miracles

Miracles upon miracles this week yall. 

 

Since I have been in Alexandria, we have had no investigators. 

None. 

That means that we go finding alll the time and we teach less actives. 

But mainly we go finding. 

Guess what. 

That gets old so unbelievably fast. 

So at the beginning of this transfer, P-Fleg and I started a faith fast. 

We fasted for investigators and progress in this area. We prayed real real hard and then got to work. 

P-Fleg fasted and prayed for 3 people to be ready to be baptized this transfer.

 

Well it was a test of faith because it was very discouraging because we were about to start week 4 of the transfer and we had nothing. 

In fact we were in the middle of week 4 and we still had nothing.   

 

Another finding idea we have done is calling everyone with a phone number from the old Alexandria Elders area book. 

We have been calling people in the Elders area book since those elders don't exist at the moment.

Miracle: Someone answered. and knew who the missionaries were. Like what? Yea that was very exciting. 

Miracle #2: He agreed to let us come visit him!

Miracle #3: HE WAS THERE. 

Turns out, his name is Marvin, he lives with his wife and mother-in-law who are both less actives in our ward! The missionaries have been teaching him and visiting this family forever and Marvin even had a baptismal date! but then the missionaries stopped coming over. like what? 

Miracle #4: he still understands the importance of baptism and now is on date for getting baptized! 

#partmember

 

Miracles pt. 2
Remember Mr. Ron from last week? Yes we went back and visited him and he accepted a Book of Mormon and is going to introduce us to his wife at our next appointment. #family

 

Miracles pt. 3

One of the Elders investigators friends who the Elders have been teaching live in Alexandria and she has a baptismal date for the 6th. They had to give her to us since she is a lady and Alec area! Met her and she is a sweetheart

 

Miracles pt. 4

This is a true Christmas in July miracle. 

Thursday night we received a phone call from a guy and he was talking a million miles an hour. His name is Brandon, he is 28, he is originally from Alexandria, he was meeting with the missionaries in TX but then he had to move back here, he knows the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true.

LIKE WHAT. 

Then he starts talking about some deep doctrine stuff and we're like, "alright who is this guy.... This has to be a joke." So we agree to meet up the next night at the church.

 

Friday morning we are doing our volunteering at the Manna House or a soup kitchen. We get another call from Brandon. It goes like this.

US: Hey Brandon whats up?

BR: What are yall doing right now?

US: We are volunteering at the Manna House.

BR: .. hey mom can you drop me off at the manna house.. Okay I'll be there in a few!

US: uh what okay

 

hahaha so he came to the Manna House for the last ten minutes and then we talked to him for an hour outside of the Manna House. 

He's legit yall. He is so awesome. He never stops talking and its the best thing ever. :)

 

Satuday night the Pineville Elders were having a baptism and Brandon came to that as well. He loved it! He was shocked at how young Bishop Stock was. But the baptism was perfect and very spiritual and the talks were EXACTLY what Brandon needed to hear. 

Brandon also got a chance to talk to the elders about his deep doctrine questions that he had that we have no idea about. 

 

Sunday Brandon came to church! P-Fleg and I gave talks on agency and how to use our agency to please Heavenly Father. It went really well and Brandon LOVED all 3 hours of church. He had gone to church all the time in TX but again. Everything was exactly what he needed to hear. 

 

 His concerns were that he really wanted to be baptized but he completely understands the importance of it and doesn't want to mess up or backslide. He doesn't have the greatest influences.In my personal study I had studied scriptures on baptism that would hopefully touch Brandon and let him know that he was ready for baptism. I was lead to Alma 7:14-15 

So after church we went and had a lesson with our awesome but super busy YM president with Brandon and it was so so good. We kinda guaged his knowledge of what the missionaries taught him in TX. We agreed that we could teach all the lessons over. We shared that scripture and it really really hit Brandon and brought the Spirit. We committed Brandon to pray about a baptismal date. He agreed but his first thoughts were that if he can do the things he needs to and stay clean for a whole month, he knows he can be baptized. 

 

Yall. He is so excited. He loves to study and he loves the gospel. He has such a fervent testimony. I know that he needed to come back to Alexandria to help strengthen the ward. He is so great and we are so excited to teach him! 

 

So these are our miracles this week. 

God is so good to us and blesses his faithful missionaries.

If you were counting... This is 3 people ready for baptism. :')

Blessings and blessings from heaven.

Super excited to get this area pumping! Start actually teaching lessons! 

I love this church and I know its true. 

God loves us and Satan hates us 

(we've seen this extra bc we have gotten 3 on date and we have also gotten hardcore anti-ed 3 times this week :((( #exhausted)

I love yall so much! 

Love love love

sister sades

sister amezcua

Story time: Revolves around this photo.

