Week 73  Why are we here? For Dancing?

Well, talk about a week. We had zone conference this week and we had to give a portion of the training. Zone leaders did theirs on testimonies and we did ours on teaching, specifically teaching in Georgian. A little nerve racking but to honest, it was surprisingly chill. I didn't freak out about something like this for once! We celebrated by going out to eat with an old investigator. It made the investigators day, which meant it made our day. We also met a family that night, ,man the kids were cute! Friday we were in Rustavi, met with a member and helped this lady carry her bags back to apartment. She invited us to come next week! Also,we get to meet their artist investigator next week so I'm stocked! Saturday was cool. We tried to go find members and then later we were going to do a whiteboard stand with the other sisters. But, when we were at the church about to go, I felt like we should do a Book of Mormon stand. So...we changed it. At the time it wasn't this like "this is the spirit we must go" it was more of it came to mind kind of thing. Well, it turned out great! Both of us got promising contacts, gave out a Book of Mormon, and saw some long lost inactive members along the way. So yea, I'm going to call that the spirit! Oh, that's where my title of my email comes from😂. We had a guy come up to us and say "why are are here? For dancing"? And then walked away. You always meet the most interesting people out here. Sunday was interesting. I have missed a lot of the members, since we weren't there last week (sister mercer was sick). I taught primary, which went well. I also got to skip out on translating, hallelujah! It is seriously exhausting. Our senior couple spoke and their son who was visiting...and they used very complicated phrasing. Luckily, our member who is part of the church translation team showed up so I was saved. I asked president for his talk later, so I am currently using it for language study to see if I can translate it. It definitely is a doozy. We had a missionary broadcast that day. Elder Keaton from the seventy went to Armenia and addressed the Armenian missionaries...we just called in. It was good! Today we are getting a crash course from a missionary on Georgian history. He left for an operation a while back so he did a bunch of research before we came back. We are also going to try and make khinkali!

Spiritual thought: Elder Kearon said something that made me think. He said "we as saints thrive in opposition". Well...he is right! We know why we have it (opposition) and we can get through it. We learn from it and we grow from it. I have a had a lot opposition here, and yeah at times it sucks, but I suck it up and trust in God. Once I climb "that mountain" per say, I see my progress. I see what I overcame. And well, from that I'm ready to start the next mountain. Get back up again and start up the switchbacks of another mountain. So let's keep thriving!

Well that was the week, til next time!

- და ჯენსენი 

Week 72  Lock down

Well, this has been a very unexpectedly interesting week. Kicked it off with going to Lilo, which is the 3rd largest bazaar in the world. Talk about a maze and a lot whole lot of crap. Didn't find what I wanted, but ended up finding it at our normal bazaar . We went to go find some members that lived over there and that turned out to be a major goose chase. So these inactive members phones numbers don't work so we went out to go see if they even still live there. Well for one, we went back and forth and asked a million people if she lived there. W never found her so went to another member and again the same thing. A lot people told us to ask the market people, so for future reference if your in a small town ask the market people...they know things! FYI, never found them so no success. Tuesday was...interesting. We headed down to armenia for a mission leadership conference with the zone leaders. President Picard want us to now go by public transport (instead of highering a private driver). We were going to take a marshrutka but that was full. So we took a van instead which was already pretty packed. They put all four of us (Elder Whittaker, Elder Crapo, me and Sister Mercer) in the back. Which, by the way only had three seats. So we crammed all 4 us in 3 seats. So that was a fun 6 hour drive. Once we got there we met up with some Armenian sisters and went to a meeting. I guess word got around that I know how to say my testimony in Persian so they asked me if I could do so. Of course I did. It was super cool actually, cause my memorized testimony in Persian, was on the very things we were talking about...that God loves us and hears our prayers. So looks like I'm a Persian missionary now😂. Wednesday was the meeting and it was interesting. Basically only talked about Armenia. They have 37 missionaries which means more problems I guess. We never really got to talk about Georgia and our missionaries needs. But, I am going to talk to president about that. We are all thinking about how we need one meeting like this specifically for Georgia because yeah we are the same mission but we do live in 2 different countries speaking two different languages so of course we are gonna have different problems. We have zone conference this coming week which was planned at the very last second. Sister Mercer and I are giving a training...yeah for STL life😑. Well, they made us stay til Thursday, instead of just Wednesday in Armenia. Sister Mercer got real sick during this time so we ended up taking a taxi back. More room so that was nice. Since we got back we have been inside really, since sister Mercer has been sick. Exchanges were canceled. We did some branch work and went to game night. We tried to have some meetings but we were advised not to because of illness. The Isani sisters were also sick so Sunday morning sister Mangum (senior missionary) called and said it would be best for all of us to stay home and not spread the sickness any further. The children activity was canceled yet again. I haven't been sick so I dodged that bullet. But the rest of all the sister got sick. So basically the whole weekend we were on "lock down". Nothing to crazy to report besides that. This week is zone conference and sister Mercer's birthday so that will be fun. Hopefully everyone is feeling better by then.

