Hermana Garner - Now a Texan!: 3/28/16 - A new meaning of Easter

we saw so many miracles this week that I couldn't count all of them on my hands! Heavenly Father loves us!

last week I mentioned in my email how motivated we were and how are goals are super high. we didn't reach ALL of our goals but we reached most of them and we put in our 100%! all that we could and I think that is why Heavenly Father blessed us a lot this week. we had exchanges one day so Hermana R went to Galveston and I got to show Hermana F around Kemah! she has the strongest testimony, she was baptized about 2 years ago. Her missionary was actually from St. Louis in the Rockwood 1st ward! how crazy! but it was fun to show her all of the people I love and to talk and share the Hallelujah video with the people we saw and met on the street. change is good and refreshing sometimes!

one of the miracles we saw this week is this: so in our phone we have a contact and his name is A. We have never met him and we don't know how we got his number but he always asks us about English class. the address, when it is, how many people go, all of the details. but we have never met him in person! ever! so one day this week we were walking around an apartment complex trying to talk to as many people as we could. we saw two guys standing by a truck and decided to go up and talk to them. we started talking and one of their names was A! we didn't think anything of it. we started talking about what they like to do and stuff and he said "wait. hermanas! do you guys go to an English class?" and we said "yeah...we are the teachers actually!" and replied with "I AM A!" and all of our jaws opened...what a miracle! after we realized this and got the English Class details all figured out, we started talking about God. He is from El Salvador and he explained that he has a family there with little kids and he wants them to come here and go to church with them. he said that he wanted us to come over the next day and talk. so we did and he wants to get baptized! His date is May 14! We couldn't have been more excited. in fact, on the way home, we blasted the hymn "How Great Thou Art" because we couldn't have been more happy. Experiences like this testify to me again that Heavenly Father puts people in our path for a reason. Especially as missionaries! We have to find those people that Heavenly Father has already prepared for us!

L is amazinggreatwonderfulperfectprepared. there is not one word for him...haha. he is just great and so prepared. everytime we have a lesson with him and a member we walk away and the member just tells us "wow. he is so ready. he is prepared and there is no way im missing his baptism!" it is awesome. we are so lucky as missionaries! but on Wednesday he had a cool experience. so on Wednesdays we have a recent convert meeting where all of the recent converts and the missionaries get together and have a lesson at the P's house! our branch president wanted us to do it to strengthen their testimonies together and build off each other. so on Wednesday O calls us and asks if he can invite L to it! YES!!! our recent convert inviting our investigator to a recent convert meeting. this is missionary work. but he picked him up and brought him to the meeting and it was awesome! we talked about the 10 commandments. after the lesson, I asked "does anyone have a question or comment they want to share?" and L raised his hand and went on to give his testimony. he said that since we have been visiting him he has felt such a peace and his work is going so much more smooth. he says he prays every day and night and he feels the love from Heavenly Father throughout the day. he said (his own words) "Yo se que este Iglesia es verdadera" (I know this church is true) and he said "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." to close. he loves being a part of the church and loves living the Gospel. he is an example to us as missionaries and we know that he will be a strength to the ward too! we love him so much! he is also super excited for his baptism that is coming up in two weeks! we have a special sacrament meeting the day after with four units in our area (boundary changes) so there will be a lot of people there to support him and his confirmation. God is so good!

this weekend was a hard hit for Hermana R. all day on Friday we were sharing the Hallelujah video with the members that we usually visit. for those who haven't seen the video, it is about resurrection. It is about Jesus Christ and we have life because of Him. (link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2wdMwpYByI) All of our family that has passed on, we WILL see them again. we are all going to be resurrected, it is such a beautiful thing! We shared this message about 3 times on Friday. After soccer on Friday, Hermana R received a call from the mission president that her grandpa passed away that day. it was hard for her, like everyone else who loses a loved one so there were a lot of tears. she got to call her family that night and they talked for a loooooong time. that helped her a lot. the day after we took it really easy. our branch president came over, talked to us, gave Hermana R a blessing and some chocolate ice cream and gave her a hug and gave us a giant group hug. that whole Saturday, we felt a lot of love from a lot of our ward members, other missionaries and from Heavenly Father. Hermana R needed it and we needed it as a companionship! it is so hard to see someone you love heartbroken and suffering. there were a lot of prayers said in my heart this weekend. but what was special about this whole thing was that it was Easter weekend and how as missionaries we have been sharing the #hallelujah video with everyone we come in contact with. we have been teaching them about how they can see their loved ones again and how much comfort that brings. This weekend, Hermana R got to live what we teach. Her grandpa is literally living the Plan of Salvation, so just imagine how much more powerful it is now when she teaches. having Easter yesterday was such a blessing. Celebrating the life of Jesus Christ and how he is alive. He lives! He has a body like us and he loves us more than we can imagine. Heavenly Father gave this to us this weekend because I think He wanted to make sure that we understood the importance of Easter and what it really is and means. It is still sad and it is still hard for Hermana R, so keep her and her family in your prayers please!

I have learned a lot this week about Christ, His resurrection and how we will all be made alive again through Him. With all of the experiences that have happened recently, my heart is full with love for my Savior. we are SO imperfect but He still loves us immensely. His love is a gift and we can all be resurrected and have eternal life with Him which is the greatest gift of all. Let's all prepare for General Conference (a meeting held twice a year where leaders from our church speak to members of the church all over the world via TV and internet) this weekend with questions and desires of our heart to be answered! Let's have faith that they will be answered and that we can always remember the love Christ has for us individually. He has a perfect plan for each of us and wants us to be happy and excited about life. I love my Brother, the Savior and I know that I can live with Him again someday. I can't wait!

Hermana Garner