3-3-14
Whew, well, can you spell R-A-I-N? The past few days
California has been hit with cloudy skies and flooding. On Friday, the water
was running down driveways like waterslides, and we could barely write the numbers
for the house addresses because the water in the gutter covered up the #'s on
the street. It was SOO AWESOME (no sarcasm, I swear;) Nah we both loved it. Our
poor elders riding bikes, I felt so bad. Having a car is super nice. But we
found out that people now will open the doors out of pity for the two girls on
their doorstep. Hey, they still think we're crazy, but I love being able to
show our dedication like that. The answer is still the same, now just a delayed
no, but I really feel happy because we must have left some kind of impression
in their mind. We also had to help members move because the workers/ward
members refused to leave their houses cuz of the rain. Psh, thank you for
raising me tough dad!
So, this week we have been in the furnace, and in that,
we've seen miracles!! Oh man, how do I even start?
So-disappointment, our progressing investigator w/ baptismal
date keeps skipping out on our appointments. Now, yes that's a bummer, but even
more so when you have to drive 40 minutes to get there. And she's deaf, so we
can't call her to double check she'll be there. So, Friday, showed up, missed
again, we're all feeling sorry for ourselves when we run into this guy at the
gas station. He gives us directions (apparently we look like the clueless white
girls in town) and he is all excited that we are Mormons. We give him a
pamphlet and the area where he lives, so that was neat. We won't be able to
teach him, but that joy in having someone care that we're there, so awesome!!
Okay, I'll summarize faster now, miracles knocking:
Jeff- his wife tells us off and that she's Jewish and not
interested, and we start down the driveway when her husband Jeff comes out and
starts chatting with us. We explain who we are, and he asks for the address for
the church and said he'd try to drag his wife in. Didn't see him yesterday, but
not about to give up on our first-accepting Jewish man!!
Beverly- cute older black woman, opened the door and is so
excited we are teaching about Christ. Says she stopped partying and now gets
drunk with the spirit. She's a nanny, so lives somewhere else so we might not
get to teach her, but was so excited to learn more about Christ. Had prayer on
doorstep w/ her, spirit was so strong.
Bridget- Also adorable black woman, not quite so much
energy, but straight up asks us what we believe cuz she wants to know. Started
right with the pamphlet, spirit was so strong, but when we asked her to read
what Joseph Smith said about the experience, she misinterpreted and put it in
her purse and promised to read it later. She also told us again that she was
planning on praying to see if it was true (know the answer to that one) and we
will see her again this week!!
Last one I have time for is Marc - He comes out on the porch
and starts telling us, nicely but honestly, that he has no belief in God and
that he's not gonna change. We keep talking with him, and he starts telling us
about his son and how he's in the 12 step program to quit an addiction, and how
he's noticed that most people tend to turn religious and to GOD when going
through rehab. Well, 8 hours before, that morning in companion study we made a
goal. We'd give a Word of Wisdom pamphlet to a 25-35 yr old man who was
married. KID YOU NOT I PROMISE THIS IS TRUE, that was our goal. Now, this
obviously is not going happen every single day, but I testify God heard our
prayers and answered them when we gave Marc that pamphlet & he admitted
that it might be time to change. Miracles happen, but first you need to
sacrifice more than your usual. You need to up your sacrifice and up your faith
if you want to up your experiences.
God answers prayers and He changes hearts. We're not called
to prepare people, we're called to gather the people that God has prepared.
Love you all, promise it’s from the furnace you find the
best of diamonds. If you want to see amazing things, you have to endure through
amazing trials.
Love forever, exhaling the valley!
-Sister McNeill
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