to tell, even more to live.
This week I was impressed by a few examples from the scriptures.
Samuel the prophet, as a young boy, responded to the voice of the Lord by saying "here I am"
He got out of his bed, and came forth ready to act upon whatever insruction was to be given. Another man in the scriptures also once responded exactly the same way to God. He said "here I am, send me" (moses 4:1) but swiftly and cunningly added "surely I will do it, wherefore give me thine honor". Satan may have said "here I am" with his words, but with his heart he truly had no desire to do the will of God. Christ, on the other hand, responded "here I am, send me" - his only motive was to glorify the Father.
Isaiah similarly responded.
2 nefi 16:8 "here I am, send me"
The Lord, the great "I am" extends the call, and we respond "here I am, send me"
As I have studied obedience this week and tried to consecrate my heart even further to the Lord, I have found that there is great strength in pleading the prayer "Lord I will do whatever you ask, here I am, send me."
There is power in stillness, there is power in hard work. Elder Ballard gave a talk once called "be still and know that I am god"
I can testify that I know who I am because I know the "I am" - that is Jesus Christ.
He is truly the identity we all should take upon ourselves.
I am sooo grateful to be a missionary of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. He is the savior of the World, our personal redeemer. I love him. I look foward to the last 4 months of my mission! How scary is that?
Love you all! Have a wonderful week.
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