"New Year Miracles" -Email 01/06/2014

Honestly, this week was pretty hard. As a missionary, you are happiest when you are teaching, and a full week is about 20 lessons by the end. This week we taught... 9. :( Yes, 9. No, we weren't fooling around. We were following the plans that we made, but no one was answering their phones to set appointments, other people just weren't showing up, it was New Years and no one was home, blah blah blah. I could go on. The thing was, though, that because this week was hard and we really weren't able to teach that much, our lessons that we did have were miraculous.

We taught our recent convert's son, Alejandro. He is about 17 and making some scary choices right now in his life. We watched the mormon message called "Mountains to Climb" and afterwards he began to ask very deep questions on the purpose of life and what happens if, when we die, we didn't have a chance to learn about or accept the truth. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how important faith is, but not only faith, acting upon that faith, because it's only through action that we can repent and use the Atonement that Christ did for us- it's through repentance that our pains and sins can be healed completely :) It was an amazing lesson and I know that Alejandro will be baptized and choose Christ. If not while I am here, one day he will. He knows that the church is true, he just needs to get the courage to change his habits. He talked about feeling lost when he wakes up in the morning and not feeling happy. The gospel is what makes us happy; it is what give us peace! One day he will apply that. I know that that is true.

While on exchange this week with a sister, I had the opportunity to really feel like God had chosen me specifically to bless her life. She is having a very hard time right now and cried during most of the 24 hours we were together. Because of the hard things that I have gone through while on my mission, I was able to talk to her about applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and what it means to really repent; that it isn't negative, but it is our way of acknowledging that we have done our best and that we want the Lord's help to become better. That repentance is a daily thing that helps us to reach our full potential! I think that she was very grateful to see that she could enjoy the work as she applied the Atonement, because once someone has felt that joy that comes from being cleansed of sins and having pains taken from them, all they want to do is share the gospel! That is exactly what will happen! 

The other miracle I wanted to talk about was when we went to teach a potential last night. Her name is Jasmin and she is from Oaxaca, Mexico. As we entered her home, she was very timid. She would not open up to us. As do most hispanics that I have met, she expressed a deep love for God and gratitude for his blessings. She showed reverence to us as His servants. I wish I could be so humble as are most of the hispanics that I have met- they know God exists, they don't question it or assume they are better than Him or can live without Him. They acknowledge His hand always. Anyways, we asked her if she had ever prayed alone, and gotten an answer from God. As our Father, He wants to talk to us. She said she had not. We invited her to pray right then and there with us. She said no at first; we explained what a unique opportunity it is to pray to God and express to Him the feelings of our hearts. My companion offered a simple prayer. I offered a simple prayer. Jasmin was nervous- she did not want to pray. She finally said she would try after about 15 minutes of being on our knees. We bowed our heads, and waited. about 60 seconds later, she opened her mouth and began, "Querido Padre Celestial." I have never felt like that as I have heard those words. I have uttered them hundreds of times myself- but I felt so strongly that God had been waiting to hear from His daughter, and that He was so pleased to finally hear from her. I loved helping her pray to Him.

One more miracle. Our recent convert came out to teach a potential investigator with us this week. The man we taught with our recent convert, Olman, ended up being very rude and unkind to us about what we had to say and what we were trying to teach him. We then went and visited with Olman, the recent convert, afterwards, to see how he was feeling and to talk about Joseph Smith. The Spirit was strong as we watched the Restoration video (http://mormon.org/beliefs/joseph-smith) and he could not deny the spirit that came into the room. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because of the peace that I feel every time I testify of him. Other people try to tell us we are wrong, but the contention that is in their voices never helps me to feel Gods love. I know that God loves us and has called a prophet today.

Love you all. Love the Gospel. Share it! Read the Book of Mormon. Ask God- He will answer.

Love

Hermana Millward

Alma 7:11-13