Tender Mercies Every Day

Happy Monday to everyone! :)

Oh how I love hearing from you, and all the exciting things going on in your lives!  Congratulations to Ray and Megan on their wedding! I can't wait to see pictures!  Welcome to the Alston family Megan!!!  :)

It was Sister Hill's first full week in Iowa City!  So far, so good!  Of course, every day has it's ups and downs...but there are far more ups than downs that's for sure!  SO MANY TENDER MERCIES FROM THE LORD!  Thinking that we could have done a bit better (I mean, we can ALWAYS do a bit better), last night we were reporting numbers...and we actually broke a record of 30 lessons in one week!  WOW!!!  We didn't even realize it!  haha.  That helped us realize that as long as we are doing our best and being the best we can be, the Lord makes up the rest.

On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to have our sister rep. visit for exchanges!  We separated for the day, and came home learning so much!  We saw so many miracles in just one day!  Sister Collazos taught me the importance of finding by the spirit.  We had a few minutes to spare before an appointment, so we prayed to know how many potentials we could find, or if we should go somewhere else.  We both received the impression that there were 2 potentials in the apartment complex...the 2nd door we knocked we found one, and I felt like we should walk over and talk to these African women sitting outside and ended up placing a Book of Mormon and setting up a return appointment with one of them.  It was so neat to be finding with a purpose...knowing that the Lord had prepared 2 potentials for us in that area at that time, and in less than 20 minutes we found them!  It made "finding" so much more enjoyable!  The next miracle was getting in to teach Sylvie.  Sylvie is an investigator that we have been trying to contact and teach since before I arrived here in Iowa City.  Every time we would try and set an appointment, something would happen...and their apt complex is impossible to get into.  So Sister Collazos and I sit outside and say a prayer asking to somehow make it possible for us to get in the locked door and be able to teach Sylvie.  About 5 minutes later, this man pulls up, gets out of his car and walks up to open the door and lets us in!  MIRACLE!!!!  :)  We had a great lesson with Sylvie; in fact she, her husband Moses, and their 2 babies came to church yesterday which was another miracle!  Bishop had told us about a girl he wanted us to try and contact who was less active, from Albania!  He had no idea I had been to Kosovo, and knew a tiny bit of Albanian.  Anyways...we were able to go see her and remind her of the plan of salvation.  It was so fun to speak the little bit of Albanian I knew with her, and teach her about the plan of salvation.  She was baptized a year and a half ago in Albania by missionaries, married an American and moved here 6 months ago not knowing any English.  Now her English is great, and she is 7 months pregnant!  We hope to be able to help her come back to church, and hopefully teach her husband as well!  At church yesterday, one of the stake presidency came up to me and thanked me for going to visit her...because a couple weeks ago he had an impression to send me to see her but didn't know why.  He had no idea I had been to that part of the world, but felt like I should meet her.    

On Saturday morning, the entire Iowa Des Moines mission came together for a powerful meeting where we were privileged to be a part of and receive instruction from Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Edward Dube of the First Quorum of the Seventy and with Elder Michael J. Reall of the Seventy in attendance.  To shake the hand of an Apostle of the Lord and then be taught by him is a treasured experience.  Elder Anderson instructed us to put our lives and trust in the Lord as HE knows the end from the beginning.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He quoted PMG p 2 and said that as our understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, our desire to share the gospel will increase.  We will become seers of the unseen.  He talked of the merits of Christ being what brought about the Resurrection, His mercy being his love and forgiveness for each of us… (We need to experience it then teach it) and His grace which is the enabling power of the Atonement to do what we cannot do for ourselves. Elder Dube told of his conversion and emphasized the importance of developing a relationship with leaders as it will bless you the rest of your life!  Elder Clayton told us to “work hard and be good!”  Be ‘whole’ saints.   Sister Jergensen stressed the importance of loving your companion and loving your area because love is the motivating factor in all we do.

The power that entered the room when Elder Anderson entered us undeniable.  I feel so blessed to have been able to be in the presence of and be instructed by an apostle of the Lord who holds keys that make up the full restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today.  I know that he is called of God, that this church is true, that as we continue to practice the Atonement in our everyday lives we will become who Heavenly Father needs us to become for these the last days.

I love you all and hope and pray you remain healthy and strong!  

Thank you again for all your words of encouragement, love, and support.

Love with all my heart,

Sister Natalia Alston