The Impact Of Faith

Monday, 12 September 2016

Dear family and friends,

Life is crazy. But it is always beautiful if we choose to see it that way! 

I feel like the more the work progresses, the busier our weeks get! We have had days full of nonstop, back-to-back appointments where we've barely had time to breathe. We've had other days where we've had many appointments with little moments here and there to knock doors or talk to new people. 

​It's an amazing feeling to get home at 9pm, dead tired and ready to sleep (after planning, of course)!

I can testify that the Lord does stretch time! He knows when we need to reach out to His children. It is all in His timing. We just need to be His humble servants who are ready to follow the Spirit's promptings at all times. 

Yesterday we were on our way to an appointment when Sister Benedetti felt like we should go and visit one of our investigators, Jasmin. We stopped by with the intention of just visiting for a few minutes, but it turned into a great lesson with her! It had been a long time since we had seen her, and we didn't have much time, but because of the faith to follow a prompting, we were able to see her and make it to our appointment just fine! Everything worked out and I know it was because of God's help. He will bless us as we exercise faith to follow the Spirit!

Something I've been reminded of lately is the importance of optimism and changing our thoughts. Because of how much our area has been progressing, I have felt a lot of opposition. My thoughts have gone into downward spirals of gloom and it's been harder for me to stay positive. But I keep thinking about how the Savior carries our burdens. He helps us through everything, and no opposition that we face is stronger than the Savior's strength. He will help us through it as we are faithful and rely on Him. 

​RAYS OF SUNSHINE :)

-The members have been reaching out to us more lately, asking for our help. And we received a referral from a member recently!​ It's amazing what happens when they start to trust us more. 

-We went knocking in a trailer park last week, and we found some really amazing Hispanic families! :) We were blessed with an opportunity to teach a 13-year-old girl (Samantha) the Restoration when we had a member with us (who spoke Spanish), when we went back to that neighborhood. Sister Castillo (our teamup) connected so well with her! And it was amazing to see Samantha's countenance change as she listened. She loved what we had to share and she connected so well with Joseph Smith (who was only 14 when he saw God and Jesus Christ). I love the message of the Restoration! It is so amazing and touches the hearts of many!

-We were invited to have dinner with one of our investigators, Rasheeda, and her family last week. (Nigerian food is the best!) After getting to know them a bit (which was fantastic!), we were able to share a short message about the Book of Mormon. We shared Helaman 5:12 with them, and they loved it! By the end of the lesson, we invited them all to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it, and they were thrilled to accept their own copies! We are so excited to follow up with them!

Y'all, miracles do happen. Especially when we are faithful. When we choose to be faithful and turn to the Savior, miracles happen and we are abundantly blessed! 

My commitment to y'all is to pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others, and then go out and make it happen! I know that as you do that, you will see the Lord's hand in your life, guiding your footsteps and leading you to those who are prepared to receive the gospel.

Y'all are amazing and bless so many lives--without even knowing it! So remember to keep smiling, keep moving forward, and keep enjoying to the end! I love y'all!