Tuesday, September 20, 2016

9/19/2016 ~ Chasing Sunsets #béna

Another good week in Veszprém! The work here feels like it is finally starting to pick up a little bit, thank heavens! Sister Evans and I have sure been working hard, so I know that it is just God blessing us because of our efforts!

Last Pday, we were tracting in a village of 10 story apartment buildings, and I we had just gotten let into the building (which is rare) and gone up to the top floor. As we get out of the elevator there are glass windows and we can see the sunset just peaking around the corner of one of the buildings across the street. I couldn't see much, but I was convinced that it was going to be one of the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen, but the building was blocking it. So I decided real quick that we needed to run over to the other building and get up to the top floor so we can see the sunset and appreciate some of God's beauty that he created for us! So we hop in the elevator, run outside and the few blocks to the last building, and there is a pizza man at the csengő. It seemed that everything was turning out perfect, we would just slip inside the door right behind the pizza deliverer. WRONG. The person the pizza man was calling didn't pick up (who doesn't answer the door for the pizza they ordered? Doesn't make sense to me, but its whatever). So that left us with one option: Ring all the csengős until we find someone who will let us in! I rang the first one, asked him if he would let us in the building. His response: "sure, why not!" I cannot emphasis this enough, this literally NEVER happens! So clearly it was a sign that I was supposed to see this sunset! We got in the elevator and went all the way up to the 10th floor only to discover that THERE WEREN'T EVEN WINDOWS!!!! Sister Evans and I just looked at each other and busted up laughing, we couldn't even believe that it was real! So we didn't get to see the sunset, and I was bummed, and no one else in the building even wanted to talk to us, but that's alright, its the usual!

Haha so with that depressing story out of the way, we were able to meet with our investigator Piroska this week for the second time, and we had a really good teaching with her! We had planned on bringing a member, but they canceled unfortunately. Luckily we still had the Spirit to help us out! We taught the Restoration to her, but I wanted to branch out in the way we taught it this time and do it from an aspect that would relate more to her personally. In my head it sounded like a great idea, but as I started to teach it, we talked about prayer and the importance of it, shared the Joseph Smith story, and then  I soon realized that I wasn't exactly sure where to go from that. So we decided to stop and bear our testimonies about prayer before we moved on any further. As we bore testimony to her, the spirit was really strong, and before I knew it, words were just flowing from my mouth, and I know that I wasn't the one who put them there. When we had first arrived to her home, Piroska was having somewhat of a rough day, but by the time we finished teaching, it had completely changed she was happy as can be and was really focusing on the things that we had to say and we could tell that she was feeling the spirit. Honestly, the lesson was a miracle in and of itself. I have never tried teaching the restoration before from the perspective we did, and honestly I am not sure if I will ever do it that way again, but that was how it needed to be taught, that was what Piroska personally needed, and we could all tell! At the end of the lesson, I asked Piroska if she would be willing to say the closing prayer, and she gladly accepted! As she prayed, the spirit was very strong there. I wasn't paying so much attention to the words she was saying, but rather the feelings that I felt as she said that first prayer for us. However, amidst those feelings, I heard her distinctly say "Thank you for sending the sisters to me so that they can teach me. I am so grateful that today they were able to help me understand the things that have never made sense to me before!" Her humble prayer just touched my heart, because how true is that? When we share the message of the Restoration with people, that is exactly what we are doing! We are helping them understand the part that remains a mystery to everyone else, we are giving them those answers that the world cant, cause we are teaching them the truth! I just have such a strong testimony of the restoration and of Joseph Smith as a prophet, but more importantly a testimony of prayer. Because without prayer, nothing would have happened. It all started with a 14 year old boy who was willing to humble himself and ask God, and because of that prayer, we now have Christ's church restored to the earth, as well as the Book of Mormon that we can read from everyday to grow closer to Christ! If that isn't a strong enough witness of the power of prayer, I don't know what is! I am so thankful that we too, can turn to Him in prayer, whatever circumstances we may be in, and just as he did with Joseph Smith, He will ALWAYS answer our prayers! 

We had a teaching with our investigator Marcsi as well, and it went really well! We had the ward mission leader there and his wife (because he only speaks German) and they were exactly what Marcsi needed! She is ready for baptism, but just hesitant to make that step forward in faith. Klaus, not understanding the whole lesson as it was in Hungarian, interrupted us in the middle, and mentioned that maybe the solution to all of Marcsi's problems would be to go ahead and get baptized, and then go on a mission, so that she can forget about herself, and yet find herself as she does the Lord's work. We were all a little nervous at first as to what her reaction would be, but she LOVED the idea! We are meeting with her on Tuesday and are planning to extend a baptismal date to her, and offer to fast and pray with her about that date! I am really excited about it, and hope that she will be willing to do what she needs to to finally take that step! 

Other than that, we had a few lessons with some people that the sisters had met with last transfer, but they are no longer keeping commitments and they seem to just take our teachings as if it is a joke. At first they looked like they had real potential, and they promised that they would come to church and read the Book of Mormon, but unfortunately they did not do either, in addition to also not praying anymore, so I think we are going to not be meeting with them as frequently, unless they are willing to take it seriously and actually do their part and be willing to learn and keep commitments. We will see what they decide in this up coming week. Its always hard to stop meeting with them as frequently, but agency is a big thing, and as missionaries we have to accept it, and just place our trust in God knowing that if we use our time better to find those people who are still waiting, and who ARE willing to listen and act, that he will give them to us! So that is what we are going to do, we are going to put ourselves in the situation to let God help us find them! And I am excited to see what the outcome will be!        

I love you all and hope that you all have a great week!

Sok Szeretettel, 
LeBaron Nővér
                                   




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