January 26, 2015

This week was seriously OUT OF CONTROL! 

Miracle after miracle! It is crazy that this transfer is basically over. Next Sunday we get transfer calls. I AM SO NERVOUS. Part of me thinks I won't get transferred.....but if I do, it won't be the first time someone has been transferred their last transfer. I would love, love, love to stay and finish here. So much is happening and so many miracles are taking place. 

There is a family in our ward, the Hodson family that I am just obsessed with. LOVE THEM! And they just ooze talent.  Sister Hodson is an incredible pianist.  She graduated from BYU in accounting, but took piano from some of BYU's finest piano professors.  She composes, and accompanies professionally and is just plain ridiculous.   She called me up a couple weeks ago and told me that she had written this song a couple of years ago after she lost her son and wanted to put a video of the song on youtube with a slide show of pictures of kids with their parents and mothers with their children.  She asked me if I would sing and record the song for her!   Stttoooopppp.  She said she had been thinking of people to sing the song, and she woke up in the middle of the night with my name on her mind.  Shut upppp! I am too flattered.  But I learned it and recorded it this week with her and her husband.  It was really cool to talk with her about her experiences and how she came up with the music and everything.  She told me that her inspiration for music is actually a really spiritual experience for her and that the things she writes are never for her, but something God is using her to bless someone else.  There was a line in the song that said 

"I can't believe God would take you from me" and then later in the song it goes, " I am so glad that God sent you to me."  She explained to me that she had gone through these stages of grieving when she lost her little boy.  But that she had come to appreciate that trial so much more.  She said what a blessing it was for her that God didn't present us with an option of our trials.  Because she said if she had to choose between losing her son and going through all the pain, doubt and heartache but knowing he would always be hers and she could have him again  VS. not having to go through any of it and not have to deal with the pain and hurt but also never be able to have him, she probably would have chosen the second option! But she said it was through the heartache and struggle that she came to understand Christ's Atonement more fully and understand that her son is very much apart of her life and her family and she will have him again one day.  It was very powerful to hear of her hardships and hear her strength from them.  And that is what this life is all about.  Becoming.  God wants us to become and to be something greater and it is only through our trials and weaknesses that we come to rely upon something so much greater than ourselves and we draw strength and become stronger through accessing the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

This ties perfectly into one of our miracles this week.  We went to go see a less active in a locked apartment complex.  There are a couple of less active members that live there, including Tamara.  I have talked with her a time or two but she has never been super enthralled to talk to me.  We were standing outside of the complex waiting to be let in when Tamara wheeled by in her chair and passed by us, saw us then wheeled back and let us in.  She said, "Are you the church people? "  We laughed and said yes then she said, " I knew it, you just oozed church."  Hahahah good, good that is our job.   Then she told us that she wanted to meet with us as soon as possible. She seemed hesitant asking us and kept saying if we didn't have time it was okay and she understood if we were busy.  But we told her we had time for her and went up to her apartment where she burst into tears and  sobbed to us.  She said she had never felt so hopeless and so alone. Her mother had just passed away and she informed us of some other awful experiences she has had within the past year.  She said she loved the church and wanted it back so bad, but for so many years she had pushed the church and pushed the people in the church away and didn't know how she could come back.  We testified of the Atonement and her worth to us and to the church. I had her read Isaiah 41:10 and 13 and she sobbed and sobbed as she read those words.  The spirit was so strong and touched her so deeply.  If we had not been there right at that moment, she wouldn't have seen us or helped us into the complex. OH THE LORD IS IN THE DETAILS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HE IS IN THE DETAILS

Another example of perfect timing was when we were looking for a less active girl in the ward that is turning 12 and entering Young Womens.  The Young Women's president asked us to see if she would be interested in activities.  We went to the house and no one was home.  This was probably the 3rd time we had tried the house with no luck.  But right as we were pulling out of the driveway, the school bus dropped off a little girl.  Sister Storrs and I were like, ITS HER! So we went all creep status and rolled down our window and asked if she was Alexa.  We got talking with her and I am sure scarred her for life.  But if we had arrived just minutes later we would have completely missed her.  

I don't know if you remember me writing about Leanne and Charly.  We had a bomb lesson with them and then could never touch base with them again.  It broke my heart.  We have been praying that we would be able to somehow get in contact with them again.  Earlier this week Leanne called us and told us she needed us to come asap.  We called a member and ran over there as quickly as we could.  We were able to pray with her adn teach her about the plan of salvation and her purpose here.  The Spirit was there and so strong.  She cried and said the closing prayer and each of us had tears in our eyes as she spoke to her Father in Heaven.  Really spoke to Him.  When we got there she brought out all these purses she and earrings and necklaces she had and wanted to give them to us. I laughed it off, but she was serious and gave us all these things.  I was thinking about why she did that and how she probably knew of no other way to thank us and wanted to give us something.  The Lord has been preparing this woman for a long time and she is ready.  She joked about how no matter where she goes missionaries always find her and that God is obviously trying to tell her something. She said, "I could probably go to Japan and some Sisters would find me! "  hahaha The Lord is so aware of His children and she is probably right.  She could go to Japan and God would send her his messengers to bring her the gospel once more because He knows she is ready for change.  

Also this week we got hard core stuck in mud.  HARD CORE! WE made the mistake of going down a road that wasn't really a road.  And since the snow is melting everything is slushy and muddy.  Our car got DESTROYED with mud.  Hahaha poor Sister Storrs had to get out of the car and push and she got soaked in mud.  

ALSO MIRACLE!! I had my come to Jesus talk with Larry and he didn't really like that.  He said he would call us when he was ready to meet again. I thought I would be upset about it, but I felt like I did what I was supposed to in telling him it was time to move forward and stop staying in this comfortable zone.  We haven't talked to him a week.  I turned around after Sacrament meeting yesterday and Mr. Larry Love of my Life was sitting in the back row in a nice button up shirt with nice dress shoes and a smile.  He saw me and threw me a peace sign. Hahaha I sat with him in gospel principles and apologized and told him that I only said the things I did because I love him and see his potential. I told him the ball was in his court and he could call the shots.  He laughed at me and said, "Moline, get over it."  Haha as he left gospel principles he came up behind me and said, " I will see you Wednesday at 4:00"  and walked away. hahaha Oh that man. I love him. And Bishop pulled him aside and they had a good talk. OH Larry Larry.

We also had our lesson with Kirby the Book of Mormon man.  It rocked. Let's just say he knows it is true and believes in the Book of Mormon and the Restoration.  He has a lot of trust issues and has lost a lot of hope in humanity. He threw us some curve balls but we dodged them like pros.  He told Brother Bailey that he had never met people that cared so much and so willing to work with him and work at his level.  This poor man has no self esteem, but as we testify of God's love and mercy the expression on his face and the feel of the room changes drastically.  He knows and feels it's truth.  I LOVE THE GOSPEL.  It brings hope to the hopeless and meaning into our lives.  He is now seeing a purpose and a reason to live all because of the gospel.  

I am trying to think if I am leaving anything important out....probably. Ha this week was crazy awesome with all of the miracles and lessons we had! I love this work and I LOVE GREAT FALLS! Call President Mecham and tell him if I get transferred I am going on strike. 

I love you all so much! 

Sure love ya! Moline's rock! Missionaries rule!