Just keep going!

Familia y Amigos,

Lately Hermana Freeman and I have been working really hard, but haven't had a ton of success. This passed week we decided to work on being more grateful. We did this so that we can at least notice the little things that are going right...among the big things that are going wrong. I have learned SO much! We have recognized many little blessings and tender mercies, and by doing so we have recieved even more.

Earlier this week on Thursday, we had four citas (appointments) in the morning. We were so excited! All of them were on pretty much completely different sides of town, but we didn't care! We were still thrilled to have such a promising morning! But then,

every

single

cita

fell

through.

Every one! We were crushed! Why couldn't the Lord bless us with just one appointment when we had been so diligent and so obedient? I don't know. But the spirit helped me learn an important lesson when I was reading in the Book of Mormon later on that day. I read in Alma 21, which is about Alma the younger, the sons of Mosiah, and the missions that they served. Chapter 21 is mostly about Aaron, and I learned so much from his example. He went alone to teach the gospel to this group of people who was really wicked. He was rejected, mocked, and later cast into prison. But I noticed one re-occurring thing throughout all of his trials and troubles as a missionary. He kept going! He always kept going, and eventually the Lord blessed the people and there was much success. :) I don't know how far out that day is for me, but until then I just gotta keep going!

Since then things have improved. We have an investigator that is PROGRESSING! Finally! I can't tell you how happy and grateful I am. It's a neat story how we found her too. One morning we were out working and we saw this cute little girl with crazy curly hair, sitting out on the front porch step. I thought maybe she was in time-out or something. We asked her if her mom was home and she mumbled something that we couldn't understand. We then kept on walking, but right when we were about to turn the corner she yelled "¡Chicas! ¡Chicas!" and motioned for us to come back. We did, and her mom let us right in!

Her name is "Y". She has three daughters: 5, 3 (the one that was on the step), and 1. She is a single mom and has been through a lot. She came to church yesterday, and I know that was only the Lord's doing. There is no way that we could have gotten her there by ourselves! The youngest had cried all night long, so she hadn't slept at all. Yet when we went to pick her up she was still willing to go to church and got ready in 10 minutes! With three little girls! That's a miracle right there. She later told us that she has never let in any other missionaries before. Jehovah's Witnesses come by a lot, but she said she will only talk to them outside. She said, "I don't know why I let you in, I don't know why I went to church, because that's so unlike me!" Yet we know why. It's the spirit! It's really fun to see it working in her. She accepted a baptismal date, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to teach her more about the gospel and the love of her Heavenly Father.

Hope all is well at home!

¡Chow! ¡Chow!

-Hermana Vawdrey