Miracles Never Cease!

Monday night was a night I will forever remember, for many different reasons. It was a night filled with every emotion, from utter despair to elation. It was a night where the Lord truly showed His hand and power in the work, and when my patience was tried.    

 ​It started out really, really rough. ​We decided to tract in an area we'd never been in before, and knocked two entire streets. Neither of them were friendly. We were rejected at each and every door, and not very nicely, either. As the last door closed, I broke down, right there on the woman's doorstep. Sister Neahusan just wrapped me in a hug and tried to calm me down, but I was really discouraged. You'd think it would have been the other way around, given that she's just barely finished her training and I'm close to going home, but I guess even 'seasoned' missionaries feel the sting and pain of rejection. The hardest thing about it is how much love you feel for these people and how much you want to give them such an incredible gift, and they don't even consider it.   

Hermana Garner's grandma
 and cousins got to attend the concert

  So we got back in the car to go somewhere else, and said a prayer to ask for guidance. I asked Sister Neahusan where to go, because I personally didn't feel like I was very in tune with the spirit at that moment, I was just wishing for the night to end as soon as possible so I could just lay down in bed. She responded, "No, I really think tonight is your night, and I feel a miracle coming on."     I tried not to laugh at her. I'd just broke down, I wasn't feeling any spiritual direction whatsoever - in fact, I was at a point at that moment where I just didn't want to be a missionary. Of course, I didn't discount the idea of a miracle happening, because I know that God is a God of miracles, but I was sure that He wouldn't be able to use me as a tool that night, because I did not feel spiritually in tune or capable in any way of being an instrument in His hands.  

But I started driving, heading out towards the main road, just wanting to get out of that neighborhood. As we drove, we passed an unlit street, and I had the thought to turn down it. Not trusting myself, I kept driving - until the spirit very quickly and clearly said, "Turn around."     I did, still not really trusting that it was the spirit and thinking that I was just making things up myself, and did a u-turn to go back to the unlit street. There were only four houses on it. We drove past the first two, which were completely dark, and then the third, which had a lot of cars there and obviously had some sort of party or gathering going on. So I stopped in front of the fourth house, which had one light on inside from what we could tell.      

Family friends, Anna and Julien Williams
spent some time
 with Hermana Garner this week
and were attended the concert

We said a prayer, then when we stepped out of the car saw a man standing outside. He looked up at us, and Sister Neahusan called out, "Hello!" He didn't respond, staring at us, and I, on a whim (since we couldn't see him at all) said, "Habla espanol?"     "Si."     We were both a little shocked that we'd pulled right up to the house of someone who spoke Spanish and was standing outside - and that he then accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and a return appointment. It was such an incredible miracle, and I felt the Lord saying to me, "See? They are out there, trust me, I'll lead you to them."   

   We had a number of miracles like that this week, and found four new investigators! Still working on getting the investigators that we have to progress, but we've been finding a lot more people, which has been a blessing. I hope that a bunch of them came to the concert, it was hard to tell because there were so many people and a lot left right when it was over.  

It was a little tough being both a missionary and directing a concert this week. I tried to just not worry

too much about the concert.  It's hard not to wish I could really put my all into it and polish it, but in the end that's not what it's about and I always knew that. So I didn't spend that much time on it, it ended up being a bit thrown together yesterday with sound and bringing in risers and things, but the spirit was strong and the small groups did a great job and it was a full crowd! One of our members told us she brought TEN nonmembers, which is just amazing! 

Love,

Hermana Garner

(We got several reports from family and friend about how wonderful the Christmas concert was, they said the spirit was strong and Hermana Garner sang beautifully!)