Once again I was spiritually lifted as I read the experiences that the president shared this week. A week that include transfers – sorry we were traveling and I completely forgot to ask anyone to take and share pictures of new companionships. I am checking to see if any of the couples did take pictures and will send them to me. But nothing slowed the great above missionaries of the Florida Fort Lauderdale mission down…they had 36 baptisms this week and that is a great way to start a month…

“I love the solutions you missionaries find, even when you search for souls to invite from the area book:

“We didn’t have anyone set with a baptismal date for Sunday, so we discussed some ways that we could work for a miracle baptism. The Area Book was discussed and there were miracles shared about how missionaries had been able to find amazing people by looking through old records. At first I didn’t really think about it too much and we continued training. The next day a couple seconds before we walked out the door for proselyting time, I decided to stop ignoring the nagging feeling to go look in the Area Book. So I opened it up…  until I found someone who had been to church. All I wrote down was her name and her address. Well an appointment we had later that day fell through and so we ventured over to the Sister from the Area Book. We were disappointed to see that she lived in a gated community but only for a moment when a car pulled up and we were able to follow them right in. She was home and after a Harvest blessing she accepted baptism. When we told her that we were having a baptismal service this weekend she seemed a little reluctant. But the Spirit was so strong! We testified and then asked her to say a prayer and ask God if He wanted her to be baptized this weekend. After the prayer the Spirit was even stronger! After she said Amen she didn’t move or open her eyes. She waited and listened! And on Sunday she was ‘baptized.’”

I love when the Lord blesses you because you had the inspiration to find others during “round-up”:

We went to go round-up our investigator for church, but he wasn’t answering. This was the 2nd investigator’s door we had knocked for church and we were having no success-super sad! So, we looked at our watches, had some times and decided to start harvesting at 9:30am before PEC at 10. We knocked one door 3 times with no answer and started walking away when the door opened and this super sleepy guy looked at us. I can only imagine what he was thinking as he tiredly squinted at us and yawned, looking rather dazed and confused. Nevertheless we introduced ourselves as representatives of Jesus Christ, had a beautiful prayer and invited him to church. The story goes on with NONE of our investigators coming to church and as we sat down rather bewildered and discouraged, we realized we didn’t know who was sitting in front of us in a red polo. The man we harvested before church! He had come! We quickly got up and sat by him, and as we were talking, a member walked in and sat across from us. This man lit up as he recognized his close friend from work! The two got up and had the usual manly hand shake/hug combo thing you men do and he quickly felt comfortable, loved and happy to be there. Our member stayed with him in all the classes and at the end gave him a Book of Mormon with his testimony inside Coincidence? I think not! What an orchestration in the symphony of the Lord’s work! We felt honored and blessed to be a part of it. He is being baptized on Sunday.

I love when we use members to help in completing our solutions:

“Well, church came and went and we weren’t able to get anyone there. It was difficult, but we knew we put our best effort forth and that God would accept it. That afternoon, as we were still trying to get something going, we were having dinner with a few members and one said to us, ‘I was home teaching my family earlier today, a nice, older woman who has been a member of the church for many years. Her husband has come to church, but he never wants anything to do with the missionaries, but today he said he would like to hear a prayer from you Elders. Could you stop by today?’. We headed out with him right afterwards. After finding them home, we left the family with a blessing. We asked him how he felt. He said good. We invited him to baptism and he said yes. We asked him when was the last time he went to church and he told us recently. We were nervous, but exercised faith and asked him if he would prepare to be baptized that night. He said yes! We set everything up with the Bishop and Zone Leaders as my companion and members taught the commandments, restoration and gospel. He accepted everything. Three hours later he was baptized and confirmed a member of the church. His wife had been waiting for this day for 50 years. I have rarely seen anyone as happy as she was that night. I know God is truly a God of miracles.“

God will anxiously help us with the solution if we ask him, trust him, and act; Elder Scott teaches:

“Often when we pray for help with a significant matter, Heavenly Father will give us gentle promptings that require us to think, exercise faith, work, at times struggle, then act. It is a step-by-step process that enables us to discern inspired answers. I have discovered that what sometimes seems an impenetrable barrier to communication is a giant step to be taken in trust. Seldom will you receive a complete response all at once. It will come a piece at a time, in packets, so that you will grow in capacity. As each piece is followed in faith, you will be led to other portions until you have the whole answer. That pattern requires you to exercise faith in our Father’s capacity to respond. While sometimes it’s very hard, it results in significant personal growth. You are asked to look for an answer to your prayers.^ Obey the Master’s counsel to “study it out in your mind.”^ Often you will think of a solution; as you seek confirmation that your answer is right, help will come. It may be through your prayers, or as an impression of the Holy Ghost, and at times by the intervention of others.”^ (Richard G. Scott, General Conference April 2007)

