#Miracles

July 7, 2014

I love reading all of your letters. Sometimes it’s just great to see you all smiling. This week went by fabulously!

So I received a call on Friday from an Elder wishing me a happy Fourth of July. The conversation went something like this:

"Hola! Am I talking with Elder Grow?"

"Si, con quien hablo?” (Who is this?)

"This is Elder Lewis. Happy fourth of July!!"

"Uh... Thanks?"

"Yeah ok! Sorry I’ve got to go. Bye"

"Chow"

- I hung up the phone and my companion asked me the following:

"Who was that what did they want?"

"Elder Lewis, wishing me a happy day"

"Why?”

"I don’t know actually.... "

(Me 5 min later)

“OHHHHHHHHHHH it’s the "4TH of July!!! Like the fourth-of-July like THE Fourth of July!!”

That’s pretty much how I celebrated!


Anyway this week went by fast. Monday we played…. soccer :)

Tuesday we walked and walked and walked and everything literally fell. We ended up walking for 9 hours!!!! Walking and talking. My companion got home and back flopped in to bed saying it was the most exhausting day he’s ever had. I asked him why? He told me BECASUE IF we are not preaching the gospel you won’t ever stop talking!!! Hahaha!! He claims the only time I ever shut up is when we are eating, studying, praying or teaching. The next day I tried to do a lot more whistling instead!! ;)

The next day we had some great lessons. We built a bar. We talked to a man with 95 years. He is a member who is preparing to go to the temple. We then went to a new area and we met a family there. This is a family of some prayers. When the Mother saw us she just starred in awe. She said that her son had died two years ago, and she had a dream last night where he came to her with two men in white shirts with a book telling her he was busy studying.... I pulled out the Book of Mormon. You can imagine what we felt!! So grateful to be part of that!! They are not married and cannot read either but we have a lot of hope for them.

We then met a family that night and I invited him with a fecha but my companion didn’t, he claimed he didn’t want to even though the president has told us he wants all missionaries inviting with a date the first lesson. So it took a lot of conversation and swallowing of some pride but we sat down and said a prayer asking for God to guide us. Soon after our zone leader called asking us how everything was and if we had a question....

You can imagine what I’m feeling after that day. #Miracles.

The next day we visited Cesar Espinoza (who the missionaries have visited for 10 years) a member,but his family isn’t sealed and he only comes to church occasionally. We’ve been working a lot with him (I’ve mentioned him before) anyway so we taught a wonderful lesson on tithing and he’s not only agreed to pay his tithing but has agreed to pay all the tithing on back log too. We then had some great additional lessons with him.

The next day was a true test of my patience.

Friday we volunteered service with a man in our ward (with 95 years) and we were plowing his garden, a pretty big one, like our back yard. Well I started digging furrows and had 6 good strong rows when one of the missionaries from Venezuela said…. “You’re doing it wrong….” I stopped.... he claimed that that’s not how it’s done. I kind of laughed and said, “Ok well you show me”. He went making his furrows. Well then the other missionaries like his way better and started criticizing my farming!! You must understand I’m standing here looking at them.... You’re teaching me about farming?? MY Dad, his Dad and his Dad and his Dad were all farmers. I’ve gardened my whole life. You’re telling me this is wrong,...(the ancestral blood of the Grow’s raged through my rippling muscles as I picked up the pick axe and call upon the powers of the farmer and plowed the entire field in one swipe!!! (Great story huh?) I just remembered God then I said a prayer, stepped back and watched while also swallowing my pride. I got to work and loved. Anyway than the man came out and said it was all crap and whoever had done those first 6 rows was right... (Victory dance in my head!!!!)

Sometimes it’s not even with the investigators that you have to practice love its other missionaries, your companions and the members that are hard! I’ve grown a lot in this one week. Sunday was when it came…. Hermano Haro blessed the sacrament and he also got up and bore a powerful testimony. I thanked God to be part of this work. Then Hermana Anabel (the esposa of Cesar)shared her testimony about how God is answering her prayers for 10 years. I realized it’s not me. I haven’t done 1 iota of this work. It’s all God! I’m just grateful to be here.

Anyway then we met a family, we are contacting for a Carlos (different Carlos) but his name conveniently was Carlos. We walked in taught him and his wife and they both agreed to be baptized and get married. A very powerful lesson! Then she told us we’re marrying her sister too!! Turns out the missionaries in the other area are teaching and getting ready to marry her sister!!!

Anyway the message this week is that God is with us. He really is. He stands by us, loves us and fights for us. He will guide and help and direct us….Only when we are willing, and ready. Part of that is being humble enough to follow, and love Him enough to show that love to everyone in your path so you can bring them along closer to Christ.

Love you all,

Elder Grow