May 18, 2015

Hey there everyone! I sure hope y'all had a great week! You know those days where you just feel like you're working super hard and you're exhausted by the end of the night? Yup, it was one of those weeks, but it was also a week of miracles!! Things are super crazy here in California, but I'm loving it!

Some highlights from this week include:

Tuesday we had our zone meeting, which is where all the missionaries in Rancho Cucamonga got together to hear different trainings to learn and to apply to missionary work, Sister Vainuku and I were able to give a training on the Book of Mormon and how it answers our questions of the soul, and it was pretty great if I do say so myself! It was one of those things were everything just flowed together perfectly. I'm so thankful for the Spirit in helping us prepare. President and Sister Hobbs were there along with the assistants to President, so I was a little bit nervous, but it ended up being a great experience! I love the Book of Mormon, and I love when the Spirit testifies of the truthfulness of it to me. #Ilovethespirit #Ilovethegospel #missionarylife

Wednesday we were on exchanges and we had a miracle! So we were just walking down the street, and we were talking to a man, and he asked the questions of if Mormons were racist, which we're not, so we were talking to them and testifying about how we're all Gods children and he loves each of us, well next thing I know the sister I was with pulls out a scripture from the Book of Mormon that we used in our training about this very question, and the guy was super nice and said that we could continue to talk to him in the future, it was such a blessing because it showed me that one, someone listened to our training, and two, they were able to take that and apply it into their efforts! It was such a blessing!    

     

Thursday was great because we were able to teach our investigator Rudy, and it was in a members home and the member basically taught the lesson, and taught all about prayer. It was great! 

   But he texted us yesterday and said he's not sure if he wants to continue meeting with us or not, so we'll be seeing him on Saturday, so we're praying that everything goes well with him. 

    Then that night we had Institute, and was a great lesson on loving everyone, it was on the prodigals son from the new testament, it was great! I just love the gospel!

Friday we were able to go out and talk to some really nice people, not a lot were really interested, but it always makes my day when people are just nice. We also did our weekly planning, which will be a key in our miracle for Saturday.

Saturday! Okay, so y'all ready for a miracle? So, once upon a time during our weekly planning I we were talking and I just had a strong impression that someone was waiting for us to find them. and I was just thinking about that feeling, and I said to my companion that we were going to find someone named Jennifer, or someone with a J name, Sister Vainuku agreed, but said that it didn't feel like Jennifer, just that it was going to be someone with a name that starts with J. So we wrote in big letters on our white board under our finding ideas to find J.  Well, there was also a street that we felt prompted to knock doors on, so we had written it down a couple of different times.    

   Well, Saturday we were on exchanges again and decided to finally go and tract this street, and so the first two doors we knocked on didn't answer, but the third one the sweetest little old lady answers the door and is super adorable. Like, I just wanted to hug her she was so cute. So we get to talking and sure enough she asks where I was from, and I tell her that I'm from Georgia, well next thing we know shes telling us about how she grew up in Georgia and invited us into her home! MIRACLE NUMBER ONE! Nobody has EVER let me into their home when I've tracted, they've all said to come back on another day. So, she lets us in and we get to talking with her, and end up teaching her the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and I invite her to be baptized, and she said that she would think about it and pray about it. ANOTHER MIRACLE! And then, guess what! Her name is Juliet. WE FOUND J!!!!!!!!!! #expectmiracles #miraclefromtracting #WEFOUNDJ Once she told me her name I did a happy dance inside and got really excited. And after we left we I told the sister I was with about how I felt like we were going  to find a person with a name that starts with a J and she flipped out too. We exchanged back that night and I told Sister Vainuku and we all talked about how much of a miracle it was to meet Juliet, it just showed me that miracles are everywhere!!!!

Then on Sunday after church we met with Marleen a less active in the YSA ward, and during her lesson, I got the strongest impression that I was sent to this area for her and that I had met her before, there is just such a closeness, its like we've been friends for years. #miracle! It was such a great day.

Heavenly Father has shown me so many miracles! There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon which says  "And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth." 

   I know that  our Heavenly Father is a God of miracles. I know that he gives us these miracles because he loves us, and that as we have faith in him, and in our brother Jesus Christ, we can see these miracles! I know that miracles are everything from rain, and grass to finding an investigator with the name that starts with a J.  I know that as we turn towards Christ that we can see all the miracles that God has bestowed upon us. I can't say it enough, but I know that God is a God of miracles. and that we can see miracles everywhere, and as we are full of faith, we can help to participate in these miracles. I love my Heavenly Father so much, I know that he loves us, and that he will continue to bless us with miracles every single day. There may be struggles and hard times, but I know that there are still miracles in everyday.

As for the funny moment of the week, once upon a time we were in our lesson with our investigator Rudy, well next thing we know in the middle of the lesson at a pretty spiritual point, we hear a knock on the door, and guess who it is! Its the Sister Missionaries!! The member invited them in and they helped in our lesson. It was just super funny that they stopped by at the same time we were teaching our lesson. 

    As for the other funny moment, last night I woke up to Sister Vainuku sleep talking in tongan, once morning came I told her what she said and we found out that she was calling for her sister! It was pretty funny.

Well y'all, I'm so thankful for y'all and for the miracle it is to have y'all in my life. Thanks for being so great! I hope y'all have a great week and see the miracles all around you!!!

Love, 

Sister Bond