Never have we seen such a beautiful park and walking street in all of Europe. It was covered with these beautiful fountains and paths that wound through it. We took many pictures and had to show them to you.
Pres. Wolfgang Paul from our Area Presidency came on a whirlwind tour of the mission. We had Zone conference under his direction and then a very spiritual fireside that evening. During the Z. Conf. I, Sister Andersen, was asked to bear my testimony. Having just been spiritually fed, this was an emotional event and opportunity for me. Both Pres. Paul and his wife gave us much to contemplate about our purpose for being here in Bulgaria. Much can happen if we just dig in and do as we have been asked. "Open our mouths." We need to show our gratitude and not murmur but have faith and rely upon the Lord. We are here for just a short time. But the one thing that caused us to ponder the most was his statement, "The 10 year mark after our mission is the true measurement of the success of our mission." When I thought upon this, I thanked my Heavenly Father that our sons can say that their mission was a success, not because of the number of baptisms, but by the lives that they live. This gospel is TRUE.
5 comments:
What beautiful pictures! I don't know what it is about fountains & waterfalls, but I've loved looking at them ever since I was a little girl. It's amazing the power that an individual's testimony holds. Thank you for sharing yours! Love Tyler & Julia :)
I am very excited for you as I read of your wonderful experiences and hard and faithful work, and the photos say so much. You and John are great examples of true deciples of the Lord. Is the country as beautiful as the gorgeous photos. Was Bulgaria once a communist country? Our lives are status quo. John is working hard and I am begining to get some work from my design business. We love you, Jan
How fun to see Sister Petrova! It is marvelous to see these eternal families created, and know these little children have been BIC.
I have a somewhat embarrassing story about Elder Paul: he used to be part of church admin in Germany. I saw his name as the source of a name list that I needed in the office, and so I sent him an e-mail request. His response came back that he was recently retired, and I should ask someone else for the list. I answered back, congratulating him on his retirement, and asking if he and his wife had considered serving a senior mission - this was on Friday. That very weekend, I had an chance to finish reading the most recent Ensign, and there at the back, was his photo over the announcement of his new call to the Seventy. Oops. I sent an e-mail first thing on Monday, telling him to disregard my previous e-mail - I never heard anymore from him. Anyway, I'm sure he's doing a GREAT job, in his current mission.
Sure do enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work!
We are staying busy and happy! Keep in touch.
Love, The Browns
Loved the beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing your experiences. We really enjoy them.
The Nelsons
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