JUNE!!!

Gjirokaster Castle, so cool

So, I didn't know if it would ever come.. But it's finally June.. by the way.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!!! I hope you have a great day and eat a lot of delicious food and do something fun! 

This past week has been really good! It has been kinda overcast/rainy here and everyday that the weather is like that I just rejoice because it's one less day of hot weather. It's been wonderful. And just to give you an idea of how much we walk and things.. I have walked a hole through the middle of a pair of one of my shoes. Hahaha, it's kind of satisfying. 

Lina

So, on Friday TWO of my investigators got baptized :) It was really great! Seeing Lina Rrapo get baptized was so amazing because she's been an investigator for a really long time. Her husband and one of her daughters are members and she was just not interested/really scared of going under water. But now, several months after the baptisms of her family members, she's now a member too!! :) She was really scared to be baptized, you could see the terror in her face before Elder Price baptized her, but she said after that it felt amazing. Even better was she told us before hand that she didn't want to bear her testimony in front of everyone because she was shy. But on Sunday in fast & testimony meeting she got up and said some things, and it was just so great!! I'm so proud of her, and I'm so happy that I could contribute to the Rrapo family and helping them progress together and help them to get one step closer to going to the temple as a family!! 

Ela

The other investigator's name is Ela, she's 18 years old. She's funny.. She talks super fast and is really energetic. At first, I wasn't quite sure if she was aware of the weight of the things that we were teaching her. It kinda worried Sister Smith and I, but time after time you could just see that her countenance was slowly changing she would come to our lessons and actually participate and be involved, and then one day, she went and took pictures of the paintings in the church and put them as the backgrounds on her phone. It's the little things like that that make missionary work so rewarding! You just see the subtle changes in people and you watch a greater happiness come into their lives, and it's so satisfying! Her younger sister that we are teaching as well will be getting baptized in the next few weeks, on the same day as Ledi. 

So, now that the people that we've been working with for most of the transfer have been or are getting baptized, we're out to do some more finding. I'll be honest.. Finding is rough. Street contacting is kinda difficult because it's hard to establish a powerful conversation that quickly, and people here in Vlore seem to always have a place where they need to get going to and things like that. One great way to find people is through English course. We're teaching a few really great girls English and I'm hoping that they'll find some interest in the gospel as we share spiritual thoughts with them too. 

Isn't it so beautiful?!

I'm happy it's June. My first transfer has been passing pretty slowly as I've just been trying to adjust to life as a missionary. But, I'm so grateful to be here. Even though there are hard days or frustrating things to deal with, at the end of everyday I'm thankful for the things that I've learned or the people that I've been able to meet with. This gospel brings us so much strength and joy even in the midst of hard times. Our burdens may never be completely lifted off of us, but we will always receive the strength or help we need in order to endure. Heavenly Father loves all of His children and one of the greatest things that I've learned is that we don't only need to pray to Heavenly Father and talk about the big things, He will help us when we need help with anything.. Even if that's to help us endure the next hour with a smile on our face or to help us find the strength to whatever it is we are expected to do. I know that there is never a problem or a worry that is too small or too significant. The Lord wants to be in the details of our lives. And I promise that as we allow Him to be, a new light and a new understanding will come to us that will make every burden that we carry feel lighter. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

With much love, 

Motra Vermunt

Sister Bettinger & I. She is from Ontario