My, oh my! It sounds like you all had a great time following your thanksgiving trip! I love the updates and the pictures. Claire, Emma looks so much like Abby when she was born. I am filled with joy as I think about how blessed our family really is. Though some of us have been going transcontinental, and around the world, we've been holding down the fort here in Vlore. Life seems so busy, but as a missionary it is the best kind of busy you can have: busy bringing others to Christ. I look forward to each lesson that we can have, so that I can bear MY testimony of our savior. I get the opportunity each day to ask for his help, to guide us to the elect.
Thanks for all you who watched the He is the Gift Video. It has over 2 million views now, and that doesn't count the translated one here in Albania. Every day we go to the street and say, "Do you have 2 minutes to watch a film about Christmas." After they say yes and we watch it, they response is often, "I have no words". We've also used this tracting, and has proved to be an effective door approach. 4 new investigators have come so far.
But Heavenly Father doesn't just bless us to find people, He brings them to us. Just yesterday, Sunday, we had a nice 3 lessons in a row planned. However, one by one they cancelled. Being slightly frustrated, by knowing that we'd probably be out finding on the street again, we said a prayer to know what to do. We continued with our studies and soon received a phone call from the Sisters. "Do you have an investigator named Skerdi?" Immediately we knew God's will for us and we ran to the church to meet this former-investigator. He said he wanted to talked. We talked. Then we testified. He has now accepted to be baptized. Again, a simple story of relying on the Lord. This story has more meaning in our minds because it happened on a Sunday, the last day of the week. We have a zone goal of getting 1 new baptismal date a week, and we had not accounted one yet. And so, this touch of the masters hand saved us when literally we had 4 hours left in the week. After his lesson we hit our knees, something I've learned many times on my mission. ALWAYS give a prayer of thanks, for we are unprofitable servants and need to let him know that we recognize his hand in our lives.
I pray that all of you will stay close to prayer. I hope your calluses on your knees are growing. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord. Temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. We were able to dedicate our new apartment on Fast Sunday, and so my mind has thought a lot about holy places and how we can be a holy place. I read a quote from Brigham young that basically said, "Sanctification is giving all you have to the Lord. It doesn't mean you'll conquer temptation. It is needful that we have temptation, it was in the plan before we came to earth." By reading Jesus the Christ lately I've learned that often we are given weaknesses so that the Lord can make the power of Godliness made manifest through us. If we were all perfect, we'd have no need for an atonement, and in turn would become selfish, boasting in our own strength. Yet, think how great the Fathers plan is for us. We CAN become perfect. But this perfection is only through someone else. This mediator makes us a better person while still keeping us humble. Just like a bridle and a saddle on a horse can channel energies in a positive direction, so can the atonement and prayer use our weaknesses to become strong.
I love you all and pray for you. The weather is now becoming cold. We see many lights....mostly for the New Year, but we are changing their attitudes on that!
Love your son and brother,
Elder Bangerter
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