HOPE :)

My goal of this email is to share the reality of a missionary. To begin, I want to share how much I LOVE being a missionary and I had a very sad moment of even imagining taking off my tag this week. But I will say that I don't love it because it's just 18 months spent in Albania but what comes with that is a lot of disappointments, rejections, but also HOPE.

​Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. Quote of the week: "Oh I thought no one judged in America!" In the eyes of many here, America is a perfect place without any problems :)​

2.Waffles are considered dessert.

3. Albania is a male-dominant culture meaning that mainly men have the most say in things.

To expand a little more on the male-dominant culture, that has been the main difficulty on my mission. It doesn't matter sometimes if the women have desire to learn more, the man in the home has to agree. We met with the sweetest girl this week and she is going ham reading in the Book of Mormon haha but our only challenge is that she can't really meet with her and her father refuses to let her leave the home. Another update on that family we found last week-what was sad was we knew that they felt something but sadly they discussed with each other and said they can't change their previous traditions and ways and now we are blocked. This is not a rare occurrence, but I want to share a little something with you that has carried me throughout my whole mission and that is-HOPE!

(Book of Mormon) Ether 12:4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

​Throughout my mission, I have faced countless rejection, countless degrading comments, and countless disappointments-but I haven't really experienced discouragement. ​Something I have found is that everything I do, I see as though I am PLANTING something-even a smile-in HOPE that one day in the future someone will come in contact again with the gospel and remember that moment, that love they felt, or that Spirit they felt when they heard the message for the first time. I have found that HOPE brings about JOY! I always just think that everything little thing I do, there's a HOPE in the future, maybe even 20, 30, 50 years down the line even that these people will have found the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hope has truly been my anchor to continue on! Hope is a beautiful thing! If we feel like we are trying and trying and feel like we are not making a difference in the world, in our families, in our communities, think about what would happen if you never made the effort! That one person that felt your smile would have one smile less in their life. I truly believe that there is ALWAYS good waiting for us in the future so by our small efforts, our small acts of love, our simple testimonies, we ARE making a difference. That is the joy of HOPE and by every little act, the world gets better each and everyday.

In addition to hope, I have been experiencing some of the greatest joys watching people REPENT! That means to CHANGE! To literally turn ourselves to God! We have had many new members experiencing so much CHANGE as they strive to live the commandments. I have never seen so much joy from these people as they strive to come unto Christ even in the smallest ways. Everyone here is so new but their faith in Christ is INCREDIBLE! I am trying to develop more and more faith as throughout my day, I have so many moments when I am exhausted or I have NO IDEA what to do. There are many moments when people stand us up or we get blocked. There are many moments where people yell at us in the streets or have others laugh at us. However, with FAITH, HOPE, and CHARITY-I have found joy in any circumstance. I have hope that I'm impacting others in some way, faith in Christ that we WILL find those that are prepared and WAITING to find the true gospel, and charity, or love, that causes me to laugh at the worst moments because I just love these people. There truly is so much joy we can find in everyday. I can testify of that-that's why we have Christ! When in doubt-pray. Our Father in Heaven WILL hear us and our Savior WILL rescue us as we come unto Him. Because of Christ, we can find LIGHT and JOY in all things. I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you. Truly. Have a wonderful week!

-- 

Mirupafshim! Të dua!

Motra Olsen

Letters:

Adriatic South Mission

Sister Natalie Olsen

POB 2984

Bulevardi "Gjergj Fishta"

Qendra "Alpas", Shkalla #5, Apt #14

Tirana

Albania

(If you can't send it with the POB box number, you can just send it without it. I'll still get it)

Email: natalie.olsen@myldsmail.net

mormon.org