July 1, 2014

July 1, 2014

Subject: Okay, so this I Hope is going to be LONG!

Okay, so... Here we go!!! In this area we had really low numbers when I came. As missionaries for those that don’t know, we have weekly dats(stats)and goals that we need to meet. Things like having so many people in church, how many new investigators we have each week, how many people have accepted a date to be bauptized and so forth. We have really been trying to up the numbers, and well with exact obedience we have seen MIRACLES!!!

Let’s start with M.L. To answer your question Mom, no he is not the uncle of the L. family. The uncle moved back to El Salvador so we are no longer teaching him, but thank you for praying for him! And thank you for putting all of those names in the Temple!!! I told Hermana Blackmer just now that you had done that and she was really happy. She said that will definitely help! Tell her I say thank you! And tell them I say Hi! So, Hi from my AMAZING and FIEL companera Hermana Blackmer!

Anyway, so M.L. has a bauptismal date for this Sunday, the 6th! He would have been bauptized this Sunday, but we hadn’t been able to teach the Word of Wisdom yet and he drank coffee so we had to wait another week, but he is doing GREAT!!! Coffee was not a problem to stop drinking for him so he is all ready to go. Just keep praying for him! He is having a little bit of a hard time recognizing his answer to be bauptized, but says he wants to be. We tried to explain that that desire is from God, but he is still waiting for something bigger, like a dream or something... So if y’all could just pray that he will recognize his answer and always remember the steps of prayer, because he is old, 85 and often forgets, that would be wonderful!!!

And with him, it’s just been a miracle EVERYDAY teaching him!!! There were a few days that we couldn’t find him in his house. He likes to go walking

ALOT, maybe that is why you feel connected to him Mom, ha-ha! But yeah, we had to go looking for him in the Colonia and with the Fe of my diligent companion, we found him out of nowhere like 5 times now!!! Heavenly Father is really taking care of him!!! And us too!!! If this area has taught me anything, it is that this work really is His, not mine, or Hermana Blackmer’s or anyone’s. And there are people prepared, ready to be bauptized!!! We just have to work with all we got to be a part of this work and trust Him to lead the way and Bless us with those Miracles each day!!! As long as we are diligent and exactly obedient, we can always expect the miracles.

So speaking of miracles, here is another one!!! So, when I first came here, the norm for nuevos was 12 to 14 each week. Yeah, that is good, but we knew we could do better! We got it up to a steady 20 to 24 with Hermana Sol and I and now WOW! God is pouring out the chosen ones! Two weeks ago we found 27. So we put the goal for 30. When you reach your goal, you have got to keep striving right? So, there we were on Friday night planning and we had 11. Just,11. Well, we needed 19 more, and I said, okay, we don’t have a lot of firm appointments tomorrow, that is GREAT, because we can look for those 10 and more we need at least. We walked all day. We tried to contact all of the referencias we have. We talked to people in the street and we found 4 and it was 7 at night. Then as we were turning to walk away from a certain street, there was a women sitting outside with her daughter and as faithful as Hermana Blackmer is she went right up and talked with them. And then more of the family came. And we found 6 nuevos right then and there! 6! So we had completed our goal of 10 that day!!! And on Sunday we still needed 9 more to get 30. Well, we went out to work again. We had ALOT of good lessons and miracles were literally put into our path, literally!!! We found a few news early in the day and then later we found a positive family just contacting them in the street and then teaching a short lesson. Okay now this is when it gets even better! We had a meeting at 8 and it was 7:55. And all we needed was one more new! Just one! I said, “We have to find him!” I know the Lord will help us complete our goal! I was praying in my head, “Please, let us find who it is.” Out of nowhere, or out of Heaven, I am not sure, ha-ha, Hermana Blackmer contacted this boy and he said he has family that are members and has been thinking about getting bauptized!!!!! WHOA!!!! We taught him, challenged him and are teaching him again Saturday!!!! J.L., please pray for him!!!!.