Sacramento - Week 15

Due to the new security measures requested by the Mission leaders, the names of all investigators and people that Sarah comes into contact with will be replaced with the name of a well-known character from a children’s movie. This will keep the identities of people safe as well as make it easier to keep everyone straight. The name given is in NO WAY intended to reflect the personality, looks, or circumstances of the individual(s).

“God has not ceased to be a God of Miracles”

Monday May 6, 2013

Miracles happen everyone! I have been thinking about them all week and it was so cool to get on my email and start to type this letter and then see that my cousin, Heath, also wrote all about miracles this week. It must just be a week of miracles for everyone, probably because every week is a week of miracles if you are looking for them! I also have to thank Heath for the reminder to shout out to Garrett Tenney for his birthday. Garrett Fisher Tenney put your hands in the air! Happy Birthday cousin! 

Ok, now on to the miracles. This week we added.....2 new investigators! We also have a baptism on May 18th! Mary Poppins is getting baptized! She will be the first baptism in Green Valley in over 6 months. We've also seen record highs in teaching in Green Valley. (When we sent in our numbers for the week, our district leader, Elder Morley, called us and said "Sisters, did you type in your member present lessons right?" We said, "Yes!" He said, "Wow. Awesome. Ok. I'll talk to you about it later....Wow." haha) The Lord has been with us and provided miracles all along our way. I was reading Mormon 9 during personal study this week and it was all about how God has not ceased to be a God of miracles. I know that is true. 

So details: 

First off Mary Poppins. We taught her the Restoration on Friday. Her fiancée was there too and helped teach. The spirit was awesome as we talked about how Christ's church has been restored on the earth and about the Book of Mormon. We challenged her to read the Book of Mormon and to be baptized on the 18th. We were shooting for the 25th, but she is busy that weekend, so we just pushed it back a week. Its gonna be kind of quick teaching her, but she is so ready and open that it shouldn't be a problem. She really wants to know if what she is doing is right. Which leads to the second miracle with her. She came to church on Sunday and we were following up on her commitment to read the Book of Mormon. Well, she read it. All of it. And the Doctrine and Covenants. And the Pearl of Great Price. All of it. In less than 48 hours. MIRACLE! We taught her the Plan of Salvation today and she loved it. 

Our 2 new investigators are Wendy and Tiger Lilly. Wendy was a referral from Sister Cullen. We went over and she said, "Yes, I have a lot of questions about your church. First off, I'm going to need a Book of Mormon..." Her father was a Church of Christ minister, and she grew up basically believing that Mormons were a cult. She told us though, that throughout her life she has been feeling like people have been planting seeds with her. She knows lots of Mormons and loves the people. She said she feels like there is more out there than what she has in the Bible and she wants to know everything. We are supposed to go back and teach her this week and we are very excited. 

Tiger Lilly is a referral from the Romanov family. Sister Roberts took their daughter Anastasia tracting on an exchange and Anastasia used to babysit for Tiger Lilly. Tiger Lilly is really seeking and loves the idea that families are forever and that we can become like God one day. We should see her this week as well. We only hope and pray and have faith that they are both as truly seeking as they seem and that they will be open to our message. Miracle. 

Onto another miracle: The Oompa-Loompa family. 

They are a part member less active family. She is a less active and he is not a member. They're the one who own the little cafe we love so much. Well, they needed some help moving new furniture into the store and painting this weekend. The ward rallied and had a whole group ready to go, but then some legal stuff came up and they had to postpone the project. They were so grateful for the amount of people and missionaries that were willing to come and help them, even though we didn't actually get to do anything yet. I was talking with Brother O and he told me, "For the first time I don't feel like religion is being shoved down my throat. I feel like I am being loved and let to make my own decisions about my faith." I talked to him about faith and how God takes what little faith we have, even if it is only a desire to believe [Alma 32:37] and sanctifies and blesses us and helps our faith to grow. I shared with him the story of the man who brings his only son to Jesus and pleads for him to be healed. [Mark 9 and from Elder Holland’s talk in General Conference] "Have compassion on us." the man says. I have always loved this story because the Father doesn't say, have compassion on my son, but have compassion on us. The affliction his son was suffering was a cause for the whole family to need healing and faith. The Lord tells him that all things are possible if he believes. The man says, "Lord I believe. Help thou mine unbelief." The Lord took that man's desire to believe and it was enough to heal his son. 

(Read it here --> "Lord, I Believe" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland )

That night we had dinner with the Oompa-Loompa’s and Brother O showed me how he had downloaded the Book of Mormon onto his phone. He told me, "I read for 5 minutes today, and that's a start." Faith brings miracle, and faith is always a miracle. 

The Lord also provides miraculous ways to teach people. The other night we got home and Sister Roberts wanted to take a quick lap around the street to get some fresh air. As we walked, there was one house where the man and woman were outside drinking some wine and saw us coming. They proceeded to go into their house, shut the garage and act like they were not at home, thinking we were out tracting. I thought it was funny, but Sister Roberts was a bit offended. I told her to get used to it haha. Well, a few days later the people we live with picked up a stray cat that had wandered into the garage. The next day Sister Roberts and I were doing our morning walk and we saw signs for the lost cat. We took the number home and called the people to come and get "Socks". When the woman showed up to pick him up, it was the same woman who had hid from us! We were wearing our exercise clothes but we still had our badges on and we were able to teach her about missionaries. It was awesome! Maybe now, she won't hide from the missionaries when they come to her door. Miracle.

Another fun way we got to teach a lesson: We came out of a member's house from dinner and there was a boy outside whose electric airplane was stuck in their tree. We started to help him and his dad to get it out. The members helped too and we were able to talk about what we do as missionaries to them and give them some good face time and a good impression of missionaries. Planting seeds. It's what it is all about. Miracle.

Well, the time is far spent. I am grateful for a Savior who makes it possible for me to return to my Heavenly Father one day. I am grateful for the opportunity to preach His gospel, and I am grateful that God has not ceased to be a God of miracles. 

Love, 

Sister Burchett