letter.twenty.six "there can be miracles, when you believe"

Wowza kablaowza this week was MIRACULOUS! God was so incredibly kind to us. This week started off soo well with an amazing zone meeting. The stake president came and everything he said was exactly what I needed to hear. It was so inspired. He really helped us gain a more eternal perspective on being a missionary and with working with members. He talked about the effect that we can and should have on everyone that we come in contact with. He also talked a lot about not judging anyone because we are all on a different part of the pathway to perfection. That was a good thing for me to hear again because it's something that is so easy to do as a missionary. We are so focused on missionary life that we forget what it's like to not be a missionary with the focus that we have. I have to remember to be patient.

Then I had an incredible personal study the next day. I have been feeling like I need to be better, more diligent, more focused and have more meaningful studies, etc. It's easy to get too relaxed, especially on a mission. So I started off my study by praying with all of my heart for forgiveness. I wanted to be better and to do more for Heavenly Father. Then I was studying in PMG and it led me to Joseph Smith History, but it was a part of JSH that I'm not very familiar with. I know I've read it before, but I had forgotten about it. As I read it I knew that at least one of the reasons that Joseph Smith wrote it was for me at that time. JS talked about how after he had seen the vision and before he translated the BofM he said that he was too light-minded and didn't take things seriously enough. He talked about how this was not acceptable before God after all that he had been given. I felt like I was reading my own thoughts. No, I'm not to the level that JS was, but God has blessed me with a lot and I now needed to repent and remember to take things more seriously. Now don't misunderstand me, I haven't been doing anything crazy, but I wasn't being diligent enough, especially in my studies, which is something I was really good at before.

Then JS talks about how he repented and how because of that he was then able to translate the Book of Mormon. It was such a powerful experience for me to read that account. I have never felt so loved and rebuked at the same time. I knew that I was right to think that I needed to be better, but also that if even JS struggled with that, that I was probably ok as long as I strive to overcome it. God knows me so perfectly and personally. I couldn't help the tears from flowing as I read and felt Heavenly Father's love and understanding of my situation. And from then on I have done so much better again, and I have felt the difference. It's incredible.

We also had a specialized sister's training this week. Oh. My. Goodnight. It was amazing. They had all of the sisters from the mission go up to Warick for a training in the morning. The training was awesome! It was all about becoming more effective teachers. We did TONS of modeling in small groups and we received training from President and Sister Lindsay and the assistants. It was so helpful. Sister L and I were able to grow so much from it.

Then after the training we had lunch (fish and chips, which I loved!) Then we all loaded up into cars to go to Kings Park for the wildflower festival. It was SO MUCH FUN. We all walked around and enjoyed the beautiful park and gorgeous flowers, but more than that we were able to have a great time with each other. It was so fun to see all of the sisters again. I haven't seen Sister V since we split up, I think being away from everyone in the country has been hard for her, but it was good to see her again. I felt so loved and I felt so much love for the sisters. It was exactly what I needed, I was surrounded by sisters that love me.  Plus it's just nice to be around Sisters. It was just what all of us needed I think.

Sorry this letter is so long... but there's even more! We were worried that we weren't going to meet our goals this week because we lost so much time with an extra long zone meeting and the training, but God poured out His blessings on us. We found 5 new investigators! That's huge for us. And they aren’t just so, so investigators, they were all miraculous and very solid. I'll just tell a few quick experiences.

One we found through tracting at night, one of my least favorite activities because it's cold, you’re tired, and people generally get mad, but my comp and I are trying to be diligent so we did it anyways. We knocked on tons of doors with no success. Then an African girl opened the door and she said we could come in and teach her right then! We taught her the Restoration and the Spirit was so strong you could have cut the air with a knife. When we told her about the BofM she was super excited and asked where she could buy one. When we told her she could have a copy from us she was ecstatic! She started reading it straight away. She also started watching the Restoration DVD before we could even get out the door. She told us that she didn't even realize that she needed to know God more, but that she knew that God's timing was perfect and that through reading the BofM that she could come to know Jesus Christ and God more. It was incredible. God is so good to us.

Then we got an amazing referral from the assistants. She is also African. I love Africans:) Her son was baptized quite a few years ago but she wasn't and she also has another son who is 9 that wasn't baptized. We went over and had an amazing lesson. Another lesson where the Spirit really did the teaching, the little boy, after we told him about the BofM, asked if he could start reading it now. So we had him read the introduction. After he finished he said, "I like this book!" and then he held it close to his heart and said, "I'm going to read it everyday."

It was adorable and the best part is that when we invited them to be baptized at the end of the lesson they said they want too! God is so good to us.

Then when we went to church on Sunday two Asian girls we didn’t know showed up. When we introduced ourselves one told us in broken English that she is a member but her friend wasn't. We asked her friend what she thought of the meetings and she said she felt something special in her heart. We scheduled an appointment to go and see them both this week, which will be awesome. God is so good to us.

This week has been a testimony to me that God is really a God of miracles. It is only through Him that we were able to find these people who have been prepared for this. And the best part is that my comp and I have so much fun doing it. "We laughing everytime" as my comp would say. We dance and sing and work hard. I have never been happier on my mission. I am so thankful for weeks like this. They make everything else worth it. I'm not sad that I had a harder time last transfer. I'm thankful because it makes this transfer all the sweeter. It also helps me to remember that it is never me the causes the miracles. It is always God and His loving kindness.

I feel so abundantly blessed. I am thankful for the power of the Atonement that I have felt manifest in my life. I am thankful for God providing so much good to us this week and I'm so thankful for the love and support that I get from all of you. Thank you for seeing me in an eternal perspective. I love you all and send my prayers and love to good ol' AMERica.