My testimony and faith keeps growing that there are prepared people EVERYWHERE, especially here in Oakland. I don't have time to list off all the miracles we've seen this week, but I know that this is the Lord's work. We're just instruments, working hard and showing up to help him find His searching children. We had a great zone meeting with Elder Packer and Brother Fairchild where they essentially asked us to do two things - exercise faith in missionary work and STOP complaining about everything. Hermana Ivey and I have been struggling with a tiny teaching pool and hardly any progress with these investigators so we definitely needed to hear the message. The next day, we tried contacting an investigator who can never meet with us because her work schedule is always changing. After once again not finding her at home, we decided to knock the whole street. It was a tiny street - maybe ten houses on it - and we'd been meaning to do if for a while. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week, every door opened and we walked away from that street with six referrals! Not all were Spanish-speaking but there was one super solid family that we are going to see tomorrow afternoon. The mom, Guadelupe, took lessons from missionaries ten years ago and wants us to come back and teach her husband and her two sons as well who are both older than 8. We haven't been able to contact the others, but the Spirit knew that's where we needed to go even if it's just for that one family.
We've also had some amazing experiences at the VC. Saturday mornings are always crazy busy but Saturday nights slow down a lot. We had a whole wedding party from Africa come in and we got three referrals from them. There was a also a family from Mexico visiting their son who is going to school in LA. When the father heard that we have a living prophet, he immediately filled out a referral card. Their son's friend who was with them, who had grown up with no religion, said she wanted to learn too! It was a day full of miracles. There are times when I feel like the Visitors' Center takes away from my time in my area, but I know the Lord blesses our areas when we're using our time effectively at the Visitors' Center.
I'm lucky to be staying here in the Oakland 6th Spanish ward for yet another six weeks :) Hermana Ivey and I get to celebrate our 9-month-mark together this Wednesday! Halfway! Time flies so fast on the mission! Parker's only done with a quarter of his mission, while I'm already at half :/ but I'm just trying to make this time count! I've finally figured out most of the ropes of missionary work - now I just need to climb! Our district has some high goals this transfer and I'm so excited! I love this work so much and I'm so grateful to be a part of it :)
Hermana Hunsaker
