Missionary road trip: MOTAB, Cheezits, and Miracles

Querida familia mía,

This week went by super fast. Wow! We've been keeping super busy as sister training leaders. We went on two exchanges this week one with the YSA sisters and another with the Sebring sisters. It was great! I loved going to Sebring and meeting the Hispanic members there, it was cool to put faces to all the names I had heard about from my trainer and from my MTC companion who served there.

The Spanish branch there was dissolved so the sisters were excited to have us there to go visit all the Spanish families who are now going to their English ward. We were also so fortunate as to find a new investigator for them who actually goes to play basketball at the church with one of the members!

The trip out to Sebring was like taking the road trip from Spanish Fork to Beaver, UT. Maybe not quite so far, and not as brown, but there was certainly lots of farmland. It was beautiful and reminded me of home. Granted at home we wouldn't have driven through an impromptu storm, but still.

That brings me to another cool story! I was on an exchange with Sister Trebotitch (she's top notch missionary for ya!) and it seemed the whole day was going downhill. Many appointments fell through and we had run into several crazies that morning, then while we were teaching our recent convert it starts to downpour. We decided rather than wait awkwardly for an hour underneath his porch we would brave the storm. It just so happened we had decided to walk that day. So with our iPads secure in a plastic baggie and an umbrella to share we made our way into the watery windstorm.

The streets were flowing with water, appearing as though they were actual rivers. Then God surprised us with a miracle. In the middle of the drenching downpour we found one of the sisters investigators! We taught her and were able to respark her interest in the church! It was such a blessing! After the lesson we finished walking home, water up to our knees splashing and singing. This is just more evidence to me that God is so aware of the work we are doing as missionaries.

As for our own investigators, we set a date with Jorge and Margarita who fasted with us about baptism. Yesterday was a really slow day and by the end of it we were ready to throw in the towel, but with 20 minutes left we couldn't just give up. We had visited all of our Sunday usuals and nobody else seemed to be able to meet with us. We were about to resort to Facebook when a potential I met last transfer on an exchange came to mind. We pulled up to her small humble home and knocked on the door, fully expecting her not to answer, but she did! We had a great lesson with her and were able to set up another appointment. So many amazing things happen on missions, all the stories I heard when I was younger I never thought I would actually live but I'm finding that walking through rivers and last minute lessons aren't as crazy as I thought. Miracles can happen every day with a great deal of faith.

"For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name. And whoso shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick; they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk." D&C 35:8-9

Have a great week! Love you all, sorry I haven't been able to write you all personally.

-Hermana Mathis