2018 and Beyond... Learning to follow the Savior!

Hey ya'll!!! Man, sounds like the Christmas and New Years festivities were LIT this year!!! I almost started tearing up because of how happy I was too see that little video of all the Ditto's saying "hi" and "I love you" or that they got a new tie and are not wearing it 😊 I feel so dang blessed to have a wonderful immediate family and extended and then everyone in between! Truly the gospel of Jesus Christ brings all mankind together, for we are all brothers and sisters in Christ!

Exploring Durlești (a town in Chișinău municipality, Moldova)

This week... was really packed with goodness. Moldovans sure like to party and sometimes a little too hard- walking the streets of Chisinau this morning there were endless bottles of wine and beer, used fireworks, and confetti. Yesterday we had to go inside early because the streets were getting pretty busy and rambunctious... fireworks going off in the streets and too many drunk people! It was a weird thing to see, it reminded me how keeping the commandments really does set you free, and that the devil wants to trick us into thinking that what the world does is desirable. 

Fotbal squad!

I think we were a little tired.

I am really excited for this new year... last year was incredible, and I am determined to make this one even better. Looking back a year ago, the Lord has truly been with me every step of the way, even in those times where I am not looking. He has helped me improve in so many aspects and I have even picked up some new hobbies and discovered hidden talents. 

This week the Lord reminded me that though I have improved and become stronger, I have so much more room to grow! You know, that is the coolest part about this life- there is ALWAYS more to learn! 

So here is my refiners fire story for the week. To set the scene- this week was a pretty hard week in terms of teaching people. The Moldovan people are prettyyy flaky and it is not common to be "bunged" (having a planned meeting and then they don't show up) so we had a lot of time to talk with people on the streets and in their homes, or at least in their blocks... So at times it seemed like no one in this whole entire country wants the gospel, at other times the Lord does grant us opportunities to meet with God's children that are ready. The hardest thing is to have unshaken faith, especially when it is 7 pm and you are in the scariest block in all of Chisinau and everyone slams the door on you! 

Well, I am going off track now, but I need to share this tender mercy that was a result because of our effort to maintain unshaken faith. Friday it rained all stinkin day, and Elder Quist and I did not have anyone to teach for that day. We felt like we should go and visit a less-active and after some help from a very orthodox lady, we arrived at her block. We found apartamentul 903 and knocked. A nice lady opened the door and we asked her if she knew this lady. She did not know this less-active lady, but then realized that she lives in 903! *side note: knocking one door in a block here in Moldova many times may be an extension to more apartments. Its complicated* We explained that we are missionaries, and have a message about Jesus Christ. She said that she had five minutes and so we began to teach her the message of the restoration of the gospel. 

Endless blocks...

Fifteen minutes ended up passing, and during that time I saw her touched by the spirit, especially as we testified of the prophet Joseph Smith. There was a special spirit about that meeting, and Valeria wanted to read the Book of Mormon. This experience transformed that rainy day into a faith building journey! I remember praying to God that day, pleading to give us some one to teach. After the trial of our faith, he delivered!

This pattern of working hard and having little rays of tender mercies lighten our days is actually a pattern that is truly present in our lives EVERYDAY... sometimes we just gotta look a little harder!

Funny sign.

I'm singing in the rain!

Amidst the daily struggles that come from missionary work, the Lord gave me a couple of other opportunities to learn and grow. I was humbled as I spoke to a man on the street who ended up challenging me to recite all of the Ten Commandments in order. At the fourth one I messed up, and he criticized me for coming here and teaching people about Jesus Christ when I don't even know the Ten Commandments! This made me a tad angry, and I criticized back maybe just a tad. At the end of the conversation, I got really heated a walked away. I felt like he defeated me, mainly because of the way I behaved. I could have been more like the Savior and meekly stood up for what I believed and acknowledged his argument! After talking with one of the senior missionaries that was nearby, I got the conclusion to go up and tell that man (who was back on his phone near where we had had our conversation) "thank you" for helping me realize that I needed to memorize the Ten Commandments. I told him that I would, and then he told me that I better start living them. I smiled, assured him that I would, and walked away. 

The ironic thing is that he told me that he doesn't live them!

SO. From that experience I learned "yes" about how to diffuse a controversial argument, but I also learned a little more about my Savior. He loves all men. He has taught us to be slow to anger, to love our enemies, and to do good to those that hate you. He also has taught us to have unshaken faith in him, and trust in his promised blessings. 

Becoming like the Savior is a life long journey, and that journey is full of ups and downs, mistakes and triumphs, but he is with us every step of the way!

Here's to a great 2018!

A nice Russian babushka took this for us!

La multi ani!!!

Elder Ditto

PS If you haven't committed the Ten Commandments to memory... do that this week!!! That is what I am doing😉