Exchanges, Miracles, And Laughs

What an amazing week that it has been! I feel so blessed to be a missionary. We saw so many miracles this week, worked so hard, and really gave it our all. 

I would like to share one specific experience with you all today!

Background- one time on my mission I heard an experience about a mission president in Brazil.(I dont remember where). He was on his was to a mission conference when a young mom and her baby stopped him and asked for help. He said he was in a rush and didnt help them. Throughout the day he kept thinking about this mother and her child, but put off the prompting to help them to order to continue with the mission conference. Later that night, when he was getting ready for bed he was still thinking about this mother and her child! So he left his house, and went to look for this mother in the streets of Sao Paolo late at night. 

Following the holy ghost:

On thursday morning we were on our way to visit our friends and we stopped by a bakery on the way because it had just opened that day and we promised the owner the night before that we were going to stop by. After we bought some baked goods, we headed to visit our first friend. I took a bite of a croissant and we passed a guy standing next to his car. 

I felt the impression to talk to him but my mouth was full of food so I just nodded my head and we kept walking. We made it one block down the street and in the 30 seconds it took us to get there this story about the mission president in Brazil and many scriptures flooded into my head. I started trying to reason with myself and tried to make up reasons why we couldn´t go back and talk to him. 

I ended up turning to my companion and told her we needed to go back and talk to this man. We went back, talked to him and he told us to come back the next day so that we could talk to his daughter. We went back on Saturday and knocked a few times and I was about to walk away when he opened the door and let us into his humble home. We got there around 8pm, when it was 30 degrees. When we entered through a small metal door, I saw a huge open space with car parts (the man fixes cars), and in the very back corner of this large closed space, bricks stacked high enough to form a wall and separate a space that they called home. They used plastic bags to make a curtain for the door, and the man had a metal pot full of hot coals that they used to warm the small space where they slept. 

We met his 12 year old daughter, and the father(70 years old), told us that he is an atheist but he wanted us to share a message with his daughter. I asked him if he would just listen to what we had to say, and he did. He listened so intently and asked questions as we testiied about the atonement of Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation. As we finished the lesson he said, ¨I believe in God. Everythings has a purpose. and I want to live with my daughter forever.¨ 

The spirit filled this ¨home¨ and I started crying. We said a prayer and left, but this experience has changed me. I know the Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it teaches us about the plan of salvation, a plan of happiness, and a plan to live with our families forever. I love this gospel, I love being able to share the God is our loving heavenly father everyday. I love the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength. in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Hermana Carden