Week 80: Apartment-based missionaries

Hello everyone!! Family and friends!

Get ready for a rollercoaster!! Haha

Sneak Peek 
Sooo we are currently in self-imposed quarantine... which means that we stay in our apartment and we go out once a day for a little fresh air and we stay away from people. I'll explain more a little later! 

Family Night
On mondays we have an activity in the branch I've talked about! It always goes super well and we have such a great spiritual thought that really helps us to all feel the spirit together and I always enjoy it! This last week our Sisters came as well, which is usually the case but this time they brought tons of food and then left us all of the cookies and candies to eat with the 5 of us that remained. Needless to say we ate way too much sugar yikes... all is well though now. 

Zone Conference 
The beginning of this week was super normal and usual! We had Zone Conference which was actually so amazing I can't even tell you!! It was different than other conferences that I have been apart of for sure! This time mostly the missionaries did all of the teaching and it was very special!! There were so many great moments and things to learn and I felt like we all left just way inspired. As a mission we not long ago introduced a motto. It goes like this.

Commitment is the Start,
Love of God and others is the Motive,
Consecration is the Price,
Faith in Jesus Christ is the Power,
The Spirit is our Guide, and
Jesus Christ our Master is the Reason

Anyway as part of the conference each missionary prepared a scripture and story in regards to the first line, "Commitment is the Start," and it was so powerful. We are blessed to have such great missionaries in our mission and even just in our zone there are so many wonderful missionaries and examples so definitely was a good moment there. We also discussed a few other things as well. Including our Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ. Which is the new handbook for missionaries that came out in November. We also talk a lot about growth in the church! Everything was really great!! 

Exchange 
After we had an exchange with the Assistants so I was back with my previous companion Elder Bagley!!! Haha it was a really good time. It was fun to serve together once more now just in Kharkiv it was really great and we had an awesome discussion which was really helpful for the both of us! Also we had a bunch of success on the streets and doing our finding!! Super great! 

This week we also had our interviews with President Wirthlin and that's always a special time! We've become good friends and it's always something that I look forward to. Talking and discussing with him how things are going and it was really great! 

On Thursday 
We got news that all church activities will all be canceled including sacrament meeting. But we continued working, cancelled English practice and the whole deal. 

Apartment Based!
We started out contacting and were going about the work when we later received a message informing us it was time to go back to the apartment. We are now apartment based missionaries which is exciting because we still need to serve with all our heart might mind and strength we just have a little bit different circumstances! So far it's been good and we've been able to continue teaching people over the phone and technology. We are communicating as a mission and an MLC and going over ideas and other things that can be done to continue to effectively use our time! Today we had MLC and we had a really good discussion of ideas considering some of the new circumstances and limitations. Over all I'm optimistic!! I think it'll be a special opportunity to deepen our commitment to the Lord and focus our efforts despite of the fact that we have changed the HOW of missionary work. The WHY has not and will never change! The TRUTH that this work will go forward is also still the case! The Lord directs his work and his word shall go forth to all nations!

Food
We bought 3 weeks worth of food on Saturday and were are all stocked up our shelves our freezer the whole lot. It's actually pretty awesome! So don't worry about that. We can go out a couple times a day and talk to people if we will practice social distancing. Staying about 1 to 2 meters away from others at all time. So we aren't totally stopped from talking with others. 

Successes!!
This week we had a lesson with Dima on WhatsApp and we also talked with him later on the phone on Sunday! He was super stoked and told us he had some big news! 1. On Sunday he said the opening prayer which he'd never done before (of course this is keeping in kind the fact that he was only with a small group of members who met together like 4 of them were there.) 2. He blessed the sacrament for the first time. 3. He got his first temple recommend!! Woah it's super inspiring to see him just thrive and move forward right now!! He's sad that he can't quite go to the temple yet but he's happy to be worthy and hold a temple recommend.

We are still teaching and working with others. We are still finding through old contacts and in the area Book. Dmirty is still progressing towards baptism this week in a lesson with him we sent a baptismal date together for the 4th of April when his brother will come back from Poland!! We're excited to continue forward and I'm sure the Lord will bless us with many great miracles in this special time for us as missionaries and members of the church in general!! 

Spiritual Thought 
This week I was study 3 Nephi 13 and I felt that there were many precious truth and lessons that i had the opportunity to learn as I studied. I would encourage all of you to read their and ponder! More than ever our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Our Savior are what are most important! We should seek the things that he would have us seek and love what he loves!! He will bless us! I encourage you all to spend some time to study this chapter! Continue to follow in faith!

I heard not long ago something that impressed me. 
1. It's not a coincidence that in this time our prophet on the earth is also an excellent doctor.
2. It's not a coincidence that prophets and apostles for a long time have counseled us to keep food storages
3. It's not a coincidence that the leaders of the church have been teaching us how to bring the spirit of church and the sacrament into our homes
4. It's not a coincidence that we have been learning how to more deeply minister and serve one another.

What a great time and what a magnificent opportunity to serve and lengthen our Gospel stride!!

Love you all and best of luck!!
Stay Healthy!! 

Elder Halls
Medicine

Food!! 

Elder Hamzawi's last day :')

The trio

Food planning

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