Zdravo Družina!!
Wow! That was so awesome to read all the wedding updates, see pictures of my beautiful family and see life back at home. Thanks for all the emails and updates. It truly was a week to celebrate. Sister Robertson hit her half way mark in the mission and Dylan worked out His eternal salvation...so what else was to be done? Make smoothies. All that time of watching Dad put things in a blender, payed off. We celebrated as hard as missionaries can! With an episode of the District and smoothies...really, you all missed out. Other reasons to celebrate the past and upcoming week are as follows:
We had District Conference here in our Maribor Branch, which means we had quite a few members come, the District President over Slovenia (He's probably only in his 30s and he is the head of the church in Slovenia....crazy.), and though I didn't know, the mission president and his wife came as well!! I think I learned more slovene and got more spritual food out of this sunday than I have almost my whole mission. President opened Sunday school for questions and it was amazing. One of which I would like to share. I feel that subcontiously I have always questioned how to make the sacrament effect. If it is supposed to be the best part and most important part of the week, how are we supposed to make that 10 minutes live up to that title? Here is what the president suggested:
1. In order to make the sacrament truly effective, it has to be an every week deal. You can't treat it lightly. Go to church and get the sacrament regularly. Treat it with the importance it deserves. Every week. That's it.
2. If you are just focusing on the sacrament for that 10-15 minute time block, that is not enough. You will appreciate and learn from the sacrament if you make it an all day affair. Make sure the rest of your sabbath is allowing you time to think about your Savior, and keeping it as holy as possible. One way we can really keep the sabbath day holy, is by making the other 6 days dedicated for work!!
3. Have a constant prayer in your heart. You won't get much out of the sacrament if the only time you are praying is when your are taking it. And more often than not, with kids or simply wandering thoughts, that 10 minutes is not enough time. Keep that prayer in your heart, always.
So I challenge you all this week to really prepare yourselves. Every week. All Day. Make the sacrament truly special. Put forth the effort and God will show you His.
Other reasons to celebrate. I have thought a lot this week about Slovenia and how not many peole know about the church. While this could be a hard thing...I truly think it is amaying. I have the responsibility and task to be the first impression. People who have truly never heard about the gospel, whether they accept it or not, this is the first exposure they have to it in this life. Quite a task, and I am so grateful for that.
Also, after a week of some low numbers as far as finding goes before we went out tracting, Sestra Robertson in her prayer asked that we might be able to have fun. (It was a rather sluggish day before this.) Well...hahaha, God answers prayers. The first house we went to, this older man was outside and we told him about our message and he asked approx 5 times... How much does this book cost?
Nothing. It is free, if you want to read it.
Ok. But HOW MUCH?
So after this repetitive exchange he said 'ok. good. Come inside.' Haha, what? His Slovene was very hard to understand and he was sooo funny. His daughter fed us balogne sandwhiches, chocolate bunnies on a stick, and of coarse, juice. He said he would read the book and return it when he was finished. I told him that he would want to be baptized. Then he spent 10 minutes figuring out WHERE we would baptise him. Water was not a good enough answer....apparantly. I wish I could actually describe how funny this encounter was, but I can't. Just know, God answers prayers. We have also seen miracles of people who are willing to listen and switch numbers and what not...so hopefully these ones are serious!
Sometimes I actually feel like this man. I keep asking the same question in my prayers over and over again. But something I learned this week? God doesn't answer rhetorical questions. Sometimes we already know the answer, sometimes He has already given the answer. Just listen to the first one!
LAST THING I promise....I am so excited. Maribor is part of an expansion experiment, to see if people outside of the city are more receptive to the gospel. Also...they are FAMILIES!! So we have this whole proposal and as missionaries, every weekend we get to go outside Maribor to tract and tract and tract and share this gospel, the whooooole day. I am so excited because usally when we tract houses, there are some more receptive peolpe rather than in the center of town. So first week starts this week! That is really a reason to celebrate!
Anywho, I love you all and must say farewell. Enjoy the week and know I am always praying for you! Stay strong. It is so worth it. xoxoxo
Sestra Rhodes
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