Week 60  Cool Meetings and Food Poisoning

Well this has been an interesting week, although I feel like I cant remember a lot of it, but iI do remember the fun parts. Monday we went to Mcxeta with some of the missionaries...nothing too exciting since I've been there a few times. Its just fun because we are all together as missionaries. Tuesday we had exchanges and I was with sister Mercer! It was a throw back to a few transfers ago. So that was fun. We had so much success. We did a Book of Mormon stand and got a contact, which we had a meeting with the next day! Then we had a meeting with a contact I got a few weeks ago and I basically taught the entire 1st lesson. He came after English night a few days later for a church building tour. Then we gave him a Book of Mormon in his language. So cool! Then we met with some of the sisters from relief society because one sisters had a baby. Talk about an interesting meeting. There was three languages going off in that one meeting over cake. Russian, Georgian, and English. Loved it!!! I love these members so much😊. Then we had the meeting with the contact we got earlier and wowza, talk about the spirit being present. I'll go into that more and share  something he said that surprised me in the spiritual thought. He said that he has been going to other religious missionaries asking about where people go if they didn't/don't have the chance to accept Christ in this life. All these people couldn't answer but of course we answered it! People the gospel is so true! We were supposed to have another meeting but it fell through sadly. Let's see, after that normal finding, met with some members, and past by some investigators houses. Sunday was a doozy...cause I had food poisoning. I was suppose to give a talk, but I couldn't go so sister Mercer gave my talk for me. I was really sad because I wanted to give it. I was going to go to second hour to help translate but that didn't happen. So Sunday was kinda boring for once. "M" checked up on me later because she was worried about me, which made my day. We are seeing "M" and "Y "with all the sisters for pday so that will be fun. 

Spiritual thought: So this guy that we had a meeting with said something really profound,  he said when we are in hard times or in need we always seem to say "where are you God?" When in reality we should be saying "where am I?" We are in his hands always, he is always there. It is us who first turns away. So next time you start to say that to yourself, try to ask where you are first.

Well that was the week, til next time!

-და ჯენსენი

Week 59  Lots of Moving

This was quite an interesting week. A lot of companionship in our area moved apartments, so we helped them move out and in. Monday we helped the elders clean their apartment. Elders have been living there for 5 years and well it showed. I don't even think my mom could handle cleaning that mess. Finding this week actually has been really great! We've gotten some cool contacts that should lead to some meetings this week. I have learned that "Facebook finding" is actually pretty cool too! We didn't meet with Em this week, she has been sick so no updates on her. Oh! Something really cool happened. We went to go leave the church one night and Sister Mafi fell and hurt her ankle really bad (she is better now so don't worry). So we headed back to the church for her to take a rest for a minutes. While we were there, an old investigator that we have been trying to meet with just walks right into the church. She thought there was an activity that day so she came. Yea, no activity, but if we we weren't at the church we probably would of missed the chance to talk and see her. So good thing Sister Mafi fell I guess😂. Friday we went to Rustavi and joined in on music time with the down syndrome kids that we teach English to. Sister mafi danced her heart out and we both tried to sing some Georgian songs with them. Saturday was a baptism, which was very interesting cause a part of it was in Turkish. The rest of the day was helping the sisters move out of the Saburtalo apartment to their new apartment. Sad to say goodbye to the apartment I opened...but hey its still ours just the elders will live in instead. What was cool was when we took the taxi to Saburtalo, I started talking to the driver...cause that's what missionaries do, talk to people. I realized in that moment the difference between me now and who I was when I first came to the area. I remember sitting in the taxi with my trainer as she talked to the taxi driver and me trying to build up the courage to say something...which most the time I never ended up saying anything. And there I was now having a full blown conversation with a taxi driver with my old trainee sitting next to me. Wow, full circle moment. Sunday was as usual, interesting and busy. We taught primary, of course. M came and I think she is planning on coming to our branch for now. She is beyond stressed right now and so the familiar faces help. She cried a lot at church. She has had to go to the hospital a few times this week. The stress of everything is really not helping her body out. When she came to church she was in a lot of pain, but she said she knew she needed to go. It was cool to see afterwards how her choice affected her. She felt so much more at peace. She also got a priesthood blessing. So keep "M" in your prayers if you would. She really is going through a lot right now.

Spiritual thought: This is gonna be short cause I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to share something that I have been thinking a lot about this week: God is so loving, like really. He gives us so much and we really are so blessed. I have been blessed with a wonderful family at home. My mission in it of itself is such a blessing. The people I have met here and the memories I have made really mean the world to me. I am so grateful for all that my Heavenly Father has given me, because I am truly so blessed. If we really think about our lives it isn't hard to see God's hand in it.

