Week #37

Gdje si lekcija?-Where are you lesson?

The title has to do with a story that I'll share later. But yes, I started with a great week training Sestra Compare. Sestra Compare and I have a mutual friend who I've been best friends with since we were little and Sestra Compare became best friends with this girl when they were in Africa together and deciding to go on missions together. It has been fun being caught up in this girl's life (who is on a mission right now) and hear some fun news about home. When Sestra Compare first arrived, I didn't realize that I had connections with 4/5 missionaries that arrived. First was Sestra Compare of course, and then Sestra Giles came to the MTC for our last TRC lesson (I forgot what it stands for, but it's when returned missionaries or pretty much anyone who comes in and volunteers and we practice teaching a lesson to them). Another connection was about an elder that one of my best friends ran into. I told about him a little bit the beginning of July. But it was nice to see a face to the name. Then a surprise I thought wasn't going to happen until next transfer. So one of the elders told me that his mom's last name is Jolley, so we figured out that we were 2nd cousins! I remembered my parents telling me that I had a cousin coming to the mission, but I forgot when. So it was fun to talk to him a bit, and another fun fact, is that another elder in this mission found out that his great-great-great grandpa's last name was Jolley. So we did some genealogy research and found out that we have the same great-something grandpa. And if you think that's crazy, one missionary who used to be here and his brother is coming in a transfer has the same last name as my Grandma's maiden name. So I think we'll just have some family reunions here in the Adriatic North Mission :) Crazy, huh? So it was fun on Tuesday to make all these connections. Then I found out Sestra Compare was going to be my new companion and we've had a great, busy week finding, teaching, and proclaiming the gospel!

The first few nights I felt a little bad because we weren't having the success like I was hoping for Sestra Compare's first week. Yes, we did find quite a few great potentials, but we didn't have any lessons with them only scheduled lessons for this upcoming week. So I was praying yesterday that we can at least have one lesson, so Sestra Compare can know what it's like to teach someone who hasn't already accepted the gospel. Before we went tracting yesterday, I was feeling it. The Holy Ghost was pushing me that yes we were going to have a lesson that night and we would have our first new investigator together. So I was excited and we went to a certain area we prayed about and there were a lot of closed doors and good conversations, but those conversations turned into a no. So it was about 7:45 and we were quite far away from home so we needed to end soon so we could get home by 9. After one of those conversations I said out loud, "Gdje si lekcija?" "Where are you lesson?" And Sestra Compare said simply, "The next door. Right there." So we walked up and talked to this lady who was outside with her son on the computer, asked about God and went into the Book of Mormon. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and what it was. Testified to her, and you could just see the Holy Ghost working in her through her eyes. She was touched. We asked if we could talk more about how she could use the Book of Mormon in her life for 10 minutes, but she said she was too busy at the moment. So we set up another time on Wednesday and Sestra Compare ended with a prayer. Our first lesson together with our first new investigator. It was so great. We celebrated a bit right after and I loved how we found her together. I am so grateful that she was able to experience that joy.

We have a potential investigator we're meeting with on Saturday, and she emphasized a lot on there's one God. She's talked to missionaries in the past, and I think she has the mind set (along with a bunch of people) that as long as you're a good person and do good things, we'll all return back to God. That's true, but there's more. I was thinking about it this morning and figured out that it's about following Jesus Christ. Being obedient to the example he set. In Mosiah 2:41, it promises us that as long as we're obedient then we can have temporal and spiritual blessings now and in the life to come. But we have to follow the commandments now. This is why I'm here on a mission. I'm telling people what the commandments are, so that they can choose for themselves if they want that happiness or not. Yes, there's one God and he is love, but we have to follow the commandments and know what those commandments are in order to return back to him. I love the gospel! I love being on a mission so I can realize all these truths! For God is my loving Heavenly Father and I know that I can return back to him one day as long as I listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and follow Christ's example. Will you follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and follow Christ's example with me? I know if you do that you'll see the blessings in this life and the blessings that will come in the next life. Volim vas!!! Vidimo se!


Sa vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće