No Effort Is Wasted

Zdravo!

This week was jako brzo (very quick) and every day seems shorter and shorter as we near our departure date. We are still waiting on our flight plans, but it's time to start checking the lists and making sure I have all the visa paperwork ready to go. 

I am going to keep this part of the email short but a miracle I had this week was being able to go through the Portland Temple for my friend Jace Chatman's endowment before he heads out to Ghana! Going through for a second time allowed me to really learn and embrace the spirit in the House of the Lord. It was a beautiful and sacred experience.

My love for my family, this gospel, and all of God's children is growing every day, and I am grateful that I have this opportunity to forget myself and go to work! 

Scripture highlight this week:

D&C 123:15-17:  "Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity...which depends upon these things...therefore...let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power."

Often in the MTC, I feel like I am not going anywhere. Whether it is with the language, the gospel, or just being a missionary, it can sometimes feel like I am at a standstill. In life, it is the same. You can get caught going through the motions and get discouraged with your growth and progress. These verses brought me a lot of comfort knowing that as long as I keep doing the simple things each day, I will see their importance at a later date. Every verse I read, every word I learn has an impact. Your future depends on the small decisions you make today. As we focus on the things that we can control (reading scriptures, saying prayers, repenting) the Lord will consecrate our efforts to our good una dia. I have a testimony and a witness that this is true :) Just remember, No Effort Is Wasted! The Lord knows us and wants us to succeed, but we must show him our faith first.

Vidimo se!

Starješina Neil

Fun Fact: Croatian word for hospital is "bolnica" (meaning little place of pain), pretty creative