what a time to be alive!: May 23, 2016 PRAYERS ANSWERED

Guess what guess what guess what.

First of all, I want to say, THANK YOU for the prayers. To every single person who has ever offered a prayer for me, thank you.

This week was a miracle.

~Love that the same moon I see in Quillabamaba is the moon you see at home~

We have had very very little success in the ways of numbers. If someone only looked at my stats as a missionary, they would think, wow she's pretty lousy. But, I work so hard and give it all I got, and guess what? When we give all we have, the Lord? He recognizes that.

Anyways, this week one of my friends from the CCM wrote me and told me that she is having her second baptism this week. My mission is in NO WAY like that. We pray that we can have investigators TO TEACH. That we can teach lessons every day, because goshdangit, we've got quite a few flakes here in Quillabamba. haha, I say flakes out of love, don't worry.

Well last week, we fasted. We have been praying and praying hard. We fasted that we could have new investigators, because we had had 1 in 5 weeks. ONE in five weeks. That's pretty rough. And actually, all this week was rough, we still hadn't found investigators, and I was kind of frustrated to be honest. I thought, "How long does my Heavenly Father want me to be patient?" I sing, "Mas paciencia dar me" cada dia, and let's be real, I've never been very patient. But wow, Heavenly Father blesses me.

My package arrived!

This Sunday, we arrived to the capilla as usual, I played the hymns as usual, and THEN, after church, we spot JL, this menos activo and his wife, and his wife isn't a member, with their two little kids. We had tried to visit them SO many times, and they always weren't home or busy, but here they are the in capilla?! What in the world. They then stayed for all 3 hours of church, and V is planning on coming next week! Okay, that's awesome, but then get this. Presidente Chavez calls us into his office during sunday school, and there's this cute family, J,T and their little boy C sitting there. President then tells us that they aren't members, but attended sacrament meeting this morning and they want to know more. They (This family) INVITED US OVER TO TEACH THEM. We didn't ask them when we could, they invited us. I wanted to cry, no really, I didn't know what to say. We have two new families to teach. It is a miracle.

On Saturday, we made empanadas with some sisters from the relief society, and as we were riding home in a mototaxi, I felt this strong impression to give my empanada to the driver, which I really didn't want to hear, because I wanted that empanada so bad, and it was going to be so tasty, and it was hard work to make too. But, I kept on feeling that I should, and so I remember thinking, "Alright Heavenly Father, I'm going to give this empanada to this man, because I love you, and to SHOW you that I will be obedient and that I am ready to be an instrument in your hands." And as we arrived at our house, I gave the man my empanada and a picture of Christ, and he was grateful, and I went on my way.

The mattresses we helped move

Where we live!

I'm not saying that because I gave food to a stranger that Heavenly Father provided me with people to teach.

I'm saying that Heavenly Father blesses us when we are obedient. He sees our efforts, he knows when we cry because we are doing our best, and seeing no results. And guess what? He acknowledges them. (Sometimes in big ways, like a new family in the capilla, what what. :)

As we do our best, Heavenly Father does the rest. (I really like that phrase, and not only because it rhymes, and I am a poet, hehe)

I also know that God answers prayers. He hears every word that we say, and he knows how we feel. Right now, I am SO pumped about my mission, and he knows how that feeling feels too, not just my sad ones.

I love this gospel, and I want all the world to have and to hear it!

Lotsa love all the way from Quillabamba!