Training and Siopao

We had an amazingly fast week. I can't believe how it flew past. We had some wonderful great experiences. After our zone trip to the camel park on Monday things went by very quickly and before I knew it we were on our way to zone conference on Friday morning. My last zone conference ever! It is amazing how quickly time flies. The training was great. President Freestone gave a presentation on recognizing the hand of the Lord in our life. He shared an experience he had in his on life, which impressed me greatly. About 30 years ago he was called to be a temple worker in the Chicago temple, which was about a 6h car drive from his home. When he was set apart he was given the promise that if he performed his calling well all of his children would be sealed in the temple one day. Well, he really wanted that promise to be fulfilled and so they Sister Freestone and he gave it their all. Going there once a month for 4 years. Well, most of his children were married in the temple except for one of his sons who never really liked the church. Over the years President Freestone was doubting that it would ever happen until just this Thursday that son was sealed in the temple. President was so happy!  I learned that we need to trust the Lord's timing in this promises. It took 30 years for that promise to President Freestone to be fulfilled but it was fulfilled.

We had an exchange with the Assistants. It was a lot of fun. I was with Elder Matthews and we had a great time working together and teaching people and members that he knew already. Sadly we didn't really have bikes (because the other's used them) and so we had to walk through Larnaca. It was quite the trek. xD

This week the hand of the Lord in my life was on Sunday. After having a lesson at the conclusion of the Sunday meetings we came out to realize that we wouldn't have time to go home and have lunch before I had to be in my interview with President Freestone. So, just at the moment where I came to terms witht he fact that I would be hungry all afternoon Elder Davies gave us two Siopao (Filipino meat buns). It was amazing. Sister Amanda had brought them for us Elders when we'd been in the lesson and now we had lunch at a moment where I thought I'd go hungry. I know that the Lord had His almighty hand in this blessing. I was just grateful that I had something to eat at that moment.

Sadly no pix this week because I'm in a very bad internet cafe...

Swiss night and Camels

Our week was a amazing. We had many great experiences throughout. On Thursday nobody wanted to meet with us so we took the chance of a whole day without appointments to go out to a village to do doorknocking. It was great! We arrived after a long sweaty bike ride and just as we were locking up our bikes a man waved us over from the other side of the street. It was truly the hand of the Lord. Because we were already tired and sweaty and hot. He waved us over and invited us on his front porch. He spoke to us and offered us watermelon and water. It was so kind. A really good elderly man. He even took a Book of Mormon for his wife. I was touched by his kindness. It was just what we needed at that time.

Thursday evening we had our weekly activity night in the branch. This week I did a Swiss culture night. It was really nice. I tried to help everyone understand that Switzerland is the greatest place on earth. I'm not sure if I succeeded but I gave it a good shot. I even had a powerpoint presentation. Can't go wrong with that. I made Roesti for it, which was my first try ever at it. (I learned that it's so easy even I can do it.) My favorite part was showing them a video of Schwingen. They were all quite impressed by this truly Swiss pastime. Also, the Jodeling was amazing to them.. xD It was good fun.

On Saturday we had another miracle. We met with Elder Jensen and Seluhins in Larnaca and did an exchange. I went to Limassol with Elder Seluhins. As we got in the bus we sat in the back and just before the bus departed a African came in with a great big smile and sat down two rows in front of us. After the bus started off he suddenly got up and came to speak to us and asked us if we had one of our magazines. It turned out that he thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses. As we explained his mistake we started speaking and he started asking questions. We offered him a pamphlet to read and he read it diligently during the ride. It was great. We got his number and he said he wanted to meet with us and come to church. He explained that he'd been searching for a long time for answers about life and about the bible. He's read the bible Genesis to Revelations but no one has been able to give him satisfactory answers to his questions about it. We challenged him to ask us one of them and as he asked it I immediately had a scripture come to mind that I'd read earlier in the week in my studies. I shared it with him and explained a little and he felt satisfied with the answer and was very willing to meet again for some more. 

Sister Anderson, me, Sister Watson, Ursula, Amanda

On Sunday I was able to attend church in Limassol. That was a treat. I saw many of the members again and said hi. It was satisfying to hear that they hadn't forgotten me quite yet. xD I really love those people and it is sad that I won't see them for probably a very long time!

This Monday we went to the Camel Park here close to Larnaca with the whole Zone. I rode a camel for the first time I remember. It was quite fun but I don't think I'll start doing it regularly. It is quite a bumpy ride xD We also had fun just looking at the animals and being stupid as missionaries. xD It was great!

I'm off to the Saharan desert...

Me, Jonny the ostrich...

The Spirit and Shoes

This week was amazing! I experienced soooo much! It was great. We had many miracles and experiences. However, two things stick out to me especially in this week.

