Hungary for the Gospel in Montana: Week 13

Hello world!! I love you all so much!!

What can I say? Well, this week has been an adventure, and by an adventure I mean WACK.

To start this week off, I woke up at 5 am, not because I was ready to start the day, but because I was COLD. All of my blankets were on the floor at the foot of my bed!

I love the people of Montana! We have been busy teaching and serving, and I love it!

Wednesday, we had Zone Conference in Billings (2+ hrs away) and Elder Wong of the Seventy was there!! It was a new approach to zone conference this time, so it was different than any other.

HOLY WOW!!! Elder Wong is crazy awesome! It was intense and overwhelming. He is bold, assertive, confident, powerful and HILARIOUS, ridiculous and sassy. My face hurt from laughter. Most importantly, he brings the Spirit. WOW!!!

I learned SO MUCH! I want to share some of my notes you.

To follow Him, we give up all of our possessions; things that possess us. We become submissive and listen. It is essential for us to GET UNCOMFORTABLE, that's the only way we can grow. When God sees fit to give us trials, we should give thanks for the opportunities to grow.

Choose to find peace in living your story. It's easy to love and understand those just like you, but you must love and relate to those who are different. Reach out and connect with them.

When you do something DO IT FOR A REASON. Slow down, and don't be boring.

Perfection is not possible in this life, so STOP trying so hard to be perfect! In each moment, seek for improvement, not perfection. Be prepared to grow and take your life to the next level. Listen to the Spirit.

There's no pressure because the Lord doesn't need us. He can do anything on His own. This is all because He LOVES us. It's for US!

I started crying at Zone Conference when Elder Wong said, "Get on your knees." I told my companion about it and she said, "I think your biggest fear is that you'll be sent home." (Or that something crazy will happen, I thought.) "I can tell you with all my heart that I know you're staying right here in Montana for the next 16 months. I know you've felt out of the loop and alone, but know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You have me. I need you. You are my companion and I need what you have to offer!"

I mentioned that I was afraid to ask the Lord for more, and that the best I've been at asking the Lord, was in the MTC. That's when all the crazy in my life started. She said, "You don't have to fear that you won't be able to make it or be strong enough for what the Lord has in store for you. You have CHRIST AND HIS ATONEMENT!"

It's not so much focusing on being who Christ is/was, but doing and acting as He would, that should be our focus. As we do what He did, we can become like Him along the way. As we practice being His disciples, then it will become muscle memory, instinctive and part of us!

It's the compound effect, the small and simple choices and actions, that build almost without notice, until we become a new being in Christ. "Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;" Alma 37:6

Be yourself and live the gospel and you will change lives. "As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free." Battle Hymn of the Republic

The adversary knows if we discover the truth, we will be unstoppable. DON'T GIVE IN TO DOUBT!

Elder Wong said, "I'm scared and I have weaknesses, but do I care about it? NO. If the Lord needs me to do or say something, I'm going to be the one to do or say it."

I want to be BETTER! I don't want to be so accommodating and go with the flow. I want to KNOW what I want and be bold! No being chill, no complacency, no tiredness... ALL energy, all diligence, determination, power and boldness!

Now let's go forth and become the beings the Lord created us to be! We are an unstoppable team!!

All my love,
Sister Alger

BONUS:

My companion and I have been listening to this song a lot lately.

No Pressure by Danny Gokey
There’s a battle raging
On the ground inside of me
I’m fighting my anxiety
And it gets so heavy
‘Cause it feels like I can’t reach
The person I’m supposed to be

I need to let go
I need You to remind my soul
That You don’t see me the way I see me

There’s no pressure to be someone
Other than who You love
I can let my stress fall to the floor
There’s no pressure to earn Your grace
You give it all away
I don’t have to be perfect
You tell me I’m worth it
There’s no pressure

I don’t have to be perfect
There’s a weight that’s lifted
When I get down on my knees
It’s like my lungs can finally breathe

I don’t have to earn it, no
You already tell me I’m Yours

We love to have fun in the work, as I am sure you will see in the pictures.