Week 44 I am Blessed

Hello everyone!

This week we met some really nice people on the street! It is getting colder here, the wind blows 24/7! So we just bundle up and try to spread the warmth the gospel brings us to others(:

We are teaching a really cool guy named Petar. This week we had a member present on the lesson. The spirit was really strong as we talked about the Plan of Salvation. The member was sharing his thoughts on a certain subject and proceeded to pull out his phone. I'm thinking "okay, he is sharing a scripture or a quote- great!" But what does he pull out? A meme! It was so funny I died laughing. (Meme Down below)

The meme threw us for a bit- but we got back on track haha. Overall the lessons have been going well with him! He is praying about baptism and really wants to follow Jesus Christ and learn everything he can about Him. 

We went to IKEA looking for furnishings for our apartment! What an adventure with the Benichs!! 

In honor of Thanksgiving I want to tell a few points of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ that bring me JOY & GRATITUDE. 

1-We know WHO are Heavenly Father really is. He is our loving Father & we know that we can have a relationship with Him.

2-Knowing the Plan of Salvation & the perspective it brings!

3-Prophets on the Earth today! just like in the Bible- to lead and guide us.

4-Jesus Christ. Our brother & friend paid for our sins and helps us find JOY.

5- The Book of Mormon brings us closer to Christ when we apply it's teachings.

6- Families CAN BE together forever

7-Eternal Progression. We can continuously "be better & do better"

8- The Gospel! I love this gospel so much! I am so grateful for it & the more I learn the more I want to learn!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

Sister Gittins 

Week 43 Čačak and Novi Sad

STILL ALIVE here in Serbia(: I am currently serving in Belgrade, but 2 weeks ago we got to go to Novi Sad! We took a guided tour of the fort Petrovaradin. It was built in defense of the Turkish empire. We got to go in the tunnels underneath the fort! There are over a thousand passages and I was so grateful we had a guide! 

Last week we went to čačak!! (Pronounced Chaw Chalk) This is the legendary town in our mission! All the missionaries want to go there and serve (but currently there are no missionaries)... We went and toured a few Monasteries! The traditions here in Serbia are strong. They connect Nationality and Religion to the extreme! If you are Serbian- you are Orthodox. If you are Croatian- you are Catholic, etc. At one of the monasteries we wore robes! We might have had too much fun in these robes... heheh(: In čačak we met with the sweetest and strongest woman I've ever met. Her name is Ljubica. She holds up the church in čačak. The active members are her husband, her son, and her. They hold sacrament every week in the little church building and hope that others will come. To be a member of the church in Serbia in general is very brave, but to be a member in čačak is even harder! There is a lot of misunderstanding down there. Yet Ljubica is so brave! We sang hymns together and talked about the Savior. We were all in tears. What a sacred time we had all together. Ljubica is such an example of bravery and love.

On Nov 29th we will be having a concert! Borijana (this AMAZING violinist) and I (piano) will be performing classical music, some jazz, and other church pieces! You all are invited! Jokes. But I'm hoping to get members, nonmembers, and lots of people INTO the church. Even just having people know where our church is or that we are a church is huge! So this concert will be a great way to introduce people to the church in a more normal way. I'll admit- I've been a little stressed and worried about the concert! I am constantly practicing for it during meal times, before 9 and after 9, etc. But hopefully I'll be ready to play and all will go well! I've taken lots of piano lessons, but I've never had piano lessons and practices with a Serbian woman who explains it all in Serbian at a very fast pace. I'm increasing the vocabulary tho! haha. 

We have been teaching this really cool guy named Petar! He has come to church twice and we have really great contact with him over messenger! I am so excited for his progression. He went from being afraid of praying to praying with us. He is reading the Book of Mormon!!!!! (chime the heavenly bells) I love when people read the BOM for themselves and try to find out if it is true. If you never read, you'll never know... 

I love being a missionary! There are ups and there are downs, but through it all I've learned things that I will hold with me through eternity. I'll explain something I learned through a conversation my comp and I had.

The other day my companion and I were leaving the apartment. We were discussing things we had that day and things we felt inadequate about. My companion asked me, "What if I can't do it?" I responded,"Just do your best"  To which she replied, "but what if my best isn't good enough?" I thought about this a lot. There are so many times in our lives when we feel our best is not good enough. We fall short again and again EVEN when we are giving it our all. BUT that is why the Atonement of Jesus Christ is in our lives. God knew that our best wouldn't be good enough. God knew we needed a Savior and so that is why Jesus Christ came to save us. When we are on the Lord's team OUR BEST IS ENOUGH! We are enough! We can do "all things in Christ". I have learned so strongly on my mission that all I need to do is my best and give the rest to the Lord. The days when I give it my best are the best and happiest days. So don't be negative towards yourself if you aren't perfect. Just do your very best moment by moment and in that way you are perfectly trying! Work hard and do your best- what else can you do? Don't let the little things out of your control bother you- just do your best(:

Also we had ZONE conference/ mission tour!! Elder Kopiscke was here! I learned SO much about finding and inviting others to come unto Christ! I'm excited to apply what I've learned! Plus I got to see Sister Roberts (MOM) and Sister Garside again! It was so fun to have them stay at our apartment! 

