Thursday, September 4, 2014

growing in Zilina

Yesterday happened to be a holiday here so we weren’t allowed to go to the library because it was closed and we didn't feel like bothering the senior couple here for 3 hours to use their laptop so we just waited and did some extra work on a rainy day in Zilina. Well, it's always rainy, I really noticed that this country is rainy all the time, and if it's not rain it's snow, it's kind of ridiculous how much it rains here haha. Especially here in Zilina it just rains all the time and gets colder and colder. This last weekend was actually very pleasant though, it didn't rain at all, it was rather sunny but then it got back to where it's supposed to be, cloudy and pretty cold. I\m not complaining, I love this kind of weather, even though others would say it's dreary and a little bit of a downer weather, I think it's great, what more could we want, no sun to cook my head like an egg, and a nice breeze to make you remember where you are, it's just great, especially because it's not 100 degrees like it is in phoenix. Anyways, I think that it will probably stay like this for the most part until winter, that's what happened in September of last year, it just rained until it snowed, and since last year was a mild winter, I expect it to be quite similar, at least that's what I'm hoping. This past week was filled with epiphanies as well as some fun and some training from President in Brno, and I'm excited to share it all with you!
 
Well, some epiphanies that I had this week was that I just need to keep working my hardest and that no matter what, those that are truly prepared will come, I have been pondering it quite often this week just wondering what's going on, why it isn't exploding and I've just kind of decided that it's fine that were not teaching lessons to people that are never going to get baptized. Of course you always hope but I have really realized that sometimes on my mission, I would teach people who were never going to accept the church just because I wanted to teach  lesson and add it to my quota and while our investigators here are great, they also have potential to accept the gospel, but if I truly wanted to I could probably make this area explode where we're teaching people that will never join the church but then it takes me away from times for finding those people who are actually prepared. Me and Elder mason are doing a ton of finding, and I think that that is okay, and that we're doing exactly what we need to be doing and that we just need to keep moving and keep going and working our hardest and we will come across those that are truly ready to accept the gospel and they will progress quickly and will be active in the church. The second one that I had was holy crap it's already September... I was just thinking about it and about how this year has just gone by so quickly and that we're already in fall. I figure that once Christmas comes, after that I will be home so fast I won't even know what hit me, it's excited but scary at the same time, it makes me want to work that much harder so that I don't waste any more time of frivolous stuff and get out there and start working, even when times are rough and no one wants to talk I still see that it's worth it and that some of these seeds that I'm planting now will be harvested in years to come even if I am not the one harvesting them, some of these people that I'm talking to on the street will eventually become members of the church, it's amazing and it's such an awesome thought to think about, you never know who will be converted in 10 years, maybe it's the man who I'm sitting next to right now! Just kidding that's Elder Mason, he's already converted, I hope...
 
We also went to training this week and that was really cool, it was in Brno and I drove the car up thee so we could leave the day off rather than have to leave the day before so we get more time in our area to work. It was a good training, we talked about how to be a successful missionary and about how to be an effective teacher and then one more things but I forgot, I need to go back and look at my notes. It was cool, I think it was a needed training for the zone and I think it helped a lot of people. I'm a little afraid of people falling back into old habits like last year where we weren’t accomplishing anything in Slovakia but I think it was masterfully trained about to the point that that will not happen again so I'm grateful for that. It was in general  good meeting and we ate some really good pizza and we found out that the next training will be in Kosice, so I'm pumped for that, and it also means Big Burger! I then drove back to Bratislava so we could drop off the car there and then we took a train back in which we had amazing conversations will the people in our compartment. They asked us what they were doing and the kid next to me was really interested and really cool and liked computers and so we kind of connected on that front. He asked for our number so I gave it to him and then I took out the last 2 cards that I had and gave him one and then the girl who was sitting across from me, who had her headphones in and we thought was not paying attention, then asked for a card as well and after that we had her undivided attention until she got off. Then the kid asked if we would write down his number and that he would like to meet this week, him and his girlfriend, it was just a really cool experience for the both of us on our 3 hour trip back to Zilina, which we got home at 11 so that was a bummer....
 
Well we also taught out investigators, J has started to drink coffee less, we're planning on giving him a date this week and we're hoping that he works towards that, I really think he is just a great guy and knows the church to be true. Then E is still wonderful, her little boy is so cute and reminds me of John Wayne, she is really good and will keep her commitments but her ideas are pretty set, and she doesn't seem keen on changing them but we're going to commit her to live all of the commandments gradually and just assimilate her into the branch basically. Then we weren’t able to meet with laco this week but we're going to still try hard with finding new investigators as well, it's a hard work but it needs to be done.
 
Well, that's pretty much everything I'm doing good and I'm happy and I love you all so much, it's great to hear all of things from everyone, thanks mom and dad for keeping me updated for what's going on with you, and thanks Richard for finding time in your busy schedule to let me in on some of the things that's going on with you and your family, it's great to hear about even though Asha probably doesn't remember me, it will be fun meeting her all over again, I love you all and I hope you all have a great week and a safe week as well.
 
Elder Ferrell
 

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