The Unexpected Testimony

TERE!!

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMBERS OF ALL TIME!!!! I love you, dear Vend Tihane. Thank you for your cat meows and funny music. I'm grateful to be here in Tartu with you!

Wow. What a week. I have a testimony that this is God's work. It is not about me. It is not about my companions. It is not our work. The most important level of unity we can have is between us and God, and I am constantly seeking for that unity. It's not about me! I am willing to go where God wants me to go, even when it is unexpected. I have prayed and studied so much this week to receive direction and help as to why God needs me in Tartu. I can say now with confidence in the Lord that I know why I am finishing my mission here, and I am grateful to be here. We have already seen so many miracles in Tartu. 

Amazing to see my dear friend Eha here in Tartu. 

She started crying.  She has the softest heart!

The work:

One woman we are working with came to church yesterday, and she wants to get baptized!! Sister Nelson and Sister Murdock met her on the street a few weeks ago, and taught her a lesson later. Our second lesson was yesterday. She said she had started reading the Book of Mormon, and was trying to keep track of all the characters. But after a little while, she realized she was not getting the spiritual message out of it. So she told us she wants to read it again, looking for the message instead of the plot line. She said an enthusiastic "YES!," with the invitation to be baptized. She said she wants her baptism to be a big change in her life. God had already been preparing her for that change because she said she had quit smoking and drinking alcohol 25 days ago already. Miracle! She also wants to meet more often to "accelerate the process." She asked us for good chapters to read in the Book of Mormon. (We recommended 3 Nephi 11 and Alma 32.) She is already inviting her other friends to join her in learning more about God and the Book of Mormon; she is a missionary already! 

Another miracle from that lesson was that a woman whom Sister Tullis and I met, taught, and baptized exactly a year ago JOINED us for the lesson! After she was baptized last year, she moved away and fell off the map. She asked us not to contact her. She went through a really hard time with her faith in the Church and in the Book of Mormon. We have been praying for her to come back ever since. But just 2 months ago, like the prodigal son in the Bible going back to his father, she came back to us and Christ. Thanks be to God! It was incredible to watch her testify about her newfound testimony of the Book of Mormon to this woman desiring to be baptized. She has come a long way, and I am so grateful to have seen her through it all!!

Many mini special moments this week too. I was having a hard day, and we stopped a young man. We ended up discussing the Bible and Book of Mormon for about 35 minutes on the street. He was so cool; we learned a lot from each other. The Spirit helped the three of us teach him in unity and love, working off each other smoothly. Blessing from heaven!

I felt a prompting to sit next to an older woman on the bus. Come to find out...she is 100 YEARS OLD! What wisdom. She believes in God. We couldn’t set up a meeting with her, but near the end of our conversation, I felt such a strong prompting to pull out the Book of Mormon from my bag. These words came out of my mouth from the Spirit, "You see this book? This book is true. It is the word of God. In the next life, you will be taught about the teachings in this book. I invite you to accept those teachings. Accept Christ's gospel. Will you?" She nodded her head and said, "Nõus (willing)." What an incredible opportunity to testify to someone so wise about a book that's teachings are even wiser! 

Last week, I mentioned a woman whom I talked with on the train back from Tartu. She is a university student here. She is SO cool, and we became good friends!! Well, we MET this week!! She showed us around Tartu University, then we talked about the Book of Mormon. We shared with her our favorite verses. She was so excited to receive the Book of Mormon in Russian! She said, "It’s so beautiful!!!" We promised her if she reads the Book of Mormon every day, God will bless her in her studies. She is in finals right now. She believed us, and took the challenge and promise associated with it to read the Book of Mormon every day. She moved to Tallinn for the summer, and the Russian-speaking sisters will meet with her there. 

One of the sweetest moments this week was in Tallinn. We were there for a conference for all the members in Estonia. A leader, Elder Kearon (in the Presidency of the Seventy in the Church), and his wife Sister Kearon, came to speak to us! 

Elder Kearon told us a great analogy when it comes to judging others and yourself. He said, pointing to a rose, "You see this rose? It is beautiful from afar. But when you put it under a microscope, it is an ugly sight. Do not put other people OR YOURSELF under a microscope. Admire the person for the rose they are. Stop analyzing and judging. No one wants to be looked at under a microscope."

Anyway, after the first meeting, we missionaries were in the park talking to some people. I felt strongly that I should talk to two young girls. The first thing I asked was, "Do you feel like you have a relationship with God?" "No." "Do you believe in God?" "Yes!" So I taught them ways to grow a relationship with God (like prayer for example). During the conversation, I asked, "Did you know that God is your loving Heavenly Father, and you are His daughters?" Their faces lit up brighter than I have ever seen. Their eyes widened, and their voice got two octaves higher as they said, "Really???" "YES!!!" It was my privilege to testify to them of God’s love for them as His daughters. Twenty-five minutes after our conversation ended, I was still in the park and talking to another pair of girls. Those two girls from earlier came up to our conversation and said to me, "Hey guess what?? Those girls over there just tried to offer us a cigarette, and we said no!!" They said that the knowledge of their identity as daughters of God helped them say no. If that's not the power of God, I don't know what is. And then the other two girls I was talking to started complimenting the girls, and they all started complimenting each other. Estonians DON’T do that unless they’re friends. I asked if they knew each other, and they said no! Miracle. They just became friends on the street, talking about their identity as daughters of God, and I was simply God's tool in putting it all together. What a cool moment.

Culture:

At the end of the school year, 9th and 12th graders dress up like kids and have water fights and play games just like little kids do! 

Departing pictures from Tallinn 

I will miss these people. 

I love you all!

Funnies:

The only thing funny I can think of is this morning on P-day when my family sent me tons of funny pictures and videos of funny moments together when I was at home. I laughed SO HARD. If any of you have fun memories with me and want to send them my way, I will gladly reminisce with you!! I can communicate on Facebook Messenger, so you can send them through that or email. I love memories through photos and videos :)

Spiritual thought:

God is putting everything I have learned on my mission to the test in this transfer. And I am so grateful for that challenge! 

21 ...the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people. (Mosiah 23:21-22)

God is trying my patience and faith, and I have learned even more this week that I CAN put my trust in God because it is His work, not mine. "Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men." (Doctrine and Covenants 3:3)

God loves me because I am His daughter. I felt His love on Saturday at the conference with Elder Kearon and all the Estonia members. After Sister and Elder Lepp gave speeches and before Elder Kearon spoke, I was unexpectedly invited to the pulpit to share my testimony with everyone. I was so shocked because that has never happened before. I knew that was a prompting in that moment to Elder Kearon to invite me to share my testimony. Even though this week was so hard, God gave me the opportunity to stand in front of all my fellow Estonian Saints whom I love and testify to them that God has a perfect plan for us. 

I know God lives. This is His Church. HE LOVES US because we are His beloved children. Jesus Christ is the "light and life of the world." I love Him. I testify that God has a plan for us, and He will lead us if we are willing to be led. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Trust in the Lord. CHOOSE JOY. Find peace.

Õde Smith-Driggs

Romans 8:18 

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

(Thank you, Melissa, for sharing this scripture with me!)