Hey
everybody! Like the title of the email says, it was a really busy week
for us this past week but it was also an absolutely amazing week for us here in
Buda! We were able to find 5 new investigators (one of which was a family from
Turkey). We were able to meet with many people and the Lord just keeps placing
those people that are ready for the accepting of the gospel in our path on a
day to day basis! I am coming to realize more and more that if we open our
mouths at all times and in all places then the Lord will continue to work
miracles through us. I have found that when I work as hard as I can and then
just work a little bit harder (like do something that I normally would not do
like talk to someone while waiting for the light to turn green at a cross walk
or talk to someone that is about to shut the door going into the apartment
building) then that is the moment when the miracles tend to happen. President
always says that we need to "go to the edge and fly" (it is based off
a poem) and I have seen that so much (not just in my mission but in my life)!
When we go to the edge and leave our comfort zones, that is when the Lord can
work amazing miracles within us; we will fly!!
We were able to go on exchanges this past week with the secretaries and also the Elders from Dunaújváros. I was able to work with Elder Stephens (who was actually the secretary last week that was replaced with Elder Ballard from my group, like I said it has been a crazy week) and the exchange went really well! While finding, we were able to get many potential investigators and also got 2 let-ins resulting in 4 new investigators. The first let-in was amazing as the woman opened the door with a big smile and told us that she would love to hear our message but that she was going to be leaving soon. We told her that it would be a very quick message and that it would be very worth hearing. She then agreed to let us in after tidying up a bit. We taught a quick Restoration and set up to come back. Then we had a prompting that instead of going back for dinner, we needed to go and tract some more. So we followed the prompting and started tracting the next building over. After ringing about 3 doors someone opened the front door to the apartment building without a word. We went up to the top floor and knocked the door. A smiling man quickly opened the door and we told him who we were. He told us he was from Turkey and that he was Muslim but that he totally respects Christians. We asked to come inside and he accepted. He was able to listen as well as his daughter and his wife. We testified about what we knew to be true, about a living prophet, God's plan for us, the Restoration of the Gospel and the joy and happiness we feel from day to day. They loved how much we were smiling and could feel the spirit! We agreed to set up again and went back a couple days ago (the 2nd lesson was also amazing)! We were also able to go on exchanges this past week with the Dunaújváros Elders. I was able to work with Elder Aardema and it went great! We were able to get many potential investigators as well as teach a referral we received from church head-quarters. One investigator even came to church the next day and he really loved that as well (we have set up two teachings for this upcoming week)! One of the things that we planned to focus on was following the spirit in all we do and we were able to see the spirit guiding us a lot especially when we were able to find a family in an apartment (right before they left for a bike ride) that is incredibly interested to have us come back and share a message. I am coming to realize more and more on my mission how the spirit works with us. I used to think that the Spirit was something that was like this big profound thought or idea, and while there are times that it is like that, most of the time I have just seen that the spirit literally just guides us if we are doing what we are supposed to be doing (being good boys and good girls like Elder Bednar always says). Many times it is just a simple thought to do something good for someone else (or to maybe put dinner a little later so that we could find a family prepared for the accepting of the gospel, I did not think it was a prompting at all at the time but I followed it because it seemed like the logical thing to do). I have also really loved studying up on the fruits of the spirit (peace, calmness, understanding, simplicity, etc.), these are also how I have come to follow the spirit. I heard a quote that like the devil is the author of complexity and the Holy Ghost is the author of simplicity (I thought that was interesting).
We were able to have some really great other teachings this week as well. We were able to meet with one of our investigators and go over the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It went really well and he was able to listen and I think that he really felt the Spirit. He was able to read this past week and he also was able to come to church which he also enjoyed from what it looked like! We met with another investigator with whom we were able to speak about faith and repentance and how when we have faith in Jesus Christ we will want to repent and become clean and when we become clean and better we will come to know that this gospel is true! It went well and I think he is starting to hopefully see more of the big picture. The other Elders (we were on exchanges) met with another of our investigators and I heard that also went well. Unfortunately, they were not able to come to church but they are doing well.
