Two Miracles

[Last week, a dear friend of ours, Dan Morgan, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  We had no way to tell Emily until her weekly email on Monday.]

Well this week of emailing has been one of many tears. I am shocked about Brother Morgan. I am touched by his generosity toward our family to the point that I cannot express it. I pretty much forgot everything I was going to email to you this week....I am so grateful for him. And how amazing that you were able to go and help their family and participate in his funeral. He was like you both said....a wonderful man. Besides Dad I don't think I know a man more generous, loving, and close to the Savior. I don't think that Brother Morgan died....I think with certainty he was translated. There is a special place in heaven for Brother Morgan. As a missionary teaching the plan of salvation I can say with all my heart that I know he will see his family again someday. As a friend I can say with all my heart that he is preparing a beautiful mansion for his Queen Shelley and is standing beside our Savior smiling down on his family with pride and joy.

I am so glad that you received my letter! And that everyone liked it. :) I cried even more when I read [Dorey and Lilly keep them] under their pillows. Oh how I love you guys. Oh how I miss you guys. Its a little tough having a birthday here because I know what I am missing at home. I almost wish I could skip tomorrow. But its okay...I know the missionaries in my district are preparing to sing to me in the district meeting tomorrow and Sister A already said we could go to McDonalds for dinner so I could have real American food. ;) Butttttt ohhhh how I miss my sweet Dorey Lilly Sam Mom and Dad. 

This week was a little crazy but I am back on my feet. My new companion is Sister M. She came ready to work. She is ready to work and baptize the whole world. And that is just what we are doing....almost. We have one marked baptism date and 20 new investigators that are all looking promising. We are remaining optimistic. 

The best part about this week though were two miracles that made it possible for us to find and help two new people. Thursday we were walking around the center trying to find people to talk to and trying to think of what to do because all of our appointments had fallen through but it was time to go back to the house to change for the church activity. We started to slowly walk back toward our house praying that we would find someone to at least give the address to the church. We saw a guy sitting on a bench who was about 26 or so, so we figured....eh he cant walk away so lets go talk to him... ;) We said our spiel about where the church is and when our meetings are and then asked if we could share a message about Jesus Christ with him another day and he surprised us both by saying we could teach him right now. So we sat on the bench with him in the park and taught him the first lesson. He said that he was baptized but was baptized by a girl and he knows that that's not the right authority. And then he said that he doesn't believe in baptizing as a baby because they haven't sinned. Then he said he is looking for the "right way to be baptized". Talk about an open window for us! We taught him everything and gave him a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet and asked if he wanted to go with us to the church activity that same night (in about 2 hours from then). He said sure and so two hours later we met him a little ways from the church. In 2 hours he had shaved his beard off, cut his hair, showered, read the pamphlet, read the chapter in the Book of Mormon we gave him, and wanted to learn more. It was crazy! He had some questions so we ended up teaching him in the church and ended the lesson with a date marked for baptism. He is still a little shy and a little nervous but he is anxious to learn more and we are VERY hopeful his desire continues. He was truly an example of what it talks about in Preach My Gospel about "the Lord prepares people". 

The second cool thing that happened this week is we were walking in street looking for the house of an inactive member of the church and when we found it I was shocked to see that the address was the same address as sweet Sister I in our ward! She is a little old lady who we have had lunch with. She lovesssss music. LOVES music. She loves to sing and play any instrument and watch musicals and she loves making little crafts too. I love her! But I don't really know much else about her. I was confused why her address was listed for this inactive man so we decided to see if she was home and at least sing her a hymn. She was very surprised to see us at her gate but she let us in of course and was very excited. We talked with her for a little while and she gave us strawberries and sweet cream (SO GOOD). As we were eating we told her who were looking for and asked if she knew him. Turns out it's her husband. She was slow to talk about him so we didn't push it. We sang lead kindly light with her and then offered a prayer. In the prayer Sister M prayed that her husband would find the desire to come back to church. We finished and with a trembling lip she thanked us for praying for her husband. She started to cry and cry and told us that her husband introduced the church to her, was the leader of the young mens, they are sealed in the temple, that she loves him, and knows he has a testimony....but he is an alcoholic. And about 20 years or more ago he started drinking again and now can't stop. She told us she had been so sad all day long and had been praying for some sort of help or comfort and then....we rang her doorbell. It was so touching and so amazing to see how we could come at just the right moment. I truly felt like the Lord's instrument in that moment. We will be returning to visit her and her husband Thursday. We are going to bring a friend of his in our ward to give him a priesthood blessing if he wants. Our goal is to help them be able to go back to the temple together. We know the time is now. I think the time is now because they are both really old. I think this is in some way...the Lord's way of saying "this is your last chance son". Pray for them .

Anyways I am continuing to work hard here! The work is blooming right now and I am seeing the Lord's hand in my life. I am especially thankful for your support and emails and love. It means more to me than I can express. I think about you guys all the time and everything I do I do first for the Lord, second for the investigator, and third for you all. I want to do things that you will be proud of me for. I wear the name of our family too. :) I love you all so much. A big hug and kiss for the kids as they start school. It sounds like their teachers will be amazing! Thank you for the pictures too. Wish I could have been there!!! I am very excited about all the fun things we will do together when I get home. :) But for now keep having fun without me. <3 I love you all again so very much. You are all in my prayers. 

Emily