Miracles still happen!

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Sunday, October 13, 2013

8:27pm

Today a miracle happened.  So awhile back we fed the missionaries and they gave us THIS Member Missionary 21-Day Promise.  (The paper they gave us actually said the Tempe mission or whatever mission we are in, but I couldn’t find that paper so I looked for it online.  I’m sure that this promise has been given to several, if not all missions) But anyway, so as a family we committed to the 21-day promise.  We listed eight of our neighbors and prayed for them every day, morning and night.  We might have missed one or two prayers, but we tried to be so diligent.  I’ll have to admit that my faith wasn’t very strong.  I kind of didn’t think it would work because I have been trying to find someone for the missionaries to teach for a long time, and I really have a strong desire to have someone taught by the missionary lessons in our home, I’ve made invitations and opened my mouth and it just hasn’t happened.  I also was worried about my kid’s faith because they were each praying for the people on our list too and was worried what I would tell them if the promise wasn’t fulfilled.  I even secretly kind of hoped that we’d forget to pray one day so I could use that as an excuse to my kids if it didn’t pan out, but I didn’t forget on purpose.  But since the challenge said “the Lord promises that at least one of the names on your list, or perhaps someone else, will accept an invitation to hear the missionary lessons by the end of the 21-day day period.” and since I had a desire we gave it a shot.  Well the 21-day period came and went, still nothing, but we did miss a day or two in our prayers.  Luckily the kids never said anything about it.  Then about two weeks ago our neighbor Puring, who wasn’t on our list by the way, who is from the Philippeans and lives in her daughter’s care home in our cul-de-sac because she is on dialysis 3 times a week, knocked on my door.  I gave Puring some tomatoes from our garden a couple of times and she was so grateful and we became friends.  Back to the story, I can’t remember why Puring knocked on our door and came over, but I invited her in, and after talking for a while I invited her to church.  She came to church with us today, all three hours, and I introduced her to the missionaries and we have an appointment on Tuesday for her first missionary lesson, IN OUR HOME!!  I am so excited.  Today I bore my testimony that the Lord keeps his promises that are made by the apostles and prophets.  Last Sunday in General Conference Bonnie Oscarson said, “The Lord expects us to exercise faith. We have to consistently pay a full and honest tithe in order to gain a testimony of tithing. This same pattern applies to all the principles of the gospel.”  I know that is true.  I had to exercise my faith, even thought it was weak, to complete the 21-day promise.  This week I was reading Alma 32 and realized it says the same thing as Sis. Oscarson’s talk, We have to “experiment on [the Lord’s] words and exercise a particle of faith, … if ye give place that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold if it be a true see, or a good seed, if you do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold it will begin to swell within your breasts.” I know that is true too.  I’ve put it into practice many times in my life.  I am so thankful for the miracle of finding someone for the missionaries to teach in my life.  During conference I thought I remembered one of the speakers saying we should pray for miracles as we share the gospel.  I started doing that.  However, as I tried to go back and find that in the talks I can’t find it now.  Maybe it was the Holy Ghost prompting me to pray for a miracle.  Who knows?  So even though I DON’T know if Puring will accept the gospel and be baptized--I’m not sure how much she understands because she doesn’t know English that well.  (I wish my brother-in-law Elliot lived closer so he could come help teach her since he served his mission in the Philippians, although we have a few men in our ward who served in the Philippeans too.)  I DO know the Lord hears and answers prayers and honors the promises made by his servants the prophets. 

Fall break is over now and school resumes tomorrow.  It was wonderful while it lasted.  We started fall break last Sunday night with my sister Amy’s kids Mary and Josh staying the night.

My kids sure had fun playing with them and they were great guests.  Around lunchtime on Monday we packed a quick picnic and went to play at the blue park in our neighborhood.  Monday night we invited our friends over to our backyard for chili and cornbread.  We had a nice time visiting around the firepit while the kids played with the neighbors who could make it.

Tuesday we went on a bike ride and the boys played football at the park with their friends.  That evening we got all pack up and ready for a trip to Rocky Point the next day. 

Wednesday we left to Rocky Point.  We had a wonderful time.  The water was warm and the outside temperature was just about perfect.  Our resort was right on the beach and it was so nice to be able to run back and forth to the room for snacks, towels, drinks, etc. without having to walk a long way.  We didn’t feel like we had to spend all day at the beach we could spend an hour or two, take a break for lunch and naps and then go back.  It was so relaxing.  I especially liked seeing Chad so relaxed and stress free, enjoying time with the kids and me.  Wednesday and Thursday we pretty much had the beach to ourselves.  It got a little busier on Friday and Saturday but it wasn’t too bad.  Friday we took the kids to the “dirt mall” i.e the Mexican shops.  It’s actually paved now, but we still call it the dirt mall.  The boys really liked that they could barter on the prices.  We taught them that they could barter for a lower price, but that they couldn’t go too low or they would offend the merchant.  Each of the kids, except Tilly, bought something with their own money.  Three of our friends from Gilbert joined us at the resort on Friday.  We had dinner together Friday night and breakfast on Sat. morning.  It was fun to vacation with friends.  I don’t think we’ve ever done that before, but I was glad that we had a few days with just our family before they came.  

Here are the pictures from our trip.  They are totally out of chronological order, but I don't care cause I don't want to take the time to order them. 

This is a picture of one of the planes that we say patrolling the American side of the boarder.  We think it's to looking for illegal aliens.  They flew all over the place really close to the ground.  It seemed like it was remote controlled or something.

Bryant and Tilly were my early risers.

Spencer found a tentacle.  Not to be confused with a testicle.  Ha ha.  We think it was from an octopus.

Tilly fell asleep with one eye open!  I guess that's wise when you have 4 siblings who like to tease.

It was so fun to do my morning walk on the beach.

Yesterday we made it home in about 4 hours.  We didn’t speed a lot. (At least I don’t think we did, I read while Chad drove.)  I always thought that it was about a 5-hour trip, but with the short cut road between Maricopa and Gila Bend that doesn’t show up on very many maps and the fact that we ate snacks in the car instead of stopping for lunch it was only 4 hours.  Nice!  We’re already planning on going back to Rocky Point next year.  It wasn’t scary at all and we didn’t have any trouble with the Mexican government or rebels or whoever has made us too scared to visit for the last few years.  Does anyone want to go with us next year?  Start planning and preparing now because adults and kids 16 years and older have to have a current passport or passport card.  It takes a few months for those to be processed.  Kid’s under 16 only need an original birth certificte.

My quote for today is from Elder Hales Oct. 2013 Conference talk, emphasis added.  (I’ve decided to go through each of the most recent conference talks one by one to get my quotes for my letters.)  “In recent decades the Church has largely been spared the terrible misunderstandings and persecutions experienced by the early Saints. It will not always be so. The world is moving away from the Lord faster and farther than ever before. The adversary has been loosed upon the earth. We watch, hear, read, study, and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was given long before we experienced the challenges now facing the family. “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” was prepared in advance of when we will need it most. … if we listen and obey the prophets now, including those who will speak in this very conference, we will be strengthened and protected.”  This quote is both scary and reassuring to me.

Love,

Mindy