  

Spiritual thought: something I've been thinking a lot recently is how god prepares us for things so that later down the line you can use those learned skills another time. I have seen this countless times on my mission. Even before it too! Before my mission I was called as a gospel principles instructor which pushed me, but helped me a ton for my mission. Being a solo missionary in the MTC helped to prepare me for my mission even more so. On my mission I have experience that helped to push me so the next time something like it comes up, I'm fine and I can do it. What's so cool about this is that gods plan and the way he helps to push you and help you learn/ or prepare you is so personal. My experiences were for me, not for someone else. God knows us so well, and knows when to guide us and how yo push us. It's pretty magnificent if I say so myself. 

Well that was the week, til' next time!

- და ჯენსენი

Week 71  Karaoke for Days

This is gonna be kinda short, but I just don't have much time this week. So this week was filled with some interesting things. Finished translating the children and youth booklet. Met with some people to review it. Of course met with my favorite member. She was beyond happy when I asked her for some help. I love her! I had an interview with President Picard and he said he could send it into the area presidency and they could possibly use it the actual church transition. So woot woot! Went down to Rustavi and almost got poisoned again. Yeah why do I always have this problem. Sunday was weird, our Branch President and councilors were sick...so it was just elders running church. Like it was 2 elders in the stand and that was it. I found it kinda funny. A bunch of 20 years old trying to keep a church running. But hey it all worked out. I taught primary for the first time in a long time. It was cute, 2 of them picked a spot right next to me and the heater because "that's the best spot". Made me giggle. Well we were going to have a children and youth activity but, well, a ton of them were sick and we can't do an activity with just 2 (there is only 5 that can do the program at the moment) so we postponed until next week. Instead we did a stewardship report. Being STLs you have to meet with the zone leaders to see how we fulfilled our goals as a mission for the week and average them out. We are going down to Armenia on Tuesday for a mission leadership meeting to talk about it and other mission stuff...should be interesting. Luckily, met with someone before that. She had such a cute dog. Lot of potential too...so I'm excited! As for my title, well our neighbors have been having a nonstop karaoke party for the past 5 days. Walls are pretty thin so we hear everything. It's gone from opera, to Russian music, to american, Georgian, musicals, and even Disney songs. Nights have been a little more interesting around here. This week is packed. We have exchanges with the sister and then heading to Armenia. So lots to tell next week.

Spiritual thought: reading this week I really liked this scripture: 2 Nephi 1:20

"And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence."

Follow God's commandments and you shall prosper in the land, or in other words prosper in life. God told me I needed to be here, and well, I listened and obeyed. I have received so many blessings from following that. I am amazed at how much I have been blessed from just being here. The people, my experiences mean the world to me. So...follow the commandments and trust me everything will turn out fine.