Sister Amezcua with our classy speed limit sign #welcometotheghetto

 

 

 

Backstory:

 Meet my mission bff. 

Sister Sarah Louise Amezcua

I love her so much. If you remember last transfer, Sister Amezcua and I went on an exchange last transfer because that is who I felt that I needed to be with. It was a wonderful, hardworking exchange and we had both heard alot about each other and admired each other SO much but we had never met! 

We became instant friends but at the end of our exchange we had a ton of fun but didn't really know the purpose of the exchange. We felt like it was just a beginning to a great friendship. 

 

Fast forward 6 weeks, several zone conferences, and seeing each other later...

We come to our next exchange! 

As I was praying about who I needed to be with my mind was trying to think logically and that I needed to be with Sister Amezcua's companion, Sister Thomas, since I was with Sister Amezcua last time. But I just couldn't feel an answer of where I needed to be and it was really getting me concerned!

 

We planned to do our exchange after our Zone Conference. It just worked out that Sister Thomas and I sat next to each other during Zone Conference so I was thinking about it the whole time! And I couldn't find a decision!! 

 

Finally, after our meeting, everyone was waiting around because we got our cars inspected and we finished the meeting early but the car inspection guys weren't done yet. So those whose cars weren't finished were just talking. This was so important! 

 

Basically to make a long story short.... 

I was able to talk to Sister Amezcua for a little bit during this time to find out that she is having a really rough time. And because of the relationship we developed in the first exchange, the timing of our exchange, the Spirit, and several other factors we were able to go on a much needed second exchange together. 

What a special experience <3

One of my favorite things about Sister Amezcua is that she is fearless and just loves. 

This is where the story comes in. :)

 

So as we were talking about real things, riding in the car to go try to see a referral from the elders and as we were turning onto the road to go to his house we see this sign and laugh and laugh because its typical LA. 

But this time, wanting to make an adventure I pull over and we go over and take this cute/funny pic next to the sign!

 

Do you see this red/maroonish house on the side? 

 

Yes? good. as we were taking the picture and laughing a big man comes out of the door to see whats going on.

Not uncommon at all in LA. It was probably a little past 8 in the morning, still cool morning, and when its cooler (aka only 1000 degrees instead of 100000 degrees) everyone will be on the porches or in the streets. 

 

But instead of the casual greetings and letting the moment pass, Sister Amezcua marches right up and starts up a conversation with Mr. Ron and just loves him and just talks to him like he is her best friend!

 

Turns out Mr. Ron had a stroke a while back and is struggling with life but he always recognizes God's hand in his life. We were able to help him remember how much God has blessed him and remind him of God's unconditional love for him. 

 

Mr. Ron is not a small man. He is a big man. and he just cried.

Tears, streaming down his face. We prayed with him before we left and Sister Amezcua said the prayer. During this prayer I felt SO much love for Mr. Ron. 

But not my love. 

Not Sister Belnap love. 

Heavenly Fathers love.

I felt so much of Heavenly Fathers pure unconditional love for Mr. Ron.

And I let him know. 

And the Spirit was there.

 

I love love. 

I love Heavenly Father. 

And Heavenly Father loves us so so so much!

Sister Amezcua is a dream and I love her.

So happy to be in this mission with these people :)

LOVE YALL

sister sades

happy birfday murica‏

Happy 4th of Julyyy!!! 

 

Since its a holiday and crazy business and such I don't have as much time to sit and write but I shore do love yall so much!!! 

Our week consisted of a ton of planning and making tons of new transfer goals. This week was a ton of planning and preparation for this next transfer! We made a ton of District goals and one of our goals was to get 10 baptisms this transfer as a district! WOOHOO. #prayersforus Last transfer we got 2 baptisms and that was the most this area had in several years. #highgoalshighresults

 

2 weeks ago when we started realizing how close 4th of July was, we started asking the ward and around what the ward did for an activity for Americas birthday and everyone said NOTHING. We were shocked because every ward all of the missionaries had ever been in the ward always has an annual 4th of July pancake breakfast. 

The one Fourth of July we get and we don't get a party!! Whats up with that!! 

 

So we planned one. :)

 

We planned a breakfast for both wards to come to and it finally happened this morning! 

We planned all week for it, invited literally everyone we came into contact with and everyone had a really good response for it! Lots of people said they would come and we met alot of cool people. 

We went to the store with the High Priest Group Leader and bought all the food. 

 

Then we were all ready for this morning. 

then.

It was a disaster. 

But its okay. We live and we learn right?? 

 

It was fun. :) The wards really saw that we were trying our hardest to try to make things work. And hey. We had a good time. :)

 

But I love yall so much! I'm sorry this is a wimpy email. 

Here's some 4th of July pictures to make up for it :)

xoxoxoxoxox

sister sades

 

Look who came to visit!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meshak one of my kitties :)

 

 

 

 

LA sunset <3