Hi hi hi family!!! I love being a missionary! This is the hardest but most rewarding thing I have ever done! Sometimes mission life feels like a slap in the face or getting run over by a train... and then you get up, dust yourself off, and feel the savior dusting you off too and helping you back on your feet. I know each day I am not alone. Not only do I have a wonderful companion by my side, but I know angels are walking beside us guiding us and supporting us. I know God has never been more aware of me. He knows my desires, and my struggles. He is never far from me and Sister N. and it is the coolest feeling. Let me echo Elder M. Russel Ballard by saying there is no greater joy in life than being anxiously engaged in the service of the Lord. I LOVE MY MISSION. No, I don't get in every door or teach a ton of lessons or baptize every month, but "It is impossible to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lords errand. While the outcome is a result of the exercise of one's agency sharing the gospel is our responsibility!" I have been called to SERVE and invite others to come unto Christ. At the end of the day if I can ask myself if I have done any good in the world today and answer knowing I gave my all that day, then I know I am slowly becoming the missionary I am supposed to be. I love my call and I feel so privileged to be serving here and inviting the people of Slovenia to come unto Christ.
This weekend is MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!! For missionaries, this is a VERY exciting time because we have the opportunity to call home and speak with our wonderful families. I know we are given this opportunity because the prophet knows just how much we rely on the emails, packages, and letters of our families. The support I get from my family really keeps me going. If there is one thing I have learned on my mission it is how much I love, honor and respect my amazing parents. My Heavenly Father loves me and my siblings with two people who care enough for us to help guide our choices. My parents used just the right amount of courage and respect to help me recognize the spirit and the importance of the gospel. They love me enough to share their conviction and then gave me the opportunity to work out the direction of my own life. and here I am! In Slovenia, Europe serving a mission! I know I would not be here without the loving guidance and support of my parents. My parents love me and the love Heavenly Father and they knew He could do more with my life than I could do with my own, so they taught me to give my will to the Savior. Oh! How wonderful are my parents?!?! I LOVE THEM!!!! Elder Richard G Scott said:
"How can each of us become such a significant influence? We must be sure to sincerely love those we want to help in righteousness so they can begin to develop confidence in God’s love. For so many in the world, the first challenge in accepting the gospel is to develop faith in a Father in Heaven, who loves them perfectly. It is easier to develop that faith when they have friends or family members who love them in a similar way.
My parents' consistent love helped me understand and trust my Savior's love more clearly! I am so excited to do that for my children someday, but for now I have the privilege to do it for the people here in Slovenia! Ugh I love missions!
This week I realized just how aware our Heavenly Father is of each of us! I received answers to prayers I didn't know I had! First... they have the pens I love so much here! SO BLESSED! Also, a member brought Sister N. and I chocolate to church and that was a day maker for sure! Then a member made us dinner! We had pineapple steaks, it was wonderful! Also yesterday another member made us dinner! I have never been fed my a member so this week was super cool! I loved the food and it was so good to spend some time with members! Sister N. and I spent last Wednesday in Ljubliana getting my visa stuff sorted out. The train ride was perfect again and we got aloe drinks that had pomegranate in them! SO GOOD! Ljubliana is SOOO cute and I loved seeing all the people there! It is very loud to me because there are actually cars there. It was kind of a shock but I totally loved Ljubliana! Over all, that was just a really great day! I was exposed to French, German, Albanian, Bosnian, Portuguese, Italian, Croatian, Spanish, and Chinese this week. Haha European mission life! Out of all of those I still love Slovene the most haha it is so cute! All these little things made me realize that God really does care about the little things too! The thing that showed me how aware God is of me and was an answer to the prayer I didn't know I had was our new senior couple! Since I have been on my mission, I have not had a senior couple because of transfers and stuff. Our new senior couple moved in this week, so I finally get to work with a senior couple. They are absolutely wonderful! They are EXACTLY what Celje needs and I didn't realize how much I LOVE the branch here in Celje until I met them and got so excited for what they would be able to do for the members here. They took us out to lunch and ice cream and got us a cake for Sunday. They complimented my Slovene SOOOO much and really truly built my confidence! They kept saying "You speak with so much confidence and it sounds like you really know what you are doing!!" I even got to translate for them when meeting people on Sunday and that was SOOOO cool to test my abilities in the language! Their personalities and loving, selfless way that they go about this mission thing is seriously an answer to my prayers! I love them SOOOOOO much and am so excited to serve them! They are a wonderful addition to this branch!