- და ჯენსენი

Week 70  I'm a mom again! Well, kinda 

So transfer calls happened on Monday and guess who I'm with?! Sister Mercer! For those that don't know, she was my trainee (as we like to put it in the mission, my child). So, I am beyond happy to be with her again for another 3 months. My last 3 months. What's funny is that in my entire mission, I have only had 4 companions. I served with Sister Van Brocklin, Arutunova, Mafi and Mercer. I am still in the same branch, but I did have to move to Varketili and I love it here! I am also STL (sister training leader) with Sister Mercer so this will be interesting. Ending my mission with a bang!. Ok, so the week:

Monday we were with all the missionaries since the elders (hunt and Christensen) were gonna leave on Friday. Next few days were just finishing up my time in isani. Few meetings. Met with my favorite member to go over one last thing about the priesthood. In the end we talked about her struggles and we cried a bit together. We are all on the path and sometimes you hit those very rocky moments. She is pushing through though. Thursday was transfers and I said goodbye to Isani and to Sister Mafi. To be honest it was weird the next day not to see sister Mafi since I have lived with her for 6 months😅 we set some awesome goals for the transfer, ending the mission hard! I'm stocked. We said goodbye to the elders. I got really close with those elders, they were like brothers to me. It was a sad goodbye but I know I will see them sometime when I get back. The next few days afterwards were weird, the mission has changed a lot. Everyone I knew from my first transfer has left expect for one elder. I'm a little sad to be honest because those times are over but I am excited to make new memories with this per say new mission although really it hasn't changed too much. Just two people left and we have two new people.

The next few days we had a lot of work (there is a specific word in Georgian for this and I can't translate it into English😑 its საქმე) I have been translating the children and youth program into Georgian and it is mostly done. We are having a friend of ours look through it for any mistakes at the moment. Sister Mercer has been working on the format. The primary kids, and youth, need to be doing this and it isn't their fault it's not translated. I knew it wasn't going to be translated for a long time so I decided to do it. It is almost done. We are having an activity on Sunday to explain it. Let me tell you my brain is fried, but I have to say I have learned a lot in the last few days. Sunday was interesting like it always is. In sacrament meeting sister Mercer was translating and was struggling a bit. I think I remember telling you this but Georgians are very blunt here. So a member next me was complaining a bit that when she bore her testimony that Sister Mercer's translation was bad. Well, I was not gonna to listen to that so I went up to bare my testimony about weaknesses and remembering that we are all trying, ourselves and others. I know pretty bold, but hey, its Georgia that's how you do it here. There is no beating around the bush. I shared my favorite scripture of course Ether 12:27. Later sister Mercer told me she was about to start crying but when I went up and shared my testimony it really helped her out. So yeah for the spirit pushing me to do that! Second hour I partially translated for RS, but then a member took over, which I was chill with. I was doing fine but he wanted it perfect so I let him take it. He is a translator, so I'm not gonna say no. Which by the way Sunday school was great. They had a meeting and talked with him and boy did he step up!  Best lesson yet! After church boy my mind was everywhere. I had a bunch of people just swarm to me. Dealing with the doctrine and covenant translations (they have finished translating it by the way and the members are currently reading it as a proof read!), president asking about members, primary kids literally hanging on me, translating for the senior couple, and just all questions at once. I just stood in the hallway and everyone came to me. Man this it what it feels like to be an old missionary in Georgia...yah for responsibility😅. Something cool happened later on Sunday but it will be in the spiritual thought. That was basically the week. Nothing too special, we just have a lot of church business going on and so finding hasn't been happening. But, hopefully we will be done by Thursday so I can go knock!

Spiritual thought: This is actually a funny story. So coming back Sunday night we were hungry, but the only thing we had at home was rice. We wanted khachapuri real bad. So we started talking about buying it. Well it's the sabbath so we shouldn't do that right? Well we started thinking what if it's just a cultural thing in the church and is not actually a rule. Well standing outside of a bakery we searched all through gospel library to see if we could buy khachapuri on the sabbath to eat...well the more we read the more we realized that we shouldn't so we sadly left the bakery empty handed. Well, on our way home is a fruit stand. We say hi to the fruit stand ladies everyday. Last transfer the sisters did too but they never had a conversation with them. Well...today was the day. They stopped us an asked us a bunch of questions and it was a great conversation about who we are and why we are here. Walking away from that we both knew it was a blessing for not buying that khachpuri and keeping the sabbath day holy. I think God got a good chuckle from this experiences as well. So keep the commandments you'll be blessed! It works! Even if it's as simple as saying no to buying a cheap khachapuri on the sabbath. That night

ended with us happily eating our rice.

Well that is the week, til next time!

- და ჯენსენი