Letters from Sister Alston: May Miracles (June 2, 2014)

Another week has come and gone, and here we are again!...and only a few more to go! CRAZY SAUCE!!! This week was chuck-full of miracles, it was amazing! You already heard about the 11 year old Brody who asked if he could be baptized with his mom Saturday...that was just the start of the incredible week here in Cedar Rapids!

Tuesday: after emailing in Mt. Vernon last week, we spent the rest of the day finding! We drove out to a little town called Solon and met so many prepared people for the sisters to teach! It was so neat to just walk around the tiny country town and talk to everyone. They were all, okay mostly, so nice and welcoming! All but 2 doors we knocked on welcomed us back, but 2 really stood out to me. As we were walking down the street, we saw a family playing outside. By the time we got back around to where there house was, they were inside. We knock, and a lady and her daughter opens the door. She explains that they had just moved in, knows a little about the church, and would love to learn more and come! ...she was on the phone or would have let us in, but the sisters will be teaching her soon! On the other side of town; which let's face it, is the next street over ;) we met a man and his 2 girls, introduce ourselves and he says..."well, sometimes they call me Brother Brian!" haha... he was funny. He asked us if we were upset when we got our call and it said 'Iowa'...he knew quite a bit about the church but said the sisters could stop by anytime. I love nice people!

Wednesday: back-to-back exchanges, but luckily the Cedar Rapids 1st ward sisters came to join us in our area as soon as we returned from Mt. Vernon! Honestly, I was a bit nervous, because I'm still trying to get used to this area and figure out where everything is!...BUT...It ended up being a spectacular day! We started off the exchange with great studies, then Sister Murphy and I got to go teach Melissa! Sister Browne, a member in the ward, came with us and we had a great lesson! Planned on talking about the doctrine of Christ, but ended up talking about how Heavenly Father gives us weaknesses so we are humble and learn to rely on Him. It was a very cool lesson. Melissa has been through so much, and has given up so much to change her life completely around so she can be baptized. The gospel is such an amazing things, and I am so grateful I've been able to see it change so many lives, and see it change my own life as well! As we were driving to lunch, a lady who we had tried to get in contact with (who was a media referral) called us back and asked if we could come over that afternoon. We were able to go over and talk with her about the plan of salvation. She had just lost her husband at the beginning of the month, and was really struggling. Her daughter, who is a member in Arkansas, referred us to her. She is so amazing! I know she has been prepared to receive the gospel. It was so cool, because she said she had been studying the bible and just couldn't find the answers she was looking for, and asked where she could read in the Book of Mormon about the Plan of Salvation. We were able to direct her straight to Alma 40 and other passages to read, and she was so excited! The elders were also able to come give her a blessing which was very neat for her to experience. We are excited to continue teaching her!...when we asked if we could come back and share more with her, she said, "yes, please do!!! I need this, and I need you!" We had a couple hours to find and check up on potentials, and ended up finding so many new people who asked us to come back. One man, Cime, from Haiti, told us to please come back and teach his family. We were able to share the restoration with another couple on their doorstep and they thought it was so neat, and that they like what we are doing. (Now if only we didn't have the language barrier!!!) ...but I guess with the spirit, there really is no language barrier! After finding for awhile, we felt like we were needed somewhere else, so we go and try to see a less-active who we hadn't been able to contact...and SHE WAS HOME!!!... we found out her husband had been taught before, but the sisters stopped coming, and he wants to be baptized! So hopefully we can help him do that! ...the rest of exchanges went just as amazing, all day it was so amazing to be lead by the spirit and end up exactly where we needed to be.

Thursday: We helped at a blood drive, got to wear jeans!...had district meeting, then were invited to dinner at a member's neighbor's house!... Evie and Dennis are awesome! They had met the sisters a couple weeks before I got here, then Thursday we were finally able to meet with them again. We had an amazing lesson on the Restoration, and the spirit was so strong! After reading Joseph Smith's first vision, Dennis starts talking about how his prayers have been answered throughout his life. It was so cool to see the spirit work within them! Also... Evie decided that since she never had kids, they are adopting sister Hill and I.. haha. I'm starting to get confused as to who I belong to anymore! Just kidding.

Saturday: THE PERFECT MISSIONARY DAY!!! To sum it all up, we found one new investigator, had 2 baptisms, had 4 non-members at the baptism, ate dinner with a part-member family, and did service for a member who is trying to quit smoking! IT WAS AMAZING! Seriously, that is THE PERFECT DAY as a missionary! ...we even got to wear jeans again! haha. Melissa and Brody's baptism was so spiritual. They both had a great experience, and both shared their testimonies yesterday in Sacrament meeting! They are incredible, and will do amazing things! I am so grateful Heavenly Father allowed me to work with them, and be able to witness such a miracle!

I've been thinking a lot lately about who we are as children of God. We have such divine potential that we don't realize...and most likely won't realize until we get there! On earth, we receive many blessings for who we were before. After this life, we will receive the blessing for who we are and what we did on earth. I look forward to the day when I get to kneel at my Savior's feet and thank Him for all he has done for me, for the knowledge he has given me, for the comfort and strength he gives me each and every day. I know He lives. I know He loves us.

Thank you all for your love, and constant prayers and support. It means the world to me.

Love Always,

Sister Natalia Alston