I love each one of you so much! It is so amazing just how much being in the service of the Lord has opened up my capacity to love so completely! I am so grateful for each one of you and the blessings that you bring to my life. You each hold a very special place in my heart. Thank you for being who you are and for blessing my life and the lives of all that surround you.
This week has been a week filled with so many miracles, I'm not sure if there will be time to write everything, but here goes!
On Tuesday night, Hermana G. and I went to visit the family of one of the missionaries that is serving from our ward. His family aren't members, and we've had a hard time dropping them because its so hard to think of him working so hard to help the families where he's at and not be helping his family here. So we went to visit them on Tuesday night. From the first moment that we got there, we felt something a little bit weird. (side note:something I love about my companion--having the spirit with us is such a constant thing, it's SO easy to tell when he's not there) We've visited them a few times before, but this time was different. We went into the lesson with the plan to just follow the Spirit and try to find out how to understand their needs. The lesson we shared with them ended up being about the power of prayer and the need we really have to pray every day. They are going through a lot of really hard trials right now in their lives, so it was something that really applies to them. As we testified to them, I felt the Spirit supporting our words...but they were obviously not receiving the testimony. Then, Hermana G. pulled out her booklet of "My family" and shared a very personal story about prayer, while she showed a picture of her mom. When she did that, I felt a complete change in the Spirit in the room. The presence of the Spirit was there so powerfully that you could almost touch it. The family was attentively watching my companion. When she finished, I testified of her words and invited them to accept the Lord's help in their lives and just pray. I looked at the father of the family and asked if he would be willing to pray. He looked me in the eyes and said....."No."
My whole heart dropped to the floor. His wife and son said the same thing. Hermana Garcia and I left that house completely in awe of the hardness of their hearts. It was SO sad and so heartbreaking to see and feel just how powerfully the Spirit had been testifying to them, and they just downright shut him out. As we walked away from that house, I felt a little bit like Nephi when he finishes writing 2 Nephi... And you that will not partake of the goodness of God,and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell,for these words shall condemn you at the last day. (2 Nephi 33:14). It was so sad to see someone completely reject something that we had so powerfully tried to share...something that would help them so much in their lives, but Hermana G. and I feel content knowing that we gave everything we had to help them choose to receive the help of the Lord.
Kind of an interesting experience to describe as a miracle, but the Spirit was so powerful during that lesson, my personal testimony of the power of prayer and the truth of this message was strengthened so much. Hopefully in some moment, the prayers of that faithful missionary will help his parents soften their hearts and receive the blessings of the gospel.
Wednesday was the Leadership conference for this month. My companion and I went into the conference fasting for a few difficulties we've been having in our area and just to look for the Lord's guidance. It was so amazing how every one of our questions were answered during the meeting, and powerfully marked again the next few days in our normal proselyting activities. I testify that the power of the fast is real.
On Thursday came the moment that I personally loved so much this week. We have a family of less actives, the D. family, that are really fun and everything, but they have a few problems in their family. This week we had a family home evening with them. When we got to their house, it was obvious that they had really gotten everything ready for us to come. It was really organized and clean (more than usual)...however, we could tell that something had happened before we got there because their daughter was kind of upset and the whole vibe was a little bit tense. We had prepared a dynamic family home evening about the word of wisdom and wow. It was so amazing to feel the difference of the feelings that there were in the room when we got there and when we left. I am so grateful for the counsel of the prophets to have weekly family home evenings. Its such an important part of keeping a family strong and unified...in life as well as in the gospel.
I know that this church is true. I know that fasting brings blessings that we cannot even imagine into our lives and I know that we have a Heavenly Father that is conscious of what we need and what we seek every day of our lives. I know that if we are willing to listen and don't close our hearts, He will lift and guide us every day.
Love you all so much,
Hermana Garner
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