Well that was the week, til next time!

-და ჯენსენი 

Week 58  I am a Grandma!!

So transfers: I'm with Sister Mafi again and I'm still in Isani! So our whole district didn't really change. The only difference is one companionship got another person and that another companionship was added. So doesn't exactly feel like transfers even happened. They have discontinued the Saburtalo sisters.....sadly😭 They will now move near our area and become Varketili sisters. Speaking of, sister Mercer, my trainee, is training! So my child has a child, I'm a grandma! They will be in our district so that will be fun. So the week started out with us going to mtatsminda with all the missionaries. We road a single roller-coaster altogether...that is right I rode a roller-coaster. I died almost the entire time, especially when we went upside down a few times and I felt myself falling from my seat. But I did it none the less. We met with Em this week...she is starting to not act anymore, so we might drop her this week. We will have to see. She knows the church is true she just struggles with acting. We met some old investigators now that they are back and in Tbilisi. Something I love about Georgia is that there are so many people all around the world living here so you can experience so many different cultures. It was a very cool meeting and it was cool seeing them despite the major culture differences we still had one thing in common, Christ. We hope to meet again since she really loves the Book of Mormon. We went to a Georgian practice group this week with the elders. Not to many people showed up sadly. It was at a cafe that you can draw on the walls, so of course they wanted me to draw something. Arizona flag was requested and was drawn. We later went out and celebrated transfers with everyone at this Turkish restaurant, very good food. This week was a lot better. Better conversations and found some new people. Sunday was interesting. M came to our branch. She was very sad that Sister Arutyunova left. I sat with her and it was great to see she is doing well. She is so ready for baptism. It's just with the church policy it makes it kinda hard. I translated for relief society. Man going from Georgian to English then from English to Georgian really messes with your brain. I have to say though progress has been made! Today we are going to have a dinner with all the missionaries to welcome the new missionaries so woot woot!

Spiritual thought: D&C 104: 8  And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory. That was us this week. We went from a ton of rejection and no meetings last week, to getting some cool contacts and having a super meeting with someone else. When you turn to the Lord, man you will get quite the victory. I mean when your on God's side, you are always on the winning team. 

Well that's was the week, til next time!

- და ჯენსენი

Week 57  Transfer Calls...JK!

Well, we were supposed to get transfer calls yesterday, but I guess President is still praying...so you'll find out next week where I am and who I am with. Surprisingly, I don't want to leave this area. I've fallen in love with it and the members too.  I have some hopes to stay, but we will have to see. Tuesday we went to Rabati which was a fortress that was rebuilt by a group of Muslim people.  I can't remember the name. It was flippen' amazing! We almost had the entire thing to ourselves and it was so pretty. I felt like I was in a palace of sorts! It was very fun to be with all the missionaries too. We also stopped by Borjomi and drank from the famous spring there. The water is supposed to do something to you...heal you or maybe it's just good luck. I cant remember. A lot of sulfur is in it so...it doesn't taste very nice. We had exchanges this week and I was with Sister Gehring so that was fun. We met with "Em" and we had a very good meeting...but we found out she is only half acting. We talked again about the tripod and that praying, reading the scriptures, and going to church are all very important. The dog, Traci, calmed down and so the lesson was actually really good! I feel like nothing really too exciting happened this week. Normal finding...we had a lot of rejection this week sadly, but hey it ain't missionary work unless you get some of that. We went to two English groups this week. Our own and then the one in Rustavi. I have to say I have grown to love English group so much. It's really nice being able to serve people. Also the one in Rustavi a guy addressed me as the Georgian because he says I speak with no american accent! I now just need to get my vocabulary to where it's even more convincing! Sunday was pretty normal, chorister and I taught primary...although it was more like coloring and learning some hymns...talk about some crazy kids. Today we are with all the missionaries. It's sister Heydorn and Arutynovas last Pday and so we want to be all together. We are really such a family over here and I love it. Just hurts when one of us leaves.

Spiritual thought: To be honest I had a little bit of a down week and so Sunday morning I was not feeling it...but it's not like I can take a day off so I went to church and sucked it up. The first song that we sung was something I really needed. We sung I Know that My Redeemer Lives and oh man did that wash all the pain away. What a sweet sentence it is! He lives and because of that he does so much for us. The whole song talks about how because of the fact he lives we have someone there with us at all times. That song literally made my day and church made me so much more happier. That is something I have noticed on my mission, the moment I turn to him in my time of need I always feel instant peace and happiness. Yes, the circumstance does not change but I do.

Well that was the week, til next time!

- და ჯენსენი