Week 63 - Aloha

Not that it is warm at all, just thought I would switch it up for you all. I feel like when all is said and done.. the Lord is very aware of what we go through and our prayers never fall on deaf ears. This week was honestly full of miracles. We have things that have transpired over the last 7 days that I thought were nearly impossible.. never doubt the power of God.. or that sometimes there are things that just have to happen in the Lord's timetable.. I feel like when I have thought about that in the past it usually is said in the same breath as patience as you are usually having to wait.. but sometimes the Lord gives you someone he has prepared literally overnight.. and that leads us to Laura. Laura is a former investigator we contacted the last week Elder Laceste was here.. she wasn't really interested in our message. We ended up getting talking and she is actually working on some addiction struggles, so we brought up the ARP program and scheduled a time to come back. Elder Pitts and I then came back that weekend dropped off the book and just a simple Mormon.org pass-along card if she had any questions.. Monday rolls around and we were at the local Dollarama when we get this media referral, that is from her referring herself.. that is where the miracles start. We go over and talk with her, she just says that she started reading the ARP book, then went online to the website and then looked up temples, our beliefs, etc.. kept going and she downloaded all the hymns to her phone, the Book of Mormon, and she said she just sat there and started crying from the music.. she said she then prayed for the first time in a long time.. and she felt the spirit just overwhelm her.. The spirit has been working on her so hard! Honestly I have never seen such a change in a person in a weeks’ time! This week we taught her 4 times.. every time at the end of our lessons she asks, okay when can me meet again!?! She has read numerous chapters in the Book of Mormon, she goes above and beyond our commitments.. honestly I have never come across anyone who truly hungers and thirsts after righteousness as she does. We were constantly talking about baptism.. she was constantly talking about how she couldn't wait for that day.. she is now on date for baptism on the 22nd of February.. super soon.. but she chose it through prayer. We said that was the earliest she could, and she says yes! She is just so excited, she already feels the joy this gospel has brought into her life and she loves it, she can't wait to learn more.I could go on and on.. but I am just filled with so much gratitude to be the Lord's instrument at this time.

Okay also, one really powerful experience with a member family-the Olsens. We had challenged them to teach us lesson 1-the Message of the Restoration. Brother Olsen, who is one of the greatest guys I have met my whole mission was totally game, and then he helped his daughters who are 7 and 4  to be a part of the teaching.. for some reason as those little girls bore testimony of first the Book of Mormon, which was from the 4 year old and then Prayer from the 7 year old.. I can honestly say it was one of those moments that I have needed. To hear someone so pure bear testimony of the Book of Mormon, helped me grow my testimony to a new level. I absolutely love children and how they help each of us understand what it really means to become as a little child. 

Well, that is all for now.. my keyboard is the worst thing ever and I want to break it. I love you all! 

Love, Elder McFall