I hope you are all well. I first wish to thank you all for your many prayers and much fasting on my behalf, the Lord has indeed been merciful and loving these past few days.
Well, it appears that you all have not yet heard from president yet. I will be coming home. It is decided. Today he will be communicating with Germany to start getting things in order (that is probably why you have not heard from him yet) We do not yet know when or how I will be returning, but after much prayer and fasting we both arrived to the same conclusion, it is the will of the Lord that I leave. I would be lying if I said that these past days have not been difficult, but the Lord has indeed poured His love out on me. On Tuesday last week, while I was in Tirana, President pulled me aside just before district meeting and gave me the news that the next step was going home. I was very stunned by the news, the thought hadn't really even crossed my mind. Afterwords we decided that we would wait until Sunday to make the final decision, both of us wanting to seek out the will of the Lord. Throughout the week I tried to prepare myself to go humbly before the Lord, for my own personal desire was to stay, but I had to accept that there must have been another way the Lord wanted me to take. I did receive it to my ears that my foot is all healed, though, which is great news. The following day we went out and worked in the morning, primarily as a test to see what my working capacity was with the pains I was having. I'll not really try to describe it other than to say that the pain became ridiculous and rather than working the whole day I had to go in and just lay there in my bed. The greater pain caused by the walking cause me to hurt more than ever yet for the next 3 days. Today things are somewhat better, but generally there are good times of days and other times that are not so good. Overall the pain seems to be deepening. Hopefully the doctors in America can figure it out quick. I will laugh when it is some little quick fix. Right now I have really come to terms with the fact that I am leaving. Now I just suffer from frustration that I continue to waste time consecrated to the Lord as I await my travel home. However prayer has been a powerful tool and great has been the love of the Lord that I have felt! Again I thank you all for your prayers and fasting. I feel it added to the clarity of answer that the Lord blessed me with. I cannot dispute it. I need to go home. The Lord works in mysterious ways. This understanding has helped me to not feel dishonor, a weighty feeling that I am often illogically prone to. So on a brighter note, I am extremely excited to see you all!! I hope that today we will know more about my return and that you will hear from President Neil. If you don't hear anything so fast, know that President is very actively concerned for me and that he is handling the situation.
Well, it appears that you all have not yet heard from president yet. I will be coming home. It is decided. Today he will be communicating with Germany to start getting things in order (that is probably why you have not heard from him yet) We do not yet know when or how I will be returning, but after much prayer and fasting we both arrived to the same conclusion, it is the will of the Lord that I leave. I would be lying if I said that these past days have not been difficult, but the Lord has indeed poured His love out on me. On Tuesday last week, while I was in Tirana, President pulled me aside just before district meeting and gave me the news that the next step was going home. I was very stunned by the news, the thought hadn't really even crossed my mind. Afterwords we decided that we would wait until Sunday to make the final decision, both of us wanting to seek out the will of the Lord. Throughout the week I tried to prepare myself to go humbly before the Lord, for my own personal desire was to stay, but I had to accept that there must have been another way the Lord wanted me to take. I did receive it to my ears that my foot is all healed, though, which is great news. The following day we went out and worked in the morning, primarily as a test to see what my working capacity was with the pains I was having. I'll not really try to describe it other than to say that the pain became ridiculous and rather than working the whole day I had to go in and just lay there in my bed. The greater pain caused by the walking cause me to hurt more than ever yet for the next 3 days. Today things are somewhat better, but generally there are good times of days and other times that are not so good. Overall the pain seems to be deepening. Hopefully the doctors in America can figure it out quick. I will laugh when it is some little quick fix. Right now I have really come to terms with the fact that I am leaving. Now I just suffer from frustration that I continue to waste time consecrated to the Lord as I await my travel home. However prayer has been a powerful tool and great has been the love of the Lord that I have felt! Again I thank you all for your prayers and fasting. I feel it added to the clarity of answer that the Lord blessed me with. I cannot dispute it. I need to go home. The Lord works in mysterious ways. This understanding has helped me to not feel dishonor, a weighty feeling that I am often illogically prone to. So on a brighter note, I am extremely excited to see you all!! I hope that today we will know more about my return and that you will hear from President Neil. If you don't hear anything so fast, know that President is very actively concerned for me and that he is handling the situation.
So lets talk about this week. Earlier this week we met a young women named Anisa with the other Elders because they could not get a male member and since we had nothing to do. She is a friend and employee of Eriola Xhejka (infact we met at their office building, and Eriola asked me "Elder Skadi, have you been writing things about me?" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL The story that I had told to you about the dinner we had at President Pinas house came up on a google search one of her friends did LOLOL) and a very sharp girl. She asked some great questions and actually understood and accepted our answers. She clearly understands that she must find the truth for herself through earnest seeking and prayer. She has a desire to be baptized and I think she would be a good addition to the Durres branch. The main reason I recount this is because it was the one of the very few non-member visit lessons I have done in about 8 weeks. I had the opportunity to testify about how I received my own testimony of the gospel and I could feel the spirit flowing through me. It was so refreshing to feel the spirit give power and meaning to the words leaving my mouth. PMG states that a missionary is successful if he feels the spirit testify through him.
On that note I do wish to let everyone know that I am extremely satisfied with the mission I have thus far served. The Lord has blessed me to be a successful tool in His hands. While I still will bring my report before the Lord in the temple upon my return. I feel very strongly that the Lord is pleased with the work I have done and I am leaving without regrets. With exception to perhaps wishing we had figured out my health issues earlier, that I would not have eaten so much time being confined to the house. I forgot to recount to you all an experience that I had a zone conference two weeks ago. I was sitting in the front row in the chapel and the Shupes were giving the Large group training. They were talking about creating an effective teaching environment and certain skills that we must execute if our investigators are truly going to be fed during the lessons. I believe she was talking about helping our investigators understand the scriptures and was specifically discussing relating the scriptures to them. She turned to 1 Nephi 21:22: which reads: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the aGentiles, and set up my bstandard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their carms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. She then pointed at me and said "Elder Scadden, I will always, when I read this scripture, imagine you carrying our cuna (boys) Grei, Kein, and Roni upon your shoulders." Never before had that scripture had any personal meaning to me but the overwhelming feeling I felt at that time I will never forget. Indeed I feel that my mission has been a success. It has truly been a blessing to serve here!
I haven't included anything about future plans for when I arrive home, though I have received excellent and detailed council from President Neil. I have set some goals, the primary of which is recovering. Once I am home we will discuss more the future of the time I have left, the options that lay before and how I will again be seeking the will of the Lord on those matters.
Well, this is all that I have for today. I hope you are not discomforted or disheartened by any of this news. I hope that President will quickly be getting a hold of you with some clearer information. Thank you all yet again for your love, support, prayers and fasting. This is the work of the Lord, it is in His hands, and oh how I love the Lord our God! Take care, I suspect, though I cannot say with 100% certain, that we shall get seen in person before the week has passed. I love and miss you all! May God be with you all.
With Love
Elder Skadi
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