Paraiso (Paradise)

hola familia!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! We had district meeting on Thanksgiving and celebrated with banana bread. 

Can I just say that I love my new sector! It is huge and we aren’t able to have as many lessons in the week because we spend a lot of time walking, but it is gorgeous! I have been so blessed. In all of my sectors, I have been able to see the ocean or a huge body of water. I love CHILE. 

I want to tell you a few miracles we saw this past week. 

On Wednesday, a member told us that it was forecasted to rain the entire week. When it rains, it pours and we are outside for hours because no one wants to let 2 soaking girls in their house. Thursday it was my turn to pray before we left for the day. I prayed and asked Padre that if it be possible, and His will, that it could only rain when we were inside a house. We walked over 6 miles that day and it poured... every time we were in a house! And every time when we were closing or saying the last prayer, the rain would stop.

It was awesome to see this miracle and have it confirmed that yes God  is real, yes He loves us, yes, He knows our needs and when we pray in faith, EVERYTHING is possible. Jaja the next day, we didn’t have as much luck, but we had a fun wet day, enjoying the beauty of a wet world, the smells, sounds, and tastes of pouring rain.

Another miracle; we were late to get in for the night because we were in a lesson and we decided to take a taxi home. We were outside in Centro (downtown) Puerto Montt waiting for a taxi to pass by. About 15 passed in the space of 40 minutes and all were in use, so they didn’t stop for us. It was now even later and downtown isn’t the safest at night. I said a quick prayer that a taxi could pass by in the next 10 minutes that was free. 8 minutes later a free taxi passed by and we were able to make it home safe and sound.

Some many call it coincidence... some many say that it is chance, but I am here to tell you that it was a blessing from a loving Padre Celestial. He hears our prayers. He knows our circumstances. I testify that He answers our prayers when we pray in faith.

In my studies today in chap. 4 of Preach my Gospel, it talks about praying in faith. Many times we only pray with real intent when we want something to happen or we need something. All the other times that we pray, we pray traditionally: it’s time to eat, so let’s pray, it’s time to sleep so let’s pray, it’s time to go so let’s pray.

We pray A TON in the mission and I have made the mistake many times to pray traditionally, saying words without real intent, without pre-thought, without sincerity. If we really believe in God, if we really believe that He exists and that He is our Father, we ought to talk to Him as we talk to our earthly fathers, mother, friends, family. Because He is a person too. I’ll never forget something that one of my comps said to a member,

“Do you believe in God?”

“Yes!”

“Do you believe that He hears your prayers?”

“Of course!”

“Then why do you pray the same way every time you talk to Him?”   

If we really believe that He is real and hears our prayers we ought to pray in that manner!

Another little miracle

We have an investigator that is living with her boyfriend. She wants to get baptized and in order to do so, she has to repent of breaking the Law of Chasity and get married or stop living together. They had plans to get married but her boyfriend wants to do it in May so they have more time to plan and save for the wedding. She doesn’t have a house to move to nor money to rent a house for 6 months. Her family kicked her out because she is taking the lessons and listening to us.

That’s the real reason why they began living together in the first place.

Last week, we talked to the boyfriend about getting married next month and doing a little fiesta and then having the real wedding fiesta when they get sealed in the temple. He said he would think about it. hna Cordoba and I decided to fast for them and that something could happen so that she could be baptized 17 de Diciembre. We met with her yesterday and she told us that her mom had an accident and has asked that she return home to take care of her because the dad works outside the city during the week and is not home.

Obviously not the idealist situation, but it was awesome, because now she is welcomed back home, she has a place to live and her boyfriend can take the 6 months he needs to save and plan the wedding.

It’s been a fun week of miracles. I love you all! Hope you have a great week!

HURRAH POR ISRAEL