5/14/16--Week of Miracles

Wow a week of miracles!! This is the title because I am going to try and point out all of the miracles we saw throughout the week. There were so many so I may not get to all of them. We will start with Monday. We went to Yanci's house to do family home evening and have dinner. I learned to make an El Salvadoran dish called papusas. It is kinda of like meat and cheese in dough flatten like a pizza. Then you put it on a skillet and flip it every now and then. Then you but lettuce, onions, and tomatoes on top with a salsa dressing. It is so good. It was fun to help and learn of to make it. Then we went to a less active home and her daughter was there which was a miracle because the daughter is hardly ever there. We had a short lesson with them because it was getting late before we had to head home.

Tuesday was our slow day. We did some knocking and talked to many different people. Most of the people we looked up didn't answer which was a little frustrating at times. Then I we had lunch at a less actives home. The best part is we got to share a lesson with her husband who we were trying to talk to the past couple of times. Another miracle right there. We had a great lesson with them on hope which should led to faith and then action. We then had a lesson with Anguie on the plan of salvation. We taught with the spirit which was awesome. I could see we touched her heart and we have slowly seen a change in her through out the week. Then we were still full from lunch that we skipped dinner and kept going. We spent the rest of the day knocking doors and we found so many people when we asked with a specific prayer. As well tonight was the first night I had someone who was rude to us. She cute me off in the middle of it rolled her eyes and said she didn't want to listen and shut the door in our face. Fun... But that it is ok because the rest of the week was so great one person can't bring me down.

Wednesday we had district meeting which was super powerful. One of hte sisters in my district is going home on Wednesday so she gave her testimon on the mission and how much it can change you. It super powerful and really motivated me to work hard and keep moving forward. Then we had a lesson with Patricia Merlos who has amazing testimony. We are just working with her to get Sunday's off to come to church and marry her husband. Oh let me say most people here in our ward don't make good hot chocolate. I hope to get used to it..... Then we went to an appointment but the person wasn't home so we went around he corner to knock doors. Turns out it was a street of a less active so we knocked his door but no one answered. So we talked to a couple other people. Then we saw a late get out of her car so we talked to her. She led us to her house and she listen to the whole lesson. She seemed to understand everything we were saying. We set up a return date and were on our way. We left the house and saw a car pull into the less active house and a lady got out. So we went over and talked to her turns out the family move so we are on a hunt for them now. However we were able to talk to her and she said she was only there to move some things out so we offered help. She said she was good but we told her if she needed help at all to call us. So there is hope. Then we had a quick lesson with Erika, Caitlin, and Lindsey. It was super short but powerful. We taught plan of salvation and temple work. Then we had a lesson with a new investigator and she is super excited to hear he lessons. She is an older woman and most of her family is LDS so she decided to give it a try and has been loving it. She has been coming to church before we even had the lessons with her. Her name is Myrium Perez. She is super cute. That was that day.

Thursday we had weekly planning. We really thought and pondered about each person. It was cool to receive that revelation that I am now seeing helping them. We then had a lesson with Kelly and her daughter Geraldine. We got there and she was super excited to see us. So she had been praying for a new job she applied for that gave her Saturday's and Sunday's off so she could come to church. Well she quit the job she had and was waiting on this new one. Well she was praying and as soon as she was done her phone rang. It was her old boss saying he needed her back and they would give her Sunday's work in the night so she could go to church in the day. She was like wow so great God hears our prayers. Then the other job called two minutes later offering her the job. If that doesn't show God's love I don't know what does. She didn't know what to do but her daughter told her to take the one with Saturday and Sunday off so they could go to church. So we got there and she told us this story. So it led perfectly into our lesson on the gospel of Jesus Christ and faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. So perfect. Although during the lesson I thought of the scripture in Malachi saying if you pay your tithing that the lord would bless more than room to hold it. I realized because she paid her tithing a couple weeks ago she was seeing the blessing unfold more than she expected. It was all just so amazing. Then we knocked a door to try and find some one but not much came of it because it was so late at night.

Friday we had a mission tour. Elder C Scott Grow from the quorum of the 70 came and talked to us about repentance and how to be better missionaries. I really don't have the words to how awesome it was. I received a lot of revelation for myself personally. The thing lasted almost all of the day. Then we had dinner with a less active and had a really good lesson with her. Then we looked for another less active and we found her!! So we set up an appointment and are good!

Today. Wow what a day. So all week we were working with Anguie to have everything ready to go. This morning she went to print her names with the bishop. Apparently she need permission and she had gotten the permission but didn't fill out the permission slip and send it to headquarters to review it and approve it. So she didn't have family names which meant we couldn't go to he temple. Mind you it is five in the morning. So we called mission president and he didn't answer. So Sister Williams said we should pray. We walked into a room and asked if I would pray. All I said was "Heavenly Father we want to go to the temple to day with Anguie. If there be a way help us find the way." When president Reynolds called us back. After talking to him for a couple minutes and explaining the situation like four times he finally asked us what we should do. We said the rule was the recent convert needs the names in order for us to go so we should go. He told us that we tried our best and we could go. I was beyond happy and it was truly an answer to our prayers. This week we have seen so many miracles. I will try to list them all in my group email. The temple itself was amazing and it was fun to see the glow on their faces afterwards all of them said they never wanted to leave. Then when we were leaving we say a bride and groom go into to the temple. Turns out that wedding was from the ward next store so we are off to a wedding!!

My message for this week is to look for the good! Life happens and it is hard but as Ether 12:6 says, "6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Show your faith and he will answer! I love you all have a great week!
Love
Hermana Ashford