Week #53

Napor-Effort

This week we've been gathering in the harvest of the efforts from us and missionaries before. Started off with tracting and being let in 5 times two nights in a row! One night, we knocked on three doors and were let in three times. What a blessing! The other is that the guy who called us last week we met with and he is so great! He brought his friend with him (who we also contacted on the street) and we had a great lesson. They had great questions, committed to reading, praying, and coming to church! He had been reading a little but didn't come to church because he slept in. But he was definitely committed to coming this upcoming week!

Also the woman on date for baptism came to church! She absolutely loved it! She felt so much happier and couldn't wait to become a member of the branch. January 23, her birthday, is the date! Pray for her that she'll stop drinking coffee and she'll come to church this Sunday. That's all she needs to do right now then she can be baptized. I'm so excited!!!

We went to the woman who I helped be baptized this week and something happened that I thought would never happen while I was here in Zadar. While we were talking with her about different gospel subjects, her husband came and sat and listened. I thought at first, "Good. Maybe he'll hear something that will spark his Atheist ways." When I first met this man, his response to us whenever we brought up religion was I'm Atheist and he would leave the room. He would never even stay for a prayer. So as he sat there, we brought up faith and church. He spoke right up and pretty much bore his testimony how our church was different (he came last week for his grandson's baby blessing). There was a different feeling about our church and he couldn't find anything negative. He continued on and talked about faith and that if we didn't have faith then we didn't have anything in this life. I just sat there shocked. I couldn't believe that this man (who I knew would be converted one day) was expressing his thoughts about religion to us right then. I'm so grateful that I was there to see that miracle. The change that I have seen in this family the last 6 months have been a strong influence to me and my life of what one person can do to change their family through time.

Seeing the change in myself and the people of Zadar the last 6 months has been a great blessing. I am a witness that we just need to apply 3 Nephi 27:21, do what Christ does. See every person with the potential of being able to overcome. Have the faith and hope that everything you do that Christ would do is not wasted. In Preach My Gospel it says, "Your consistent efforts in serving and teaching as many people as you can is one way God prepares His children to eventually receive His servants. He often reaches out to His children through you. Even when people do not accept the opportunity to learn the gospel, your service and words are evidence of God's love for them and may plant seeds that future missionaries and members of the Church will harvest." Even though your responsibility isn't to go on the street and preach the gospel, it is your responsibility to preach the gospel when the missionary opportunity arrives. So don't let your guard down! Be an example to everyone around you and always be open to who the Lord will put in your path. I know He will because of the example you have been in my life and what an influence you have been. Keep being that light to someone else because someone needs to see it! Volim vas! Do sljedeći tjedan!

S vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće