Four Month Mark Part 2

July is also birthday month.  This great gift came a few days before my birthday from my kids and grandkids. Perfect gift for a grandma = all her precious grandkids smiling and so happy! It is a treasure which makes me smile from ear to ear every time I look at it! I love these kids!!!

I was thinking my birthday without my family would be a pity party kind of day, but my companions had other plans and surprised me with a surprise party at work to celebrate the big 65! My desk was decorated when I got to work with signs and balloons and confetti all over the office. Shortly after lunch, cars began pulling in and people started pouring into the office. A few of the senior couples, all of our District and some friends that we've made here came to celebrate with cake and ice cream. It was a great surprise and fun day.

 Fake blowing out the candles as we can't light a flame in church buildings!

New friends in new places = happy birthday!

                                                                                                                                                                                Great birthday dinner celebrating at Tahoe Joe's with my companions and the Assistants, Elder Kahuhu and Elder Cameron.

 

We finished the day by going to the temple and doing sealings. It turned out to be a wonderful, wonderful day filled with love and joy and service!

 

This week I had the incredible opportunity of going on splits with Sister Briggs. This is so much fun and so spirit lifting. I hope to go out with the young sisters more often and learn to be more bold. Sister Briggs is on a Spanish speaking mission, so it presents it's challenges. Our first appointment spoke perfect English. The second was a headquarters referral that the sisters had tried to find at home before. When we got there, an old woman came to the door (not our referral) and Sister Briggs talked with her in Spanish while a pit bull was on the other side of the gate barking and trying to jump over it and eat us alive! We had a prayer with her from outside the screen door and were going to leave when a car pulled up and four kids and a man got it. The man walked around the other side of the house to avoid us, but the two teenage girls came and talked to us and invited us in. One was the daughter of our referral. We talked with them about Christ and prayer and Sister Briggs was trying to set up and appointment to come back when the Mom would be home - when the Mom pulled in the garage, so she came in and was very welcoming. She hugged each of us and we had a prayer with her and the girls. Sisters Briggs and Salisbury have an appointment to go back and visit with her tomorrow night. She knows some Mormons and was very willing to have them come back. Who could resist the beautiful smiling face of Sister Briggs. She radiates love and light. I had the Spanish speaking missionaries at the office translate a short testimony for me so I could add it if needed - it wasn't that night - but I'm sure will be in the future.

I wanted to share with you a very special experience with prayer that I was blessed to participate in this week.  The family of my great niece who is 17 is moving to Georgia from Virginia today. Matt is in the Army and has been reassigned.  Their daughter Jessie, who is 17, didn't want to go and chose to run away last Friday. They have been heartsick and frantic in trying to locate her and bring her home before they had to leave. They requested prayers and the faith of all their friends and family.  I experienced a prayer experience last night that I shared with Jessie's mother and want to share with you.

"Megan - I just want to share a special moment with you. Last night I went out on splits with some sister missionaries. When we got back to their house they were locked out so I stayed for awhile with them until the other sisters came with the keys. In the mission we have a prayer request phone line where the missionaries call in requests for the mission to pray for investigators or members who need help. As we were waiting, I asked these four sisters if they would pray for Jessie. One of them said, let's pray now. The five of us knelt down in the driveway of that home and Sister Odor (from El Salvador) voiced the prayer. The spirit was strong in letting us know that Jessie would come home. When we stood back up after the prayer, Sister Odor looked at me and stated so matter of factly that it took me by surprise - "Jessie will come home before the family has to leave in the morning."

 

God loves us - He knows us - He knows and loves your family. "

 

Jessie reached out to her parents this morning and they are on their way to their new home in Georgia today - with their beautiful daughter joining her parents, grandparents and three brothers who love her dearly.

 

I know it wasn't our prayer alone last night that brought her home, but rather the combined prayers and faith of family and friends. I am grateful for the confirmation of the Spirit last night that Jessie would be OK.  Truly God does know each one of us and wants to bless us . All we have to ask in faith and He pours out blessings. I love Him. I love each of you.

Sisters Odor, Salisbury, Briggs and Johnson