I am not actually sure about what week it is but I do know we only have 2 more weeks in this transfer! I can't fully remember every day of the past 2 weeks but I will try to remember some of my highlights. Our Tech role is going great! We had a training with all of the newest missionaries and taught them some facebook basics as well as ways to passive find. We've also heard great things from president and his wife about how happy they've been with the continued outcomes of the tech blitz from the last transfer and many zones have done their own every week since then!
We still have our friend Sury on date to be baptized but she's been busy so we haven't been able to meet much/ at all for like the past 3 weeks. Yeah not good. But we're still working and will see how we go. Our other friend Daslin still hasn't made it to church. But we had another great lesson with her. I think my favorite part of our lessons are the question and answers where she shares the things her friends have told her when she tells them she is meeting with us. This week's highlights were that they told her if they joined our church she would not be able to wear jeans, they told her that we're not allowed to drive cars or use modern devices, and that we can't be singers or in movies. Luckily we just laugh together and she says that she doesn't ever take them seriously. She prefers to go to actual members and says she takes everything else with a grain of salt. I am sad that she's not be able to make it to church. She has a pretty busy weekend with work and school starting. I don't know if I'm more sad that she's not able to come to learn more or if I am just sad because I want to have someone to talk to on Sunday (joking of course. I love our members. But I mean with less than 20 of us there it gets a little boring)
During the past couple of weeks we've had a blitz after district council and they have been so nice! The first one was in Trento and I got to go to the university. It was one of the highlights of my mission. We were able to be super natural and just have good meaningful conversations with people. The weather was nice so there were a lot of students out at the park. We only got one person's phone number after about 3 hours of talking but many many people said that they would read the Book of Mormon and see for themselves if it is true (which is all we really want to hear!) We were also just able to bear our own testimonies and share what we know and how we've come to know it. This past week wasn't as great but we also were able to meet some amazing people and just feel like normal people and talk about our purpose here.
On both of these occasions we talked with a lot of young people, which is not very typical. But over the past couple of weeks I've felt like they are really the key to growing the church here and they feel a lot more willing as they are at the age where they really want to find their own beliefs and figure out their lives. And then yesterday president and sorella Wood had their first zoom devotional which was about, you guessed it, young people! They shared how there are so many people out there searching for the truth and ready to listen and see for themselves if they know our message is true. And the incredible impact that they can have on their families, wards, and friends.
So this email is also addressed to those "young people". And not in the sense of just age but maybe young in testimony or young in spirit. Most people that receive these emails are members but many of those people are also young enough that they might not fully know what that means. Which is fair because before my mission I didn't really know either. The great thing about the true Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days is that you can know for yourself. You can study on your own, you can pray, you can ask teachers, bishops, and parents. I will bet a few things. 1)You will see that many beliefs deeply ingrained in you are only found in this church. It is not common knowledge where we come from, where we will go, and why you are here on this earth. Many people are blown away at the thought of having a modern prophet who lives today. And there are millions if not billions of people who don't know that there is a way to overcome sin, allowing us to be free and return to our father in heaven. 2)You will have increased joy. When we really seek to learn and grow closer to our Heavenly Father we will feel more peace and comfort even in those moments that we are struggling. 3)You will be able to stand as your own witness, bearing your own testimony, and creating your own relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
I have known many people who decide that they no longer want to go to church, that they don't really believe, that they would rather just quit. And if you do not have a true testimony then I agree. Why bother doing anything that deals with church or prayer or God. But are you not even willing to try? You see people around you devoting their whole lives to live the Gospel and you do not even dare to read a chapter from a book that millions have testified has changed their lives. You do not take the council of leaders who really do just love you and want to see you grow and become a better version of yourself? Your Heavenly Father is the only being that can truly love you and know you. He will love us even if we choose not to love Him. He wants a relationship with you. One of my favorite names of Christ is advocate. He is our advocate with the Father. He will never give up on you, so don't give up on him. And if there is anything else left to say it is to never let sin, shame, or guilt stand in the way of feeling their love.
Don't forget to pray with real intent. Truly being committed to act on the answer that you receive. And being willing to wait for the response and see that it might not come in the way that you were expecting and wanting. He will often not just heal us or make us perfect or fix every issue we have in our lives. And the answer might be a lot harder than we ever hoped. But don't let that stop you.
And if nothing I said there stuck then listen to some BYU devotionals or talks:
His Grace is Sufficient has been a huge strength to me since the start of High School and would be my #1 recommendation
And if you're on here and not a member and none of that makes sense to you, well you can actually do the same and learn some things for yourself! If you want a closer relationship with your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ there is a simple recipe. Pray, and pray, then pray again. Your answer might not come in a day or a week or a month. And it might not come in any way shape or form that you expected. But one way to get a head start is to try to learn more on your own. Studying the Bible and if you've never tried then read The Book of Mormon and learn more about the true character and Gospel of Christ. Hear modern prophets and apostles speak and feel for yourselves the spirit and act on impressions. There's apps and websites for all of that so ask me if you have any questions.
Oh also fun p-day story today: We took a cable car up to a city in the mountains and when we were going back down my companion rushed onto it, not scanning his ticket. So when the guy walked out the booth me and the other missionaries scanned our cards but didn't make it to the gate in time and we were told to wait until the next car. My companion saw and stood up to get out and wait with us. Sadly the doors closed and he was on his way back to the city companion-less and was all alone with a mom of a young kid who were speaking in dialect to each other. It was a very paddington bear moment as we just saw him disappear down the mountain. But all was okay in the end.
Love and miss you all!
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