Had a little time this morning while my companion was in the shower, so I made this collage of pictures of the Savior.
We met the Dieguez family, a less-active family I'd heard a lot about from the ward and from my last companion, who served in the area I'm currently serving. We decided to go for the throat and teach Prayer, Read the Scriptures, and Come To CHURCH! To teach prayer, we used the analogy of a telephone call from someone you love who lives far away - like kids in college, for example. The Dieguezes have kids in college, so it really rang with them. Then Hermana Oliphant bore a powerful testimony about scriptures and the power that they have to guide us and help build our testimony. We then explained that church was rest - like sleep for your spirit. You can live without sleep, but you end up more or less a zombie if you go on for too long. "don't be spiritual zombies!" We urged. Hermana Dieguez told us, "You just seem really down-to-earth, really real. What you say makes a lot of sense." That made me really happy - that's something I've been working on a lot.
The Vasquez Family, who haven't been to church in ages, followed us to church for mutual! Fellow member missionaries, be persistent - it works!
We were led to a random door. We followed the prompting and knocked it - and we found Gabby, a young mother living with her less-active husband (who wasn't on our records), her sister, and her kids! She has amazing faith and she accepted a Book of Mormon! We're excited to start teaching them!
We found Jennifer Weaver, who was living where some less active members used to live! She was so prepared - she accepted a Book of Mormon and told us that she works in the Operating Room and she has two young kids. She started crying as she told us she knew God was helping her. Sadly, she spoke English, so we passed her off - but what a miracle that Heavenly Father led us to her!
We tried to contact a former investigator, someone who'd had the missionary lessons before. Victor Luna and two of his daughters were outside, as if waiting for us! Victor recognized our tags and asked us to come back and teach his family. They're golden!
This Sunday, so many people came to church! The Chapel was full to bursting - Yesenia, our nine-year-old investigator came with her mom and their friend Cynthia and her 4 kids. Aurelio Vasquez, an older investigator, came for the first time that I've seen since I've been here - and he said a family in the ward gave him a ride! The Gonzaleses, an older couple who haven't been able to come because of medical reasons, came; Hermana Saenz came for the second time in years (last Sunday being her first time in years) and brought her friend Irma, who's getting baptized on June 24th. Ulysses and Ceci, a young less-active couple who's son recently got baptized, came, and Ulysses brought his work-out buddy and his wife, Joe and Debbie, who are less active recent converts. Hermana Medina, who's husband isn't a member, came - and the Ortiz family, who've been busy at work for the longest time. Carmen Nutter, a recent convert, came and told us her grandson, who's 17, wants to take the missionary lessons. Brenda Grajeda, whose name we've seen on the ward list and with whom we've been meaning to visit, showed up, told us her name and that she was less-active, and set up an appointment with us. Finally, a family who hasn't been to church ever since the wife was excommunicated, came and sat in the second row, and said hello after the meeting.
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Miracles all around! Heavenly Father is really amazing.
Love, love, love,
Hermana Smurthwaite
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