Transfer Week

Hello all!

This week is transfers. I'm staying in Timisoara, which was kind of what I was hoping for. Huzzah!

This week, we've been giving a lot of thought to happiness and how we can have it in this life. It's a topic that's been coming up with investigators recently. It's true that Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. Accepting the gospel in our lives and doing our best to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is our greatest source of happiness. Even as we do these things, we still have trials. That doesn't mean that Heavenly Father loves us any less. In fact, allowing us to have trials is one way He helps us, and we will never have to go through trials alone. Trials help us to learn and to become stronger. They help us to become more prepared to return to His presence. More than once in my own life trials don't seem that great when I'm experiencing them, but after the fact, I can look back and have an appreciation for those moments because I can see how I've learned,  grown, and become closer to my Heavenly Father. We have to be careful not to let the bad things keep us from seeing all the good in our lives. You can always find something good. I have found that the more you can be grateful for even the simplest of things, the happier you will be. For example, I am grateful for chicks. One of the members of the branch is raising some, and they are adorable.

Something really cool that happened this week: I mentioned Rebeca last week. I can't remember exactly what I said, but we've started to teach her and her friend Andrea. We teach them a little English and then we have a gospel lesson. This week, we read through Joseph Smith's account and talked about his experience. We talked about how God answers prayers and how we can receive knowledge; we can know this church is true. Rebeca related an experience to us that had happened a week previously. We knew that she'd had some questions on her mind and we'd done our best to answer them. I don't know if there were other thoughts or doubts, but she asked a couple of the Elders for a blessing. She told us about that experience, about how as hands were placed on her head and the blessing was given to her that she was filled with the spirit. She explained how she had never felt like that before. I can't remember the exact words she used, but I remember my thoughts and feelings in that moment as I heard her bear testimony. It was so beautiful to me, and I was glad that her friend was there to hear it. These girls are wonderful. I am glad that we've been able to meet with them and that they've been willing.

I'm grateful to be a part of this work. I love my Heavenly Father and Savior. They are such a strength to me. I know they love you, and they will help you in all things. They will support you in your trials, and they will help you to have happiness if you are struggling to find it.

I hope you are all doing well!

Sora Adams