Monday, July 28, 2014

glorious miracles

Happy Monday! 

This week was another full of tender mercies from The Lord. It's been so wonderful really. I love The Lord and what he is allowing me to experience out here. I feel so blessed to be in this area at this time.

Let me just tell you about the Whitmores. They are the part member family we picked up as investigators last week. Bro Whitmore nonmember. Sis Whitmore's semi active. Hey had us over on Wednesday afternoon and we were able to teach them the restoration. Sister Lyman and I taught so well together and the lesson just flowed. Brother Whitmore just sat there nodding his head, agreeing with everything we said. He testified himself of the truthfulness of Joseph Smith and
when we asked him to be baptized, he said "Yes, I'm going to get dunked by my grandson!" At the end of the lesson we asked him to say a prayer out loud and he told us that it was the first time he had ever prayed out loud in his life. Can you imagine living over half a century and never ever speaking to your Heavenly Father out loud? It was such a beautiful prayer and I was beaming the entire time. We also showed him how to get online to listen to the Book of Mormon and by the time we had gone over again on Friday, he had all sorts of questions about what he had read. Friday we taught them the Plan of Salvation. He loved every part of it and told us that he had never heard the story of Adam and Eve make so much sense. He knew there had to be a reason for their transgression. The Elders in the Redding 3rd ward, where there daughters attend, texted us over the weekend and told us that the family is so excited and looking forward to their dad's baptism! Brother and Sister Whitmore ended our lesson on Friday on the topic of being sealed in the temple. Sis Whitmore has been asking him for years to get baptized, so that they could be sealed and they made the decision together that they will be sealed in the temple together within the next year or so! How amazing is that? This whole situation seems too good to be true, but I just love it. Bro Whitmore is eager to have us over again. His heart has been so prepared to accept the gospel! 

Wednesday a member took us over to Burrito Bandito for dinner. After dinner Sister Lyman had a sudden craving for some frozen yogurt, so we went next door. We were the only ones in the store and when we got closer to the cash register, the girl at the front asked us if we were missionaries. We told her we were and then started asking her about her experience with missionaries. A bunch of her friends are in our ward and she met with the Elders about three years ago. She is 17 years old and attends a christian university in Redding. She told us that she is searching for truth. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and after we explained to her what the Book of Mormon is, she told us to contact her anytime to meet! She told us that she thought the Book of Mormon had a totally different purpose, but after we told her what it really was, her interest was sparked. I know that we were supposed to be there to meet her and God doesn't produce accidents...or accidental froyo cravings. 

Saturday afternoon we went over to read with our investigator Laura and her less active, recent convert neighbor Sister Ward. After we read with them, we were driving back to the freeway when Sister Lyman had a feeling that we should go check on this less active woman named Sister Shepherd. We drove over to her house and before we were even to her driveway, we could see her outside in the 105 degree blazing sun trying to sweep up debris in front of her house. Sister Shepherd had literally just gotten out of the hospital the night before for some brain tests and was not supposed to be out there alone in the heat. We sent her inside for some water and to cool down and finished up sweeping in the front. I am so grateful that Sister Lyman listened to the spirit and followed that prompting because Sister Shepherd wouldv'e been in worse shape if we would have never gone over there. It was such a sweet miracle. God is looking out for his children! 

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful companion who is so in tune with the spirit. I learn so much from her example and I know that we were meant to serve here together. We are doing so much good work! And did I tell you about our lessons? Talk about some of the most spiritual and flowing ones I have had on my mission yet. The Lord is on our side!

We had interviews with President Marston this week and as much as I love the Marston's, I miss President and Sister Weston. He talked to me about the scripture in Ether 12:30 that talked about moving mountains with our faith. It reads, "For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove---and it was removed. And if he had not faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith." P. Marston invited us to share this with those we teach and to have them pick one "mountain" in their life that was preventing them from reaching their full potential. Then we invite them to combine their faith with ours to move that mountain. Let us remember it only took a mustard seed of faith to move the mountain. Matthew 17:20 reads, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Let us all identify a "mountain" in our path that may be in our way of reaching our fullest potential. I know that God will allow us to move the mountains in our lives if we just have faith and trust in Him. Even if it is just small faith, mustard seed faith. 


love you all! 

xoxo,
sister allen

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