{ muuurrickllllzz }

Miracles over there, miracles over here, miracles everywhere.

But mainly, riiiiiight here.

So.

Let's talk about Glenda.

Remember the investigator I mentioned who described feeling the Holy Ghost as "being touched by an angel?"

That's Glenda.

I love Glenda with aaaaaaaaaall of my heart.

I love the way that she responds to the gospel. Everytime we teach her something new, it's like she just soaks it up and you can literally see a physical change in her as she realizes the love God has for all His children, and especially for her.

I'm so blessed to have a front row seat of watching her grow closer to Heavenly Father, realizing her potential as His daughter, and finder great joy.

She's on date to be baptized February 18th.

Also.

Remember the investigator who we debated dropping?

That was straight DUMB of us to even think that.

And I'll tell you whhhyyyyy...

She has been learning, researching, and taking the lessons for YEARS. She first heard about the church when she was a little girl living in Haiti and now she's 45, married to a member, and her kids are all baptized and love the gospel and know it to be true.

So what's the hold up?

Simple: she feels like her prayers haven't been answered and she is a faithful daughter of God who won't do anything until she feels like God has told her to do so.

How many of us feel as though our prayers are going unanswered?

Prayers that we have pled for time and time again over the course of countless years?

Buuuuuut do we stop to remember that Heavenly Father LOVES us?

What does that mean?

Maybe it means that sometimes, He won't answer our prayers until He knows we are willing to ACT on them. Otherwise, it would just be condemning us with the truth, being held accountable to something that we aren't ready to strive for.

He doesn't want us to fail.

His timing is perfect.

But I can testify (heck yeah, I'm getting all missionary on you guys) that HE DOES ANSWER.

The next step is to recognize His answers that do come.

As children of God, we are born with godliness in us.

We know better!

God is showing us He trusts us when we flounder a little bit.

He's allowing us to use that power of godliness we possess to seek out His answers for ourselves, rather than waiting for Him to dramatically shake us in order for us to listen.

This week, Milcar realized that divine potential she possess and the answers that have been coming for years and is now "baby stepping" towards the baptismal date of March 4th.

GUYS.

One of the top 10 BEST moments of my mission happened on Saturday.

So.

Once upon a time, I was 5 months out, serving in White River (wassup) training Sis. Pete (homegirl), and not knowing what the crap I was doing (still don't).

We were out tracting one fine, boiling hot day.

We knocked on this kid's door.

*knock knock*

He answers.

We do the spiel of the fabulous news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

He doesn't seem interested.

He's not making eye-contact.

He's massively tall and my neck hurts.

He awkward hugs us goodbye on his doorstep (what).

But we set up a return appointment for the next day, tooootaaaally thinking he would flake.

But.

He didn't.

:)

We ended up teaching Michael for a while until we had to pass him off to the YSA ward because that's where he would be attending church.

I went on to serve in Logansport and later found out through the grapevine that Michael was eventually baptized.

Yaaaaaayyy!

But I never heard anything about him again and never saw him again.

UNTIL.

Our mission had a recent-convert temple day and both Sis. Pete and I just happened to come and guess who was there?

Miiiiiiichaaaeellll. <3 <3

It was his first time in the temple and I was fetching PUMPED to see him, and to see him THERE of all places.

*goes up to him*

Me: Hey Michael! Do you remember me??

Him: Um. Wait, take off your glasses.

*removes glasses*

Him: Holy *****!!

Me: Dude. You can't say stuff like that in the temple lol.

Him: It's so good to see you!!

Me: *quiet temple jumping* *quiet temple screaming* *super loud happiness*

Did he hug me right in front of President?

Yep.

The boy's still got that awkward hug game.

Sincerely, Sister Soloa'i

P.S.

t h a n k  y o u to the Kienlen fam for my super cute/yummy cookies! Good to know people still know I exist.