Liebe greetings from Linz! I loved Elder Jaynes email from last week. Miracles really are happening all over the world! God is a loving God and loves all of His children. He shows His love through differnt ways all over the world. I still cannot believe my cutie, little Brett is now spreading the goodness of the Gospel in Russia! I just know he is such a powerful Elder. I wish I could serve with him for one day! haha
Well Linz is still doing great! This last week we have had so many different experiences. When opening up a new area, we are basically finding most of the day. We have been able to set up several appointments and have found some new good investigators who we have taught some lessons to. One thing in missionary work that is sometimes hard to accept or deal with is agency. haha It sounds funny, but it is so hard to see people with so much potential use their agency for the worse. Lucky for us, we know the big picture. Through the Gospel, we know the Plan of God. We know that we have already chosen God's plan in the pre-earth life, and that we are here on the earth - yes to gain a body- but also to choose AGAIN the Lord's Plan of Happiness. We have to exercise our agency to learn and progress so that we can make it back to live with our Father in Heaven.
Ok, so I promise that I was just not rambling, I have seen people use their agency for good and bad my entire life. Sometimes on my mission I have seen someone use their agency to choose to follow the Savior and change their lives. Other times I have met with people who have felt the Spirit, but do not have the strength or determination to change. I sometimes picture Heavenly Father seeing all of His children and think of how hard it must be when we use our Agency for the worse. I have felt that sadness for people I barely know.
Agency is something that is such a blessing for us. It is through Agency that we can choose our Savior and choose to use the Atonement in our lives. It is through our Agency we can choose to be happy despite our circumstances. It is through our Agency that we can serve and help others. Agency really is such a blessing. Well this week I have seen some of our investigators use their agency for the worse. Through a couple fallen-through appointments and others simply not wanting to change, sometimes it has been pretty rough. When these hard times come, I am grateful for a merciful, loving Heavenly Father who knows our hearts. He is continuously reaching out to His children. At times in missionary work, this is hard, but I am still grateful that I have been able to meet people and teach them at least some of the Gospel.
Anyways, this last week was good! We are still trying to get in contact with Constance to meet. We feel like her boyfriend who we spoke to on the phone the other day may be an obstacle that is keeping Constance from coming to church or meeting with us. So we will hopefully see a miracle there this week. Hagi is doing great - we had a good appointment with her and she invited a friend to hear us! She also said she has another family who wants to join in on our lessons. haha Mongolian party!
Oh i feel like so much happens that I dont know what to include. One cool story happened this week while we were "dooring". We are constantly mistaken for Jehovah Witnesses (they are everywhere here in Austria). I was just so tired of that, so we got let in to this apartement building. We were walking up the stairs to the door. This young 30yr old guy peaked over the railing and asked what we wanted. I had the quick thought to say we share a message of the family and how our Faith in Christ can help strengthen our families. Little did I know that he had a little 4 year-old daughter hanging on his leg. We spoke for a few minutes at his door and we are hopefully meeting with he and his wife tonight! I am grateful for the Spirit and for the ability to chose or the agency to chose to follow spiritual promptings. I am grateful for the Spirit and the beauty and clarity it provides.
I also received a great call from my old companion in Graz! Petra is getting baptized this coming Sunday! President Miles gave me permission to go - so if all goes well we will be able to do that! I can still remember calling Petra the day after Easter and hearing her voice of relief when she heard it was the Mormon missionaries. Miracles happen.
Life is oh, so good! I hope you all know how much you are loved! God is a God of Love and is always there to help us use our agency for good so that we can be truly happy in this life!
Ich liebe euch!
XOXOXOXO
Schwester Jaynes
p.s. we went to the largest ice caves in the world on pday last week in Salzburg. The pictures looks fake...but even they do not do the view justice!
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