Week #69 - Hogwash and Pollywog

I've been learning a lot out of the Proclamation to the World, my Patriarchal Blessing, and my purpose and blessings in this life. It has really opened my eyes to understand that God loves me so very much. Most of the responsibilities He gives to us are to help others receive the same blessings that we have. Truly, we are meant for the blessing and edification of others.

We had a full exchange with Coral Reef South sisters. As we knocked doors in their area, we felt to go down a certain direction. As we walked, we felt to knock a certain door. We met Jose. He said that he used to feel this closeness with God while he was serving in the Navy and now it was gone. He hadn't been able to find it again with any of the churches he has gone to and was searching to find it. He wanted it so badly. We said a prayer with him and he felt that amazing spirit. He came to church last Sunday with his wife and they are now set for the 26th of December. When you have that real intent to find people whilst knocking instead of just pounding on people's doors, God gives them to you!

Sister Alcazar was knocking in our area and found an amazing miracle! They felt to knock on a certain door; Victor. He was cool, they said a prayer but he denied church because of work. However, these Sisters are PMG missionaries! They asked for referrals and Victor told them to come back and pray with his mom. We did and met Gladys. She said she had left another church because it stopped "filling her" and no longer felt that strong spirit she wanted. When we said the prayer we told her to pay attention to how she felt and she said she felt peace. She felt FILLED! She said she wanted to come to church that Sunday. When we went by Sunday morning, she said she couldn't decide if she was going... Satan, Satan, Satan. We testified that if this was true, Satan would try to keep her from it and testified that what she felt was from God. SHE CAME!!!! She loved it. She said she felt so good and that the speaker really touched her heart. She is coming next week, too!

Sister Alcazar and I have been working with Maritza. She is an amazing Cuban lady with some serious sass and she knows it. We love her :) We've been trying to set her with a date for about 2 weeks and she always rejects it. She loved church, loves reading the Book of Mormon, feels such enormous peace after she prays to know it is true but always says the same thing when we ask her how she will act on her answer, "I will continue learning!" But this last time was different. We left her 2 Nephi 31:1-13 to read and when we came back to round her up for church, she committed herself to be baptized the 2nd of January. We left it in God's hands and He worked a miracle! God works miracles through the Book of Mormon.

Sister Alcazar and I have been praying so hard to find a Venezuelan family of 3 and this week, we found them! We finished all that we had planned and then our back ups (you need back ups for your back ups in missionary work) and decided to go visit a member who was less active and stood out to us on the list. We shared a prayer and then asked for referrals and they sent us down the street. As we were walking, Sister A said we needed to knock this door. Dulce answered. She said she didn't have time, but we were persistent and she let us in. Turns out, she avoids churches but she felt something different during our prayer and accepted to come to church!  When we went back to teach her she said that when she opened the door she saw a blonde girl with clear blue eyes and that she seemed to almost glow. She could feel that we had something different and could see it in my eyes. That's why she let us in!! God works miracles!

I love you family. I hope all our miracles make you stop and look for them in your life. They are there! 

Hna Lake