The truth is…. my heart has ached more than normal with this past week. So many mixed emotions, lots of blessings, opposition and the daily tiny miracles. Friday was a really powerful day for me. and this is why:
I have been savoring every word of the talk from Elder bednar about being meek. Holy moly. I have learned so much about one attribute. Meek is something we become not something that we do. I think the part that most impressed me was when the Savior was literally being judged and accused for something he had not done yet, “he said not a word” he had so much self control. I have been praying quite a bit to be able to look within me and see what I can do to be better…. and as I have asked in prayer to my Heavenly Father what He wants me to improve, the spirit spoke it very, very, very clearly to my mind. I need to be more meek.
Friday night we met some new friends! Well, last Monday night but we had a second lesson friday night, hahaha you get the point 🙂 The familia Segura. They are about 10 people in that family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, the whole gang! They are less active members but SO amazing. We are focusing a lot on the son, David. Which now has his own family also. And PATRICK! He is 17 years old and he is like our little brother. The first night we went to the home, Patrick came to the door and said, yes, just so you all know hermanas, I am a member HA. yet, they have been away from the church for some time. David, has a lot of anxiety. Early that day, he had an anxiety attack and basically had prayed for peace and we were the “peace” that arrived in his home as he explained to us. He said it was really interesting how the Gospel brought the peace he recognized he needed to overcome his trials with anxiety…. it was a powerful manifestation from the spirit that he recieved in that moment. That he truly needed the gospel back into his life & his home. As we got talking, they got thinking and hermano david looks at us and says, hermanas…. patrick never was baptized. He accepted a date to be baptized in July!
We have been so exicted for this family. They are so all ready to come back to the fold of God. Their desires are so evident. They promised to come to church this upcoming Sunday, suits, ties, dresses and all!
We got back that night and my heart just felt heavy. I thought to myself, I am really going to miss seeing these type of miracles each day. We prayed as companions and my companion thanked Heavenly Father for our miracles and I just started bawling. Mostly for sadness of how short of time I have left on my mission but also a whole lot of gratitude. God truly has helped me become more meek on my mission in which I now consider the most important christlike attibute I can have. Although that friday morning I recieved that I needed to be more meek… I also felt like during the day God helped me show how much my time I have dedicated serving the Lord has helped me learn about myself and about my direction in this life. Like every says, it really is a 10 year packed experience in 18 months.
now for my random thoughts of amazing experiences we had! We have our investigator, Noemi! SHE ROCKS! She is living with her husband Enrique whose whole family are active members in our ward and they have 2 little kids. Camille and Bared! They are not married. El problema de Peru. Man alive. Saturday morning we talked about setting a goal to be married because if they do not have a goal they will never get married. Now everyone, Noemi is a rockstar. She goes to church every sunday without fail. Little camille is 7 years old and always talks about how excited she is to be baptized in one whole year and she wants her mom to be married so that she can be baptized. MY HEART. Saturday morning we were planning for her to go to the municiplidad to start her papers to get married…. but the thing is, is that is was going to take more than a month with 300 soles. Wah. We had a huge prayer in our heart that maybe there would be a matrimonio masivo soon where people can just go and get married for like 40 soles! It is a like candy for us missionaries if we have investigators that need to be married HA! Saturday night a huge miracle occured as the elders where talking and I saw in the corner of my eye a pink paper. MATRIMONIO MASIVO! MIRACLES EXIST! It i s for the 23 of June. Noemi is pumped and now I ask you all to pray for her and her husband Enrique so that they will be married this day!
Finally, our sweet Manuela. Our little grandma of 77 years old! I look forward to her hugs all the time. I have shared a lot about her. She is still on track to be baptized the 22 or 23 of June! It is actually a really beautiful miracle because so many members have been in awe. They have see for many years the children and husband of Manuela always go to church each sunday but that she never accepted to go and rejected visits from the missionaries. Now, her conversion is SO real. She has cancer and so it makes it hard for her to walk. She also sells ceviche because she needs money for her medications. This week she full heartedly committed to always pay her tithing after her baptism. And yesterday she just walked to church all by herself. It has been a testimony to me that God prepares the hearts of his children. For so many years missionaries came and went trying to help Manuela enter the waters of baptism… but not until now, her heart has been fully prepared to do so. I feel like we are just the lucky missionaries after all of the work other missionaries have done to help prepare Manuela for this special time in her life to finally be baptized in the true church.
ALSO! I am training an american! Her name is Hermana Roe from Wisconsin!
She is so fun! I love her! Our little trio is a party and I feel way happy to be with them. They both inspire and encourage me to be better each day.
What an emotional time on the mission…. but I am oh so grateful.
Hermana Higginson 