Know. Live. Love.

I'm So Grateful for the Gospel!

Our ward had a party for "Dia de los Pap​ 

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 ás" on Saturday, but they made a play on words and made it "Dia de Papas" which means "potatoes," so they had all these Mr. Potato Head decorations, played Hot Potato, had a Baked Potato bar, it was really fun :)

So even though this was a short week for emailing, I feel like there's SO much to share! We've received so many referrals and seen so many amazing miracles in the past few days, and I feel incredibly blessed! Transfers are coming up next week and I'm really hoping I don't leave the ward, I want to stay here because I feel like the work is just starting to pick up!

Wednesday and Thursday were rough, though, because our AC broke. Wednesday night we came home and it was 85 degrees in the house, so we tried turning it down and nothing happened. We called the housing coordinators the next day, but they couldn't get anyone in to fix it until Friday morning. So we blasted fans throughout the whole house as it slowly got hotter and hotter. I barely slept at all on Thursday night, no AC in Arizona is no fun! Haha we're spoiled, but were very, very grateful when things were fixed!

Friday night, we had a lesson with Juan and Sandra. We'd been planning to watch the Restoration video with them, but we showed up and The Testaments was on the TV cued up and ready to go. They explained that they couldn't find the one we'd been planning on (the members they're living with had the case, but the DVD wasn't in it). I felt strongly that that wasn't a coincidence, and that this was the movie we were supposed to watch. I felt the spirit witness to me yet again the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as we watched it, and when we reached the end of the video Sandra was crying for about five minutes. She's still holding herself back from accepting that all of this is true to a certain extent, but we know the Spirit is working with her and witnessing to her, so we're just trying to be patient. But they go back to Mexico next week, so we're just trying to strengthen them so they'll continue investigating when they get there. I'm pretty confident they will, we're going to write them letters as well.

Yesterday we saw HUGE miracles in sacrament! One of our investigators, who's wife and kids are members, came to church for the first time this transfer! He didn't stay all three hours, but it's a start! He's also keeping his commitments to read, we need to follow up a bit more on his prayers. But he supports his kids and helps teach them about how to gain a testimony ... he just needs to apply it in his own life!

Anyway, we also had a number of less actives who've never come show up, which was super exciting! Then, Hnas Showalter and Shaffer came up to us and were like, "Are you teaching someone named Ana?" and we were like, "Well, we have a referral for an Ana, haven't actually had a lesson with her yet ..." They pointed out a woman sitting towards the front of the chapel and said that she said she was meeting with the missionaries. We hurried over, and it wasn't the Ana that was a referral, but it was a former investigator that Hna Hanson and I didn't even know about who just showed up of her own accord with her two little girls and told us she wants to meet with us again! We were incredibly surprised, but are excited to get in with her!

I've also just had my testimony grow so much this week. I've felt the Lord closer to me than ever before and His love and support in every moment, especially the hard moments. I'm so grateful for the gospel!!

I've learned so much during my scripture study this week! I'm so grateful for the scriptures!!

D&C 84:109-110 is about how every member has a role and a calling and none is more important than another, I was touched by the way it is stated: "Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling." Sometimes we try to labor in others' callings (something I've seen a LOT on the mission) but as we trust in revelation and the organization of the Lord's church we'll be confident in the ability of our leaders and those who hold other positions to fulfill their callings, and that if they don't the Lord will make up for it.

I was also struck by D&C 18:5 - "Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you." Contrast that with Mormon 2:4, where Mormon talks about how the Nephites used all of their strength to try to fortify their city but the Lamanites still overcame them. Where are we drawing our strength from? Where are we building our foundation? If the answer is not in the gospel and in Christ, we will inevitably fall.

I also started reading the Book of Mormon again from the beginning. This week I was so incredibly struck by Nephi's experience with leaving Jerusalem. He mentions that when he prayed to the Lord, that the Lord softened his heart, which communicates that he felt resistance to follow his father. And it makes sense - imagine what a hard, hard thing that must have been! But rather than complaining and trying to logically explain it all, he looked to the found of all knowledge and received his own testimony of the Lord's will for their family and was ever faithful from that day forward. I love the scriptures! What are you all learning in your scripture study?

Love,

Hermana Garner