The Little Things

giiiit that corn outta my face

I finally got one.

A SONG:

We went to go visit one of our MANY less active friends this last week. We asked if we could start the lesson with a hymn and our friend picked 'I Stand All Amazed'.  We began singing and feeling the Spirit fill the room right up. One by one, we all began to cry. We sang with all we had, and we let the tears flow. The next Sunday our friend and all of her family were on time and in their Sunday best in the church.

AN ANSWERED PRAYER:

We invited our new miracle investigator to come see a baptism that was happening in the church this Saturday.  We waited hopefully outside the front doors watching and... waiting.  As time ticked by, we felt more and more discouraged. "She's not coming.  She flaked out." said my companion.  "NO."  I said. "She is going to come."

I prayed right then and there. With all my heart I PRAYED that she would come and see the baptism. The baptism started and she still wasn't there. We went inside and sat down. But I still had hope! The baptism had yet to get started! And then a miracle occurred. The person that was going to be baptized was asked to share a short testimony to kick things off, and she talked and talked and TALKED for like a half hour! 

It was a total answer to prayer because just as she was finally wrapping things up ESTELA SHOWED UP! God is always listening. YES, she was very late. YES she brought along her drunk cousin. BUT she was there. Just like I asked. 

And then the Elder conducting the baptism stands up and announces that we are now going to hear from Hermana Matesen - a short message and experience. Um...WHAT? He failed to inform me beforehand...I grabbed my Book of Mormon and flipped to a random page and read the first scripture I saw. 

It talked about putting our trust in God. I bore testimony of God's love.  I put my trust in God, and the words flowed right out of my mouth in perfect Spanish.  It was a miracle.  There was SO many people at the baptism. I was unprepared and SCARED to stand in front of all of them and share something spiritual.  But I DID IT!  

I am making leaps and bounds out here. I can understand when people talk to me now (MOST of the time...) and I have the words to speak.  He is answering my prayers.  Big and small.  Out loud or in my heart.  He knows.  He understands.  And He answers.

ESTELA:

Our miracle investigator. She accepts and keeps all her commitments. She has such a desire to follow the will of God and change her life. She came to church with us for the first time this last Sunday. As we sat there and listened to the talks, she leaned over to me and whispered,  "Hermana Matesen, what is this? I feel so happy and I feel like I might cry."  She was feeling the Spirit.  Perhaps for the first time in her life. 

I held her hand and we both smiled.  After church, we taught her about God's love for her.  She also said her first prayer.  It was beautiful. "God," she said "Thank-you for helping me find the missionaries. God, I know that this is the right path for me."  WOW.  I love her to DEATH.  I love when people pray for the first time.  I can almost hear God saying, "Good to hear from you again, its been too long."

A SIMPLE TESTIMONY:

Went to go visit a less active this week.  My companion made some sort of rude remark about Mexicans (ugh), and for about a half an hour she yelled at us. She yelled about religion, politics, God, Christ. 

She told us we were stupid and bad people and this, that, and the other thing. It kind of felt like getting beat up really bad, but with words.  She kept asking me, "And where does it say that in the Bible?" And "And why should I believe you, your just a person!!" and all sorts of other mean and hurtful things that I don't wish to type out. 

My companion was starting to get mad (she's got a bit of a temper...) and, wanting to save this poor confused woman from a strong...lecture...from my companion, I politely interrupted her rant. I told her that we weren't there to fight, but we were there to share something short.  I asked if that would be alright.  She nodded. 

We started with a prayer and I launched into a a very simple lesson on the Love of God. I told her that I don't know a whole lot of things.  I don't know the scriptures backwards and forwards.  I don't know every doctrine.  "I'm not a perfect person," I said. But, I bore simple, powerful, and loving testimony of the things that I DO know.  I spoke with all the love I could muster, and the spirit came pouring in. 

Then we left.  Who knows if my small and simple testimony made any difference to that woman.  But it made a difference to me.

FUNNIES:

-Visiting with a 75 year old that has three boyfriends; all who are under the age of 60.  She has no teeth and likes to wear a lot of pink.  She is HILARIOUS. Basically,  a teenager trapped in an old person's body.  Oh how I wish you could talk to this woman.

-Sitting in the back of a rickety bus and hitting a speed bump full speed.  I literally left my chair and FLEW!  Of course, I screamed because I was in deep thought about the last conference talk I read, and THE WHOLE BUS turned and starred at me.  I laughed, in hopes that they would join in, and we could all have a good chuckle.  No one even cracked a smile.  Which made it even MORE hilarious for me!  Ahhh the Mexicans all think I'm nutty, Haha!  maybe they're right.

-Ate my first corn on a stick. I can die happy now.

This is where I live.