Hungary for the Gospel in Montana: Week 24

Hey Y'all!

I think this has been the best week yet with Sister Egbert! We hit the standards of excellence this week!! We found 2 new people to teach (Gavin and Skylar, 9 year old identical twins), we got a baptismal date for Aurora (a 10 year old we're teaching), we had 6 people at church on Sunday, and we got into contact with some people that have disappeared! We also had a really cool experience with exact obedience this week…

So, as missionaries, we have studies every morning and we have to be out of the house for part of it. We often use the church building because it is covered in snow outside and it's a pretty small town, so there's not a lot of public places good for studying. We'd recently been asked to not be at the church as much as possible, though. As a result, Sister Egbert and I found a café / crépes and waffles place downtown and carried out our studies there. After being there for a good while studying, discussing, and planning, an employee named Raegan came up to us. It started off with her asking where we were from, leading to her co-worker Hannah joining the conversation, and then led to us explaining concepts from pretty much all of the lessons we teach as missionaries! Raegan is non religious and Hannah is part of another faith, but always wondered what was true about Mormons and their church. We talked for a LONG time and were blessed that nobody was coming into their restaurant so we could continue. Raegan gave us her number and we promised to come back and see them again (: We ended up hurrying out after all that to meet with someone who hasn't responded to us for weeks, until that very moment!

Now, remember how we were asked to study somewhere other than the church building? Well, Sister Egbert and I were both feeling somewhat hesitant and maybe a bit annoyed at the inconvenience of that request! Nonetheless, we did as we were asked and what miracles came from it! We had wonderful conversations about Christ and His gospel, bore our testimonies, made new friends, and got a call from someone who has been out of reach.

The blessings of exact obedience to missionary standards, guidelines, etc., as well as to God's commandments, are SO REAL. They may not be as obvious as this special occasion, but they are there. Obedience brings blessings, and EXACT obedience brings miracles!

The next topic I want to touch on….

Neither Sister Egbert nor I have had cooperative bodies this week, but we have been full of joy and determination to do the Lord's work at every moment we could possibly manage. Why has this week been so wonderful despite the many difficulties and challenges? Physical and emotional?

President Russel M. Nelson has said:
“The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives."

Our FOCUS -- the lens we see our lives through -- THAT is what will determine who we are and how we feel.

“When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. …
“If we look to the world … , we will never know joy. … [Joy] is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ.” -- Pres. Nelson

As Sister Egbert and I have had crazy busy schedules, difficult situations, and other interesting situations we've had to deal with, we've remained focused on our missionary purpose (which is to bring others closer to Christ) and on the little moments, blessings, and miracles in our journey. We find reasons to smile, reasons to love, reasons to laugh, reasons to reach out. → REACH OUT ← Life is not easy, but we can make it joyful! So reach out to those around you and most importantly, reach out to Christ.

At times, we may feel weighed down by the heavy burdens placed on our backs or life might slap us in the face. Our afflictions may be so great that we feel surrounded on every side, without a way to deliver ourselves from it all (Mosiah 21:3 & 5)... Good thing we are not meant to save ourselves! The Lord knows what His plan is for each of us and He will fulfill His word and will, as He always does (Mosiah 21:4).
We cannot escape suffering in this life -- especially if we seek to become like Him, for "charity suffereth long..." (1 Cor. 13:4 / Mor. 7:45). He is the source of all charity, which is His pure love. As we follow His example, we strive to have charity as He did and to exemplify His pure love through our efforts.

Christ suffered ALL manner of afflictions and has descended below all things! We are not greater than He that we should escape suffering! (D&C 122:8) No, but He suffered so that we don't have to suffer as He did -- ALL THINGS. (D&C 19:16-19) He made it possible for us to overcome such, reap eternal joy (D&C 109:76), and receive a crown of life! (Rev. 2:10) As we are partakers of suffering for His sake, we can become worthy to reign in the kingdom of God with Him! (2 Cor. 1:7, Phil. 1:29, 2 Thes. 1:5, 2 Tim. 2:12)

Suffering is a part of this life, but the Lord will provide for us that we should hunger not, neither should we thirst; yea, and He also gives us strength, that we should suffer no manner of afflictions, as they will be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now, this is according to the prayer of our faith. (Alma 31:38)

Learn to suffer with joy. Allow your suffering to be swallowed up in the joy of Christ!

Philippians 4:6-7 says:
"[Don't be unduly concerned about anything]; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your [thoughts, desires, and longings] be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall [guard] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

"Just as the Savior offers peace that “passeth all understanding,” He also offers an intensity, depth, and breadth of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension. For example, it doesn’t seem possible to feel joy when your child suffers with an incurable illness or when you lose your job or when your spouse betrays you. Yet that is precisely the joy the Savior offers. His joy is constant, assuring us that our “afflictions shall be but a small moment” and be consecrated to our gain. …
If we focus on the joy that will come to us, or to those we love, what can we endure that presently seems overwhelming, painful, scary, unfair, or simply impossible?" -- Pres. Nelson

INVITATIONS:

I invite you all to ponder the things that I have shared with you today. Find how this all applies to YOU. How can you change your focus to bring more joy into your life? How can you reach out to Christ and rely on Him more?

I would also invite you to study the talk I quoted and paraphrased:
"Joy and Spiritual Survival" By President Russell M. Nelson, Oct. 2016 General Conference

I love you all dearly, give this week a taste of heaven I know you all have in you!

Sister Alger (: