kaliesha and the power of God

:)

This is a story about Kaliesha and member missionaries.

One of my first weeks in Alec, sista P-fleg was prompted to go visit a member in our ward. She has lots and lots of really hard medical problems and a stressful life which makes it so she can't make it to church hardly ever. So less active in the church attendance but totally active in the testimony! 

But this time we went to go visit Sister Rankin was completely lead by the Spirit. 

 

Sister Rankin had an awful day and was just feeling really overwhelmed. She was so grateful we came over because she really needed someone to talk to and some Spirit in her day. It was a really cool visit with her :)

After we had visited and helped and shared some scripture, we were saying our goodbyes. As we were leaving, Sister Rankin told us how grateful she was for our visit and that she wanted to have us over for lunch the next week! Totally not unusual. We were excited and set up a time for the upcoming week. 

 

Skip to the lunch date. 

We show up to the lunch date and its all normal and we're chatting and getting set up ready to sit down and start lunch. 

Then there's a knock and Sister Rankins neighbor came in and just sat down with us!

 

Moral of the story... Sister Rankin set us up a surprise lesson with her neighbor! 

What the what? It was very surprising but awesome :)) go sister rankin

 

Meet Kaliesha:

Kaliesha is Sister Rankin's neighbor. She is in her 30's and has 3 kids. She lives with her mom while she is going through alot of medical problems and can't work. She has seizures and just had back surgery or something so she is 

She is really good friends with Sister Rankin, she is basically a mother figure to Kaliesha. Sister Rankin takes these opportunities to just be straight up with Kaliesha and lets her know what really works. And its God. She loves to say, "once you've tried your way, the worlds way, and everybody else's way, and you've found out that all that doesn't work... Its time for you to try God's way." 

Sister Rankin recognized that experiences in Kaliesha's life had been preparing her to turn to God and accept His way. And she was right! Kaliesha has really great desire to make changes in her life, to start to follow God and what His plan is for her, and to really set an example for her kids and get them involved in good, wholesome things. 

When we first met her she seemed very weighed down and just obviously struggling. We had a great first lesson with her about who God is and what that means for her, that He really is her Father in Heaven and He loves her so much and is aware of her. We talked about yoking ourselves with Christ and that He can lift our burdens. She was crying and it was a powerful and exciting lesson.

 

Our next lesson with her was the next week and we were on exchanges. Sister Manuma and I taught Kaliesha about the Restoration. We explained more about the Book of Mormon and what it means for her and her family. Kaliesha was still obviously weighted and troubled but she did feel the Spirit. Sister Manuma said a wonderful closing prayer really asking Heavenly Father to bless Kaliesha.

 

But then it was deep into summertime and the Rankins went out of town and things got busy with everyone and we could never get together. 

 

Many weeks went by.... 2 transfers and a new companion later. I still thought about Kaliesha and we went to go visit the Rankins about 2 weeks ago. It was a good visit but not to much was said about Kaliesha. 

 

But then..... Last Sunday Sister Rankin and Kaliesha just walked into Sacrament meeting! I was SO excited to see her there! Right after Sacrament meeting, I jumped right up to go talk to them. We have a quick conversation because they had to get back to their kids at home. 

 

But in our quick conversation I learned a few things.

1. Kaliesha's health is doing alot better so she can start working again. She is really trying to look for a job so she can get on her feet, get her own place with her kids, get a phone, and transportation.

2. Kaliesha was definitely brighter and happier. MUCH brighter. Smiling, happier, eyes bright. It was amazing.

3. She has been reading the Book of Mormon close to every night or every other night with her kids. 

4. She wants to be baptized. 

5. and she wants her kids to come to church and learn and be baptized. 

6. We set up a time to have a lesson together on Wednesday. 

 

wat. come again.

Yes ma'am Kaliesha's time is here.

Wednesday we had an amazing lesson. 

We re-taught the Restoration and this time she was able to really listen, understand, and soak it in. You could see that it was clicking and understanding. She had great participation as well as Sister Rankin. It is so cool to have Sister Rankin there because Kaliesha really respects her input and listens to her experiences. 

We talked alot about how the gospel will bless her family and help her be an example for her kids. 

She is so ready for this and was just glowing. Even more bright and happy than Sunday. 

And I told her so. 

That I noticed she was brighter and glowing and more happy than I had ever seen her. Both her and Sister Rankin agreed with me. and Kaliesha shared with me something that floored me.

She says, "I am alot different. You remember the last time we meet and it was you and the girl with the black hair?"

Me: "Yes! Me and Sister Manuma!"

Kaliesha: "Yea well ever since she prayed for me, I haven't had a single seizure. Not since that very day."

 

Wow. 

What. 

Yall. 

God is so real. He loves us. He just wants to help us so bad. He wants to give us blessings. 

He is just waiting for us. 

 

Kaliesha is praying for what day she wants to get baptized as well as her kids and so are we. She is incredible and beautiful and so prepared. 

 

So grateful for this area and this companion and this mission. 

I love being a missionary and being blessed to be apart of this work just so I can see God's miracles working.

in other but most especially in me. 

God loves us :)

and I love us. 

LOVE 

xoxoxoxxo

sister sades

 

In other news.... Its lovebug season.​ also known as a more inappropriate name as the flying fornicators 



The season where these annoying bugs mate constantly and swarm everything. 



And they are just kind of dumb and useless. They don't do anything expect fly
 around together and bump into you and get hit by cars

So the front of everyones cars right now are just covered in black from lovebugs

ew ew ew. they are gross and just plain aggravating. #southprobs

We got to go serve at a sweet ring ceremony and got this cute family picture :)