Las Elders

Hola, mi familia!

This week was busy and great--hard to believe it's already Monday again! We taught 19 lessons, placed 6 Libros, talked with lots of people, and ate so much delicious Chilean food. Despite all that, though, yo particularmente quiero compartir una experiencia con ustedes esta semana. Yo sé que el Señor tiene su mano en esta obra. 

We met Sandra in the street on Tuesday afternoon, walking with her four-year-old grandson, Benjamin, and walked and talked with her the entire way back to La Bonifacio. When we arrived there, we gave her a Libro de Mormon--she was so excited and told us that she'd start reading it that night--and scheduled a cita for Viernes. The next morning, we were on our way to visit an investigator whom we haven't seen in a few weeks and just happened to run into Sandra again outside her son's house. She was thrilled to see us and told us that something had come up on Viernes but that she wanted to reschedule our appointment to Sabado. 

We visited her at her home on Saturday afternoon and taught The Restoration--the Spirit was SO strong, and she expressed the concerns and doubts she's had her entire life about all the other churches she's ever investigated (all of which concerns we have answers for, of course:)). She told us at the beginning of our lesson that she had already started reading El Libro de Mormon during the past few days and really liked it. Sandra is so actively seeking the truth--it's amazing how ready she is...so prepared! At the end of an awesome, spiritual lesson, we committed her to be baptized when she receives her answer that El Libro de Mormon and La Iglesia de Jesuchristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias are true, and she said that she will! (We extended the 24 de Agosto as a date for her to work toward, and although she doesn't want to commit to anything until she's absolutely sure, we have very high hopes for that date.) 

After we had said a closing prayer and were preparing to leave, she told us this story:

Sandra suffers from vertigo and wasn't feeling very well on Tuesday afternoon; because of this, she was extremely worried about having to walk all the way home with her little grandson. She almost went back to where they were coming from to wait for her symptoms to pass, but eventually just decided to go ahead and said a prayer in her heart that everything would be okay. After only a few minutes, Hna. Farias and I walked up behind them and started a conversation with her. We walked with Sandra and Benjamin the rest of the way, and she didn't have to worry about having a problem with her vertigo because we would be there to help if anything happened. She recognized this as a heaven-sent blessing, and, while thinking about us and our message later that night, she felt good about learning more. 

She found out the next morning, though, that something had come up on Friday afternoon and was really worried about that--she didn't want us to come to her house for our appointment only to have no one be there, think she wasn't interested, and never come back again, so she prayed to Heavenly Father to know what to do. Lo and behold, a few hours later, we ran into her again in the street and were able to change the appointment to Saturday evening. She told us that she recognizes those "coincidences" as signs from Heavenly Father and that she told Him, "Alright, if you're trying to tell me something, I get it." She earnestly wants to find out whether or not this is the right path for her, and I know that she will get her answer because this gospel IS true, and it is the right path for all of God's children.

I love being a missionary, and I know without a doubt that the Lord is guiding our footsteps every step of the way, in every moment of every day. Every almuerzo that goes long, every time we can't find an address or get lost, and even every time that an investigator isn't home for our appointment are simply moments in which the Lord is redirecting our "flight plans," shifting our focus, and leading us to people like Sandra who are so ready to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes my feet hurt, or I feel too tired to get up in the morning, or we are rejected at every gate we "hallo" at, but I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have a front row seat--a tiny part in the production, even--and watch the Lord unfold and move along this gran obra misional. I know He plays more of a part in our lives than sometimes we realize, and I am working this week to become better at recognizing His tender mercies--the "miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day" (Alma 37:40). I love my Savior, and I love this gospel--it is a great honor to wear His name over my heart every day and learn to serve Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.

I love you all! Les quiero mucho! You are in my every prayer and are always in my heart. Keep doing the simple things every day that anchor you close to the Savior and then stand back and watch Him work His miracles in your life. I know He is doing that in mine.

All My Love Forever,
Hermana Sanford