The Spirit Changes People!!!

For one, it was a lot cooler this week....so it gave us a break from the heat. And that was much needed.

I also finally saw the eye doctor....and I’m sooooo blind! But it’s ok, now I can buy the right contacts and stop squinting!

But here is the good part of the week. We knocked into a Family my first week here, and when we first talked with them they didn’t seem too interested, but we kept going back. So on the third visit (3rd time really is a charm) this couple, Maria e Ciço were totally diferente! We talked about the great apostasia and then watched the Restoration movie. The whole time during this lesson my comp and I were praying that they would feel the spirit and that they recognize that the spirit was testifying of truths. After the movie was over we asked them how they felt and what they thought. They said it was amazing that one could have so much faith and how we now have the truth!!!!! YES our prayers were heard!!! They told us that they want to visit the church but this week wouldn’t do because they were going out of town. But they are totally open now!!! And then we asked them if they were married (this is what makes baptizing hard...few couples are married) and they have been married for like 40 years!!!! And it’s a legal marriage!!! Oh, Sister Rotela and I were practically jumping for joy...on the inside!! So the lesson we learned here....sometimes it takes people a while to recognize the spirit and they seem uninterested...but they are just waiting to hear the right words!! So you can’t just give up on people super-fast.... and you have to be so in tune with the spirit that you know exactly what to say that will trigger their feelings!!

Something awesome I read this week..... Mosiah 23: 10-11....Alma the younger is recounting his conversion story where he changed from being a wicked person who fought against the church. Clearly the Lord knows of the things we need, the things we desire....and he hears our prayers....but that doesn’t mean we are going to get the answer after 2 days of praying. In verse 10 it says "after many trials" not just 1 or 2...MANY, before the Lord finally responded. My question was "why after a lot of time". Well if you read on it says that Alma was pretty much being prepared to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands....and then after his trials, Alma brought many to the truth. Ok, so we go through hard things because the Lord is shaping us into the perfect sword (only cool thing I could think of to compare an instrument to) but it takes time and sometimes it hurts. We just need to be patient and like it says in verse 11, be THANKFUL and give praise to our Lord.

I’m still loving what I do every day....and I’m going to keep on swinging that sickle (the field is white already to harvest)!!!

Te amo,
Sister Robyn Perez