From June 9, 2014 "An Awesome Week"

So this last week we had many opportunities to find less actives, and people to teach of American and Eastern European descent.

Dakota is learning about the Restored Gospel with Ashley and Sydney, two children that we're teaching. We asked her in the lesson if she would support Ashley throughout this process of learning the Gospel (she had just went through it when she moved in with her grandparents who took her to Church). She said she'd be there with Ashely through this whole process. When Dakota at the end prayed we asked her to ask God if the Book of Mormon was true and both her and Ashley said that they felt it was true. Sydney has ADHD bad and was watching the Second Hobbit. A family that has two children near their ages (Sydney 12 and Ashley and Dakota 8) said they would invite them to their home. Hopefully Sydney and everyone there will feel more support and friendship from the ward, because they haven't been coming out to Church.

We continue to see Sharon, an older woman who is investigating the Church.

Unfortunately Dante was kicked out of the Dutton's home and is moving out of state. 

So we had to eat some hard counsel from President. He doesn't want us teaching people that don't speak English anymore, unless they are progressing and even then we need a translator there. I guess Elder M. was starting to feel boxed in or whatever, since many of our opportunities have been from Russian/Bosnian families and individuals that don't speak very good English.

We had some Bosnian referrals in another ward that we contacted. We asked if we could share a message and she said we could come back the next day at around 6, they were preparing dinner and we heard. We won't pursue it further or the other Bosnian referral (they almost certainly don't speak English). I can teach the Restoration in Serbo-Croatian, and learning it more and more every day. We just have to teach them in English. 

So there you have it, we're using the members to invite friends and neighbors, half of whom are coming from Eastern Europeans, because it's a lot easier when you have a missionary that speaks their language, because then if they don't have a relationship with that friend or neighbor where they'd feel comfortable to invite them to meet with us, they can rather talk about me in conversation and then invite them to dinner to meet and talk with me in their language, but the teaching would be done in English. So far not much has panned out in terms of people that we can teach, but we're finding many members that know these people.

We continue to teach Ludmila, who we're so confident has been prepared. She had a headache and didn't want to talk with us on Saturday (we brought a translator that lives in an adjacent ward), but he has some neighbors that are Russian Orthodox and are very open to discussing religion, and he said he'd invite them to meet me in their home. (They speak English).

We're hoping to teach Zayna sometime, who's been coming to Church despite the language barrier. A friend of his will invite him to come to his home to meet me and to talk about the Gospel. We will need to find a translator.

Those are our only two people we're trying to teach right now that don't speak English.

I've lost count, I try to keep them written down, of all the different opportunities to share the gospel through members with Russians, Ukrainians and Bosnians. As we go about the work here in these two wards, among investigators, less actives and active members these opportunities just open up. People have been prepared. For instance a young man has a friend named Vitaly who's Ukrainian and speaks English. He's said he would invite him to meet with us. His sister has an American friend she said she will invite.

There's a woman in Meridian South Stake, who wants to hear the gospel in Russian. I wish I could teach her, but I'll send the necessary supplies and a list of translators that will help those missionaries over there teach her.

We have a neighborhood in our area that has several families of Eastern European descent. We're going to go tract it tonight and hopefully we'll find some people we can teach in English. Although I would still share a pamphlet and possibly a Book of Mormon with those that don't speak English.

I know the Lord is hastening His work here in Boise. When the Spirit of God rests upon you you know it doesn't matter what you suffer or what you sacrifice, that the Lord is deeply grateful for your service. The difficulties of this life are an essential part of God's plan for our eternal progression and will purify us if we rely on the Lord to overcome them. I know the Savior lives, I love Him with all of my heart and testify that He will help you in your deepest sorrows and pains. I pray the Lord's blessings upon you.

Much Love!!

Elder Szendre