Everything Is Not What It Seems

Wow this week was nuts.  We were so busy preparing for Meet the Mormons Chisinau Premier and also for our presentation at Zone Conference (Sora Barrera and I had the pleasure of speaking to the other missionaries about the importance of consistency-yay!).  To put it simply, it was a very busy and all over the place week.  I also started my visa paperwork and that took a lot of effort to say the least.  We were eagerly waiting the night of the premier, anxious to soo how many people would show up.  Sadly, only about 100 people showed up and in a theater that sat 350 people...it wasn't much.   Even sadder, there were only about 10 members there.  The film began to crash 5 minutes in, weird subtitles kept popping up, children were screaming and running around the theater.  People left and I felt like we had failed big time.  I sat through the whole movie, unable to enjoy it.  I just kept thinking, "how can anyone feel the spirit through all of this freaking noise?".  I felt so upset.

The movie ended and we headed outside to greet the movie goers as they left.  5 of our potential investigators emerged from the theater and I was dreading their reactions.  But to my surprise, they were all smiling, BEAMING and they had tears streaming down their faces.  

One of them came up to me and said, "I feel so good inside, so...so happy...I cannot even describe it.  I want to share how I feel right now with everyone else.  Can I bring my friends to the next showing?  Would that be ok?"

I was so happy.   We had gotten so worried about the number count we had forgotten what really counted, what really mattered.  We may not have gotten new investigators from the film but we were able to leave our friends with a strong impression.  They HAD felt the SPIRIT and their hearts had been changed. 

They left and Sora Barrera and I just sat and hugged each other for about 5 minutes straight.  Our theme for the night?  Everything is not how is seems.

I know that God works in his own time and in his own ways.  Those ways may seem weird to us, even frustrating and annoying but he just knows what is best for us.  He will make sure that things, when done with the right mindset and heart, will ALWAYS work out for our own benefit.  He loves us.  He truly loves his children. 

Again, I am so grateful for my mission.  It has helped me learn so many important lessons.  If anyone is considering goiing on a mission, DO IT.   Prepare yourself, pray and go for it.  It will be the best decision of your life. I promise you. 

LOVING the work, LOVING the people and LOVING the Lord,

:) Sora Lee

             WE FOUND A GIANT BENCH!  And look how grossly white I am on the lower part of my body....Uneven tanlines are the WORST!

                                                What I wear to clean the mold off our ceiling

 Finding this Walmart bag in the crannies of our kitchen cabinets reminded me about this place (I had completely forgotten about Walmart)

   So we discovered that our drapes (if placed correctly) make us look like arabic princesses?

               The spy paperwork begins (ie Moldovan visa paperwork- oh and NO smiling allowed)