Sunday, September 28

April 7, 2014

Čau!! Visiem!!!

This last week was good. Just a usual week in the life of a missionary and sister training leader. I love the work though, don't get me wrong. This last week we had exchanges with a companionship, to help them with training. We also had Zone Training, where we meet with all the Latvians and us (the Sister Training Leaders) and the Zone Leaders instruct everyone. It is really fun to teach in such a large setting. I actually really like it. I taught our zone the importance on keeping daily contact with investigators, and it went really well.

Well, here is an update on the work here in Liepaja:

Our investigator Skaidrite is doing really well. She got through the opposition that came up from her family very well. She called us on Wednesday this last week and talked with me. She told us that she didn't want to be baptized anymore, read, or meet with us. Her relatives had told her she was already baptized and that they had told her she didn't need to meet with us. While I was talking with her, I was not sure what to say. I listened and tried to figure out as much of what was going on as possible. It was hard to hear, but when she finished. I took a deep breath and relied on the spirit. After that I know that what I said was from the spirit. I reminded her of the bible story of the seeds that we had shared with her just a few days before and how sometimes we have opposition when we want to do something good. I told her that the things that her family members said was that opposition and she needed to talk to the Lord about that before she gave in. We committed her to pray and told her we would talk to her the next day. Well, we decided to do a drop by, she wasn't home, but when we called her she had completely changed. She told us to come by the next day and we solved her concerns. She is still looking forward to baptism on May 3rd and is working hard towards it. She told her daughter about the church, and her daughter doesn't want it (although Skaidrite wants her to want it), but her daughter supports her in what she wants to do.

Inara & Ojars- Ojars has been sick all week and so he is not progressing. We have tried to get him a priesthood blessing, but things are not working out too well with that yet. We hope this week. Inara has read a little in the Book of Mormon, still not daily, but she is reading, as well as she came to church again and stayed all three hours. She is really enjoying learning. She will get baptized, but we think it will be a slower process for her. 

Viktorija- Still doing really well. She is so cute! She is living next to a member now in their new house, and it has been wonderful. Her and the member walk to and from church together and they said that they might study the scriptures together. They are great. It doesn't matter that the member is in her 40's and Viktorija is 10. They are great friends. We have a lesson with the family tonight!! We'll let you know how it goes!!!

I love working with these people. As I help them strengthen their faith in Christ, my own faith grows. What a wonderful opportunity to help people find faith in Christ and start to believe in him more. I love to watch their testimonies grow and see the light they begin to develop. It is such an important thing for them to develop this faith. I am glad that God trust me to help his children to baptism.

So, yesterday was fast sunday here. I really enjoyed it. I bore my testimony again, but before I did, I told a shy member sitting next to me, that if she went to bear her testimony, I would go. She was so shy before baptism, but since then has really blossomed and come out of her shell. She is real evidence that the gospel changes us for the better. She has never born her testimony before (she was baptized last Oct). I told her just to say the things she knows. Well, she got up and bore a beautiful testimony! She was beaming!! I loved it!! I asked her how she felt afterwards and she said, "Great!!"  I know that when we bear our testimony, we now only help build others' testimonies, but we let ours grow too! I challenge you all, BEAR YOUR TESTIMONY NEXT FAST AND TESTIMONY MEETING!

So, I will end with my testimony. With conference being yesterday, I want to bear my testimony about prophets. I'll be watching conference this next weekend in Latvian and I'll be watching a little today for preparation day in English and on a DVD after that. Anyways, I know that prophets are men called of God. They are given the authority to lead the church. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is God's chosen prophet today. I have heard of some struggles or controversy that has been going on about priesthood in the church, and that saddens me. God is a God of order. Everything is done the way he foresaw it to be done. He doesn't do anything on accident, I know that! He calls worthy men to have the priesthood and gives them that privilege to act in his name. I know that we also benefit from those worthy men who have them priesthood. If we listen to conference with an open heart, we will find revelation to help us today! What a privilege to have a guide who talks to God and gives us what we need to hear directly from him. I love the prophet and I love this work. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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