This week was pretty good.
We got lots of potential investigators and lessons we weren't expecting
to have. We also got to listen to 3 sessions of conference this weekend,
which was more than i expected to be able to listen to. We listened to
conference with Zoran on his laptop. I'm so grateful to have prophets
today. The world is just getting worse and worse, and people are less
and less happy, despite how many more gadgets they buy. A lot of the
things the prophets said were just common sense, but if people actually
applied them to their lives, it would solve most of their problems. It
sort of makes you wish people would just live the basics so we could
hear a higher law. but as always, it was so nice to be taught the gospel
instead of being the one teaching. Every time that happens-- general
conference, zone conferences, my week in slovenia where they have a real
branch, the week president rowe came into town for the weekend,
whenever we actually have a sunday school teacher or relief society
teacher come to church-- I'm so grateful. I definitely will appreciate a
lot more when i come home than i did when i left. I don't think the
missionaries back home understand what they've got. I'm sure it's always
greener on the other side though. I'm sure if i were serving in the
states I'd be complaining about how people weren't doing their callings
well and i'd rather just do everything myself. oh well. anyways, i
didn't mean to get on that rant. I'm so excited to see the day when this
branch is actually self-sustaining and has a local branch president and
a complete family or two.
Let's see... what happened this week? On monday we were tracting and we got a plant from this nice old lady, and then we realized that we didn't have anywhere to put it while we tracted for the rest of the night, so we just took it around with us and put it by a tree, tracted a few houses, went and got our plant, repeat. it made the night a little lighter. We also found this guy that we happened to find out last night from an old potential sheet was tracted into about a year ago. Then he was given a Restoration pamphlet (the 1st lesson), and that day we gave him a Plan of Salvation pamphlet (2nd lesson). It just made me remember that God's orchestrating everyone's salvation, not us. Charissa sent me an email this week talking about that same principle, funnily enough. You know, when you're doing God's work, there are lots of coincidences. The more i see that, the more i believe that actually, none of them are coincidences. God has a perfect, intricate, but simple plan for every one of his children to hear the gospel and learn its principles. and each one of you are part of that plan for each of your neighbors. the question is: will you teach them by showing them and helping them understand God's love, or by helping them grow from opposition. You have to work with God's plan either way, either to your personal salvation or damnation. It's crazy how well God has all of these things worked out though. Tons of little ˝coincidences˝ go into every little thing I learn, or every little thing I teach someone else. It's silly to think that could all be by accident. Blocks don't fall on the ground by themselves in a tower. Order can't spontaneously come from chaos. but every little moment in my life builds on each other, to help me learn, and to help God's kingdom continue to grow.
On wednesday Sister Moody taught the first lesson with my assistance and support to a wonderful woman named Mirjana. She has a daughter going to school in Rochester, and she came to english sign-ups. She was very impressed with the ˝for the strength of youth˝ pamphlet that we put out with the church pamphlets during english sign-ups. The lesson went really well, and she said she would be baptized if she learns that it's true. Sister Moody did an awesome job leading the discussion, and giving commitments. The new training program is really inspired. It's geared towards having the new missionaries ready to train another missionary within 12 weeks. I feel like the new mtc program and this new training program make a huge difference. I feel like sister moody is already more ready to train-- language, teaching, finding, and everything else --than many missionaries under the old program were after serving for almost half a year in the field. it's pretty cool.
Here's an update on people who have/had baptismal dates, for those of you who have been following and are wondering where these people went:
Kristina is still doing well. She still hasn't come to church, and we still haven't been able to meet her family, but she got the courage to stand up to her friend to start investigating, so I think she'll stand up to her family as well. She knows it's true. We taught the word of wisdom, and she accepted it without any concerns. she has a lot of schoolwork right now, and she just got a new job, so we've had trouble meeting with her, but I think it'll go ok. she's been way prepared for the gospel. she'll work through the barriers.
We were finally able to meet with Suzana again. She still can't come to the church, but we went over while her fiance was at work, and we read the book of mormon with her.
Iris is doing ok. She isn't leaving for the coast as early as she thought, so we have more time to teach her. We tried to teach her that sometimes God's plan isn't our plan, but she didn't really want to hear it. she is slowly cutting down on cigarettes, and i think she's slowly progressing to baptism, but it's still a work in progress. She's been avoiding us for the past couple days though, which is annoying, but she'll come around. we've been praying for her.
