This week has been really, really good. Not because we got a ton of investigators or because we got to teach a lot of lessons or because everything went perfectly. In reality, none of those things happened. We really have only one or two investigators, we taught only a few lessons, and spent hours and hours finding, and we got lost a bunch of times because neither of us knows where anything is. So, the reason it was still a good week was because pretty much because of my new companion and the way we tried to do missionary work this week.
Sister Curtin really values obedience so I have been trying to be more obedient. We are on schedule, and we try to do things right. We're not perfect, but we do our best. I have never been so happy on my mission or felt so much hope. She is not afraid to do hard things and that gives me courage to do things like SYL three times a week and use my studies really well. I was worried about the change in companions, but it has given me a new motivation and hope that I really needed. I feel like now I am finally being the missionary that I always wanted to be. It's definitely hard sometimes. I feel overwhelmed by how much I have to learn and how many things I cannot do yet. But I have been trying really hard to have faith that the little things do make a difference, like speaking the language and trying to study vocab while we travel, or speaking to people when they open the door. Sometimes I forget what I was going to say and it's very embarrassing, but I am not going to give up. Speaking the language here is the hardest thing I have ever done. I want to be able to speak quickly and adeptly, and it's just a hard language that I probably won't learn completely even while I'm here. But--even though it can be hard to see any progress in the moment, I have come a long way since I arrived.
A few days ago, we were talking to two ladies who were super chatty and I realized that one of them wanted to set up to meet with us but the other one was dominating my companion's attention. I kind of panicked but then I just went ahead and asked her if she wanted to meet and she said yes and I set up a time with her and had a conversation with her all by myself!! It was such a cool moment for me. Another time I had a little conversation with a girl on the villamos and I wasn't even afraid. That was another cool moment. I can speak a little bit to the members that I love, and I am starting to feel a lot more hope for what I will be able to do in the future.
One day this week we tracted in the rain for almost 5 hours. It was cold and nobody let us in during that whole time. We came to what we decided would be the last door before we headed home for the night. A young man answered the door and, much to our surprise, actually let us in. We almost didn't even want to go in at that point, because we were so tired! But we did and it ended up being really pleasant and he said we could meet again. So the moral of the story is that all the "last door" missionary stories that you hear are actually true, and I got to be part of one!
My companion and I both have a feeling that the next few weeks that we are together are going to be really hard, but I am not afraid. I learned this week that you can still be really happy even when things are very tough. That is one of the coolest things I have ever felt. For the first time during my mission, almost every journal entry in a row started out with something like "This day was great!" even though nothing super amazing happened.
I have a testimony that Heavenly Father blesses us when we try to do our best. The fact that people even get baptized here is a huge miracle. None of the missionaries speak completely fluently, our pass-along-cards are out-of-date and ugly, and the wards are small and the members have to sacrifice a lot to stay active. But they do it because the things we believe are true. People get baptized because they feel something and it gives them the strength to live the law of chastity or quite smoking or stop working on Sunday or whatever it is that holds them back. That is really, really cool to see. Thank you for your prayers and letters and support. I need it all and I pray for you in return. Until next week!
sok szeretettel,
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