Great Challenges Make Great Men

This week was absolutely beautiful. We had so many miracles and I just felt an immense peace and happiness, it was so great. 

On Thursday evening we were finally able to meet with a woman we had met porting last transfer. She had been in the hospital (just like everyone else in this town) but she was finally better and we were so excited to finally meet with her! She has an 8 year old daughter who loves religion. She was really excited when we started talking about Jesus Christ. She said He was the king of love. totes adorbs. We told them about our purpose as missionaries and explained prophets and a little bit about the Book of Mormon and they were SO excited. It was wonderful, the Spirit was so strong and they were so open and ready! We will see them again this week and hopefully they can come to church! 

Friday morning we went to see Enza, i love her so much but she really hasn't been progressing at all towards baptism but we decided to go over the Restoration again. We retold the story of Joseph Smith and asked her if she believed it was true. She said "I want to believe it but I don't know for sure" it was perfect. We explained she could know for herself through the Book of Mormon and she got SO excited and promised she would read and pray about it. and get this. She said she would come to church as soon as she was feeling better!!! We had already invited her several times but she always said no! it was such a miracle rdv! The Spirit has really softened her heart. 

 As I said in an email a few weeks ago the majority of our amies were in the hospital and that number keeps getting bigger and bigger! I don't know what is going on but its great for the Elders because we just go around with them and visit everybody so they can give them blessings. It is really cool to witness the healing power of the priesthood. I know without a doubt it truly is the power of God. On Thursday we were able to go one of our less actives with the Elders and they gave her a beautiful blessing and I have never seen her so happy in the four months that I have known her. They brought her a light and a joy she hasn't felt for a really long time and it was so cool to witness that. 

 I feel that while I have been here in Liege Heavenly Father has really tried hard to teach me to trust Him. Sometimes bad or stressful things happen and I have a tendency to start panicking but I wonder if that's why Heavenly Father lets them happen, so that I can learn to trust Him...after all He says "I having provided some better things for them through their sufferings for without suffering they could not be made perfect." (Heb. 11:20 JST) It is through our struggles that we truly "come unto Christ and are perfected in Him". And it is when with Job we say "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" that we can know Him better and feel His love more constantly. 

I read a great talk by Elder Hales about Waiting Upon the Lord this week. He says, "the Lord knows your sacrifices and your sorrows. He hears your prayers. His peace and rest will be yours as you continue to wait upon Him in faith." As we wait upon the Lord and keep our vision fixed on Him we will be able to overcome all challenges and grow to become more like Him. I know that even when it doesn't look like everything will be okay, it always turns out just the way He wants it to. He loves each of us and He wants to take care of us, He wants to help us if we would just turn to Him.

 

avec beaucoup d'amour soeur hawkes