11-7-11

Whew!! Hey everyone!
This week has been a whirlwind! So many good things happened and I went through so many different emotions that I am not sure quite what to think! Sister Black was here in Ljubljana all this week and we are switching back companions today. I am really excited to switch back, but I am sad to see her go. I have learned so much from her! She is a newby... only 2 months in country. So it was really interesting for me because I have always had someone to rely on to help me when I didn't understand something...not this week. It was a HUGE gowing experience for me. But the Lord truly blessed me! I can honestly say that this entire week I had the gift of tongues. I have improved a ton this transfer and understand basically everything and can finally feel confident in expressing the things that I want to in Slovene....but this week was miraculous. I found phrases coming to mind and found myself speaking more confidently and by the Spirit more and more. Wow the Holy Ghost is amazing! At the same time I failed at being a good leader and giving Sister Black adequate opportunities to teach and take the lead. She was truly amazing though. I was so inspired with her vision of missionary work and will use a lot of the things that she taught me in this upcoming transfer!

Speaking of which guess what!? Ljubljana just can't let me go! Or I have a lesson that I have to learn here and I am just to stubborn to learn it....I'm hoping it is the former. Nothing is going to change for this upcoming transfer! I am really excited. This last transfer I have grown so much and been so impacted by the people I have been working with and am excited for it to continue! We have so many good things going on and I would have been really sad to leave in the middle of such great progress! I still have a lot to learn though!

That is another thing that happened this week. I got spiritually slapped several times this week and severely chastened by the Spirit...mainly during district meeting. Once again hooray for an amazing district leader! (even if it did hurt my pride a little...or a lot). I realized a lot of things that I need to be doing better and realized that a lot of times my motivation for doing missionary work is not what it should be. I need to love the people more and focus so much more on looking outside of my self and relying on the Lord! It is so stinking easy to lose track of what is really important and focus on yourself!!! whew. I have a long way to go....but the first step to repentance is recognition right? now i just have to find the courage to do it. That is one of the talents that Pres. Topham said would be uncovered on my mission...and I bet it has to do with me being willing to change for that to actually happen. Darn that agency! except not really. It truly is a blessing and the only way we can grow!

So a quick little story and then I should go. So we are teaching an absolutely amazing woman named Tončka. I am so excited for her! She asks amazing questions and truly has a desire to understand. We were talking about faith and reading through parts of Alma 32 this week. She said that she has a hard time reading the book of mormon and she says she thinks one of the reasons is she doesn't have enough faith. As we were closing the lesson I committed her to read 2 Nephi 31 (we are going to commit her to baptism this week!) and when she said she would I started to promise her blessings because of it...as i started I got a prompting to promise her something a little more specific than what I was planning on. I promised her that as she read the Book of Mormon her faith would grow. Really simple right? but different from what I was planning on saying. but as soon as I said it I felt the Spirit testify that this simple promise was exactly what she needed to hear. Once again I love revelation and the Holy Ghost!
I love you all and I love this gospel. I am learning so much and am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord and the People in Slovenia! More next week!
Love,
Sestra Powell