Called to Serve : I just thank God that I had the privilege to be a part of their miracle

Sister Wright and my Baby Girl Sister Haynie

I'm telling yah, there is no greater joy than seeing people accept the gospel and change their life. I LOVE BEING ON THE LORDS ERRAND!!! This week was probably the greatest miracle of my whole mission and I feel very blessed to be a servant of the Lord here. I LOVE it in Ilford SOOOOO much and this past transfer has been my favourite transfer of my whole mission. I absolutely LOVE serving with Sister Epicoco and ahhhhh I am just praying that I get one more transfer with her!!!!! Transfers are next week so we shall see.

Okay, I am going to try and tell you about this miracle in cliff notes version because I won't be able to explain what happened in great enough detail for you to understand.

SO BASICALLY, Rufina and Helder didn't come to church on Sunday last week. We didn't have contact with them all week because, well, communication is a little hard via phone because they

This is Terry

speak Portuguese and they are never home...... Well the member that has been fellowshipping them felt prompted to stop by their house on Monday night and talk with them. On Tuesday, she called us and said, "sistersI need to see you today, we need to talk." She had a long chat with Rufina and Dulce (the member) told us that she didn't feel ready and she was very upset about a few different things and wanted to postpone her baptism. AHH. Long story short, things weren't looking very good.

Well, we have been fasting and praying about it all week long and doing everything we could. We were getting a lot of advice from our leaders and members and this week was really confusing as we tried to figure out what was best. After fasting, Sister Epicoco and I had the feeling that everything would make sense when we see them on Saturday.

Dulce, Rufina, and Helder! I love them.

So now that I poorly explained the background......, HERES FOR THE MIRACLE! We went there on Saturday with Dulce (who is AMAZING by the way! There is no way this would have worked without her!!!). We got there and just told her how much we loved her and Helder! We asked her how she was feeling and she said that she didn't feel ready at all and was stressed about everything and wanted to postpone her baptism until JULY......... But the thing is she totally was ready!!!!! She had the desire and she was living the commandments and making changes in her life to follow God!

After she explained this, Dulce, the member stood up and bore such a powerful testimony about baptism and how she was ready to make this step and literally in that ten minutes that Dulce was testifying to her, I had no idea what the heck she was saying but the Spirit was SOOO powerful. We saw such a change in Rufina's whole countenance! Sister Epicoco and I just looked at each other in amazement as we watched! I will never forget that moment. Dulce was crying and the Spirit really touched Rufina and Helder and changed their heart. They told us they were ready to be baptised on Saturday and then for the next two hours we somehow were able to teach them everything we needed to.

I love Sister Williams!!!

Well, cramming the past two weeks into three paragraphs doesn't convey to even the smallest degree how amazing this was. I'm telling you it was such a miracle and afterwards Sister Epicoco and I felt such great joy, greater than I have ever felt my entire mission. AHH GOD IS SO REAL I JUST KNOW IT!!!! I'm telling yah... There is no greater joy than seeing someone accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. The beginning of the lesson she wanted to postpone her baptism to July, and because of the Spirit of God touching her heart, by the end she was so excited to be baptised and start her new life! AHHH I AM SOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!

You wouldn't believe the change in her since we first started. And Helder, bless his heart, he is doing so well also! He is only 14 and his dream is to pass the sacrament. AHH! I LOVE THIS FAMILY SO MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA. We didn't really do much, we were just in the right place at the right time to witness this miracle and I just thank God that I had the privilege to be a part of their miracle. The gospel truly is the most wonderful thing in the world!

This girl has my heart <3

You know the scripture that says, "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear?" Well, I have been thinking about that a lot this week with this experience. We fasted for them and have been praying for them and planning for them for weeks. So much of our time, thoughts, and prayers have been for them. Because we did absolutely everything we could, we prepared, we didn't have to fear and knew that whatever the outcome was, it was Gods will for them.

I have been thinking about that in terms of our own life. If we are faithful and doing everything we can to follow Christ.... We are diligent in our scripture study, prayers, keeping the commandments, we don't have to fear. As long as we are doing everything we can, we can trust that whatever happens is the will of God.

My testimony has grown so much over the past few weeks. I know without any doubt that this is the work of God. I am thankful that I get the opportunity to be on His errand. AHHH I AM SO HAPPY I COULD CRY!!!!!!

Thank you for the prayers this week!!

ONWARD AND UPWARD.

Sister Sara Ranck