Still haven't been able to contact Valentina. She hasn't been answering her phone, and she isn't often home, and she lives almost an hour from where we live. Still working on that. if nothing else, she has a great head start for next time the gospel reaches her.
Andrea is being difficult to schedule with too. We haven't met with her for about a week and a half. She's having some trials we'll need to work through. I'm a little worried about her.
Well, lots of other cool things happened, but i don't have all day, and i'm getting tired of writing this email, so just make up the rest with your imagination.
love you all
Sestra Ariana Black
Let's see... what happened this week? On monday we were tracting and we got a plant from this nice old lady, and then we realized that we didn't have anywhere to put it while we tracted for the rest of the night, so we just took it around with us and put it by a tree, tracted a few houses, went and got our plant, repeat. it made the night a little lighter. We also found this guy that we happened to find out last night from an old potential sheet was tracted into about a year ago. Then he was given a Restoration pamphlet (the 1st lesson), and that day we gave him a Plan of Salvation pamphlet (2nd lesson). It just made me remember that God's orchestrating everyone's salvation, not us. Charissa sent me an email this week talking about that same principle, funnily enough. You know, when you're doing God's work, there are lots of coincidences. The more i see that, the more i believe that actually, none of them are coincidences. God has a perfect, intricate, but simple plan for every one of his children to hear the gospel and learn its principles. and each one of you are part of that plan for each of your neighbors. the question is: will you teach them by showing them and helping them understand God's love, or by helping them grow from opposition. You have to work with God's plan either way, either to your personal salvation or damnation. It's crazy how well God has all of these things worked out though. Tons of little ˝coincidences˝ go into every little thing I learn, or every little thing I teach someone else. It's silly to think that could all be by accident. Blocks don't fall on the ground by themselves in a tower. Order can't spontaneously come from chaos. but every little moment in my life builds on each other, to help me learn, and to help God's kingdom continue to grow.
On wednesday Sister Moody taught the first lesson with my assistance and support to a wonderful woman named Mirjana. She has a daughter going to school in Rochester, and she came to english sign-ups. She was very impressed with the ˝for the strength of youth˝ pamphlet that we put out with the church pamphlets during english sign-ups. The lesson went really well, and she said she would be baptized if she learns that it's true. Sister Moody did an awesome job leading the discussion, and giving commitments. The new training program is really inspired. It's geared towards having the new missionaries ready to train another missionary within 12 weeks. I feel like the new mtc program and this new training program make a huge difference. I feel like sister moody is already more ready to train-- language, teaching, finding, and everything else --than many missionaries under the old program were after serving for almost half a year in the field. it's pretty cool.
Here's an update on people who have/had baptismal dates, for those of you who have been following and are wondering where these people went:
Kristina is still doing well. She still hasn't come to church, and we still haven't been able to meet her family, but she got the courage to stand up to her friend to start investigating, so I think she'll stand up to her family as well. She knows it's true. We taught the word of wisdom, and she accepted it without any concerns. she has a lot of schoolwork right now, and she just got a new job, so we've had trouble meeting with her, but I think it'll go ok. she's been way prepared for the gospel. she'll work through the barriers.
We were finally able to meet with Suzana again. She still can't come to the church, but we went over while her fiance was at work, and we read the book of mormon with her.
Iris is doing ok. She isn't leaving for the coast as early as she thought, so we have more time to teach her. We tried to teach her that sometimes God's plan isn't our plan, but she didn't really want to hear it. she is slowly cutting down on cigarettes, and i think she's slowly progressing to baptism, but it's still a work in progress. She's been avoiding us for the past couple days though, which is annoying, but she'll come around. we've been praying for her.
Still haven't been able to contact Valentina. She hasn't been answering her phone, and she isn't often home, and she lives almost an hour from where we live. Still working on that. if nothing else, she has a great head start for next time the gospel reaches her.
Andrea is being difficult to schedule with too. We haven't met with her for about a week and a half. She's having some trials we'll need to work through. I'm a little worried about her.
Well, lots of other cool things happened, but i don't have all day, and i'm getting tired of writing this email, so just make up the rest with your imagination.
love you all
Sestra Ariana Black
