At church, the theme of every sacrament meeting this month has been gratitude. The last couple of months have been pretty rough but sometimes we just have to stick it out and find the little blessings everyday that God gives us. My gratitude journal has been my saving grace, and it's helped me see how all the little things that God gives us adds up to the big things. Like Alma taught, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." I've been extremely humbled as I've watched the hand of the Lord in my life and in the lives of my investigators.
Hugo and Lizeth are AWESOME. They came to church this week for the second time, and Lizeth came to the Visitors' Center this past week! The members are fellow-shipping them without us asking. They aren't super solid but at least they feel comfortable at church and with the members. We're going to watch the Joseph Smith movie with them at the Visitors' Center tonight for FHE and we're going to invite them to be baptized! Yay! We'll get a picture during the day with both of their kids next week - Hugo Jr. didn't come and Andrea went home with her church friend Scarlet.
The Ramirez family is super awesome. They told us they were coming to church.......and then they didn't. There's something not clicking with them but we're going by tonight to resolve those concerns. Also, their mom might not be a member.....she can't remember if she got baptized but she's got a solid testimony and remembers EVERYTHING even though her husband was baptized over ten years ago and they went inactive soon afterwards. Bishop Torres' family went with us to one of the lessons and it was awesome. Katherine already knows Suzy, Bishop's daughter, from school and they're pretty much best friends. Also, we started teaching Cynthia again! They all have a baptism date for the 15th of December and we're just waiting for that one more miracle. Their mom doesn't have work next week so they should be at church!
We have a new investigator, Angelica! We taught her last Saturday but we gave her to the elders since she didn't live in our area, but they gave her back because she's a single woman and they can't find a member to come with them to her lessons. She has a baptism date too! And even though she's on the brink of depression, she wants it so bad. I wasn't able to help Jackie last Christmas season in Castro Valley, but I think the Lord has taught me what I need to know to help Angelica right now. And after my mission, I can go back and help Jackie :)
Our other depressed investigator, Olga, is doing really well. She didn't come to church because she was in San Francisco, but she wants to change and find hope through Christ too. I know it's possible because that's where all my hope comes from: my faith in Christ and the knowledge that I have that God loves me.
We also have a couple of spirit world referrals that we found, Rosa and Desiderio. We tried teaching them twice, but he is so old that he just wasn't getting it. They're former investigators, and Rosa totally understood the need for authority and another baptism and everything but her husband holds her back. I love this little old couple so much, and we gave them all the chances we could. I know God loves them, and He'll give them another chance to accept it :) and they will once their minds are young again.
Everything is playing out just like God wants it to. He's the one in charge of this work, not me or my companion or my mission president or the bishop or the members. He's got it all planned out and we just have to jump in and play the game! I am so grateful for the opportunity to represent Jesus Christ and offer everyone the hope of change through His love. Not everyone will accept, but as we are His hands, His representatives with His pure love for others, people will always feel it and we'll never know the impact we've made.
Last night was Porque Yo Creo, the testimony meeting of all the Spanish recent converts in the area and I saw a less active woman that I met at the Visitors' Center months and months ago. I couldn't remember her name but I remembered the situation and I can't describe how happy I was to see her there. She recognized me instantly and called me and my companion at the time, Hermana Ivey who was there also, her "angels".
I'm grateful for the opportunity to be an angel in the lives of others.
Happy Thanksgiving :)
Hermana Hunsaker
