Although similar to Romania, I definitely have adjusting to do. There's a lot more Russian here. I can buy dairy products in bags instead of tubs. Sometimes I speak to people in Romanian only to be greeted by blank stares because they only know Russian. But so far so good. It's beautiful here. My district is great. I'm serving with senior couples which I love. All of the investigators and members I've met so far are amazing and full of smiles. Basically I know I'm going to love my time here.
Oh, and Sora Sayre is awesome. I'm second transfer training her, but I seriously feel like it's the other way around. She's got everything together. She's making efforts to speak (we try to speak as much as we can in Romanian) and take part in lessons, and she's doing great. She serves everyone. Seriously, the first thing she thinks in every situation is, "How can I help?" She is a great missionary and I'm grateful for this opportunity to serve with her.
We've already been able to have a few lessons. They were 30/30 lessons. I'm not sure if I ever explained what those are, but they are lessons where we teach English for the first half and then talk about the gospel for the second half. Each person we met with accepted a Book of Mormon if they didn't already have one and agreed to read the introduction so we can talk more about it later. We were able to set up future lessons with most of them, and we're looking forward to meeting with them again.
General Conference was amazing. I hope that you were all able to view the sessions. They were all shown at the church at different times so I was able to see them. The last session wasn't but I was able to watch that earlier today at one of the senior couple's homes. If you didn't have a chance to see it, I highly recommend that you make some time this week to do so. You can watch it all at lds.org. How blessed we are to live on the earth at a time when prophets and apostles are upon the earth! One of the things that stood out to me was the emphasis on loving and serving each other and how we can bring people to Christ through extending love to them. It made me wonder what I can be doing so that people can feel more of the love of our Savior through me. I want people to feel that because I've felt it, and there's no greater feeling then feeling loved. As one of the apostles said, the best way to serve our Heavenly Father is to serve His children, and I think that's the best way to help bring them onto the path towards our Heavenly Father's presence.
Some talks that I liked in particular were those shared by President Uchtdorf, President Monson, and Elder Bednar. I loved how Elder Bednar explained how we are strengthened and healed through the Atonement not just as far as sin is concerned but with all of our pains and sorrows. He read one of my favorite scriptures concerning the Atonement:
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions andbtemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him adeath, that he may bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according tothe flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to csuccor his people according to their infirmities.
I know that through the Atonement of Christ we can receive strength to overcome not just sin but our weaknesses, our fears, and our heartache. All three members of the godhead work together to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." All three of them want us to make it back to our Father in Heaven and will help us get there. I hope we will follow the great counsel of all those who spoke this weekend, that we will love and serve one another, that we will live in thanksgiving daily, and that we will be faithfully obedient, knowing that whatever Heavenly Father commands is for our benefit. Another thing I loved was the assertion that we were saved for this time--that we were prepared! We were taught before we came to earth, and we are given the tools to return. None of us were sent here to fail.
How grateful I am for this gospel and for our Savior who makes all things possible. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of each one of us personally and He will send angels to bear us up just as He has promised. Life is good, and it's preparing us for something even better, an eternal life in the mansions of our Father with all those whom we love. When times are rough, remember that you have a savior who suffered all and will lift your burdens and lead you back to our Father.
Have a great week!
Sora Adams
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