The amount of miracles I get to witness as a missionary is unreal. This week was literally just miracle after miracle. I am still in shock from all the crazy wonderful things that happened. It’s funny because as I wrote that 1st sentence like 6 seconds ago (jk, you KNOW I don’t type thatttt fast ;p) it dawned on me that we ALL are able to see many miracles happen daily, it just takes us being willing to look a little harder and be a tad more humble. So, for me, it wasn’t until I came out here that I was able to recognize them so easily and see JUST how much the Lords hand has been in my life—from the very very beginning. Let’s just go in order for this entry :)
Monday- Sister Cauble felt impressed after dinner to go see one of our investigators we hadn’t seen in like a month. Low and behold: she was home!! AND all of her daughters were there too. We got to teach them and set up times to come back which was something we hadn’t done in a while. We realized how much the spirit guides us as missionaries. We literally could NOT do this work without it. That is the way Heavenly Father communicates with us and gives us direction of what to do, and considering He’s all knowing, there’s no one better I’d want giving me instruction. Seeing how important the spirit is as a missionary has helped me see how important it is to have just in general. When I get home it’s still going to be crucial for me to do and follow the path Heavenly Father has in store for me and my future family. We must always be worthy of that spirit and heaven sent inspiration.
While I was writing in my journal that night we got a phone call, one of the best phone calls I’ve received in a while!! I found out that one of my investigators, from down in Diamond Bar, was getting baptized on Saturday and that I had permission to go attend it! I started to cry and cry. Tera was supposed to be baptized my last week there, but due to some difficulty we all decided it would be best to wait a while til things settled down. Well, homegirl stayed strong this whole past 5 months, and now it was time for her big day. I sat in awe. I was so grateful for good missionaries who had continued to love and teach her after I left, for the members who took such good care of her during a hard time and most importantly for her faith. She knew from us teaching her that this was true, that this was God plan for her and she was willing to do whatever to make sure she did this. Needless to say, I was too excited to sleep that night haha.
Tuesday- I hid in some elders trunk and scared them. Look, it’s not weird, ok? It’s normal…for me.. ;p Our leaders told us this week on Thursday us missionaries will get to preview the new movie: Meet the Mormons! Talk about SWEET! Don’t worry, I’ll let you all know how incredible it is!!!! This day was full of awkwardness. All. Day. Missionary work=most awkward situations of your life. The worst is when you are knocking someone’s door and then they pull up in the driveway. Boy oh boy. It’s cool though, the more awkward moments, the more blessings…that’s what I like to tell myself anyways haha.
So since we moved to this new apartment we had NOT been getting mail whatsoever. Not even our weekly coupons or anything. We finally went and talked to the post office (which didn’t help at all) so Monday night we decided to take it to the Lord. We simply expressed to Him that we were worried about the situation and weren’t sure if someone was stealing our mail and to help ease our minds. After our meetings this day we went to the mailbox and it was JAM PACKED with the last months’ worth of mail hahha. I love that Heavenly Father even cares about the small, simple and silly things like that in our life. He cares about it if we care enough for Him to go to Him about it. He’s so good to us!
Wednesday- a 10 year old FINALLY, after $60 worth in quarters and 5 weeks of looking, found me a FL quarter hahaha. My Zone Leaders kept making fun of me saying “yall” by saying it in between every word they said in our conversation haha. I miss the south. Mostly just the fried foods, but I guess I miss the people too ;p This day was super cool because we were told there was a man potentially interesting in the church so we called him, he invited us over for dinner and a lesson all in the span of like 3 mins. We were in shock. That never happens! He was so eager and excited. It was cool.
Thursday- We had a little time to spare before going to a lesson so we thought to go see this one girl we’d met a month ago. We had asked her to come to our ward talent show and she didn’t end up coming so we were going to tell her we missed her. Only problem? We didn’t know her name and she has one of those dumb confession doors (or so I call them) where you can’t see IN the house. So we didn’t really know how it was going to work given the circumstances. Well, before we got out of the car at her place in my prayer I asked Heavenly Father to help us not have too much awkwardness and that if it were possible, that we would be able to SEE her and know who we were talking to so we could set up a time to come back. We ended the prayer, got out of the car and as shutting the door she pulled up in her car….UHM. INCREDIBLE. It’s crazy what happens when we are crazy enough to just ASK God for help. Awesome.
