"Pray as if everything depended on God. Work as if everything depended on you."

Hi!

This past week has been a week of crazy miracles. We are teaching a teenage boy who met with the Elders months ago but they lost tract of him (because he moved). He was about to get baptized. We've been praying to find him for two transfers and God provided. We felt inspired to go tracting in Rocky Ford on our way back to La Junta from district meeting. We started talking to this teenager and started teaching him. Halfway through the lesson, another teenage boy showed up and said that he was taught by missionaries and that he was still reading the BofM every night. When he told us his name, we looked at each other and then asked him if he still wanted to meet with us and get baptized. We were so excited! He came to church this past week and we are now re-teaching him all the lessons. Prayer does work and God does love us.
A couple of weeks ago an inactive man came to church with his two daughters. We introduced ourselves but he didn't talk much. The next week the mother (who is active) of the man told us that one of the daughters is old enough to get baptized and she invited us over to her house to teach the girl, Jacklyn. They came to church again this week and the dad is working hard to improve his life and be a better father.
Another crazy miracle. We got this call from a member in the ward and she said that her grandson (23 years old) wanted to take the lessons. That was a surprise since we have to usually do the finding. So we met with them at the church the next day and he has truly been prepared. He said that his life has been on the downward slope for too long and that he's ready to change. He's already read the first two books of Nephi, knows the BofM is true and wants to get baptized. When we asked about his feelings that he had during the first vision, he said that he felt all tingling all over. He felt the Spirit so strong! It always amazes me how God will give us miracles in a different way when we are trying our best to find people and to help them come unto Christ.
We've been thinking a lot about a former investigator, Joann, who we had worked with for a long time but she wouldn't get married. We tried calling her but both of her phones were disconnected. But then we got a call from her but since our phone was broken we only got her message and not her new phone number. She said that she's been thinking a lot about us and misses us. So we decided that we were going to try and find her. We had to time it right because she lives in a different town and we wouldn't get many shots at it. We stopped by her house and no one was home. The house looked a little different and there was a different car there. We thought about her moving, since she was struggling financially. So we said a prayer and asked for help to find her. About 30 seconds later a car pulls into a driveway and we walk over there to talk to invite them to learn. But as we got closer we found out that it was Joann's daughter and the daughter's husband who we had met several times before. When we recognized her, I thought "Well, that was fast." God didn't wait to give us an answer. She called up her mom told her that we were looking for her. We met with Joann later that evening but it wasn't as what we were expecting. The fire and spirit we had once seen in her was gone. She looked different and acted different. I was reminded of something out of Preach My Gospel that talks about the power of the Holy Ghost and how people feel it which gives them that testimony and witness but if they don't receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, they lose it. Joann had lost it. Great testimony builder of why we try to get people baptized quickly because if you wait too long they lose it. They need the companionship of the Holy Ghost to re-affirm to them the truthfulness.

During my personal study, I found a great analogy to our lives. In 1 Nephi 16:17-31, Nephi breaks his bow and the family can't get food. Everyone begins to murmur but not Nephi. He doesn't just sit around waiting for something to happen, he goes to work, makes a new bow and then asks God where to find the food. We can learn that when we have struggles we need to do everything in our power to make it better or to fix it but we also must turn to the Lord for help. This quote comes to mind, "Pray as if everything depended on God. Work as if everything depended on you."

The past week Heavenly Father has been giving me alot of hints and has even hit me over the head to try and get me to listen. He's been trying to tell me that I'm trying my hardest but I just need to trust in Him and His will and to have patience to see the blessings come. I think that I've been trying to force my will for so long that I've pushed the Lord out of the equation. I've wanted to baptize so badly that I've been working my hardest but without Him. I need to rely upon him and have patience in his will because he knows what is best for his children and this area. I just love my Heavenly Father so much! He desires so strongly to give me what is best for me. He desires the salvation for all of his children so perfectly, more perfect than any earthly parent could ever feel. I just think of the scripture in Moses where Enoch sees God weeping and asks, "Why are you weeping? You're God." But God says that he weeps because of his children and how they turn away from him and turn against each other. He loves me so much; He loves his children so much that he will help me help them.

Shot out to Lizzie! Congrats on the Mission Call-the Baltics, never would have thought...I'll miss you!

I love the church, the gospel, my Savior and my God! So keep the faith!

Love Sister Sumsion