We were traveling when this letter was sent and I did not get around to posting it until today. However as I read the great spiritual missionary experiences that the president shared, I was certain that everyone would feel that they were worth waiting for…

“We were working in a neighborhood following up with people. Everything had fallen through. And two dogs even chased us. I was a little frustrated, but I told my companion that I wanted to go another way because I didn’t want to see the dog again. We were walking and we saw this guy sitting outside smoking so I told my companion we needed to talk to him. We went up and he gladly excepted the prayer. He said he’s been here from Cuba for 8 years and hasn’t found a good job. So we prayed for him to find a job. He loved the prayer and felt the spirit. When we invited him to be baptized, he said, ‘yes, I’ve been waiting for this.’ It was such a great experience!! We gave him a Book of Mormon and he gladly accepted it as well. We left and were so excited! We forgot to give him our information so we went back, and he was already reading the Book of Mormon. It was cool. We were able to see him again, and he found a job the next day… he still wants the missionaries to help him be baptized. He said he knew God sent us to him! The Lord’s hand is truly in the work.”

I love the “mighty change” that occurs even months (and years) after we contact them and they know we are truly sent from God:

“Two months ago we said a prayer with a teenage girl at her door because the parents weren’t home. She said she didn’t think her parents would be interested. We decided to leave a card with our number on it. This week on Thursday (two months later) we saw how God is always preparing people and how we can receive indirect blessing from hard work. We received a call from a lady and had no idea who she was but she wanted help and wanted us to come over so we went over that night. We arrived and saw the daughter and I was really struck by how familiar she looked but had no idea from where I recognized her. Then it all came back to me, The Door Prayer! So we sat down and talked with the family. The mother was super awesome and she just wanted peace in her life. She had met with the missionaries a few years ago in another area and she couldn’t remember if she had been baptized or not, so we checked her records and it turns out she wasn’t. We then went back and explained how baptism would help her and invited her to be baptized the following day after church. She accepted, she came the next day with her daughter and that day at church another miracle happened. The family that had fellowshipped her all those years ago, (now living in California) were just visiting our ward Sunday. We found out that the daughter had also been to church before and minutes before the baptismal service of the mom we felt inspired to invite her to be baptized with her mom. And she accepted! … They got baptized together and the spirit was so strong and they were so solid with instant fellowship from the former fellow shippers. Yesterday was the most spiritual day of my mission and my life! As they excitedly came to shake our hands beaming after the broadcast that night, I was filled with so much joy! I couldn’t believe the happiness that was just radiating out of them!”

I love “the mighty change” that occurs to those who fall away and find their way back because the Lord directed us to them:

“As we were walking to one of our appointments, through the trees I could see some people sitting on the porch, but could tell they couldn’t see us. Either the automatic response to go talk to them because that is what always occurs when I see anyone or probably more so the subtle prompting of the spirit told me go talk to them. I must admit we first went to see if the appointment was home and then on the way back again I felt that same feeling as before. So we went and talked to them. After we gave this women a harvest blessing on her home and invited her to be baptized she said I was. (I’m thinking ok another person who has been baptized probably as a baby.) She said yes I was baptized into the Mormon Church almost 14 years ago, but with different challenges in my life and now I’m working on Sundays and I’m unable to come to Church. We testified that we knew God sent us to her because he cares about her and is going to provide a way so that she can come on Sundays. She has a 13 year old daughter who she wants to be involved with the church and wants her to get baptized. She came this week and rode with the YW president and is excited to come next week for her baptism.”

Repentance and change is not just for those we teach, but we need this constant change in our lives to always be better instruments in God’s hands. Change is never easy, but it is where we grow the most, where we receive the “most rewarding and profound experiences in life” as Elder Ashton teaches:

“We need not feel that we must forever be what we presently are. There is a tendency to think of change as the enemy. Many of us are suspect of change and will often fight and resist it before we have even discovered what the actual effects will be. When change is thought through carefully, it can produce the most rewarding and profound experiences in life. The changes we make must fit the Lord’s purposes and patterns…Yes, there is pain in change, but there is also great satisfaction in recognizing that progress is being achieved. Life is a series of hills and valleys and often the best growth comes in the valleys. Change is a meaningful part of repentance. Some are unable to repent because they are unwilling to change.” (Marvin J. Ashton, General Conference, October 1979)

God will give us the “power to change” as President Faust teaches:

“If we will turn to the Lord and believe on His name, we can change. He will give us the power to change our lives, the power to put away bad thoughts and feelings from our hearts. We can be taken from “the darkest abyss” to “behold the marvelous light of God” (Mosiah 27:29)). We can be forgiven. We can find peace… Each new day that dawns can be a new day for us to begin to change. We can change our environment. We can change our lives by substituting new habits for old. We can mold our character and future by purer thoughts and nobler actions. As someone once put it, ‘The possibility of change is always there, with its hidden promise of peace, happiness, and a better way of life.’”(President James E. Faust. General Conference, October 2007)