Εβδομάδα 57: POWER OF PROPHECY

What a time to be alive people. Especially being a missionary during it all! It's been a wild 7 days let's just say. Anything but normal. A lot of people don't wanna meet with us at the beginning of the week since they think we're gonna infect them. We got all stocked up on 2 whole weeks of food ASAP from President's orders and we're trying to pretend like we aren't being affected at all even tho a huge weight just got put on our shoulders because all the senior missionaries got sent home. We've got huge shoes to fill in place of our senior couples, they do so much. When I 1st heard the news I kinda started to worry how we would be able to do it all with just our young missionaries, but then remembered how we did it when I was trained here nearly a year ago, we can do it again. Peace was also brought to my mind recalling the words of our Prophet and church leaders calling for the greatest generation of missionaries they have ever seen. The Lord has entrusted us to carry out His work and I know with an eye single to the glory of God, we will be able to go forward with even more strength and unity in this ever so chaotic world.

Saturday 1:54pm update: OFFICALLY QUARANTINED. YAY. :|

So far we've survived passing time with Greek monopoly deal. I also figured out we have roof access so that's a plus. Took me 7 1/2 months of serving here to figure that one out lol, feelin real accomplished ;) studies are fun up there... and sunny! Sunday we had a mini sacrament meeting with the elders and went to the senior couple's now empty apartment for it. It helped to again emphasize to me how sacred the sacrament is in our lives. Matthew 18: 20 also came to mind, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." It didn't matter if it was just us 5 missionaries, we were able to partake of the most important ordinance of the week and had yet another opportunity to remember and show gratitude to our Savior. Elder Kalumunzer and I each gave a little 5 minute talk, we sang hymns, it was good.

We got transfer calls late Sunday night, totally unexpected since we just assumed everything would stay the same. Found out the 3 new sisters that were suppose to come in are being reassigned to the England, Birmingham mission temporarily. Sad day, we were way excited. But hey maybe some of my friends there will get to serve with them! Also we can't fly between Cyprus and Greece so all missionaries will be staying in their countries. I'll continue being an STL but this time with Sister Ahlström. But also, Prez said to plan on a 6 week transfer until further notice, as in when the new sister get here, so things could still technically change again which would also be really weird. So we'll see!

Our district council (before all the chaos) was fantabulous as always. It has easily become one of my favorite meetings and I look forward to it each week because of the spiritual boost I can always depend on receiving. Usually this boost for me would come from sacrament meeting but since we have to organize and micro manage so many things as missionaries to make sure everything runs smoothly each Sunday, as well as do translation, it's not as spiritually uplifting as it used to be sadly. Anyways, our topic of our council was Christlike attributes! Developing Christlike attributes is tough because they all depend on the others to be developed. So essentially, one isn't working on one at a time, but all twelve, because if not then one's hindering the other, and thus the great struggle. So each of us were given a specific attribute to teach each other about. I got patience. I kinda laughed when I first got it because I felt like out of all the attributes, patience is probably the hardest one for me. But maybe that's way of God telling me I gotta work on it some more and there was something for me to learn here ;) I really did enjoy studying more about it tho! First I'll share this snip bit because it's golden. "Patience—the ability to put our desires on hold for a time—is a precious and rare virtue.... without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace." Seriously love that. I've learned throughout my life that being patience isn't just waiting for something but actively working towards it and not getting discouraged when immediate gratification and results don't come. It means sticking with something, exercising faith, and enduring but enduring well. I know in every situation, Heavenly Father has a purpose in requiring that His children wait. We gotta see that in the Lord’s plan, our understanding comes “line upon line, precept upon precept.”  Frequently when we're in the moment of our trials, it won't be till they pass that we understand the why part. But it's in that time that we grow the most and can choose to turn to our Savior. Often times it's in the waiting rather that receiving that we grow the most. Patience is a process of perfection! The Savior said himself in Luke 21:19 that in your patience you possess your souls. Take that in the Greek translation and it says, in your patience you win mastery of your souls. I love that. Now I think that's enough on my soap opera on patience haha.

We had a visit with the Stillos family and I think the definition of panic has reached a new level of ultimate high for their family. We got wind of more news that Irini, their daughter who has been serving in New York, is being reassigned to our mission and will be arriving this week along with the 3 new sisters. However, her family is furious with the church for not sending every missionary in the world home and for not keeping us "safe" and allowing us to continue doing missionary work. I testified to them the protection I know we have as the Lord's servants and as we continue to follow the counsel of our leaders and beloved prophet. They had so many strong opposing views and it was really sad to see how much they have hardened their hearts against God's love and direction. They questioned how we could be so calm and we're actually mad at us for that. thinking about that, we have no reason to fear. As we follow our prophet, we can never go astray. Peace replaces panic and chaos when we choose to trust Him who is mighty to save.

Remember how last week I was saying how we haven't made a new friend to teach in ages??? Well this week we have 2!! We were going through contacts on our phone and came across numbers to people who had no clue who they were and decided to give em a ring. First guy, Λεφτέρης, had been contacted in nearly a year!! We met up with him and turns out he'd lived in states for some time, heard about the church and the Book of Mormon, but never found out how to get his own copy! So we gladly gave him one. He is very interested and has lots of questions that he trusts us to help him answer them. He told us he's read the bible like a story book and would love to do the same with the Book of Mormon. We got carried away in discussing so many things and ended up teaching the entire restoration lesson. Cant tell you the last time we taught that lesson haha. At the end of that visit, he asked us if maybe next time we could explain what we believed our purpose on this earth is, where we came from, and what we thought would happen after we die. Someone pinch me haha, this guy is so cool. I had already put a plan of salvation pamphlet in the Book of Mormon we gave him and told him that subject was actually exactly what wed like to talk about next time and that pamphlet he had now would help him answer some of those questions.Guy #2, Tony. I thought recognized him and then realized I've seen him at church a few times! Had no idea he wasnt being taught. Hes been busy and that's why. He's been wanting to meet with us tho and learn more about Christ. He had tons of questions about the Book of Mormon and how it fits in with the bible. Another prepared soul. Language is a barrier tho and we'll have to hookup with our Urdu elders again to make sure he understands what we're teaching.

There's a lot of things we could be worried about right now but I can testify to you that the Lord is in charge. He has called President Russel M. Nelson as the prophet of the church during this time. And I don't know who could ever deny this fact at this point. The power of prophecy is REAL. He has prepared us in every single aspect and as we heed and hold to our prophet's direction and the teaching of Christ's restored church, there is no need to allow fear to enter into our hearts. We may not know our future but we can and do know our Father. I came across a quote this week that I loved from Brigham Young, "All we have yet heard and we have experienced is scarcely a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, 'come home I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the Earth,' all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, Tempest's, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction."

I’m so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have no fear in what the future holds because I have full faith in Jesus Christ and His plan. Everything happens for a reason. And though things are chaotic in the world right now, I have felt nothing but peace in my life. We’ve been counseled for years to be PREPARED during these times.

I'd invite every single one of you to treasure up the Lord’s words. Every aspect of them. Do your part. Possess it, own it, make it yours by both believing it and living it. Find your testimony, hold to the rod, stand as a witness, and let your testimony be known. I pray we will each accept President Nelson's reminder to each of us to HEAR HIM.

Anddd one last scripture that should ease your minds...
"Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God?" - Mormon 5:23

Wowza do I love this gospel. Love you all! Enjoy your un-quarantined week ;)

Love,
Αδελφή Γκεϊλ

PICS!

1 stocking up for 2 weeks

2 beach view 

3 VIP roof top access

4-5 last "normal"ish day 

6 teachin Jhoe