Hey hey hey!
So after a fairly long week, we had a super awesome Sunday! All I have to say is fasting opens up the windows of heaven. We've just been working and doing everything we know how for the past few weeks and not a whole lot has happened. But...it finally is now! Yesterday, Milta Millan came to church with her boyfriend and her 2 grandchildren and loved it! We have just had the hardest time getting people to church, so yesterday morning after we called her and she said they were all getting ready for church, we had a pretty big celebration in a pretty small corolla. This is a big deal. She said they got there late and ended up having to sit in the back where there were lots of kids making a lot of noise and they couldn't really hear much (the boyfriend doesn't speak much english apparently). But what was awesome about it is that she said she felt incredibly relaxed and peaceful throughout the whole thing - she paid attention to the spirit and what it was telling her. That morning they were also worried and nervous that they weren't going to make it on time, but they said a prayer and not only did they make it, but her boyfriend also got a call for a new job! They could tell that these were blessings coming, because they were doing the right thing.
It was also fun to teach her throughout the week. We taught her about all of the commandments, including the word of wisdom and the law of chastity, and she committed to living everything right there on the spot. She said it's going to be tough, but she feels like this is a good and a necessary change in her life. So now we have a lesson set up tomorrow evening (her one day off) with her boyfriend and grandkids, and it should be pretty cool. Also, the other caretaker that has been supposed to be coming over and taking shifts got sick, so she's been doing double shifts this week. She told us Friday she'd like to come to church, but with the amount of work that she's doing, it's not going to be able to happen. We had our Relief Society President Sister Dexter with us and we testified powerfully that if she puts the Lord first and comes to church even for just an hour, that she'll be blessed and everything else will be added unto her. So she came!
It's also just been quite the week in general for finding new people to teach. We've been really focusing on it for a while now, but this week it finally started happening. We got 7 new investigators and some are definitely solid (some are just interesting). Yesterday, after we had fasted, we visited this lady Karen who we had talked to a couple weeks ago in some apartments. We found out that she was baptized 3 or 4 years ago and has an 11-year old daughter who isn't baptized (once again, over-age youths in spanish work just don't happen - this is also a big deal). She hasn't come to church since she moved over from Phoenix, just because life got busy and she didn't know where or when church was. We had just barely been talking after dinner how we feel like it's been a while since we've been warmly received into somebody's house that we're teaching. It's starting to happen more now, but recently as compared to the rest of my mission, it's been a big difference. Anyway, she let us in and we had a way good lesson. The daughter totally wants to come to church, and the mom was figuring out how she's going to fit it into her schedule. I love seeing a family kneel together for prayer after reading the scriptures. It's like the best thing ever :)
So I'm also glad I can get by on the piano. I never really played hymns before my mission, but I've been able to play more and more since I have to play now for district meetings and leadership meetings. Our 2nd counselor in the bishopric came up to me yesterday and said there was an emergency - the pianist didn't show up and they needed us to play the piano. So similar to the Yuma days, Sister Farley and i traded off on playing the piano and it ended up working out okay. I never thought I would play the piano so much on my mission. So all of you future missionaries out there, learn how to play those hymns and the wards will love you!
One thing that has been pretty fun this week is a Book of Mormon challenge. We decided to start doing a different challenge every week in the zone, and this week we challenged everyone in the zone to give out Book of Mormon's, whether that be in lessons or to people on the street. It seems like so many times on the street we talk to people without really testifying of the real doctrine and meat of our message. I personally love to give out Book of Mormons and have given out hundreds, but we thought it would be a cool thing to focus on as a zone and everybody has really jumped on it. They get excited when we do some kind of competition - now all we have to do is figure out what prize we're going to give them tomorrow.
Another fun story is an older guy named Jose who we taught just a couple days ago. We talked to him on his driveway and found out that he blamed God for a 7-year old son he lost many years ago. We talked to him and mostly listened for a long time and testified that his son was "alive in Christ" and saved through the grace of Jesus Christ. He told us about some crazy visions that he had and angels that he had asked questions to. What was even more exciting was when he talked about the power/electricity he had in his hands. He was opening and closing his hands and bringing his right arm to the square, and then asked me to feel his fingertips with mine. I did, not knowing what I was supposed to be feeling or how long I was supposed to sit there like that, and luckily the phone rang and I had to reach down to silence it. I contemplated shaking or doing something crazy, but I figured that might not be the best idea. Needless to say, I didn't really feel anything. It was still a cool experience, to see how this guy opened up to us when he seemed really harsh at first.
We also taught this guy named Javier, who was at this member's house for dinner. He met with the missionaries for a few months before, but recently went through a divorce and feels like he needs something in his life. He's a younger, kind of stern guy, and he's also had some crazy visions. He's a way intelligent guy, and he told the missionaries before that thoughts and feelings weren't enough for him. He needed to have a stronger witness. He told us of one where he was on this train and there were 4 spirits (somehow he knew they were dead) and he asked them if the things the missionaries were teaching were true. They simply said yes. He asked again if these things were true and they said yes - he shouldn't question answers he's already received. He's way cool and we have a lot of hope for him.
This week's going to be incredible. I can feel it. I feel like my faith to find, and my commitment to teach and baptize has always been there, but my faith just had to be tried some more. We have to always realize a little more whose work this is and that we really are just vessels through which the spirit works, prepares, and converts. We do have to be pure and humble though. Esperamos muchos milagros esta semana :) We expect many miracles this week
Hasta la proxima! Les quiero mucho! Until next time! I love you!
~ Elder Carlson
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