We started English Course this week! It was a slow class on Tuesday, we only had one person in our beginners class, and it was Markeliana, our recent convert:) So we taught her English, and then had a small lesson with her afterwards. Then we taught her and Fjorela, and watched the Restoration video. Fjorela had seen it before, but you could tell she felt the Spirit really strong when we watched it. It was so cool to see! We taught a lot this week by using the Restoration video, and the Because of Him and Because He Lives videos. They bring the Spirit into the lesson so fast, and we love sharing them!
On Wednesday, we taught the Keqja's. The dad found work, so he has been gone a lot of the time. We are sad that we don't get to see him as often, but now we get to focus on his kids and wife more, which has been really good! The Spirit has been really strong in our lessons, and two of the kids have been reading the scriptures! They have been progressing more than usual, so we have been really excited!
Thursday, we went to Kosovo! We woke up at 4:30, met the Elders at 6, and drove about 4 hours to Pristina. It was beautiful there! The drive was amazing, and once we got to the city, it was super cool too. It was kind of like Tirana, just cleaner, quieter, and better (don't get me wrong, I love Tirana!!) But it was a cool experience to go somewhere new. We met with the Kosovo missionaries and Macedonian missionaries for Zone Conference, and it was great. It was fun to get to know new missionaries! The Zone Conference itself was really good. The missionaries that are going home at the end of the transfer gave there dying testimonies, and it was really cool to hear. Even though I only knew one of them, it was still cool to hear them, and realize that some day that will be me. But not for quite awhile:) We drove home at about 5 that afternoon, after talking to more missionaries, and getting to know people. We didn't get home until almost 10 that night, and were so exhausted. We went straight in and fell asleep. It was a good day, just crazy!
On Saturday, Elder Fowles and Elder Wright, the elders in our ward, wanted us to go street contacting with them. So we met them near our house to go street contacting. Usually while we street contact, I just stay by Sister Cheshire, so if I don't understand what the person said, she can help me. This time, I decided to try it by myself. Although I didn't understand everything, the people I talked to could tell I was trying, and helped me when they could tell I didn't understand. But I feel like I did really well! I understood a lot, and were able to have a few good conversations! One guy told me that I had really beautiful eyes and a beautiful spirit. He said he could tell that I really believe in what I talked about. The guy was older, probably 50 or 60, so it was a little creepy, but still a nice compliment!
Yesterday, we met with the Keqja's again. We read Alma 7, and talked about how prophets taught about Christ. The daughter and son really liked a verse about how Mary would be Christ's mom. At the end of the lesson, the dad came in, a little upset. An old friend/neighbor of his had just passed away. We told him that we had just finished the lesson, and had to leave soon, and the kids started telling the dad about the lesson we had just taught. They wanted to share the verse with him, so we asked him to read verses 10-13. After he read them, he said, "So you believe that when you are resurrected, you are freed from pain?" We explained that yes, we believe that because the Atonement, after death, we aren't in pain anymore. We had tried to teach this many times before, but he always said it was an exaggeration. This time, something clicked. You could see relief come over him, as he realized that his friend wasn't in pain anymore, and that he was happy. He finally understood! He was so happy because of this. We were so glad that he understood!
Yesterday was one of the Elders birthday, so today, we met with them and another set of missionaries to go to lunch. After eating lunch, we went to Cinnabon! Ya, they have a Cinnabon here! It was so good, and fun hang out with others from our district. Our district is getting a big change this week. Right now, we have 4 sets of missionaries in our district: One set of elders and one set of sisters in our ward, and the same in 3rd ward. But this week, they are taking the Sisters out of 3rd ward, so we will be the only sisters in our district. So it will be us, and the elders in 3rd ward, and no other sisters. It will be different, but still good:)
I think that's about it for this week. We had a really good week, and can't wait for this next week to start. Oh ya! So yesterday, church started, and they announced our opening hymn. About the same time, Bishop, Elder Wright (who was playing the piano aka plunking out the melody because no one plays here), and I all realized that the chorister wasn't there. So I made eye contact with bishop, pointed at myself, to see if he needed me to come up, he nodded, and I jumped up. So I was the chorister for sacrament meeting. Then, the elders got a call during sacrament meeting and had to run out. It came time for the closing hymn, and they weren't back yet. So I grabbed Sister Cheshire, and ran up there. She led the music, and I had to play in sacrament meeting (all I did was plunk out the melody, like Elder Wright did, because I don't play...I regret not practicing now...). And now, Elder Wright is being transferred...So if Elder Fowles' new comp doesn't play, I have a feeling I'm going to have to "play" more in sacrament meeting...this should be interesting!
But anyway, it was a good, crazy, tiring week! Every week has been going even faster. "The days feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days." This is the most true statement I have ever heard.
Have a fantastic week! I miss and love you all!
Love,
Motra Bennett