All in all, I grew a ton this week. I am so happy! I love serving a mission and this place is beyond perfect for me! I feel my saviors love every second of the day! I am SOOOO excited to call my parents this week! 6 days people! YAY! I love you! have a great week! SEE YOU ON SUNDAY!!!!
Sestra Higgins
This weekend is MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!! For missionaries, this is a VERY exciting time because we have the opportunity to call home and speak with our wonderful families. I know we are given this opportunity because the prophet knows just how much we rely on the emails, packages, and letters of our families. The support I get from my family really keeps me going. If there is one thing I have learned on my mission it is how much I love, honor and respect my amazing parents. My Heavenly Father loves me and my siblings with two people who care enough for us to help guide our choices. My parents used just the right amount of courage and respect to help me recognize the spirit and the importance of the gospel. They love me enough to share their conviction and then gave me the opportunity to work out the direction of my own life. and here I am! In Slovenia, Europe serving a mission! I know I would not be here without the loving guidance and support of my parents. My parents love me and the love Heavenly Father and they knew He could do more with my life than I could do with my own, so they taught me to give my will to the Savior. Oh! How wonderful are my parents?!?! I LOVE THEM!!!! Elder Richard G Scott said:
"How can each of us become such a significant influence? We must be sure to sincerely love those we want to help in righteousness so they can begin to develop confidence in God’s love. For so many in the world, the first challenge in accepting the gospel is to develop faith in a Father in Heaven, who loves them perfectly. It is easier to develop that faith when they have friends or family members who love them in a similar way.
My parents' consistent love helped me understand and trust my Savior's love more clearly! I am so excited to do that for my children someday, but for now I have the privilege to do it for the people here in Slovenia! Ugh I love missions!
This week I realized just how aware our Heavenly Father is of each of us! I received answers to prayers I didn't know I had! First... they have the pens I love so much here! SO BLESSED! Also, a member brought Sister N. and I chocolate to church and that was a day maker for sure! Then a member made us dinner! We had pineapple steaks, it was wonderful! Also yesterday another member made us dinner! I have never been fed my a member so this week was super cool! I loved the food and it was so good to spend some time with members! Sister N. and I spent last Wednesday in Ljubliana getting my visa stuff sorted out. The train ride was perfect again and we got aloe drinks that had pomegranate in them! SO GOOD! Ljubliana is SOOO cute and I loved seeing all the people there! It is very loud to me because there are actually cars there. It was kind of a shock but I totally loved Ljubliana! Over all, that was just a really great day! I was exposed to French, German, Albanian, Bosnian, Portuguese, Italian, Croatian, Spanish, and Chinese this week. Haha European mission life! Out of all of those I still love Slovene the most haha it is so cute! All these little things made me realize that God really does care about the little things too! The thing that showed me how aware God is of me and was an answer to the prayer I didn't know I had was our new senior couple! Since I have been on my mission, I have not had a senior couple because of transfers and stuff. Our new senior couple moved in this week, so I finally get to work with a senior couple. They are absolutely wonderful! They are EXACTLY what Celje needs and I didn't realize how much I LOVE the branch here in Celje until I met them and got so excited for what they would be able to do for the members here. They took us out to lunch and ice cream and got us a cake for Sunday. They complimented my Slovene SOOOO much and really truly built my confidence! They kept saying "You speak with so much confidence and it sounds like you really know what you are doing!!" I even got to translate for them when meeting people on Sunday and that was SOOOO cool to test my abilities in the language! Their personalities and loving, selfless way that they go about this mission thing is seriously an answer to my prayers! I love them SOOOOOO much and am so excited to serve them! They are a wonderful addition to this branch!
All in all, I grew a ton this week. I am so happy! I love serving a mission and this place is beyond perfect for me! I feel my saviors love every second of the day! I am SOOOO excited to call my parents this week! 6 days people! YAY! I love you! have a great week! SEE YOU ON SUNDAY!!!!
Sestra Higgins