June 30, 2014

Hey!

First week of the transfer. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I have another awesome companion! We were in the MTC together, he was in the other district so I didn't get to know him that well, but he is a swell dude (elder).  His name is Elder Smoot, which unfortunately for him sounds an awful lot like an Albanian swear word. so we call Elder Smot.

This first week was interesting. We ate a lot of really unhealthy food haha and had a hard time with some of the youth and disrespect in our English Course. Most of our problem was with a non-member, who we've unfortunately had to ask not to come back, because of some of the stuff he said to me and my companion. That was really sad, but a church is a house of God and people need to have respect for it. Another crazy thing that happened was that Sister Kokol had a problem with a guy, he's actually pretty old, but he expressed romantic feelings, which resulted in an emergency transfer, which sucks cause Sister Kokol is freakin awesome! But she had to go, and the whole branch is gonna miss her. But we got a new sister to replace her and she is awesome too!

As far as missionary work is going in Fier, it has slowed down a lot because it's summer and everyone has left on vacation, or just has no care in the world and so no one wants to talk to us. But we are still working hard! I tried boarding for the first time the other day. It's where you make a board and/or poster and street contact by it. So we just stood there and people walked pass, we also couldn't get it to stand so we didn't even end up using it. It's also SUPER HOT!!! And apparently it's gonna get even hotter!! what?!! man oh man. We sweat walking from home to the church which is like a 5-10 minute walk, and street contacting is a nightmare as far as sweating goes haha. Fortunately a nation wide solution is an afternoon nap, so at lunch if we ever have time, we try to assimilate ourselves into the culture ;) It's awesome. Fier is still awesome, it's just gonna be a different transfer, that's for sure! I'm really excited for it though!

It's crazy that yesterday was my 5 month mark...what? I'm almost a fourth of the way through my mission...It is flying by. It has been such an incredible experience and I'm glad I still have 19 months left!! But I'm worried that they are just gonna go way too fast! I really miss a lot of the missionaries I served with last transfer, but I'm sure they are all doing great!

I don't have much else to say haha and my camera is broken, so... I definitely don't have pictures haha. 

A lesson that I have been learning the past few weeks is that trials are for our benefit, and that's not because I'm going through them, but I read about examples in the Book of Mormon of people enduring their trials. They don't ever ask for their burden to be taken from them, but instead for a way to endure them. I look back and a lot times I have asked for mine to be taken away. Trials are legitimately for our benefit, and I am ready for the next one, because I know that Heavenly Father only gives us stuff that we can handle. As a friend of a friend once said haha roughly "God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers" So if you are going through something really tough right now, I'm not gonna pretend like I know what you are going through, but there really is someone who does. If you turn to God, with faith in Jesus Christ, you will receive the strength to endure, and that is a promise. In the wise words of Gandalf: (I also sent this to a friend because they send me quotes and it was a Lord of the Rings quote this week haha :))

Frodo: " wish none of this had happened"
Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that has been given to us."

If you have a tough trial, God trusts you enough to get through it.

I love you all and I hope you have an awesome week!!

Elder Sajmëns