O Kosova! May 20th

There have been TONS of beautiful red poppy flowers everywhere here lately. They are so pretty.

It has been a great week in Kosovo. I really do love it here. It's such a special little place in the world. We've been working hard with Aferdita and Dafina towards their baptism dates this week and came to a conclusion with Aferdita after reviewing the Restoration. She is ready. She believes it. She knows it, and now just has to decide she does have the strength and faith to do what she knows is right. We told her to not just pray for what church is true, but to be specific when she prays for the truth of the Book of Mormon and if Joseph Smith really was a prophet. She wasn't sure about that, so we all just laughed and said it's because you know you will get an answer that they are! ha. She knows. She loves it, but just not quite ready to do it. So sad, but I just gotta have more patience and be happy for the time I've had with her. Someday when she is ready to act it will happen. Maybe just not now. She did come to church yesterday! 

 

Dafina has been keeping the Word of Wisdom this week and it has been harder than she thought I think.  Which is so good because she didn't think it would be that big of a deal to not drink coffee or tea. We picked her up for church yesterday and it seemed that every talk and lesson was just for her. So perfect! 

We had a lesson later in the day with her yesterday and watched Elder Hollands talk about believing from last Sunday Morning session in conference! It was a beautiful thing. She is such an amazing person. I have learned Oh so much from her questions and thoughts. Her struggles to do the simple things we all take for granted... like believe and feel God's love. I asked her if she has hope and desire for Jesus Christ to be her Savior and Redeemer and she said yes! She hopes He can give her forgiveness for her mistakes and sins. This is huge coming from a girl that not that long ago believed she could just do it all herself. Just her and God. It has been the best experience of a lifetime to teach her. She is amazing. We explained that by saying she has desire and hope for the Savior in her life that tells us she does have faith in Him and as she continues to act and work on gaining more and more faith her little desire and hope will grow into stronger faith and even knowledge someday. What a beautiful process! She said that she has been wanting to know before she would believe and that probably was wrong. She's right! We first have to believe. 

 

After her lesson she wanted to stay with us because when she stays for church instead of going home she is all alone in her apartment. So she helped us teach a new guy named Okana the Restoration. She did SO good. I asked her to teach about Joseph Smith after the Great Apostasy and she did so good. I was in heaven! She knows it and I hope she felt the spirit even just a little as she taught it prob. for the first time in her life to someone else. She also at the end helped us teach him a little about prayer. How we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Dafina has had a hard time with prayer, especially closing in Christ's name. I know she does now and it was amazing to have her teach that to someone else. We asked him to say the closing prayer and he did, simple, clear, and beautiful. This also was good for Dafina because she won't pray with us. I have gotten her to pray with me once since January. She says it's because she wants to get her answer by herself and not with others. Anyway, it was good for her to see that we want everyone to pray and we should pray together as well as by ourselves no matter what we say. 

 

After our lesson with him, she took us to her apartment for the first time ever and we showed her Mormon.org all the videos and profiles! I showed her my sister Heather's and brother Wade's. So cool! I bet after we left she watched and read those all night. Or I hope! ha. We will meet her again on Tuesday to see how the full week of  Word of Wisdom has gone and go over the Baptism questions again. I really have no idea what will happen, but I know God knows and that He loves Dafina even more than I do. So miracles can happen and will whether it is now or later. 

Just loving it in Kosovo. It really is amazing the things I have learned from these people. The miracles that happen daily around us and the power we can receive when we need it and are worthy of it. I love the Savior and my Father in Heaven. I love the Priesthood and am very grateful for the amazing power that we have to bless and guide us on the earth today. For my wonderful Father that has always been worthy and willing to bless me with this power, and my brothers the same. I have studied about the Priesthood this week and am continually more and more amazed at the power of the priesthood. I think I need to be better at using this more and I hope all you priesthood holders will always be worthy and willing to use it everyday too. 

 

This Sunday we had new soldiers. I guess these ones were just the higher ranked soldiers from Utah that came earlier than the rest. They all want to come back, but pretty sure they will all just be having church on the base because first of all they all wouldn't fit in our church! ha. It was fun to have them come though. It always helps bring the spirit, and they will all be such great examples and strengths to the members!

Love ya! 

Motra Huvër