I have a story to share. On Thursday morning, I felt the urge to read the stories of Grammie and Grandad´s conversions in personal study. It had been a rough Wednesday night, with lots of rain, and Hermana Gomez got a little mad at me because one of my lessons went longer then we planned and we were late to her sector. On top of that we found out that 9 missionaries had to go home, 3 from our zone, because of obedience problems. As I was reading Grammie´s story, when I read the part about when she found out that Grandma and Grandpa Lockwood had been listening to the missionaries as well and were going to be baptized, I just felt the strongest impression of joy and I didn´t even know why, but I was crying. I had such a strong gratitude to them for listening to the missionaries and having the faith in order for God to show them the truth. There are so many many families here that are not sealed in the temples because either a father or mother or brother or sister is not a member. But when Grammie was baptized, both her parents were as well. I think because of this, our entire family has been blessed with strength and unity. I had an overwhelming peace come over me that everything was all right. That even though the Satan has a such a strong grip on so many people, missionaries included, we are a family blessed by God. It makes me so happy to know that Grandma Lockwood is with her family right now in Paradise because she was able to do all the family history work for them and that we are all tied together in a chain of eternal covenants. We have such a joyful knowledge of the plan of salvation because our grandparents had open hearts to listen to the gospel. And the journey doesn't ever end. We are always always progressing.
This week we were able to see miracles, perhaps not in the ways we had planned, but miracles none the less.
On Wednesday night, we were teaching a new investigator, Alexandra, about the plan of salvation. At the end of the lesson one of the members we had brought to the lesson (A last minute decision.. I felt the impression to invite the members who made lunch for us to our lesson with Alexandra and they accepted even though it was very much out of the way and they had to leave work) bore her testimony. She is a recent convert to the church and she bore her testimony to Alexandra that we don´t need to know everything, we only need to have faith enough in Christ to be baptized and the rest will come. It was so beautiful and I wish I could describe in words the feeling in the room. Alexandra accepted a baptismal date for the 5th of April, and she shared with us a story: Two nights ago, her husband had a dream. Here in Ecuador a lot of people have dreams that our almost revelatory, its like a gift of the people here I believe. Anyway in this dream, he was walking in a garden, a beautiful garden with flowers and sunlight. And then he saw a girl, I have no idea who this girl could have been but they began to converse in his dream. She literally told him to keep reading the Book of Mormon. WOW. Right? This is only one of the miracles. We were walking down Real Audiencia trying to find a contact that we had planned to visit, when we came across a man standing on the corner of a street. He told us he was waiting for the "luz" which was actually just the electrical people who were coming, but I took it to mean us.. the luz.. the missionaries.. the truth. Anyway we talked to him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and Marco bore his testimony that right now he wanted to become closer to God and make the covenant of baptism. He has been chronically ill for the past year, and I think he feels deep down that his Catholic beliefs are not sufficient. Anyway... he accepted the baptismal date on the spot tight there on the street. And he prayed. It was beautiful. I know God placed Marco in our path. We had another lesson with him, and we talked about the plan of salvation and the atonement.. he is really excited to learn more and read. I´m excited to visit Marco again next week! Wow.. Miracles of March are real.
Also, I would like to share real quick a personal miracle. I prayed last week that I would be able to wake up every morning with an excited mentality and energy to work. Before I asked God for this, I was waking up wanting to sleep more, worried for the day, worried for the language. But after I started asking Heavenly Father for this blessing in my night time prayers, I have woken up every single mornign with animo. This has been so great and has made such a difference in my studies as well. I have gained a new dependance in the Lord these past first weeks of March, and I am so grateful that He is aware of all of my doings and needs.
We all can experience specific blessings according to our desires- maybe that means we have to make sacrifices to live more righteously, or focus more on being like Christ in our thoughts and hearts, but God wants to bless us. Most of the battle is just remembering to really ask God with pure intent in our prayers.
Any ways.. that´s my little peace of advice to everyone!
Have a fabulous week!
Con Amor,
Hermana Powley