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| Mojave River District |
COOL COOL COOL: to make a long story short, all of the deaf people are now having to go to the wards in which they live in, they can’t just go to the last ward I served in anymore. I found out Monday we were getting to teach David now (because he lives in our area) a deaf Recent Convert (a person who has recently been baptized) of about 6 months. I WAS SO HAPPY. Well we had a lesson with him this day and it was so amazing. It was the 1st time I was in a situation where I didn’t have S. Treadwell who’s super fluent in sign to help me out. Luckily, Sister Cauble has taken sign in high school a little so we leaned on one another. After much help from the spirit and Heavenly Father we were able to share a message with him, communicate with him and resolve some concerns he had with all the changes going on and help him feel of the Saviors love for him. I know that Heavenly Father knows SO much more than we even can comprehend. Coincidence that I got sent to the neighboring ward in Hesperia after having learned sign for 3 months in Bear valley with a comp that has some type of ASL background? I think not. I think Gods plan is perfect.
Also, the elders called us and sang (in a quartet) for us a hymn. Random. Beautiful. Hilarious.
The little autistic boy I told yall about goes “hey. Sister toolan. Hey. I think you’re pretty hot!!!” hahahahhaha I died laughing.
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| Awkward Missionary Picture |
Friday- Wendys gave me a free frosty! #holllla knew it would be a good day after that—and it was! We got to help at a food bank with some awesome people who kept us laughing the whole time. We got to attend a baptism with a family we are working with and I got to see some familiar faces, which is always nice:) then we had dinner with a woman who hasn’t been to church since she was 15…she’s like 48….it was there that I realized how many people have a problem going to church because they are unworthy. In Matthew 9 we read:
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Christ never spent all His time with people that were living right and doing what they needed to, He was going around helping people out that needed to know they were living wrong and who needed the miracle of feeling his forgiveness is their life. Church is NOT for perfect people. Its where we go and learn how to someday be perfect like the Savior. It’s where we go to strengthen one another and help each other on this crazy path we call life. It’s for all us imperfect people. I hope you never feel like you aren’t good enough to go to church. We must go there to be able to feel Heavenly Fathers approval for doing something he has commanded us to do. Church is so important and without it we cannot and will not be spiritually fed/full.
Saturday- MOST BEAUTIFUL WEATHER IN A LONG LONG TIME. This was a great day because I got to go witness Tera get baptized. The last time I saw her she wasn’t showing (prego wise) and I walked in to a woman who is due in 2 weeks!!!!
When she saw me and another sister that I came down with who taught her after I left she goes “THERES MY GIRLS!!” talk about great feeling to hear that!<3 when she went under the water I understood that God was allowing me to see a little more of His plan…there Tera was, pregnant as ever, getting baptized..her decision effecting everyone in the room, the one still inside her and all her future family to come. The spirit was so strong. I was so happy and proud of her. She is and always has been an example to me.
Getting to see GREEN PRETTY GRASS was nice and we ended up getting permission to go to the Diamond Bar ward party for dinner..i was in heaven. I felt at home again. Everyone was so welcoming and loving, as they always were. I love that place. So much. I was on cloud 9 the rest of the night!!!! :)
Sunday- I am running out of time….darn it….ok, point blank it was an awesome day with awesome stories that will have to come at a later time hahha. Church was good. It was cold out :) we got a new investigator.
All in all we found 3 new investigators this week..something that hasn’t happened the whole transfer. Or in a really long time, for that matter. We trusted in the Lord, smiled more than ever, laughed hard as always, gained stronger testimonies and worked hard. I’d say it was a fantastic week. I’d love to tell you more, but I know I’ve already information overloaded yall. Hahaha. So until next time….as a good friend of mine would say—keep on keepin’ on!
-hugs-
Sister Toolan
Ps: YOU BETTER WATCH CONFERENCE!!
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