the Book of Mormon

Things I did this week:
-I went on 2 exchanges this week! 1 with this new missionary Elder Thioabald! And another with Elder Gardener!
-I has a cool interview with president!
-Started english course, got 4 new investigators from that!
-Met a less active
-Our Branch president was not there this week so I lead the Branch also I taught 2nd hour!
-Frisbee with 14 missionaries!
-I said my last good bye for Larsen and Lords!

Spiritual thought:The Book of Mormon is the sickle we must use to thrust with all of our might. D&C 4:4 "The field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might....:
The Book of Mormon is the Sword of the armor of God!
The Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is the most powerful resource in conversion!
The Book of Mormon is really important!
Read it!

Love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Michael Ueston

a Teacher

Hello Americans! I will be back in your wonderful country soon! I got my flight plans!  Albania to Italy. Italy to NYC, NYC to SLC.  You may think I am already home, because they gave me an assignment, already, to talk in my home ward but don't worry I am still here!

It has been raining a lot this last week! We had to go to Tirane. As we were trying to leave and the road was closed because of flooding, so we had to turn around. We tried going down another road but then we wondered if that road may be closed too.  We asked President, He said "Just stay for safety." We stayed at Elder Larsen and Elder Lords's house! They were both in my group but are leaving 11 days before me! We eventually got back to Lushnje!

We have been handing out hundreds of English course flyers! We handed out 2000 flyers! thus far! We have about 400 left and the course starts tomorrow!  Lets hope we got some people there!

We have been preparing 2 of our friends Gesi and Jona for baptism! They are super ready! I can't wait for their baptism on the 16th!


Spiritual Thought:
This week I have been thinking about what an honor it is to be a Teacher! I love being able to teach people of the gospel! I love teaching people about the truths that I have found and love hearing people tell me about the simple truths that they have found! I invite you all to write down the truths the spirit teaches you!


Love you all! have a great week!
Elder Michael Ueston

Thanksgiving

Still here yes! how much longer? until Dec 28th

This week we had transfers, so I went to Tirane! Then we came back home to Lushnje! After, we had a mission conference on Thursday for Thanksgiving! It was a lot of fun! I MC'ed and gave my last testimony! It was kinda weird how that is probs the last time I will see all those people! But life! Then we came back home!
This Saturday my homie S*, 81 years old came to the waters of baptism! He was so happy! He said "if the water is cold or hot I will still get it" I love that man!
Then today we went to Tirane just 1 more time!!!! To play frisbee! It was raining the whole time and we got super wet then we realized we didn't have any other clothes! It was worth it because I got to see all of those cool missionaries from Tirane!

Spiritual thought: I have found so much joy during my mission. One of the best feelings in the world is when you see someone change there life and come unto Christ! Something that Seit said made me think. He said "My life was in vain. I believed in God but I didn't know who he was, until you came!" The Gospel changes lives!


Love you all!
Elder Michael Ueston

rabbit

I got a call from president! I am going to stay in Lushnje! I have been here for 6 months and I am going to be here until the end, 5 more weeks!  I am going to serve with an Albanian! Elder Jakaj!

This last Monday I ate something bad, I think it was a sausage or spinach or something, all I know is that it wasn't good and I got sick! That was last Monday.  Tuesday I was a little bit better, but then my comp got sick. We both are better now! That was the first time I got sick enough I had to stay home!

I just wanted to add some pictures of my friend S*! He is 81! He is one of my favorite person ever!!

A member told us they wanted to give us a rabbit. I thought it was going to be alive so I told them how was can't have pets, she said "No we already killed it for you!" Needless to say we talked about the 6th of the 10 commandments! ;)

Spiritual thought: No one, except for Jesus Christ, is perfect! You can never expect anyone to be perfect! We must be patient with everyone we meet! I invite you to not get mad when you see someone make a mistake, but be grateful that you saw those mistakes and now you will not make that mistake!
Love you all! have a great week!

Elder Michael Ueston

giving talks

This week this member came up to me and asked if he could give a talk. I said "why not." expecting his talk to be 1 min or so. I asked him what he was going to speak on, he said "nephi 1-20." I told him to talk about his experiences and maybe just read 1 verse. He said "okay." Sunday rolls around and he reads all of 1st nephi 1, and 2nd nephi 2 and probs more! It was about 15 mins of just reading!!
Moral of the story: Not everyone should give a talk!

The Berat missionaries didn't know how to use our baptismal font and it didn't hold the water over night! poor kids! President and the APs joined us for our district meeting! Presidents training was amazing!

I called the father of some our investigators to ask him if his daughters could get baptized, because he said no before, and he said they could! that was a true miracle of the week!

We stated to do this new way of contacting where we give people a page of the Book of Mormon with a couple of questions, "what do you think is interesting?" "do you want a free book?" etc! it has been fun thus far!

Spiritual Thought: 3 Nephi 9:13-14 " O all ye that are spared... will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? ... if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive..."  After I read this scripture it helped me understand the amount of love our God has for us! He just wants us to come back to him! He just wants us to live with him again! But he needs us to repent and be converted that He MAY heal us! and he will receive anyone who comes unto him!
I know that God loves and watches out for us! He just wants us to return to him!


Have a great week!
Love
Elder Ueston

quotes

Another week! Yes I am still here! This week was good! Normal stuff, I gave a good 15 min talk, we had a half way training, interview with president. Then for Pday we played risk and Frisbee!

Now here are some good quotes from this week:

One of our older investigators said
"I am glad I am getting baptized now! I will be cleaner then all of you because I've already done all the mistakes!" hahah Great learning opportunity

New Investigator said "It doesn't matter how old you are but how old you look" I was inspired!

One of our investigators wants to go to American and submitted his name to go, it's called "The American Lotter." he said "I put my left hand on the Book of Mormon then submitted my name for America.  If I go there I will become Mormon" Too bad he has to use his right hand ;)

My companion woke up and stood up and said "Today's gunna be a great day" I said "are you on drugs?" "even if I was I probably wouldn't tell you." Fair enough.

Spiritual thought: I have grown to be incredibly grateful for the power of fasting! Looking back at all the times I have fasted, I have received all things I have fasted for!  If you ever have a question for God or don't know what to do about anything, Fast!! Show God your desire to receive an answer by fasting, and you will receive an answer!


Love you all have a great week!
Elder Michael Ueston

2 hour church

This week, instead of having our normal 2 hours of church, we had 3 hours of church! 1 hour of sacrament meeting and 2 hours of priesthood session of conference (and woman's session)!!
Only 2 people stayed until the end! hahaha I don't think we will do that again!

Last Friday! we meet 3 old grandpas! They were all so cute! Hopefully we can meet them again!

Zone conference was great! We went to Elbansan and learned stuff!

We met some cute kids from english course! after english course we meet with them and their moms!

We had a super exchange this week in Lushnje! A super exchange is when 4 elders go to the same city! It was fun! Found a lot of cool people!


Spiritual thought:
I LOVED Tad R. Callister talk about the Book of Mormon from this last general conference!
LISTEN TO IT!!

The Book of Mormon is God’s compelling witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ, the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith, and the absolute truth of this Church.  After listening to this talk, I don't think it could be said more clear that The Book of Mormon is True! I know that this book is true! Read it!


Love you all! have a great week!
Elder Michael Ueston