O my family!! --- July 1st

This is a picture from our last Mission Conference. kinda fun with us all... me with my mini in the purple. 

 

I have left writing my main letter this week until the last because I just have so much to say and to express it just seems impossible and... probably is impossible so I will just try to say a few things.  First I hope that everyone has a wonderful Forth of July this Thursday. I just want you all to know that I am so, SO grateful to be an American. We have freedom and rights that people around the world couldn't even dream of having. I love and am so thankful to be an American, for the troops that fight for our freedom all over the world and for the most wonderful environment and love that I have been able to be raised up in. It truly is the dream! 

This week there has been so many crazy things. We worked so hard everyday. Some days are always better than others, but I love doing this work it is so incredible. We have been working hard to meet as many members as possible. Help them do missionary work themselves, bring back those members that are already lost here to build what we already have, and to continue to find more that will receive our message of Christ here. Talk about amazing. We are getting ready to hopefully become a stake in the near future and by Spring of next year to officially be declared the first stake in the Baltics! Talk about amazing, but a lot of work to still be done. We are over 2 of the strongest and biggest branches in Albania and we have a lot of work to do. Sunday's get a little crazy as we are striving to meet all the members, make sure all our inactives and new investigators are there for both branches and working to also make sure they have good experiences and meeting members. It gets pretty tricky and exhausting, but we'll make it work. This is why member missionary work is SO important! you see!!!!!!!! 

I just have been watching little bits and pieces of the big missionary broadcast that was last week and I just can't help but feel the spirit SO strong. I can't believe how awesome it is to be apart of something so amazing... and the best part is that it has always been this amazing and always will be. Also that every single one of us is apart of it. NOT just me in Albania right now, or Kayla in New Mexico... but all of us. No matter where we are or what we are doing. 

My advice and hope is that you will Pray for these experiences, Pray to recognize them in your life, and Pray that when they come you will have the courage and faith to take advantage of the moment!! 

I love my family! You are all seriously the best! Thanks for your wonderful examples always. 

This week I have really been so full of the spirit. Empowered!! I have really been working on recognizing and listening to the spirit that I have and have been so amazed at the power and strength I have received.... and that I have needed. We have had some pretty crazy experiences with some people here this week and it really just breaks my heart the sadness the world lives in without the light of the Gospel and the promptings of the spirit in their lives. 

Here is a little story of one of the crazy things: On Saturday, we were invited to visit the wife of the 4th branch mission leaders wife. She is not a member. We went in the house and she was pretty cold to us at first. He tried to warm her up and start talking gospel. I could tell she just wasn't really that excited to visit with us so I just started praying and praying hard that we would know how to help this man, seriously the kindest man you've ever met! We started with a prayer and began to try to teach her about the Book of Mormon, our purpose as missionaries and how much God and Jesus Christ love her. I tried SO hard to get her to look at us even, but she was just so... awkward really. Talk about being empowered as missionaries. This would have been impossible even if I wasn't one. She accepted commitments from us to read the Book of Mormon, but really was so quiet and wouldn't really say anything until the very end as we strived to be patient and loving and listen intentively to know how to help her. Well... in the end she yelled at us pretty harshly. It was crazy actually. Her poor husband was so kind and I could tell just wants her to understand the hope and love he has found in his life but she is so caught up in herself and all the "bad" things that are in her life she can't even see one good thing she already has. She basically told us that we don't know anything- we are rich Americans

who have everything and who don't have to worry about anything and we don't know anything about her life and the life of Albanians. Why would she listen to us if all we had was nothing
physical. Why, if her husband spent so much time at the church, wasn't he getting paid? Why why why. I don't know how someone who has the kindest, most caring husband in the
world to love her can be THAT unhappy. Then I realized again that 

True and lasting happiness is not found in this world.

It is something outside of it. It is something inside of us.

She has no idea what anyone else is experiencing in America, in her own neighborhood, and especially in her own husband's life because she was so focused on how miserable she was, how much she didn't have. It was so sad and all I could think of after we closed with our testimonies of God's love for her and the Saviors love and understanding for her and a prayer was how much Heavenly Father needs me to love this women. Even not just for her, but to help and support her husband even more. I hope I can send nice things to her often and go out of our way to just "stop by" even just to say hello sometimes. Just so she can know that God does love her and she needs to listen and accept His love! Kinda crazy.

Also just during email today I emailed Motra Forte my last companion that is still in Kosovo and she emailed me this Miraculous story! I was balling as I read it... ya talk about embarrassing. I'm just so glad God knows all things and He has a plan for everyone. I'm so happy!! Here is the piece she sent me...

"Sister Hoover. You are going to die.. Basically. I don't have much time to tell you this, but Aferdita is a little missionary. She contacted this lady that was looking for the missionaries and wondering how she could be baptised, and she has taught her twice with us! She bore her testimony of the book of mormon and I about balled with tears of happiness and joy!!!!!! It was one of the most happy and proud moments of my life!

Then... Hold on to your seat.. you might want to take a deep breath..

Dafina taught FHE this past week and in the end she bore her testimony and CLOSED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS ABSOLUTELY DYING AND IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD!

Afterwards I talked to her about it and asked her how it felt.. She just got the biggest smile on her face and said.. "AMAZING!" Ahhhhh. talk about the proudest moment of my mission so far.. I about died and I knew you would too!"

I love this work! It is so powerful! It is incredible! I am empowered and I love it! 

ju dua shumë!

Motra Kristi Ayana Hoover