We were able to go on exchanges this past week with the secretaries and also the Elders from Dunaújváros. I was able to work with Elder Stephens (who was actually the secretary last week that was replaced with Elder Ballard from my group, like I said it has been a crazy week) and the exchange went really well! While finding, we were able to get many potential investigators and also got 2 let-ins resulting in 4 new investigators. The first let-in was amazing as the woman opened the door with a big smile and told us that she would love to hear our message but that she was going to be leaving soon. We told her that it would be a very quick message and that it would be very worth hearing. She then agreed to let us in after tidying up a bit. We taught a quick Restoration and set up to come back. Then we had a prompting that instead of going back for dinner, we needed to go and tract some more. So we followed the prompting and started tracting the next building over. After ringing about 3 doors someone opened the front door to the apartment building without a word. We went up to the top floor and knocked the door. A smiling man quickly opened the door and we told him who we were. He told us he was from Turkey and that he was Muslim but that he totally respects Christians. We asked to come inside and he accepted. He was able to listen as well as his daughter and his wife. We testified about what we knew to be true, about a living prophet, God's plan for us, the Restoration of the Gospel and the joy and happiness we feel from day to day. They loved how much we were smiling and could feel the spirit! We agreed to set up again and went back a couple days ago (the 2nd lesson was also amazing)! We were also able to go on exchanges this past week with the Dunaújváros Elders. I was able to work with Elder Aardema and it went great! We were able to get many potential investigators as well as teach a referral we received from church head-quarters. One investigator even came to church the next day and he really loved that as well (we have set up two teachings for this upcoming week)! One of the things that we planned to focus on was following the spirit in all we do and we were able to see the spirit guiding us a lot especially when we were able to find a family in an apartment (right before they left for a bike ride) that is incredibly interested to have us come back and share a message. I am coming to realize more and more on my mission how the spirit works with us. I used to think that the Spirit was something that was like this big profound thought or idea, and while there are times that it is like that, most of the time I have just seen that the spirit literally just guides us if we are doing what we are supposed to be doing (being good boys and good girls like Elder Bednar always says). Many times it is just a simple thought to do something good for someone else (or to maybe put dinner a little later so that we could find a family prepared for the accepting of the gospel, I did not think it was a prompting at all at the time but I followed it because it seemed like the logical thing to do). I have also really loved studying up on the fruits of the spirit (peace, calmness, understanding, simplicity, etc.), these are also how I have come to follow the spirit. I heard a quote that like the devil is the author of complexity and the Holy Ghost is the author of simplicity (I thought that was interesting).
We were able to have some really great other teachings this week as well. We were able to meet with one of our investigators and go over the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It went really well and he was able to listen and I think that he really felt the Spirit. He was able to read this past week and he also was able to come to church which he also enjoyed from what it looked like! We met with another investigator with whom we were able to speak about faith and repentance and how when we have faith in Jesus Christ we will want to repent and become clean and when we become clean and better we will come to know that this gospel is true! It went well and I think he is starting to hopefully see more of the big picture. The other Elders (we were on exchanges) met with another of our investigators and I heard that also went well. Unfortunately, they were not able to come to church but they are doing well.
We were able to meet with even another investigator and I thought that the teaching went really well and I thought that she really felt the spirit. We were able to finish it well and were able to schedule for the next day. She ended up having to cancel and then cancelled the teaching for the next day as well. She was also not able to come to church and we have not been able to get a hold of her to find out what happened. She was originally scheduled for baptism on the 10th of June and we will probably have to move it back, but we still feel that she can be ready this transfer. She just needs to make the full decision that she can be a great member and that she is willing to enter into the covenant of baptism and remain a full-active member for the rest of her life. I believe that she can do it and I know that in the long-run it is going to bless her life tremendously. We are going to keep praying and working hard to prepare her. She is such a wonderful person.
It
was a great week and I am looking forward to this one! I love you all tons and
hope you have a great week!
Gentry
Elder
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