Letter #20 01/20/15

The nino love is still so strong. 

WHOA. Can't even begin to tell y'all all the craziness that has been this week. Like, okay I'll just say that this has been the single hardest week of my mission hands down. And like, I say that a lot and all weeks have their ups and downs but WHOA. Haha, who knew transfers could be so hard? I was feeling so pumped to get a new companion, destroy the area and baptize everyone.. and obviously, The Lord saw that and was like, "Wait a good second.." And, I've been sufficiently humbled and I've learned so much and I'm SO grateful. Basically, the low down is that I've got a new companion.. Hermana Thompson. She's so sweet, SO organized, and so obedient. Which is, like, exactly what Burkeville needed. But she's also been, for the last 6 months, the entirety of her mission, serving in Woodbridge aka Northern VA by Washington, DC not to mention the largest hispanic WARD that exists in the mission and.. She's been struggling a little. We all have. The work just seemed non existent this week. Which wasn't true, but Satan was making us feel that way BIG time.

I finally just made this commitment in mind that I am just going to be HAPPY. Just cheerfully do every thing that lies in my power to help the area, just love people and put everything else in the Lord's hands. I've had so many good conversations with Him and our relationship has grown so much. I'm really grateful, because that was my goal for this transfer.. haha, be careful what you wish for Hermanas y Hermanos.. 'cause, if it's in line with the Lord's will, you're totally gonna get it. But it's SO worth the hard times. At least I know it will be. 

Savin' souls or somethin'

Ya know what they say, it's always darkest before the dawn.. And it certainly was. Because we have seen the most GLORIOUS miracles these last few days. And they have all sprung from this beautiful prompting that came slowly at first but then soon grew into something like unto, "HERMANA YOST there's this beautiful town called Amelia in your area and you never work there and don't you know that I've been telling you for a million years that there's prepared hispanics there, not to mention other humans and stop spending every waking moment two miles from your home in Crewe. GO AND DO and I promise you'll see the blessings." And I was like, "Okayyyyyy!"

Okay, I love this lady so mucho! We've been through it all together. #adiosamiga

And so, we went yesterday. And started just searching the list of former hispanic investigators, and found a couple people and taught a lesson and life was fine and then, we decided to go to the Mexican Tienda (store) down the street. Like, obviously there's going to be hispanics there. So we entered and nobody is there.. like, not even somebody running the store. So we look around for a second and I loudly ask if anybody is there, and.. still nobody. Finally I just holler super loud and this lady comes out. Her name is M and she owns the store. 

She begins to tell us that she knows who we are. She's from La Ciudad de Mexico and her mom did a lot of work on the temple construction there. She worked too much, so she couldn't go to church, but she sent M and her siblings to church with other members. She knew all about Moroni and temples and everything. If that wasn't a super cool miracle in and of itself, here it comes.. She begins to tell us that she's basically been going through a WAY hard time, that her husband just recently left their family. Her son has taken it pretty hard and has started drinking a lot. We arrived in the afternoon, and that very morning she had prayed with all the energy of her heart that someone would come and listen to her and help her. And then we showed up! I couldn't help but cry. The Lord KNOWS His children, He knows that sometimes I'm stubborn and don't follow promptings the moment I should. But He also knew that we needed to go on the day that she would ask for us so that she could recognize us as His servants. She is SO prepared and my testimony has just skyrocketed that The Lord is aware. Good things come to those who endure. He wants to help us, He loves us so much. He loves EACH and EVERY one of you! Don't you dare forget it. He sent His son Jesus Christ to the earth so that we would NEVER be alone. Not in any trial or struggle or temptation or difficulty. He understands completely! 

In the words of my bff Michael Mcclain.. "You're not aloneeee.. Even though right now, you're on your own.. He can help in ways that can't be shown, your prayers are known.. you're not alone.."

Okay, I might be going crazy. But I'm just so grateful! We're never alone. I love each and every one of ya, and am so thankful. 

LOVES. <3 Hermana Yost

Feeding his sheep