Water into wine

I am so HAPPY!!!!!!!

Family, I don't even know where to start. Maybe with just saying that I am sore. This week we walked so, so fast, and worked so hard. Poor Hermana Aguero and Hermana Jennings- they complained today that both Hermana Baturité and I were snoring like crazy. Whoops!! I guess that is what happens when we work really, really hard. (Ok actually, I snore all the time. Hermana Miskin once stayed in our house before Consejo, and she started calling me Smoky the Bear after.)

I love my companion so much. We have so much in common and are so comfortable together, and so pumped to really go and work. The Lord has really, really blessed us. We found a family this week and they came to pick US up for church, even despite rain. Fernando is the Dad, and he is very interested and really liked church. Yessica is the Mom, who is mostly just a support for her husband but is interested by our patience and attention to her children. Diego is 8, and has a very short attention span, but he's smart. And Vicente is their little tornado. The other day he dumped my whole water bottle on the floor and started splashing around, that crazy kid. I hope they'll keep progressing!

Fernanda is seeing signs from God in all places- I think it makes a difference that her best friend is an Evangelical pastora. I think she can pull it through, though. We're praying a lot. The ward is super excited still and always willing to work with us, so much so that Hermana Baturité asked me "What did you do with this ward? How did we just have two people come up to us to ask us when they can come do visits with us?" This week we have so many visits planned that we're having to do divisions, and we're trying to mobilize our ward missionaries to start reteaching the less actives. We're talking to everyone in the street, and let me just tell you- I love being a missionary.

Let me tell you my cool little Bible miracle of the week. We made it to church just in time to take the sacrament, and the chapel was so full that we had to grab extra chairs and stick them in the back. A little ways into the program, Cata Oporto came up to me with her little brother Agustine, and asked if I had a candy to give him. (Always carry candy for the kids. Always. Wins trust of the children and the parents and softens hearts.) I checked my bag and realized I had forgotten to refill, but saw one hard candy and dug around to see if I could find a gummy one. Yess! One more apple gummy candy. Vicente saw me pass the candy, though, and started to whine, wanting one also. Usually the parents don't like hard candies for their young children, but as I reached into my bag and pulled out the candy that remained, I was surprised to see that it wasn't a hard candy. It was an orange gummy candy. I looked at it for a minute, and handed it over to Vicente. I thought about it for a moment to decide if I had just seen things wrong, but when I reached in my bag I really did see a hard candy, and it really did come out as a gummy candy.

That is a very small example, and a rather trivial one, but I was very touched. I know that the same power that Christ used to turn water into wine so long ago still exists. It  may not always be visible in our lives, but I know that He is there behind every happening in our lives. I hope we call Him in gratitude for the many blessings He puts in our lives. They really are so many. We may not always knows the 'why' or 'how', but we may always feel His love. That is our ultimate source of vision, strength, and solace. I hope that you are actively seeking it, through those basic daily habits, the renewing of your covenants, the service of your brother. I love you each and I want you to be MISSIONARIES!!!!!  Share the gospel with someone!!! God's promises to those who open their mouths to talk about the gospel are lovely and divine, and He promises them to each of you. Go get them.

I love you soooooo much!

Hermana Oldroyd

 

Breakfast with the President and his wife.