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| Swift Creek sisters on Christmas morning....I love them! |
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| Pure Joy |
existence. It has been incredible to take a quick glance back to last
Christmas and see just how much I have changed. A lot is the same, the
day to day struggle of just trying to be a good servant of the Lord,
trying to give Him my all, still not knowing exactly how to be s
missionary, falling short. However, I realized something huge this
week- that through all of the trials and hardships and times of
feeling really far away from God, I've come to know Him personally. I
looked back (as this time seemed to just be the culmination of my
whole mission, not sure why haha) and realized that I have wasted SO
much time feeling like I had to do it on my own. And it's just simply
not so. We are never, never on our own. Let me illustrate this point
with a silly littleq (but huge for me) example from this wonderful
week's all mission conference.
My mother, grandmother, piano teacher and everyone who knew me growing
up knows that I loathed nothing more than practicing the piano. Like,
the worst. Rather than persevere I took the easier road of just
choosing not to develop my talents. Which leaves me in kind of this
awkward position where I know how to play the piano, not well, but
nobody really knows that. So anyways, for Christmas conference every
missionary and their dog is trying to get together a nice musical
number and are need of an accompanist. I volunteered to play for some
(what?),others asked, and so I ended up with quite a few piano numbers
to learn. We spent our entire preparation day at the church playing
the piano and eating way too much pizza. After hours of practice, I
still felt a little stressed about the songs, but nothing too bad. I
knew it would all work out. But the kicker was that we were still
waiting on one set of sheet music to be emailed- it arrived. I almost
cried when I saw it- a lovely song titled, "If the savior stood beside
me" and then.. I could play it. This spirit continued on to the next
day, I was still super nervous and found myself sinking a little bit
like our good friend Peter BUT everything went well. I could feel
tears streaming as my hands played the songs and I could feel Him
beside me. And although it wasn't perfect, he was there. He really is
always near us, though we do not see him there.
Okay CHRISTMAS MIRACLE time!!!
Are you pumped? Because, whoa, I'm just as pumped as ever to tell you
this lovely story. Like, Heavenly Father is just literally the best! I
feel like my time in chesterfield has just been his beautiful way of
telling me that, "it's not you, it's Me". Like miracle beautiful
experiences have just fallen into our laps and I am not complaining.
But it's also just like nothing at all anything that we did. Like we
work our bums off teaching and loving and calling people to
repentance, but at the end of the day.. Heavenly Father doesn't need
us. He can do His work and he's just kind enough to let us in on the
magic!
Anyways really very much longer story short, on the morning of
Christmas Eve we received a call from a random member in our phone. We
assumed she was just a sweet less active lady wanting us to come over
for lunch or something, so we scheduled and appt and went over. She
begin to cry, telling us that as she and the kids were praying the
other day, she received a distinct impression that she needed to come
back to church. She searched for our phone number for two days without
and luck, but by some beautiful miracle (obviously not a coincidence)
we had sent her a text inviting her to Hno Rocha's baptism (speaking
of that hilarious human, he passed the sacrament for the first time
yesterday and I cried and it was just so happy), which she found
searching her phone at like two in the morning. She told us of her
desire to have her kids be baptized, to go to the temple and be sealed
with her family forever. As she spoke, we felt so strongly of her
goodness and sincerity. She asked when the kids could be baptized, and
we started to talk about it. They had been working with other
missionaries around March , just not progressing, but had received all
the lessons and had been to church loads of times thought their little
life times. Then out of cute Hermana draper' mouth comes the words,
"well you could get baptized tomorrow then!" And we didn't even know
if they could, I mean we'd need to talk to lots of people had who ever
sees a one day baptism, but literally EVERY SINGLE THING WORKED OUT.
They were so set on this baptism, praying that the bishop would say
yes, praying that they could be baptized and, Heavenly Father hears
children's prayers. It was actually creepy to see every would be
obstacle tumble down with just a simple phone call. Heavenly Fathers
will was done and you wouldn't believe the change that has been
wrought in these beautiful souls. The mom, Hermana P, has invited
basically the entire ward to a Family Home Evening at their house
tomorrow, Hermano A, the dad who want nothing at all to do with
church or anything has the sweetest gleam in his eye now, the light of
Christ, and wants nothing more than a forever family. THIS DOES IT NO
JUSTICE, but really. Miracles people. Heavenly Father knows just when
to touch a heart, and he is more than happy to do it. I am so grateful
for His hand, for His love and for His son Jesus Christ.
As we gathered with a peculiar group of less actives and recent
converts on Christmas Night, a little testimony meeting over pupusas,
it just hit me so hard how much I love these people. How they are my
family. How, even though I *still* can't speak they're language like I
want to, Heavenly Father helps me to speak with His love. And we all
feel it and it's just probably the sweetest experience ever.
I love Him, I love y'all and I love la Navidad!
Besos y abrazos!
Hermana Yost
