My beloved beautiful perfect HUGELY TALL AND GROWN UP family whom I love!!!!!
It was so amazing to talk to you yesterday. I can't get over how much the
boys have changed.... but it is good to know that the important things
stay the same. I can't believe that was thae last skype call in my
mission... but it was a great one!!
Anyway. I am going to hit a couple of highlights of the week, because it
was seriously an amazing week. We were able to see lots of miracles and
tender mercies, and have a lot of faith building experiences.
One of them was on Thursday night. It was about 8 p.m. and we still hadnt
found any new investigators or had any real success all day. We decided
to say a prayer to be able to find somebody new in the last hour of the
day. As we finished our prayer, we decided to go and contact a
reference. Well, on the way we were going to swing by a members house
and ask for more references, but she wasn't there. Then when we were
walking down this like dark, dirt road, a guy comes out of nowhere and
gives us a watermelon.... so we were like, "Oh, maybe this is God's gift of a
new investigator." So we started talking to him. He was really nice
but mostly just really, really has a passion for watermelon and mother
earth.... like he worships mother earth. Soooo... maybe false alarm. But
we laughed pretty dang hard for about 10 minutes. Then, we finally got
to the reference's house (with the watermelon hahahah) and the lady (the
girlfriend of the reference) let us right in! So we found a new
investigator and have an appointment tonight with their whole family.
Whooo hooo!! Prayer, Watermelons, and Yesenia. Miracle 1 ;)
Then, On Friday we were in Marcona doing family history, and out of
nowhere we get a text that says something like "Hermana Beiley, this is
Lisbeth. I need to meet with you.... can you come to the plaza in Vista Alegre?" Backing up a little, on Thursday we walked past her house and
heard her fighting with her husband/boyfriend (no one is married). We
were sure she was going to tell us they were splitting and involve us
in some strange drama that we can't actually participate in. But even
though we were in Marcona an hour away, we really felt like we should go.
So we tore out of the chapel running and jumped in a van to Marcona at
like 7 pm. When we got to Vista Alegre it was about 8. We ran up to the
plaza and started looking for her, and when we finally saw her we saw
that she was there with her son (3) and husband as well. We were even
more confused and nervous, but we walked up to them. Backing up more,
her and her pareja came to church once. The week that no one we had
planned for came and they walked in. So I recognized him and he has had a
little experience in the church. When we got to the bench, Hermana
Lisbeth started to hug me and to cry. We were so nervous. Then she just
whispered in my ear, "We are ready". Then they proceeded to tell us
that they wanted to be bapitzed, fix their family, and change their
lives. We were dumbfounded. It was a beautiful lesson about repentance
and the process of it all. The next night they came to Family Home Evening.
They couldn't come to church, but we are hoping this week to be able to
put a baptismal date with them and a wedding date. They are truly
amazing. It was an experience I will never, ever forget. Vans,
texts, and prepared hearts. Miracle 2!
On Saturday, we had an appointment with a family we contacted and have
never been able to find.... but all of our appointments fell through so we
decided to give it another shot. When we got there, they were there! Drinking.... but not a lot. They are a super young family, a mom and dad
and 2 daughters, and they are married! Unheard of, seriously. Anyway, we had an amazing lesson with them and they seem really interested! Another family! We have been praying for families all week, and I have
been praying for families my whole mission. Seek, and ye shall find!
Miracle 3 :)
Miracle and tender mercy number 4 was Sunday when I was able to talk to
my amazing family. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you
and love you dearly. I don't' know what I would do without you. I am quite
convinced I have the best family in the whole world, and I think I
could win any argument about it :) Thank you for your support,
testimonies, and examples. Please, stop growing whenever you would like. Hahaha, but I love you so dearly and was so grateful to be able to see
your faces and hear your voices :)
It was a really good, hard, beautiful, miraculous week. I can feel
myself being shaped and molded, which isn't always easy, but is always
necessary. I know that through the atonement of Christ, we can be better
people and come to be what he wants us to be. I was reading Doctrine and Covenants 76:69
and in Mateo 5:48 (I think....) in the footnote it defines perfect as
being complete, fully developed. The atonement is so that we can become
complete, whole. Fix the bad things about us and be better in Him :) I
testify of the truth of this gospel and the reality of his atonement.
I love you all dearly :), more than mortal words can say. I miss you, and I am excited to work hard until I can see you for real :)
I love you!
Hermana Lauren Bailey
No comments:
Post a Comment