Miracles and Tender Mercies

August 26, 2013

Oi Minha Querida Familia!!!!

Whatta week!  Well,  first of allllllll...WE GOT A BISHOP FINALLYY!!!! WOOOOOH...JUST yesterday!!! And BOY OH BOY WE COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER BISHOPRIC!!! So the bishop is the old EQ's President who hosted the BBQ that was SUCHA hit with the investigators and was sooo great for fellowshipping.   He is AMAZING and is so focused on everyone else and the youth and helping the missionaries.  Poor guy!  You could just SEE in his face that he was overwhelmed with the magnitude of this calling. But we could just feeeeel how inspired this call was. He will be amazing and JUST what this ward needs. And his counselors. Oh boy, get this:  first counselor: the Ward Mission Leader. WAAAAAT hahah! Sooo great!  He was the BEST these past few weeks as we went bishopless trying to get the ward involved with the mission work. and Second counselor is this AWESOME brother who has been one of the KEY people in helping us fellowship this new family. He is ALWAYS making himself free for some missionary work and is genuinely concerned for the people we teach.  This is gonna be GREATTTT. and we already have some ideas for who the new ward mission leader will be haha.  We are STOKED and READY TO GO!!!  It's been a dry transfer--or 2 as I've been told--with no baptisms in this ward--but we have some people who are SO ready and we just need to get them there. But now that we have the ward on board--or almost--we are ready to let the floodgates go!  I'm so excited! I honestly am just so thrilled to be out here!!!

It's so crazy just seeing how seeing these people's progression really does make me so insanely happy!  It is literally a taste of that pure joy that we will feel when we finally do bring those souls to Christ. WOW. So miracle of the week--we had exchanges for the first time and it was weird...  Very stressful because I was staying in this area and would be leading the companionship for the first time. I conducted the planning, the lessons, the day! and it was scary stuff.... But it turned out pretty well. kept busy, not everything went as planned--silly me, thinking I could plan out the day--but we were able to make it work with the help of the Lord. I definitely have a testimony of relying on the Lord. He kind of just reminded me that day that I can't do this myself.  I just can't. (ESPECIALLY since we went phoneless that day cause Sis Jensen-Coon accidentally took the phone with her to the other place..)  So that was fun.. haha but yeah so we defintely had to rely on the Lord that He would guide us and help us make everything work out in the end.

MIRACLE: so on this day of exchanges, I was planning the day and put down this one family who is less active and we were gonna invite them to church the next day.  I didn't realize but they were in another section of our area and way out of the way. but we decided to go cause it was planned. So we went over there and passed by Helen's house.  The garage was still closed and so we just kind of chatted about her and how amazing she was when we got to talk to her and how sad we were that we couldn't see her anymore.  Then we got to the less active's house and she was sick so we couldn't see her. So we didn't know what to do, out there in a different area. So we decided to go stop by Helen's and just knock on her door even though she said she only answers the garage when it's open.  So we went over and knocked. Rang the door bell. knocked again. Nothing.  Then I decided to knock one more time. Realllyyy loud cause I know she's kinda deaf.  And a few seconds later we hear the garage door open. OMG. we run over and see her coming out and her arms are open for a hug and says "Come here!" and I  run over and hug her and we are all so happy and omggggggggg!!!  It was A MIRACLE!  It turns out she was going to the garage to get her pants from the dryer and she heard the last knock. She said she'd been going outside to sit in her garage waiting for us in the mornings but we don't go out of the apt until after studies which ends at like 1pm so we never were past there when she was out. She said she figured we gave up cause her garage was closed so often... which we did.. and she was so happy we were there cause she had just gotten out of the hospital again and was thinking about us all that day.  She said she'd gotten her answer to her prayers and the answer was "Not her will, but His will". We got her to recognize the spirit and that the answer she got was through the Spirit and we taught her about baptism and told her to specifically pray if that's the decision God wants for her.  She agreed and we have an appt tomorrw. I am soooooo happy for her OMGGG!!! She is so much happier and wants the Spirit with her always and WANTS to feel God's love for her all the time. and i just KNOW that's the reason she's still alive, even if she doesn't want to be. God wants her to be able to enjoy that peace and happiness for even just a short time before she goes.  Wow it was the most amazing experience ever. I gave her a origami flower. :) THANKS DAD! what a great idea!!!

Well there was so much more that happened I wish I could share it ALL with you but it's really too much haha. but that was definitely the high light of this week!!!

I'm so excited for your talk, Emily!! :D how exciting!!! haha You should invite all your friends and all my friends who know you and they can cheer you on! wooohooo!! haha. I want to hear it! record it and send it to me hehe. jk I know you'll do awesome.  Family prayer and reading scriptures together at the end of the day is so important. I never realized it cause it never occured to me but it really does keep every individual in the family strong and at the same time bring the entire family so much closer to each other and to Heavenly Father. It's something worth making the few minutes sacrifice for.

Well, I'm sorry to hear about all that craziness going on in the ward! Sister Moura and all that. My prayers are with her family and with the ward! I Hope her service went well. But I know she's happy now and can finally be reunited with her family and teach them there :)

Did something happen to a missionary up there? I didn't really understand but I guess some one said something happened and someone had like a hemorrhage or something? scary! I'm praying for you all up in SJ!

Well I just wanted to thank everyone again for all the support and love and prayers! Especially Sister Stevens and her lovely card I received and the Bertognalli  family and their constant support and uplifting letters, and Sister James and her amazing gift! What an awesome idea--a special journal for the mission! thank you all soo much I really appreciate it! and I'm sorry I can't write all the time or rememeber. My brain is probably gonna explode soon hahah. but I love you all and keep you in my prayers!

Keep up the good work in SJ! Love you all and give referrals to the missinoaries! Never be afraid to share something you love with someone you love! The gospel truly is for everyone and will be such a gift to anyone, no matter what is going on in their life!

Eu Amo Todos de voces!!! Ate a Proxima Semana!!! <3

Sister Yoshimoto