Trains, Trains, and more Trains
Wow, this could have been the most crazy week of my entire mission!! Haha where do I even begin!?
This week we had another in-person MLC (Mission Leadership Council) and were able to go to Hungary again! It was so nice to be in-person with everyone! The spirit was so strong and we were able to learn so much from one another! We counseled a lot about the things that are going well in our mission, the things that are going not so well, and what we can do moving forward to help foster a stronger culture of Christ within our mission, within our zones, districts, and companionships. The topic was very similar to last time we all met but it was so cool to see how different everything played out this time compared to last time.
To prepare for this council we were asked to read three talks; "As Many As I Love I Rebuke and Chasten" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "The Lord's Way" by Elder Stanley G. Ellis, and "A Matter of a Few Degrees" by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf. All three of these talks were so inspirational and I was able to pull so many things from them that I really needed to hear at this moment in my life! The one that I really want to highlight today in this letter is the first one; "As Many As I Love I Rebuke and Chasten." In this talk, Elder Christofferson says divine chastening has at least three purposes-to persuade us to repent, to refine and sanctify us, and to redirect our course in life to what God knows is a better plan! These points helped bring so much clarity into my personal life and really helped me better understand how I can help those around me!
Despite the amazing conference that we had this week and all the amazing things I learned, there were still some things in the back of my mind that were really hurting! Some things in my life right now I wish I had control over but I do not, and many unknowns I wish I had the answers to but am just having to be patient and wait for right now. Those things do hurt, and I can't pretend like they don't, but what I can focus on and what does give me strength is knowing that Heavenly Father can see the bigger picture of my life even if right now all I can see is what is right in front of me. He knows, and because He knows, I know that I can put my full faith and trust in Him! I know that He loves me and has a great plan for me and for those around me! Right now, the best thing I can do is take one day at a time and do my best each day to help others and His work move forward! I know that by doing that I will be blessed.
As I was talking to my sweet mother this morning she said: "The Book of Mormon teaches us that even in the mist of affliction we can find Happiness, Peace, and Joy!" I know this to be true and am so grateful for the Book of Mormon! It really is the truest book here on earth and has truly changed my life as I have hearkened to its teachings.
Back to talking about my trip to Hungary, travel wise this trip was quite crazy! Even crazier than the last time we went to Hungary! First off, I live in the farthest city in Romania from Hungary so Tuesday at 2pm we got on a 6 hour train to Bucharest and then had about an hour to spare and get some food before we had to catch our 15 hour sleeper train to Budapest! That train left around 11pm and we got into Budapest around 2pm. We had a great conference Wednesday night and Thursday full of yummy foods, uplifting and inspiring counsel, and great company! Our sleeper train back to Romania was scheduled to leave at 10:45 at night but kept getting delayed further and further into the night till about 1am when they told us that our train would not leave until 5am. . . there was a train car with places to sit that would be on the same train as our sleeper car so they let us stay there until our sleeper car got to the station. Sooo haha, we just sat in this empty car for 4 hours while we waited for our sleeper car to arrive. We finally got to bed around 5:30am as our train left Budapest! Haha We were then on that train until 10:30pm when it arrived in Bucharest. Luckily, at 7:30pm we were able to pass through a city that had missionaries and they brought us pizza so we could at least have one meal that day! It was also a great blessing that the train got into Bucharest at 10:30 because our next train to get us back to Iasi left the station at 10:50! We got back to our apartment at 5:30am on Saturday morning and with the help of the Lord were able to still have a decently productive day!
Haha this week was full of many highs and lows! I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in each moment of this week and for the care I am able to feel from Him despite hard times! He can not stop the hard times from coming but as we draw close to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His sweet Atonement I know we can be lifted and carried through whatever comes our way!
I love you all SOOO much! Thank you for your love and care! Thank you so much for all the sweet messages and words of encouragement you send! It truly means the world to me!
Vă iubesc foarte mult și sper că aveți o săptămână minunată!
Sora Acton
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