On Wednesday we met one of our newer investigators (Gerald from Sierra Leone) for a lesson on the Restoration. He'd read the pamphlet and had many questions concerning it. They were very good questions. However, we didn't get through them all so we arranged with him to come again the next day. When we arrived on Thursday evening, they family there had guests come over just as we'd sat down. So, we ended up not discussing what we'd planned on but we had an introductory lesson and spoke of the Book of Mormon one of the guests was very interested in it. She serves in the British Army. She'd seen the book before but had never heard first hand about it, so she questioned us on it and agreed to meet with us and our other investigator on Saturday. That was when we had a the great experience. We spoke about the Apostasy. They actually spoke to us about the Apostasy they saw in the churches they'd attended and how they saw all the money-making that happens in the churches today. They got pretty excited about it. Then when they'd come to a close, we calmly told them about Joseph Smith's history. We told them of his search for truth and we let the soldier read the first vision for us from the pamphlet and we told both of them to ponder the picture right next to it afterwards. When she finished reading there was a hush. We stayed quiet for at least 3-4 min. It was great! The Spirit was very strong in the room as we just sat there and savored the feeling. Then Elder Watts and I testified humbly of our knowledge of the truth of these things. The Florence (soldier) just kept repeating how that account really touched her. She read the whole page on the pamphlet and was quite introspective after that. They both said that they wanted to come to church the next day. (Sadly they didn't make it for some reason :(   ) But, I saw what effect the Spirit had on those two people and it was definitely the Lord's hand in the lesson and in the "coincidence" of us meeting a second unplanned time with our investigator (Gerald) so we could also meet Florence and share that message with her also.

On Sunday we had a great miracle in Elder Watts life which touched me. We had an appointment with Sister Despina on Sunday evening. When we spoke with her in church in the morning she told me that she had a surprise for me. I was curious.
So after we'd ended the lesson we had with her and her mother I asked her what that surprise was. She ran to her room and came back out with a shoebox. Inside were a pair of really nice, unworn shoes. I was amazed and a little worried why she would be giving me shoes. It turned out that her uncle had bought them for her 2 years ago and had gotten them to large for her and they were also men's shoes. So she'd kept them but never really found any use for them. I looked at the size and realized that they wouldn't fit me and I told her. But then it turned out that that they fit Elder Watts. It was amazing. Because Elder Watts had been telling me just earlier this week that he needed to go buy new shoes and there were exactly the shoes he needed. It was quite amazing! It reminded me of the story in the Liahona a while back. I know now with certainty that the Lord looks out for his missionaries even in trivial things. That is what I learned from this experience! It is astounding. 

Changes and the Book of Mormon

We had a great week. Actually, we were surprised how well the week went when we looked back this Sunday. It was just amazing. We just went about our daily work and we were visited by small miracles throughout the week which made the whole amazing and magnificent. The first part of the week, we had the Christensens there with us helping us and when they left the Hansens took over, hardly missing a beat. They are doing a great job!

The Hansens are the new senior couple here in Larnaca. They are helping a lot already. They are from Chubbuk, Idaho which is close to Pocatello. xd They have 9 children and 36 grandchildren. They are great! They came with a how can we help attitude. We've had them with us for a lot of lessons already and they are doing great. On Thursday we wanted to meet them at our apartment for them to inspect it and then we were going to help them buy a GPS. Well, they really need it. It took us about 1.5h to find each other xD They went all around Larnaca and back and out again. But finally we were able to direct them to a street were we met them and took them to our place. After that we got their GPS and set it up and since then they've been doing a lot better with getting around. xD

The members were sad when the Christensens left.

We felt this week like we should go see President Ivanov for a lesson. The thing is, that he lives far out and we feared that we might lose a lot of time but we still felt impressed to do so. So, on Wednesday morning we waited for the but out to his house. We waited at the bus stop for almost 1.5h. The buses are terrible... We spoke with a very nice lady that was waiting for the bus too during this time, so all was not lost. Then we finally arrived at President Ivanonv's and we had our lesson and spoke with him also about how we can support the branch and what we missionaries can do to help him. We spoke of the book of mormon and it's importance in our lesson. Then going back we waited a long time for the bus again. We were able to give a Book of Mormon to a lady there and speak to another one. However, I felt like we'd wasted time. I felt like we hadn't used our time as well as we should have and I wondered why we'd felt so strongly about visiting him in the first place. My answer came on Sunday in the gospel principles class. President Ivanov spoke about missionary work in the class and helped everyone there recognize how they were missionaries. He reminded some how they'd already done missionary work and brought friends to church and he spoke of the joy we feel when we do so. Then he challenged everyone to give a Book of Mormon to one of their friends this week. He told us how after we'd left he'd found an answer to one of his question he'd had in the Book of Mormon we'd left him for his friend. We'd given him a Book of Mormon with one of those papers that has the questions of the soul on it and where to find the answers in the Book of Mormon. That is when I felt and understood why we'd gone to see him and I knew that we'd done the right thing. I know the Lord had His hand in my life in that experience.

Sister Ivanova, "Alex", President Ivanov

Well, we are teaching San, as I told you last week. She came to church again this week and is really serious about her commitment to everything concerning the gospel. She's progressing wonderfully and has a baptismal date for June 15th. I'm really excited for her. She's been an investigator in Larnaca since before I came on my mission. xD She's been around for a long time. So, I'm really glad that she's finally come to commit herself to this cause and to the plan Heavenly Father has for her. In just the last two weeks we already saw a great deal of growth.

San, Candle, Princess, Antonia

There are more changes coming to Larnaca. We've got transfers this week. I'll be transferred again... Elder Watts and I are moving to the other apartment in Larnaca. The one I used to stay in when I came into the mission. Which I find quite ironic. xD We're moving because Sisters are coming to serve in Larnaca and they'll stay in the apartment I'm in now. xD It's pretty exciting because Larnaca has so many female member that the Sisters will really be able to make a difference and help a lot, I believe.

We made a new map for the Sisters to find their way.

We met a lot of new people this week and some of them have become investigators. We'll see how they progress in the coming weeks. We met a family from Sierra Leone which seems very promising. They've lived here in Cyprus for 11 years and the father used to play professional soccer here and around Europe. I'm excited to see them progress...