Know. Live. Love.

 Frogs, Clothes, Heat and Blessings.

Hna Cedeño is terrified of frogs. TERRIFIED. We were walking to the car and there was a frog by her door and she screamed and ran away. So I picked up the frog so she could get in the car safely :P 

First things first, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!! September 15th is going to be a great day for us - Hna Cedeño has an investigator that she taught in Queen Creek who's going to get baptized, so we get to drive down for it!! Even though it's not someone that I taught, I'm really excited to be there :)
We're out OYMing (knocking doors) all day, we only get about one or two lessons because everyone closes the door in our faces. We hear all the time, "I'm going to be sincere - I'm Catholic," and then they won't listen to anything else we have to say. It's hard, but it makes it that much more rewarding when someone does let you in. We had a really amazing experience on Saturday morning - we went out to OYM and the first man we talked to was this guy Joe. He's English speaking, and in the process of moving, so we won't be able to teach him. But we talked to him about the Book of Mormon, gave him a copy, and invited him to read it. He was really receptive! At the end, we asked him if we could say a prayer with him (as we always do) and then asked, "Is there anything specific you'd like us to pray for?" And he said, "Just that I can understand this book you've given me." We were like, um, YES, of course we'll pray for that!! 

We had a cool tender mercy this week!!​ Hna Cedeño and I came home and saw this bag on the doorstep. We opened it up, and it was a bunch of clothes!! Really cute skirts and shirts and dresses! We had SUCH a fun night trying them all on, and I got this skirt and shirt as well as a dress that fits me PERFECTLY.  We have no idea who dropped it off, but it really was such a tender mercy!

Hermana Cedeno and I were talking about how we both feel like we've been sent here to help inactive members reignite their testimonies and come back to church. We've actually had quite a bit of success getting people back to church, and it does feel so good every time we see the less active members progressing, coming to church, and starting to prepare to go to the temple. Cool story with that - we knocked the door of this woman one day. We talked to her for a few minutes before realizing that she was a member, one that we didn't know and no one else in the branch knew, even though she was on the records. She said that her husband was a member as well, and they hadn't been to church in years but that she wanted to go. We set up an appointment to go back yesterday, and were expecting the husband to be really sharp with us and not at all interested in talking about the restored gospel. Well, the exact opposite happened. They let us in with open arms, and said they'd planned on going to church in the morning but couldn't remember where it was. We basically started teaching lesson one, the restoration, and talked about the need for a restoration of the gospel and how it was the same gospel that was on the earth when Christ was here. At the end of the lesson he gave a beautiful, beautiful prayer, and prayed for them to remember and understand the teachings of the gospel, thanked the Lord for sending us to their door to find them, and prayed that they would be able to go to the temple together! I felt like crying during the prayer - the spirit was so strong, and I saw a beautiful humility in that couple. 

this is what happens when you leave books in the car in Arizona. I left my dictionary on the dashboard, and when we came out of church the glue on the binding had melted. Yep. Love that Arizona sun. :P

2 Nephi 31:21 is exactly why I'm on a mission. "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Gather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."
The Lord really does lead us to the scriptures that we need, individually and to help others. Thank you all for continuing to share your scripture study with me, and I hope that at least something that I share will be of benefit to some of you!
Les quiero muchisimo!!!!!!
Hna GarnerT