I got to see the Christensens again! I love them beyond anything! They are the sweetest people ever and so caring and Christlike! How grateful I am for them and their examples!! 

I am so thankful for my family and all they do for me! The love and support I feel from them is beyond description. I'm so grateful I get to talk to them every week and laugh away stress or just joke around! I'm grateful for this time of year when we focus on gratitude and love! And next up CHRISTMAS!!! 

Transfer announcements are in 10 days! Who knows if I'll stay in Belgrade? Any guesses? ;)

I love you all!

Sister Gittins

mission tour and sveti sava

  čačak  

my mom! and bestest friends from the mtc and such great friends!

we had too much fun in our robes!

tunnels 

Week 42 Čačak Serbia

Today was so fun! We went to multiple monasteries and met some cool Orthodox priests and nuns( idk if they are nuns in the orthodox church but yeah) At one of the places we put on robes and walked around and it was so fun to be in beautiful mountains in our orthodox robes. "Sometimes when you are a man you like to wear stretchy robes in the serbian mountains- just for fun";) 

Then we visited Sister Zaric in Čačak! We all went out to dinner then she took us to the church in Čačak (pronounced Cha Chalk) a little background. Sister Zaric is 1 of 3 active members in this city. The other 2 are here husband and 8 year old son. They go to this little church every sunday with the hope that others will come. But most of the time it is just her family. We walked into the sacrament room that is a little bigger than my room back at home. It was so humbling to look at this tiny room and think that the 9 sisters + sister Zaric was the most people that have probably been in that room ever or in a long time. Sister Zaric's friend joined us. Her name is Vesna. We sang hymns together and bore our testimonies of the Savior. It was so powerful as we went around the room. It was humbling to have Sister Zaric bear her testimony to us and how amazing she is! Čačak is a small town. Everyone knows everyone and everyone knows if you are not Orthodox and then they think you are a sect. Vesna is not part of the church just a friend of the church for this very reason. It is scary to be a member there because of persecution. Let's just say there were missionaries in Čačak until some scary things happened... everyone is okay but there is persecution that exists. Sister Zaric is so courage to be a member of the church. And so us 11 sisters sat in that small sacrament room and spoke of the Savior together. Wow. My eyes are open. Now I know why she rolled her eyes when I told her I was from Utah. We are so blessed to live where we do! This women lives and holds up the church here! Wow. An elect woman.

We had mission tour this week! Elder Kopishke from the 70 was here and I learned so much! I'm excited to try and apply what I've learned and do my best! 

We also had district conference and met members from all around Serbia! I played the piano so much this week. At conferences, church, practicing with Borijana! Awww it is crazy! Also we are doing the concert together! And I'm scared because I have to practice whenever I can to be ready for it. Prayers for me would be highly loved(:

Life is good(: I can see the end of this hard dark tunnell and I'm so grateful! I've learned so much through it all. Lots of great things are ahead and I'm so excited for this week and month! I'm so grateful for the positive and great missionaries around me! I love them all(: spending time with them was great! I got to see my trainer again this week sister Robert's! So cute(:

Also fun fact. I do lots of talking as a missionary hhaa. I normally take the lead in lots of talking (bc I'm good at talking haha) and so today Sister Zaric kept looking at me whenever she needed a word in English- even tho I'm like the youngest sister in the group besides sister hart- she always would look and ask me for words because I was the one that talked to her the most in Serbian. Haha. Most of the time I knew her questions and it is just funny to me. It doesn't matter if its members, investigators, or waiters or bus drivers or random people, they constantly ask me what we are doing or need or help with translation, when normally I'm the youngest one haha. I guess I'm too much of a Marge in Charge... any way. I just like taking the lead as you all know.

Also! I bought a pink suitcase today! A carry on for 35 dollars. A hard one, so just so you know mom that is what that payment was! The other was for the toll(:

Love you all lots! I'm so grateful for you all! I hope you give each other big hugs and find something to laugh at! Love you!!

Sister Gittins 

Week 41 Farewell Christensen's

Momma G didn't get an email from Sister Gittins this week. She was busy visiting the catacombs and other neat places in Novi Sad Serbia. She was able to spend some time with the Christensen's before they return home. They spoiled her with Christmas gifts. They are always so good to her.  Tacy is seeing the World in many new perspectives. We also got a package from Tacy. It had shirts and magnets and books and treats! So fun. We especially loved the letter! Tacy was also happy to see Sister Hart, her MTC companion!