I Feel It Close Around Me

We all sat there gathered around while one of the purest members of our ward explained to those two little girls, not even his own, about what it means to endure to the end. The scriptures passed around & each of the young ones there shared testimony of what they know. It was beautiful. The Andía family invited us, Melody, & Isabel to their house to do a family home evening. It was the first one these girls had been to. We sang I am a Child of God & it was the most happiest thing as I looked around & saw little Olivia singing without a book, just from memory & then as the last chorus began to play, Melody just looked up & kept singing from memory. "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do, to live with Him someday." Melody has been coming to church for about a month, just got baptized last week & yesterday recieved the Holy Ghost. She has a new light. She is opening up from her shy self. She is an example to her sweet little family who needs this gospel so badly.

After a week had gone by, last night we headed over just to say hi & ask how they felt in church. As we showed up there were lots of guys fixing a fence & Mario, their dad, was helping out. All the guys told him we had showed up. He whipped his head around & the biggest smile got placed right on his face. He came skipping over & then went to go get the girls. They all came out & just listened so intently to all we had to say. We shared with them the video, Where Justice, Love, & Mercy Meet. It was chaotic, lots of things making noise (dogs, machines, & music) but just so happened as the boy offered his prayer, all of that stopped. As the video finished we asked what they liked about it. Isabel began to talk & Mario sat, tears in his eyes, shaking, looking at the floor as Isabel explained the burning in her chest as she prays. She bore the most profound testimony of a 12 year old girl & it was precious. Mario is feeling the spirit, we know it. He just needs to jump.

A few weeks back we met a girl named Carolina. She is a doctor. Which means, she works quite a bit. We were able to have a lesson with her this week & we taught her the importance of prayer, reading the scriptures, & going to church. She talks a lot but we were able to put some eternal truths in there as she asked questions. Finally as we closed the lesson, I prayed & she looked up with tears in her eyes & jumped at me to hug me. She said that prayer touched her & she doesn't know what that means. We explained to her that it was the spirit. She is special. She read the phamphlet we left her & she told us how much it focused on the family & how God loves us. Pure.

We got a referral in the middle of the week from the Elders. We were close to where they lived & so we passed by. No one was home but just so happened that a car pulled up right behind us. They got out, we asked for Rodrigo & the lady told us it was her son. We began to have a conversation with them about the gospel. Hermana Hoopes with Ricardo, the grandpa, & I was with Mirta, the daughter & mom. Mirta told me she was baptized when she was little & how she went to church with her aunts & uncles for years. She remembered quite a few things as we talked but had forgotten the most important, that we can pray to know the truth. So I was able to invite her to pray about it again, to come back, & to let us come by. God really does love His children. He let us be there right in that moment to catch them. Throughout the week we kept randomly running into them. So special.

We are teaching a man named Jorge. He is 81 years old & so silly but so lost in his beliefs. We have taught him just 2 times but each time has been so powerful as we sit & try to testify with all our hearts. He has been reading the phamplets through & through. Loves them & has lots of questions. Last time we went by, we gave him the phamplet about the Doctrine of Christ. He texted us the other day saying that the part about baptism seems good. & so today when we go to see him, we will be inviting him to be baptized if we feel prompted by the spirit!!!

Pablo!!! We have been trying to have a lesson with him for a few weeks now but he always just doesn't have time & so the other day we passed by, he came out & he had time. We taught him about the Doctrine of Christ & we used the scriptures. The spirit was so strong. I know that as we taught & testified, he got the same testimony.

I have spent some time each day studying a general conference talk. This week two of them stuck out to me. "Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ" & "The Prodigal & the Road That Leads Home". They both speak about a way, a road, a path. We are all on a path, all on our way to God or away from Him. Christ invited us to walk with Him because He knows that He can guide us & help us on the way. Lots of us are choosing to walk with Him, but lots of us are trying to do it alone. If you arent walking with Him right now, do so. Emily Belle Freeman said, "Begin where you are. Don’t let your condition hinder you. Remember, pace or placement on the path are not as important as progress." & Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "I do not pretend that coming back is an easy thing to do. I can testify of that. It may, in fact, be the toughest choice you will ever make. But I bear witness that the moment you decide to return and walk in the way of our Savior and Redeemer, His power will enter your life and transform it. Angels in heaven will rejoice." I am overjoyed at how willing Jesus is to just grab our hand whereever we are. He will sometimes even pull us along. We just have to give forth a litte effort & that will be enough. So start praying again, maybe even with family, read your scriptures, go back to church or bring a friend with you. You will never regret it. I sure never do. I am so happy & so grateful for this gospel. It is true. No, it has not been easy & quite honestly, I found myself feeling unheard this week in my prayers but then I realized that I am getting so many answers, some just don't come right away. & so, I keep praying because I just know God loves me & he hears each one. It's something I learned a long time ago as I sang,

"Heavenly Father, are you really there?

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

<3 <3 <3

Pray, he is there;

Speak, he is list’ning.

You are his child;

His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer;

He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n."