Miracles are Abounding!

Hola Hola mi familia!

 

How are you all doing this week? This week has been such an incredible one for me, and I am seeing the Lord pour out His blessings upon us and this mission. One quick miracle. Last week our zone had 8 baptismal dates, and as of today we have 18!!!! Whoo! We can see the miracles everywhere! Anyways, first to address some of your questions...the weather here is crazy. haha Earlier this week it was freezing and there was actually a little bit of snow on the rooftops and lots of ice. And then the next day it was in the 70's. Then it's supposed to get freezing again. And I thought the weather in Utah was weird...haha but I'm loving it all the same. We just keep our gloves, coats, etc. in the car because you never know what to expect every day, but we're prepared so that's all that matters right?  And a new mattress? Whoo!! I still like to argue that my bed's the most comfortable but who knows. You all can be the judge of that. Liv--you're driving? Alone? In a car? Whoa. Weird. haha be safe alright? Thanks for keeping me updated on all the stuff that's happening over there, send my love to everyone!!

 

This week has been so incredible and like I said we are seeing the Lord's hands every day and in every way. We are so blessed! Wow I don't even know where to begin. So...here's a good story. One of our investigators is an 18 year old boy (actually two of our investigators haha) but he is working on coming closer to God. He's had some rough things happen in his life and so the first time we visited with him we told him to read Mosiah 27 and Alma 36 about Alma the Younger and his story of conversion/repentance. And he did! He loved it! I don't think I have ever worked with someone who is so excited about reading the Book of Mormon and it makes me so happy! So we texted him and asked him how he was doing and how his reading had been going. This was our conversation.

"Pretty good keeps getting better." (in response to his reading.)

"Good to hear. Keep on going! We are proud of you!"

"Reading now really like this 'My son, give hear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.'"

"You should start counting the number of times you read that phrase, because you will see it a lot. That must mean it is important!"

"Alright will do. And yes very important! #dontwannastopreading"

hahahah how awesome is that!? And he used a hashtag! hahahaha but it really is so remarkable to see how excited he is about reading the Book of Mormon. My testimony is strengthened every day from this book and I know that it can bring about a great change to a person's life. We can feel so much more peace and happiness while we are reading and studying this book. So incredible!!

 

Okay I wish I could tell you everything, but there is just no way to do it. So here are two more. So it was actually this Saturday that we helped at the meeting with Sheri Dew--and wow is she an incredible woman! We were ushers and then had the opportunity to stay and listen to her. She is so so inspiring and through her words and the Spirit I was able to receive some answers. She talked a lot about being focused and recognizing our role in helping build the kingdom of God. The main point I got out of it though was how we can be focused on the things that are most important and not so much the little things that are always in our peripherals, distracting us from what is of most importance.

Then we had another lesson with our investigator J, and it may have been one of the best lessons I have had so far on my mission. Not by anything we did, but by the Spirit that was there. We were talking with him about being prepared for baptism and he told us his whole story. Wow, I have so much respect for him and I have no doubt that he is ready to be baptized. Long story short, he was going through some things that were really going to affect a large portion of his life, but by a miracle he was able to be free from a lot of it. After that experience he decided that he needed to try going to church again, and I can tell you that he has TRULY been converted. He said this about the church "Now it's just become a part of me, ya know?" This is REAL change. There is nothing, absolutely nothing better than seeing the effect and power the Atonement can have in changing a person's life. This is why I am a missionary. I am learning so much more for myself than I feel like others are learning from me! Even though I can't see it all at once, I know the Lord is helping me undergo change to become what He knows I can be. This experience has put a lot of perspective into my work as a missionary. I see this real, devoted change and I think about how often we as missionaries try to just get people to baptism when in reality they aren't ready yet. After witnessing this, I want to make sure that the person really is changed, because that is what is going to keep them going strong afterwards. Wow. There really is nothing more rewarding than witnessing this, it is a miracle in and of itself and is only possible through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

 

One more thing that I want to say is how real revelation is. I have had a flood of questions/doubts come to my mind this past week and I have seen how the Lord gives me answers left and right. It is so interesting how the Spirit works, it really is through little, simple things that we can receive our answers. The Spirit really is a still, small voice and if we are too caught up in the chaos of the world there is no way that we will be able to recognize the things He is trying to tell us. Then we won't be able to receive that guidance until we go looking for it! I wonder how many times I have been too distracted to recognize the promptings from the Lord, and how much easier situations could have been if I had been able to recognize it in the first place! That's one thing that I really want to work on right now. Focus. How I can stay focused and what I need to do to be more receptive and acceptive to the will of the Lord. If I can understand that better, I know that my relationship with the Lord will be so much stronger.

 

Well, that's all for me this week. Estoy muy agradecida que yo puedo ser una misionera y yo se que es algo que yo necesito a llegar a ser la persona que Dios quiere. Estoy amando el tiempo yo tengo a servir mi Senor y quiero a usarlo el mejor que puedo. Yo quiero someter a la voluntad de Dios y hacer todo que puedo a lograr mi lugar con El un dia. Yo se que lo es posible!

 

Les amo muchisimo!!

 

Con amor,

Hermana Hoj