The End and New Beginnings

Well, this is it. The last post I'll ever send out to you all from my missino field. One more week ahead for me and I'll be home. It is going to be an amazing week. Up to Thursday I'll still be in Cyprus Larnaca and I'll have to avoid death by overeating. We've been invited at numerous homes. So, we'll be busy... Then I've got my interview with Presidend Freestone on Friday, shopping on Saturday and too much church on Sunday before flying out Monday morning. It'll be great and quick!

This past week wasn't the best for numbers, many of our investigators lost their enthusiasm and they didn't really find time to meet with us. Nonetheless it was a great week, punctuated by some great miracles.

On Wednesday at institute sister Lucy impressed us once more by coming up to us and saying there was a man named Denny that wanted to come to the church now. He was already at the bus stop. So we went there to pick him up and we showed him around the church. He liked it a lot and this Sunday he come to church right after work (he's a baker) and stayed for the classes. We then had a lesson with him later in the afternoon where he shared some of his concerns regarding religion in our day and the confusion the different sects create. It was really cool. He also brought his friend along who liked the services and the lesson too. That was a wonderful miracle.

Josie, me, Maria. Some great members.

Elder Watts, Lynne, me, Amanda, Sister Hansen, Teresa, and Mo xD

Elder Watts, Leah, me

Elder Watts, Eliel (one of our investigating friends), me

We had another miracle showing the hand of the Lord in our lives. We went in the evening to see an investigator from Africa at his house. He'd told us that we could pass by around 8 o'clock on Sunday. When we rang his bell, he didn't answer and no one else was in the flat either. We were about to leave again when we heard some music and talking in the neighboring flat and we felt like we should knock on the door. So we rang the bell and almost immediatly it opened and a nice young African asked us to come in before we could say anything. We did. We introduced ourselves and got talking with him and his friend that lives there too. They both seemed interested in our message. We shared some of our spiritual experiences we had and they had and we were able to give them a book of mormon and they also promised to come to church on Wednesday for Institute. It was amazing. It was like they were waiting for us to knock on their door. Both had difficult past experiences that redirected their lives back to God.

I'm glad for the examples of these and all the other people I've had in my mission. It has been more for me than anyone I've served in these two years. I've learned and grown so much. I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity that was afforded me to serve. I've come to know my Savior more than I thought possible. I learned that there is more to this world than sheltered Switzerland and happy valley in Utah. I know how great my life really is. I've learned to appreciate life much more. i'm glad to have served here and i wouldn't trade this experience for nothing in the world.

I wish you all a wonderful life and a great week! I'll see most of you some time sooner or later and I hope I was able to touch at least one of you by sharing the things that touched my life. 

Breezes and Baptismal Dates

I know I keep repeating myself but this week went by quickly. I think this is to me a sign of the hand of the Lord in my life. He's making time go by quickly so I don't have time to worry about going home. I can only just do so much to stay on top of the activities of the day. I'm very glad that the Lord is influencing my perception of time in this fashion.

Last night the Lord had mercy upon me and he let there be a wind that cooled me off at night. It was great! It has been steadily getting hotter so that breeze was a life saver.

Last Saturday we had a lesson with Gerald and we taught him about the authority, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As we discussed these things we had a great feeling of the Spirit with us. It was amazing how we were guided to the right scriptures at the right time. It wasn't at all how we'd planned it but it was exactly as it was meant to be. Then we asked him if he would be baptized and he said "sure". He then shared with us that he'd spoken with his friend about it that very morning. His friend had told him that he needed to be baptized. They'd discussed it that very morning and we then came and asked him to commit to a baptismal date. It was quite amazing. On Sunday both Gerald and his friend Kamara came to church (arriving 5 min early xD). It was really nice! That was surely the hand of the Lord in my life.

This morning we went bowling and it was great! I was horrible at it though. I only had one strike in two games. xD Never mind, I'll practice and one day I'll break the 100 mark.xD Amazing really, how bad I played. xD It was a great pastime and we were invited for lunch by the Hansens after that. Score!

Some great pix from this Sunday and last Monday:

This magnificent specimen did a beautiful belly-flop only  moments after this shot was taken.

We went doorknock in village outside of Larnaca. You should have seen our tan line afterwards.

Sister Lynne and me looking awesome in church.

Me, Despina, Amanda (her mom), Elder Watts

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.