This week I am so full of gratetude, happiness, and humility. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.
Let me talk to you all about this week of miracles.
SO Monday after the cyber we went home and made plans on how we were going to give everything we have and more to be able to see miracles in church. We planned to have more lessons with members, contact more people, and commit them really well to church. So we set out and got to work. :)
Tuesday though I was in the area of Hermana Cahan, she was in Matagalpa with me and reminds me A TON of Annie- Hahah seriously its crazy . So we were out looking for people and we saw this one lady sitting outside and I had this feeling to go talk to her. So we do and it starts pouring rain, so naturally she invites us inside (Thanks for that one Heavenly Father haha) And she starts asking the usual questions, you know, who are you? Where are you from? Is all your family white? haha. And then we start to talk to her about the church. She starts listening and doing a couple comments. Then offers us some spaggetti. (we had just eaten lunch) and so I didn't want to be rude so I said. Sure just a little. But she took that as YES PLEASE I AM STARVING ahhaa and brought out these huge plates of spaggetti and coke... (So much for that vow...) So as we were there trying to eat everything on our plates she started telling us how we could make a ton of money in Nicaragua. SO don't worry everyone I now know how I am going to live the rest of my life making tortillas and selling remote controls haha. But anyway then she told us that she wants to come to church and learn about the gospel. Which was fantastic but I was just worried about how I was going to get out of that chair. So when it comes time to leave I literally almost couldn't move... but don't worry i did eventually learn to walk again. HAha. I have never felt so full in my whole life. Then the rest of the week we just worked our brains out. Finding new people, dropping people that weren't progressing, visiting members, less actives, and recent converts. All preparing for Sunday. On Thursday we were talking to a teenager that always comes to church with her family. Her little brother is baptized but her parents are waiting for a divorce so they aren't baptized. So she told us she wanted to get baptized on Sunday.. WELL OK!!!! SO we were also preparing her all week. Funny story we were talking about the book of Mormon and teaching about how Jesus Christ came to the Americas, well the neighborhood we are in is called "the Americas" so when we were teaching it Celiy was like... wait... I don't believe that Christ came here... this neighborhood didn't even exist back then hahaha. Made me chuckle. Anyway Saturday.... we started a special fast because we knew that we can't do this work alone. All of it depends on the Lord. And as we passed by the families that we had committed to church one by one they started telling us that they couldn't go... As you can imagine my hope and faith was falling with every "no vamos a ir..." I had a moment of "ok Heavenly Father, what is going on??" And then I thought about Peter, how when we went to go take his steps out on the ocean with the first winds he started to doubt and sink. So I made up my mind that I would not let my faith fall. I knew that I had put in my part and that the Lord would bless us. So Saturday night I spent a long time on my knees praying fervently for the blessings and help from the Lord. Also thanking Him for the baptism of Celiy.
SUNDAY.
We woke up at 5:00 with high faith, left the house and picked up some members so that we could divide and conquer. I was feeling good, I was like ok, we did everything that President has told us to do to have success. We are not going to fail this week. But.... as we passed by each and every investigator, they either didn't answer, told us they would arrive alone, or lied straight to our faces with some excuse. So.... as I walked to the church with the little young woman that I was with, sweaty, exhausted, and defeated, I couldn't help but offer up a little prayer like this "Heavenly Father, where are you?" My companions later arrived all of us defeated, and with lowered faith. But in that moment, I thought about what happened next with Peter, as the Lord saved him He said "Oh man of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Those aren't the right words but I only know them in Spanish) So I said another little prayer "ok I am sorry that I am doubting but if you can't see all of the odds are kinda against us right now... I am grateful for the baptism we are going to have today but we need invesigators in church..." Well Sacarament meeting ended and nothing.. but I couldn't shake the feeling that we just needed to give it one more shot. SO we left Hermana Colado with the converts again and set out to bring people to church. As we walked around soaking wet again but this time in sweat it was strike outs in every house. So we sat there and said a prayer, praying with all our might as we went to one last house. In this last house is a single mother and her 5 children. (dinora, Ashlyn, Alison, Diana, y David) When we passed by in the morning they didnt answer but as we got there we said "alright get ready we are going to church!" You can imagine their surprise...hahahaha but to our surprise they were like "ok!" So we got them all ready and brought them to church. :) I said a prayer of gratitude. One of the most heartfelt prayers of the day. And I repented for doubting. God really did take care of us. He always does, He just needs to see that we are willing to trust Him and do our part. I have realized that I need to work like everything depends on me, but pray as if everything depends on Him.
As for the baptism.... hahaha so we were out bringing people that we had invited (Dinora and her family wanted to come) we asked the bishop to fill up the font. But when we get there... font is empty.... everyone was waiting... so I go to turn on the water... oh wait.... THERE WAS NO WATER!!!!! So you better believe that we went to our house that is like 2 blocks away, filled up garbage cans full of water and then carried them to the church... yes.. just us three and 2 priestoods. It was quite the sight and now my arms are KILLING me. But we FINALLY got it full enough and Celiy was baptized.
Then later that night we got a sad phone call. Emergency transfers. Hermana Behan will now be in another part of Managua as the new AP (Hna Raymond is going home this week) and I will be here training Hermana Colado and I am still TL. That was a really sad night as we packed up Hna Behans things. We passed through a lot of things together in the short 2 weeks that we spent. The thing that I have learned from this week is that the Lord gives us trials to test our faith and make us more grateful for what He gives us. I will not doubt. I will keep the faith. I will fight the fight.
I love you all!!!
Hermana Willardson
ps- I have pictures of all of it but on Hermana Behans camera- next week I will get them to you.
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