Dear
family,
 |
| President Kosak and Sister Toma |
Well
this week was absolutely crazy hectic, like you wouldn't image. To start off on
Tuesday we were informed that we would be traveling to Berlin to have a last
min MLC. We had to be there an hour earlier though and we needed to use a car
to get there. So the next day us and the zone leaders all packed up in the car
for a 4 hour drive to Berlin. We got to stay with the Dahlem sisters. It was
fun being back in my old apartment kind of made me a little sad to see
everything again. Brings back sweet memories. The next we went to our very last
MLC with president Kosak :( it was bitter sweet for sure, however I learned so
much this time around.
Here
was one of my favorite president Kosak quotes this time. He said,
"Remember my missionaries, don't worry so much about the outcome or having
faith on the outcome of our prayers, we need to stay focused on Jesus Christ.
When we first have Faith in Jesus Christ, then the outcome will just
come." That hit me so hard this time around because I know that I have
been really struggling with that this last transfer and in trying to reach our
goals as a companionship. We have been too focused on numbers and too focused
on our outcomes instead of just focusing on our purpose and having faith in
Jesus Christ.
I
will really miss President Kosak and sister Kosak. They really are just amazing
amazing examples to me and have taught me so so much.
And
the big reason we had MLC was because our IPad finally came. Hurray!! We are
officially and I pad mission. It has been an interesting experience trying to
adjust to using them. Not feeling guilty for going on the internet for dinner
hour to download a video we can use for a lesson. But I think we are finally
started to get settled into them. We will need to start finding some new ways
to go finding.
So
this week we have completely fallen out of contact with Joanna and Flavia. It
is really sad we have been pretty upset because we haven't been able to meet
with Joanna in a few weeks. I would have never thought I would ever be able to
say this here in Germany however we really do have to be picky who we meet with
often here in Hannover. We teach a lot, and they all want to meet with us and
they all love meeting with us but we just don't have time and we have to
prioritize. I honestly never thought I would face that problem here in Germany
but we are. So today we kneeled down and prayed to see who we should prioritize
in our week because our time really is so important. We had five names come to
our minds and Joanna is still one of them so please please pray for her that
she can get better and that we can still meet with her.
This
week has been one of the most spiritual weeks of my mission. I just wanted to
share some of my personal experience that I had this week. At or mission
leadership training meeting this week we talked a lot about prayer and how we
need to be one with God. I really than pondered about my personal and daily
prayers, whether they were remaining sincere or become routine. One of the
sisters commented in the meeting about how she keeps a prayer book. How she
really ponders what she wants to tell the Lord before she kneels down to prayer.
What this sister said just hit me like a bag of bricks. That I really do need
to have a better relationship with my heavenly father that I need to have more
deep sincere prayers in all my prayers.
We
had a ZTM this week again emphasized becoming one with God and what that really
means. It really just made me think about my purpose and why I am here, what
are my focuses and priorities. All leading up to these last two talks that
really topped it off.
On
Saturday night we had the sisters over for the night because of stake
conference. There was this talk that I had started to listen to called
conversion of a catholic. It is so good. When you have the chance just listen
to it. The very last part is all that I would like to touch on today. So his
name is Elder Carpenter and he was asked to extend his mission 6 months and it
was during the time elders only served 18 month missions. So in those last 6
months of his mission he met an old woman who they gave the Book of Mormon to.
They came back and started teaching her and asking about what she read. Come to
find out she had read the entire Book of Mormon, and knew that it was true.
After she was baptized she received her patriarchal blessing. When she received
it in the mail she had asked Elder Carpenter to come and read it to her. He
refused at first, this woman then went on to explain how her eyes were so bad
that she could not see the words on a page for 15 years and that she knew the Book
of Mormon was true because she was able to read it. That it was a blessing from
God. Right after she read it once she was never able to read it again. So that
is why he had to read her blessing. As he was reading it to her, he came across
a part that said “you would have joined the church 25 years ago if the
missionary that was called here would have accepted his call." She died
that night. What a touching story. It really gave me the sense that me being
here is so important, and that I need to be doing what the Lord needs me to do
here. Not every question why I am here or whether I should be obedient to a
rule or talk to a person on a street or in a train. There are people here to be
found and there is a certain time and place that the Lord has a waiting for
them.
I
was also reading in a talk from the newest ensign. It talks about a young girl
who served her mission in California. She was put into an area where there
wasn't a lot of success, she was tired and ready to be transferred after 4
months. However she ended up staying 1 more transfer. She was so upset about,
but a week later she received a phone call from her mission president, telling
her she was in the right place. After that she moved forward in faith and ended
up seeing so many miracles and getting into people’s home that previously
didn't want to meet with them, also she had a baptism there. Really and truly
there are so many reasons that we are where we are. On a mission or not we have
opportunities ahead of us when we act on faith. Another great quote from
president Kosak is... "Faith is a choice you must choose to fallow." It’s
true we have the choice to believe or not. Doesn't matter how we are raised or
where we come from, we can always choose.
I am
so grateful to be here in the beautiful country and to be able to serve in the
beautiful city of Hannover. I love you all so much and hope you have a great
week.
Alles
Liebe,
Sister
Toma
Ps.
A new perk with the I pads. I can't write emails expect for Monday, however I
can read emails throughout the weeks. So when ever you feel like sending a little
uplifting message or wanting to tell me any exiting news or what ever you can
send it to me anytime and can read it during the weeks. So please send your
love more frequently now.
