the perfect week and the perfect plan.

So guess who forgot their missionary tag today. Me. I'm sitting at the library right now with a tag reading Elder Fisihetau. I'm not an Elder. And I'm not polynesian, but hey its better than looking like a regular person right? Right.

 

This week was a week of miracles. I feel like I say that every week. Prettymuch every letter I write to President Keyes goes something like this: "Hi President, This week was AMAZING.... blah blah blah miracle blah blah blah." I'm not complaining. I don't know how I am so blessed out here. I sure am grateful. This email will probably be 100 years long because I have lots to share, so those that really love me can read it, but know I won't be offended if you skim.

 

One of the biggest miracles this week is that Tracy is progressing. We have been working with Tracy since I got here. All her kids are members but less active and she wanted to be baptized but never followed through. This week she came to church and ALL of her boys came to church. #dreamscometrue2013. Seriously though. We had two really awesome lessons with her. The first we talked about getting it from her head to her heart... She knows it all but hadn't been acting on it. To truly be converted and feel the gospel you have to live it... you have to do something about it. We made her a list of everything that she has to do before she is baptized and she is loving it. Everytime we go over she wants to know what she can check off the list, and she started to quit smoking ON HER OWN! I just love that family so much.

 

I have really seen how important prayer has been in all of this. Everything that we have done that has worked has come during my nightly prayers. I've started keeping a prayer journal during my prayers. I'll ask a question to  my Heavenly Father, then think about it, wait for the answer, and write it down, then ask the next question. Sometimes the answers don't come all at once, but often I'll get really good insights into how to solve problems and help my investigators. I love prayer!

 

This past Sunday we fasted. I think I wrote about this last week, but I love fasting. Prior to my mission I would endure it, but I have seen so many blessings and so much power from fasting on my mission. Meredith is a fasting "finding" miracle. We met her on Sunday of last week and had our first appointment on Wednesday. This little girl is a light. She is amazing. She hasn't had the easiest life, but is so confident and sure of herself. My favorite quote from the lesson was "well, I was bullied when I was younger, for a week or something, and I am really grateful for that because I just know I have to be me and nobody else."  She's so great. We taught about the love of God and it all rang true. I am amazed because she has little/no religious background but soaks everything up. My other favorite quote was "well, God and Jesus will never criticize you because they made you exactly how they wanted to, you are perfect!" True. Right out of the mouth of a 13 year old. At the end of the lesson she kept talking about baptism and asking questions, and was prettymuch begging to be baptized. So we invited her and she set a date for the end of this month! I love this girl and am so excited to teach her!

 

At the end of the lesson we got to call President Keyes and tell him that Meredith accepted the invitation to be baptized. Just that morning at Mission Leadership Council he had told us that he wanted us to call everytime someone accepts the invitation. We were the first to call and he was SO excited. I haven't ever heard President so excited about anything. He was laughing and so happy. It was great. It really made me reflect on how important this step is in my dear friends' progression. If President Keyes was so excited, how much more excited would our Heavenly Father be? He is up there so stoked because one of his children is one step closer to returning home. It changed the way I viewed the work that I am doing.

 

And if this week couldn't get any better we had an awesome lesson with Michael, he is the miracle man who came to the temple because he wanted to start coming back to church. During our lesson he said "when I walked into the temple there were two men dressed in white, they were like angels. They gave me a Book of Mormon and a prayer. And then, a few days later you two were on my doorstep. I couldn't see you because it was dark, but I knew who you were, you were angels." ahhh... melt my heart. That made my day. He is amazing. He shares the gospel with everyone, and keeps his Book of Mormon on his desk. We taught him the Plan of Salvation on Saturday. I LOVE the Plan of Salvation. It was by far the best Lesson 2 I have ever taught. We went through step by step with my Elementary-ed style cut outs and taught and testified of love of our Father in Heaven and the beautiful plan he has, not just for some of us, but for ALL of his children. I am amazed by this plan. It is perfect. Absolutely perfect, no one is lost. Everyone has an opportunity to live and learn and feel the peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings, because God wants ALL of us, every one of us, to make it back to him.  I love that. I'm sitting here trying to think about how I can describe how amazing this lesson was, but I can't! There is no greater feeling than to teach someone true principles of the restored gospel. To teach by the Spirit of God, so that you know that they know that what you are teaching is true. It is amazing. It's moments like this, teaching the perfect plan of salvation lesson and teaching Tracy about the steps of faith-- with her marking her scriptures and eating it up-- that make all of those awkward, tired, miserable moments of a mission worth it. I will never have this opportunity again. I am so grateful for it. AHHH. I just love it. I love being a missionary!