January 15, 2018

Joy in being His hands

BUT I LOVE IT HERE!!! And I love being with Hermana Gratzl again!!! It is the most amazing thing to see how much we have both been shaped and the incredible growth we have both made since being companions in the MTC. 

This little island is packed with miracles and loads of faith. 

This week we were teaching english class and this brother and sister from the Dominican Republic have been attending every week for over a month. And I invited them to start taking the lessons and they both were very open. Anabelis is 14 and very believing, her older brother Melvin is 17 and claimed to be atheist, but really is golden. He wants to have faith so bad. We taught them english then as part of the message at the end. The spirit led me to ask what they think heaven is like. Melvin was struggling with the concept, so we asked for his favorite place on earth and he said being at home with his family. He is incredible. We went and taught them the Plan of Salvation a few days later and they loved it. Melvin seemed to be really worried that he won't have the faith enough in this life, but he had the faith enough to trust us as we testified and promised his answer will come. Both he and his little sister are working towards the 3rd of February. HUGE miracle!!!

David is another progressing investigator that was going to get baptized a few weeks ago, but canceled the morning of. He told us yesterday that he wants to choose his own date. So he is going to be teaching us the lessons from the beginning and then will notify us a week before, so we can plan it. So we will be having a baptism, but we just aren't sure when.

Today we ventured out to the cathedral and a little walk through the center and a picnic with a gorgeous view of the ocean. I could not be more blessed.

I love being a missionary. I love seeing the light and blessings enter into others and change them just as it is continuously changing me. I know my Savior lives and loves me, and because of that He is continuously changing me to be who he needs. I love being His hands here in palma. 

We were walking down the street and I noticed a women limping and struggling with a big grocery sac full of clothing. I went and offered to help. We ended up walking with her to the train station and her countenance completely changed. She started off telling us how she wanted to be positive but there was nothing she could say. Then she began to cry and told us how we were sent by God, and she got on that train glowing and inviting us to eat even though she had just finished telling us how she has nothing... People are just incredible. So loving and so giving. It reminds me of the widows mite. (sadly she lives 1.5 away, but the elders are going to teach her.) It just fills me with the greatest joy to be able to do something so little that just means so much to someone.

I love you all! Do as President Monson always advised and go out and see the needs of others and meet them. Love and lift all you can. You in return willed be loved and lifted. 
Hermana Read