Timing

Hi All!

Sorry, I have very little time today. I had a few emails to catch up on and spent a lot of the time writing to Presidente Kendrick. I think I will copy part of my email to President Kendrick so you can read it:

Presidente Kendrick,
I am learning very much to trust in the Lord and His timing. There have been several experiences that we've had this week that have testified of that. Even last night, if we had arrived in a certain place more than 30 seconds later (or even sooner), we wouldn't have been able to contact a man who was contemplating suicide. We discussed the Gospel with him and the healing powers of the Atonement. We set up an appointment with him for this week and I know that the Lord guides us and that His timing is divine. 

I am grateful to know that, especially here on the mission, as I have experienced some trials with having to accept the Lord's timing. I truly am learning about what it means that the Lord's timing is different than our timing, just as His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts.
I am looking forward to Zone Conference. Gracias Presidente.
Hermana Escalante

Yesterday was just an intense day in general, including that contact. We had a lesson with Miguel and Jenni (new investigators) and the Ley familia (their neighbors). They were all talking so much (as Latinos do) and I felt like a lion fighting amongst the pack just trying to get a few words in! It was ridiculous. But thankfully, we hushed them up enough to share the experience of Joseph Smith with them and the intensity of the Spirit in the room was so real. As I quoted his own words, everything was silent and still and afterwards Jenni (who knows very little about God and religion) told as that she felt something very real and had chills and felt something in her chest. I think it was strange for her and she was a little uncomfortable, but it was just one of those great experiences helping others to feel the Spirit and recognize how it testifies of truth.

Miguel is perhaps not quite as ready, but we are continuing to work with Jenni. J Karla is doing great! She will be baptized on the 14th of September and Luis will be baptizing her as he will be baptized the 31st of August and will receive the Priesthood on the 8th. It has been a little tricky trying to work with them, as Luis is now living outside of our area and working with the other sisters (hermanas), but we make it work. They will hopefully be getting married soon as well, so we are helping them with that and will also be helping them find an apartment soon as well, most likely. It's so fun and crazy the things we have to learn about and do as missionaries to help people make covenants with their Savior.

Yesterday, we also met a less-active named Benjamin, and that was also a pretty intense, spiritual experience as I had very strong impressions that he needed to go to the temple. It was in my mind from the first few minutes we met him, how badly the Lord wanted him to go to the temple, and then as we continued talking with him, we discovered that the reason he was baptized was because before he even heard of the church or talked with missionaries he had a dream. In his dream he saw the earth covered in churches of all kinds. A huge earthquake came and every single church fell, accept one that was white and had a golden angel on top. After that dream, every person that knocked on his door he would allow in and then ask if they had such a church. It wasn't until the Elders came that he finally found the one that God had shown him in his dream. He'll be coming to church this Sunday and we will be working with him a lot on progressing towards being temple worthy. He has been inactive for quite some time now and it gives me hope with Mauricio.

We went and visited him this week (finally) and he informed us that he no longer wants us to come over, nor does he have any desire to go back to church. He gave away his Book of Mormon, and tossed everything else he had in the trash. His boss at work gave him an anti-Mormon magazine about Joseph Smith and he's decided to no longer associate with "Mormons". It is so heart breaking. I saw the magazine and it was just so evil and awful. We testified of truth and told him that it was his decision. But I know that he once had a strong testimony and I hope and pray that he will come back to that soon.

Things are going well with Hermana Bennett and I, and we're working hard. We have Intercambios again this week and then I think Zone Conference the next. I think we're going on a temple trip soon too, but I'm not sure.

I'm out of time. LOVE YOU!

Hermana Alyssa Nicole Escalante