Starting out with the big news of the week:
MY ARMENIAN MOTHER PASSED HER BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW!!!!!!!!
I can't tell you how happy I am. She's going to be baptized this Saturday at 2. And it's so wonderful. She's the one I was talking about last week with the son who's so awesome too. He's the next Stake President. It's gonna happen.
To answer some questions:
Training is the best. Sister Bekmezian is so wonderful, and we've been killing it. (sorry for the slang...) Sometimes it can be daunting to look at our weekly planning whiteboard and see the names and needs of all of the people that the Lord has trusted us with, but I just have to rely on the fact that God has trusted us with these people, and knows that we can do all that we need to with his help.
A proud moment for me (also a little bit funny):
We were in a marshunti this week, and we had started talking with the man sitting across from us. As we talked with him, he was very cordial and nice, but wasn't intereseted in learning about the gospel. Sister Bekmezian leaned over and whispered "I don't know what else to say to him." Half jokingly, I said "well, you could ask him for a referral." We went over how to ask if there was anyone he knew who might be interested, and then she couragously went for it. However, the man didn't understand what she was sayin, but the lady next to us did, and was trying to help her ask the man. As all of this is happening, we're apporiaching our marshutni stop, and the door opens. Another man across the marshutni figures out whats Sister Bekmezian is trying to say and just ends up saying to the whole marshutni, "She's preaching and she wants to know if you know anyone she can teach." It was the best. unofrtunately, no referrals received, but we sure did try.
Church yesterday was crazy. Crazy. We have six missionaries in our branch, Sister Bekmezian, me, Elder Powell, Elder Miller, and Sister and Elder Larson, a senior missionary couple. Elder Miller and Elder Powell are the assistants and because of that. they spent most of the week (including yesterday) in Georgia doing some exchanges and training with the missionaries there. Since they weren't there yesterday, I translated for all 3 blocks of meetings for the Larsons, and one of the Elders' investigators who speaks English. When we arrived at church at 10:30, there was a big group sitting out on the steps because no one had a key, so luckily we did and let everyone in. After that, we couldn't get the air conditioner to turn off so it was freezing. The pianist didn't show up on time, so Sister Bekmezian ended up playing. It was five minutes to 11 and not a single person from the branch presidency was there yet, so Elder Larson, as the Elders' Quorum President, was going to have to conduct, which meant I was going to need to translate for him as he conducted. Luckily our first counselor showed up just in time. Throughout all 3 blocks of meetings, and especially inbetween, I was being physically pulled and dragged by people to translate so that they could talk to the Larsons, or to the Elders' investigator, or to see if I could fix the air conditioner. It was crazy. We also had a beggar woman show up in relief society and then a member from our branch introduced us to her friend who wanted to teach us about how her brother is a prophet and the Christ is knowledge. I know that this paragraph isn't coherent, but that pretty arcurately decribes church. Everything ended up working out well though, so all is well!
As always, there were so many tender mercies this week, one of them being the day that our investigator passed her interview. President and Sister Carlson came out to the village they live in to do her interview with her, and while we were there, the Malatsia Elders were doing some service with one of the other senior missionaries, Elder Rindlessbacker, at our members' greenhouse. anyway, we were doing a lesson with our investigators son, Sister Carlson, and our member down the street duing our investigator's interview, and we had felt like we should teach about the priesthood. Sister Bekmezian realized that there were four Elders there in the village that day and that they could give our investigator a priesthood blessing to help him quit smoking - something we've been trying to organize for weeks. It was incredible and the spirit was so strong. The gospel is true.
Anyway, there is so much more I could say, but this is already long enough. Suffice it to say that I know that miracles are still happened in this day and age. I love being a missionary and it's the best decision I've made. I love everything about it, even the challenges. And I also love all of you!
Love,
Sisiter Kieffer
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