PS- this is a pretty cool film about the first sister missionaries. I enjoyed it :) Sister missionaries rock. https://history.lds.org/
We got our new mission president this last week! Oh man oh man, he is soooo awesome! I am SO excited to have him as our mission president. He's from Switzerland and his name is President Weidmann (Vide-man). He's just so great! I already love him and I hardly know him. And wow, his wife is stunning. Absolutely stunning. Definition of elegance. I don't think I've ever met a woman her age that was so beautiful. When she walked in all the sisters were just ... wow! .... haha ... Poor woman is going to have to deal with comments from Albanians about her looks for the next 3 years haha... We had a get to know you conference with him and I knew I was going to like working with him when he came in with a 3 foot long toblerone he he he :) ppppeeeerrrrfffeeeccctttt....
Something weird... I've noticed I'll think back on memories and think, huh, how did I know how to say that in Albanian? .... And then I realize that I didn't know how to say that in Albanian... because I didn't know Albanian. Oh boy...
We watched the restoration video with the girls that I oh so love. Their cousin watched it with us. He's about 12. He got reeaaalllly excited with the part where the canons go off. His only comment through the movie was "ooo! Dynamite!!" ... but hey! He stayed for the whole movie! That's improvement! haha
4th of July was great! I wore a red dress. Sister Zollinger wore a white shirt with a blue skirt that had white poka dots... we were basically walking america. And then we ate treleçe... aka- totally normal missionary day. But hey! It was a good day!
I love to share my spiritual thoughts, but I've noticed I don't write much about my spiritual experiences with investigators, etc... I don't really know why because I hold those experiences the most dear. I think maybe because I don't think that I could ever do these amazing experiences any justice with just an email... I guess I'll try to write some more about these experiences. Not much though, just a little :)
We had a lesson cancel on us this last week (I say "a" lesson... but in reality waaaay more cancel haha) and we thought hey, lets go do a surprise visit to some investigators that have kind of dropped off the planet lately... so we head over. We were doing a do or die week... basically, if they don't respond we're dropping them... they hadn't answered in weeks so I didn't have much hope. But I felt like we should go and so we went. And surprise! They were there! We shared a quick scripture with them and set up a return appointment for two days later. We decided that we were going to teach follow the prophet... but when we walked in for our lesson two days later, I felt very very strongly to not teach that lesson. That doesn't happen that often with me, to feel so strongly to not teach something. I had no idea what to teach instead, we had nothing prepared... all I knew was to not teach what we HAD prepared. So after some good muhabet, we said a prayer and I opened my mouth... and just like the scriptures teach us, the words came. It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. I've felt the spirit working through me before, but it was nothing like this. The albanian just flowed. And the spirit was incredibly strong. I could feel it just surging through my body testifying that what I was saying was true. I talked about the gospel, the book of mormon, blessings we have from baptism and invited them to be baptized. And the daughter with a huge smile on her face said yes!! It worked out perfectly! I can't even begin to say how amazing it was. It was such a testimony builder for me that this truly is God's work.
I've been thinking a lot about a quote by Elder Holland from an MTC address he gave in Brazil. He says ...
"I had a missionary ask me once if I would give my life for the church... what he meant was, 'would you die for it?'. Well that's the easy part. That's a snap! On some days it looks really appealing. That's the easy part, to die for it. Well, what God needs is people who will live for it..."
And then I thought about these scriptures...
D&C 97:8
"Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me."
D&c 64:33-34
Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
It just made me think about how we put so much pressure on ourselves for not being perfect. For not being that perfect member that makes casseroles for every sick person in the stake, quilts once a week for the homeless, has every scripture that you could ever possibly want memorized and has perfect teeth, not to mention has a clean house and finds time to exercise an hour a day... okay, so maybe that's just from my female perspective haha ... but you get the idea. I think a lot about the missionary I want to be, where I want to be with the language... and yes, it's good to have a vision and goals... but when we're not perfect and we let guilt torment us for this lack of perfection, it's not okay. And God doesn't want it of us. All God wants is for us to have a willing heart... what are the desires of our hearts? Is it to serve God? To do all that He prompts us to do and tells us to do? Or to at least try? Because that's all He wants from us. Our hearts, our wills and our best and if we do that, we will be accepted of Him. What a beautiful blessing. He doesn't say perfect, He doesn't say ridiculously talented or the best at time management... just our hearts and our wills and our best. I know it's possible. And I know He loves us and wants us to succeed. So don't be so hard on yourself. Dive into the scriptures, pray with all your heart and everything He asks of us will start to happen for you.
Love you all!
Motra Missy
Pictures in no specific order-
Us with treleçe!
Bowling!
Out to eat with other sisters!
My favorite girlies!
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