So Liz talked about changing her prayer to be a gratitude prayer. Elder David A. Bednar spoke at our stake conference a while back and challenged us to say a gratitude prayer once in awhile. It might be kind of hard, at first, because we are so used to "asking" instead of "thanking" (for me, anyway). Try it sometime to express all your thanks to our wonderful Heavenly Father. I, too, encourage all of you to count your blessings before you count your complaints. It will be an amazing experience! And the new video, that's amazing too!!!!!
Love you all! Christine
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 4:53 AM
Subject: Letter #70 - 8/4/14
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>
Love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Montgomery
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 4:53 AM
Subject: Letter #70 - 8/4/14
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>
Dear family and friends,
Hello! I don't have pictures right now because the USB port isn't working on this computer, but I'll send them sometime. Last Monday we went to Center Odessa and it was BEAUTIFUL. We saw the sea, climbed the famous stairs there, walked by a beautiful opera house near the ward building, walked through a neat park, bought some little souvenirs, then came back to our area. It was really neat!I have literally like nine minutes to write... dang, I gotta learn now to manage my time again! This week was a busy one with investigators. Our investigator, Dasha (16-year-old girl), is doing fantastically and definitely headed toward baptism on August 30 (in the Black Sea!) :) We also have Alina and Nastya -- Nastya is a spunky 12-year-old girl and Alina is her spunky mom. They're awesome and really fun to be around, and they've got some good potential. And finally, there's Olya and Ruslan, but they haven't been that interested in meeting ever since I replaced the other Sister here (they were really close to her). But we'll see with them.
There were a few miracle stories that I might share next week when I have more time, but I'll just leave you with this little spiritual thought. There was one day when literally everybody on the street rejected me, and usually quite rudely. I was writing in my journal about it, kind of complaining how all I want is to find someone who will accept and thrive on the amazing message that I have to share. But then when I was saying my evening prayer that night, the Spirit kind of prodded me to replace my complaints with gratitude, and I started to do that. I realized how much I have to be grateful for: the opportunity to be on a mission, the fact that I'm still in Ukraine, the honor it is to wear my name tag and be in a proselyting area, the God-given testimony and charity that I have that makes me want to talk to people in the first place, the opportunity to suffer for my Savior in just a fraction of the way He suffered for me, and on and on. I felt so much better after that, and the Spirit rejoined me full force. I encourage all of you to count your blessings before you count your complaints -- you'll be a lot happier and will remember just how good God is!
Sister Montgomery
