Miracles happen once in a while...

Dear Family,

This week was dang good. I went on an awesome exchange with our Zone Leaders, and I learned a ton. With a lot of their appointments, they aren't there for more than 20-25 minutes. A lot of times if we are at people's houses for an hour, they think that we will be there forever and it is hard to plan, if we are there for only 15 or 20 minutes, that changes. So many opportunities open and we are able to invite so many more people to come unto Christ. We are also working on having a fellowshipper for every single investigator and less-active we are working with. We prayerfully identify them, then make plans to have them come out teaching with us.

We saw a HUGE miracle this week. Our branch went up to Palmyra over the weekend a week ago. One of our investigators, who lives with a member family, went up with them. Up there, the Spirit touched him. We have seen a "mighty change of heart," like Alma says, occur in him. Before, when we taught, he seemed interested, but not really willing to do much to change. This is not the case now. He told us he wants to be baptized. People have told me that before, but Gerardo is really showing it. We reviewed covenants with him, and he told us about covenants from what he read in Mosiah 18. He is on fire. He is going to get baptized this Sunday!!!! He is leaving also to move back to Florida after his baptism, so we are probably going to get special permission to confirm him right after the baptismal service. We are seeing him literally every day this week. He gets it. He felt the Spirit, and he is acting on what he felt. That is real intent if I ever saw it. Send a couple prayers his way this week.

Transfers will be next week. Things are not looking to be in Elder Wall's favor... He has been here since May. But stranger things have happened. We are excited for all that is going on in our area and are excited to see what else the Lord has prepared for us.

I found an AWESOME quote this morning from Spencer W. Kimball. Little long, but that's ok. Makes it look like I wrote a lot.

"Do you want guidance? Have you prayed to the Lord for inspiration? Do you want to do right or do you want to do what you want to do whether or not it is right? Do you want to do what is best for you in the long run or what seems more desirable for the moment? Have you prayed? How much have you prayed? How did you pray? Have you prayed as did the Savior of the world in Gethsemane or did you ask for what you want regardless of its being proper? Do you say in your prayers: “Thy will be done”? Did you say, “Heavenly Father, if you will inspire and impress me with the right, I will do that right”? Or, did you pray, “Give me what I want or I will take it anyway”? Did you say: “Father in Heaven, I love you, I believe in you, I know you are omniscient. I am honest. I am sincerely desirous of doing right. I know you can see the end from the beginning. You can see the future. You can discern if under this situation I present, I will have peace or turmoil, happiness or sorrow, success or failure. Tell me, please, loved Heavenly Father, and I promise to do what you tell me to do.” Have you prayed that way? Don’t you think it might be wise? Are you courageous enough to pray that prayer?"

Are we really courageous enough to say that prayer? To say we will follow whatever guidance the Lord gives us, regardless of what it is? What if it requires us to give up some things, like our social comfort, like our desires, some of our passions, or makes us change? It will require us to change, but we all know that it will make us change for the better. I have a testimony of change. My mission has changed completely who I am. My testimony has grown in incalculable ways for the better. I am a different person. The Gospel has changed me because I wanted it, and then I allowed it to.