Tuesday, my companion/district leader had a DL meeting down in Tirana, about 4 hours away. We awoke about 3 to get to the OTHER capital city on time. Honestly, I don't complain because it is always so beautiful, but not really at 3 am. Por, (but) when I awoke again aound 7 I was amazed at the scene before me. From heaven to earth the landscape was breathtaking: rainclouds, green mountains, lowerclouds, green city. All bathed in splatters of early morning sunshine. I'd call it my sunrise, because only me and maybe the bus driver saw it.
We spent the day in tirana, he at his meeting and I street contacting...in a short sleeve shirt! (first time ever) But that choice almost proved to be fatal! As we came back we entered a half mile tunnel with a drizzel of rain. When we exited about 1 minute later, 4 inches of snow covered the ground! Yep, Kosovo is very similiar to springtime (summer even) in the Rockies!
Well for the rest of this week, all hail broke loose! Snow, Hail, and finally rain have covered the ground until well Sunday! And what a fitting time it was. Easter. A time for rebirth, a refocus on the new Life of Christ. I felt a personal conection obviously....proud to share a day with the whole Christian world. But everything about the day was new. A new year for me, the meaning of easter, a renewal of my baptismal coventants, a new chapter of my life, a new country, a new companion, everything new! But, good new. I've learned alot this week about opening your mouth. The lord counsels, "For some I am not well pleased for they will not open their mouth!" I figure he is pleased if we serve him, but if we want him to be WELL pleased, we better act.
Being the younger companion I am, I've gotten used to stopping someone, attempting to understand, and handing it over to my companion. But, that is not the way it works. I know heavenly father has blessed me a bit by putting english speakers in my path...but that wont last for long. After a companionship inventory and a personal reevaluation, I've found the comfort that the lord gives when he says "I will use the weak things of the world to confound the wise...""I give unto men weakness that they may be HUMBLE, and MY grace is sufficient enought for those that humble themselves before me...I will make weak things STRONG unto them." Oh how this is true! We can rejoice in our weaknesses! For we know that is when we recieve strength, like my fellow eastern european missionary paul said, "When I weak, then I am strong" Our companionship has gotten a lot better at just talking to the normal joe on the street...so often the last person we plan on stopping is the one the lord has put in our path. Like my friend Austin Fullmer said in a letter to me, from advice he learned from Seth, "Sometimes our plan B is God's plan A" very true. Everything happens for a reason.
And so, why the rain?
Obviously, we have asked this question a lot this week, but in a negative sort of way. But I purpose the "Plan A of God"
Rain forces those who are comfortable street contacting where? INdoors. Therefore, tracting became the missionaries tool in Prishina this week...and for good reason.
As we came up to our first door one day, we said a prayer, really trying to have faith that this week would be successfull and not seem long. Well, first knock? An answer, an admittance, a shoe removal, a lesson, and a return appointment. As we left the lesson, I coudn't help but smile as we both recognized God's plan in our life. Whether that return appointment happens or not, it does not matter to me, becuase I know that from that experience God taught me that he is always there, even when things are tough, he is there for his missionaries. I thought in my head, "huh, that was one of those experiances that missionaries type home in their letters. that's cool. It really happens. wow!"
But God is a loving God and always will contintue to bless us. Naturally, that lesson took up a good amount of time and we were done tracting for the day. So we finished and planned to finish the building the next day.
Next day arrived and we were back on the landing. To our right, the door of first opening was situated, to our left, the first door of this NEW day. After another prayer, we knocked, he answered, he admitted, we removed our shoes, we taught a lesson, and set up a return appointment. Words cannot express the feelings that were felt as we left that special
landing. A landing where God showed his love to 2 missionaries by giving them something to do, and giving it to them in His way, a way that required precipitation from heaven, which precipitation is, when conversing with the locals, a rare 20 year occurance in April in Kosovo. Wow. Now I really hope the return appointments work! I know that God lives, and loves me too, his spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is true. It is true. We are the ONLY true church on the earth. We have një profet i gjallë, a living prophet, who has POWER and AUTHORITY. Wow that is amazing.
One last thing, today we went to an old Serbian monestary which had beautiful 1200s paintings. I stood in the cathedral alone as I saw an old nun do her sacred routine, kissing various pictures and crossing herself. It was very beautiful and peaceful. I knew she had faith in Christ, but my heart pained as I knew what WE had. I know she has dedicated her whole life to this, but I know what blessings come from elderly women in my life. This nun could've been a teacher to primary children, or a grandmother to many, a lady of love in a church thats true. But that was not Gods plan for her. I know she'll be blessed for her service, but oh how glad I am to have the true and living church today.
Love you all,
Elder Bangerter
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