Miracle Week

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a great week. We had an amazing week, one of the best weeks I have had in the mission. So since it was so good I will start with the bad news :)

So we have 3 investigators in our apartment complex. We have just met them in the parking lot.  We got a call from the mission office on Friday saying that there have been multiple complaints about sisters knocking doors in our complex.  We were like what in the world??  We haven't knocked any doors! Anyway the manager of the complex said that we aren't allowed to go to any of their apartments again or "it will become a serious matter".  Well there are a set of English elders in our complex so we thought we would talk about it with them.  Low and behold they had been spending time knocking doors in our complex! The mission office said that we have to respect what the manager said and drop those investigators for now. Pretty lame :(

For our lesson with Socorro we did something called a Restoration church tour that some Elders came up with awhile back.  So what this is, is that you teach the Restoration but teach it throughout the church.  We started in the hall and had the hall all dark.  We had pictures of prophets on the wall.  When we would talk about a prophet we would shine the flashlight on the picture to represent dispensations.  Then when the light would go out it was a time of an apostasy.  It was really cool to help her understand the dispensations.  We then went to the baptismal font and talked about the Savior's baptism and the importance of His perfect example. We then moved to the chapel and talked about the Sacrament.  We then talked about the Atonement and showed Because of Him.  It was amazing.  Then we talked about the Great Apostasy and all the lights went off in the chapel.  We walked to the back foyer and started talking about Joseph Smith.  We had a flashlight on a picture of the first vision.  Then when we talked about how we are in the last days and the priesthood will never be taken again we opened the curtains to the gym where all the lights were on and we had pictures set up of President Monson and the twelve apostles.  It was so powerful.  I have never felt the Spirit so strong in a lesson.  I know the Spirit we felt in that lesson is undeniable.  It was so powerful as we testified of the Restoration of the gospel. I know with all my heart the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith.  I know that President Monson is our living prophet today.  I can promise that as we follow his guidance and the guidance of the twelve apostles that we will never go astray.

Another miracle:  About 3 or 4 months ago (around Easter time) Hermana Aubrey, Meise, Barrios and I went to get some churros for our dinner.  As we were sitting there I noticed the cutest little Hispanic family. They seemed so happy and I could tell that they loved each other.  I had the prompting to talk to them but I kept ignoring it.  As we were leaving I knew that I would regret so bad if I didn't talk to this family.  So I said to the Hermanas, “Let’s go talk to that family”. They all said, “Okay you go talk to them. If you need help with anything to say we will help you but you get to take this one”.  I was so scared! I had been out less than 6 months so I wasn't feeling too comfortable just going up and start talking in Spanish. But I did it anyway. They were about to leave so I just gave them a pass a long card to He Lives (the video the church came out with for Easter) and invited them to watch it.  And that was it.  Now fast forward to July.

This week we got a referral from some Elders.  We went to go meet Marcela and she let us in right away!  It is crazy how friendly and kind she is.  We were getting to know her when she said looking at me, "I know you!"  I was like ohh..you do? haha.  I was just thinking about all the people we meet everyday and I just figured it was just someone we had met in the street.  Then she explained to me, "No I met you around Easter time at the churro stand you gave me a card. I remember you so well!"  Marcela is awesome!  She loved learning about the Book of Mormon.  We feel that she has a lot of potential. My testimony was strengthened so much on the importance of acting on every prompting.  In April I didn't understand why I felt so prompted to talk to her when we didn't get a return appointment.  But now here in July I totally understand why I needed to talk to her.’

Those are the most exciting things from this week.  I am so grateful to be serving in this area.  I am grateful for miracles we are able to see every day.  I know this gospel has been restored and that we have a modern day prophet that can lead us every day.  I hope you have a great week.  I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Gifford