Week #42

Pad!-Fall!

It has finally gotten cold!!! It all started yesterday. It just started to rain and it's been quite chilly. We'll see if it actually stays, but we hear from our weather source that it will rain tomorrow and this weekend and stay chilly. So I'll let you know next week if it stays that way.

Not a lot happened this week. We have just been putting up a lot of English flyers and then we had about 20 people come to English sign-ups including a few kids, so we'll have a little class for kids too. I'm super excited!!! :) But we did have a great testimony builder on Monday about always opening your mouth. We were contacting on the way to our night of tracting and one woman just completely shut us down (not unusual), but then the woman just a meter or two behind her was like, "Hey, you're Mormons right? THAT I'm interested in." She looked at my Book of Mormon and saw a Restoration pamphlet and said, "Restoration, interesting. Can I have that? Thanks!" And started to walk away. Both Sestra CC and I were just in a state of shock for a few seconds like did that just happen? Then we turned around and ran after her asking for her number and where she lives. She's been in the hospital the last few days but said she would like to meet with us this week. So we'll see what happens :) But it's crazy that we talk to hundreds of people a week and then every once in a while we talk to someone who is just ready to jump right in and try the gospel. But we wouldn't be prepared to talk to the ones who are prepared if we didn't talk to those hundreds of people. It's all about faith and not seeing it my way, but the Lord's way. He's not just preparing people for me to meet, but He's preparing me to meet those people. I wouldn't be showing my faith if I just talked to members and sat in the church just waiting for someone to walk in. Yes, every once in a while that happens, but that's not where the growth comes. The growth comes when the faith is turned into action. I know that I've talked about faith pretty much my entire mission, but without faith what would we have? So I'm super grateful that I have this opportunity to learn and challenge my faith because life is just going to get harder, but it's also going to get better. In Ether 12:6, it talks about the trial of your faith and there's still a trial going on, but we're pushing right on! At the beginning of this transfer we had a district meeting and setting a goal of how many baptisms do we see Zadar having by the end of the year. We went to our own little areas and prayed to receive revelation. I did some reflection a few days ago about that experience and realized I'm not acting like a missionary who received revelation for the baptisms in Zadar. Now when I'm bummed and I don't want to go out in the rain because I'm sick or maybe I can call someone and stay inside a little longer, I remember that number and think: Is this what it takes to get these baptisms by the end of December? Then I go out anyways. Not a lot happened this week but that's ok because it's just preparing us for next week. And if this week isn't it that's ok because it's supposed to happen. As long as I'm doing what I need to do, then it's ok. It will happen. I don't know how especially because our numbers have been super low the past few weeks, but I know it will happen. To je to. That's that. Now will you go out and be the missionary you need to be for your area every day? I know if you do, you'll find joy and happiness that I wish I had before my mission. I was happy before, but I can't express the joy I feel now. Volim vas puno! Ugodan tjedan!

Sa vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće