First week of Transfers

This week we were so blessed! 

(Side note: As Florida Fort Lauderdale missionaries we do NOT have the word 'luck' in our vocabulary. The word 'luck' implies that things are simply coincidences. The word 'luck' takes the Lord out of the equation. We must put the Lord into every equation of our lives by using the word 'blessed.' We are not 'lucky' to have something, to be something, or somewhere, we are blessed!!!!)

 This week was the first week of transfers and in our mission, transfer week is miracle week! It is not a week to slack off because of unpacking and adjusting, it is a week to see miracles, and we did!!!!!! Two weeks ago Sister Chiou and I harvested on a street with groups of townhomes. There were three groups of townhomes and each day we did a different group. One night as I was just about to fall asleep the thought popped into my mind that we did not finish one group, that we actually missed one house- the corner right house. For the next few days that thought kept coming into my mind. The idea was pounded in my heart. The spirit was truly telling me that we needed to go back. On Tuesday we finally went over there, but had no memory of which group that home would be in. Based on the way the homes were set up we had two options, so we decided we would try both. When we went to the first home we knew it was one we had skipped. So we were invited in and did prayer and a harvest blessing with the man there, but felt nothing. We decided to still try the other option. When we got there Sister Chiou mentioned that we had in fact knocked at this house and that a high school age boy had answered. My response was "well, kids got to have parents." So we knocked, and an older lady answered the door. Elba accepted the blessing and after we prayed she was crying. The spirit was so strong. She knew God had sent us to her. We went back the next day and had a short conversation with her at the door. She told us how her husband had passed away 4 years ago and she had no kids and felt so lonely. She is living with her niece and her husband and their kids, but she just feels lonely. We left her with a reading assignment and made an appointment for the next day. The spirit was so strong on that door step. 

(Side note: Harvesting is our finding tool. When we knock on doors we offer to leave a prayer with them. We ask them what they want from God and how He can help them. We then offer a kneeling prayer. Sisters say the prayer in virtue of our calling and Elders use their priesthood. After the prayer the spirit is always SO strong! and we boldly invite them to be baptized right there and right then :) 

The next day we went over and she said she felt so much better, and so content. She read what we had left for her FOUR TIMES! She loved it! We taught her about the restoration and invited her to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet. Her response? "I don't need to. I already know that it's true." We invited her to say the closing prayer for our lesson and in it she said- "thank you that the Book of Mormon is true." Sister Chiou and I walked out of that lesson feeling so blessed. It truly was a transfer week miracle! Yesterday just as we were about to leave church, a member of the bishopric called us over. Him and another member were standing with a women who we did not recognize. They told us she had walked into the church just then and wanted to know more. So we took her into the chapel and talked with her. Turns out she used to practice Santeria. Just last week she went to visit her mom in Cuba and brought with her all of her Santeria idols and other paraphernalia. There in Cuba she threw it all in the ocean! Mariela then came back to Florida and left her husband- who she says "is the devil reincarnated" because he practices so much witchcraft. She moved in with a friend and decided to dedicate her life to Jesus Christ. She said our chapel had always stuck out to her, and so she asked her friend to drop her off at the church with the white steeple. We talked with her and testified and invited her to be baptized on the 23rd of March. She said yes! And as we were leaving she said "So i will come to church next Sunday, then get baptized on the 23rd." Another transfer week miracle! 

This week I learned that faith is infinite. There is no limit on the amount of faith we can have. The only person that puts limits on it is ourselves. Last transfer we were giving everything we could. We didn't think we could have more faith, but after the miracles we saw this week my faith capacity increased. As we follow the promptings of the spirit the Lord will allow us to grow and all of our capacities to truly increase. To paraphrase President Monson- Do not pray for task equal to your abilities. Pray for abilities equal to your tasks. 
This week I continued to study the Book of Mormon looking for characteristics of Christ and the blessings we receive from Him. This week I learned more about the atonement. While reading 2 Nephi 16:10 I realized that conversion brings healing. "...lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted AND be healed." This idea is also taught in 3 Nephi 9:13 "...will ye not now return to me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, THAT I may heal you?" Be converted AND be healed. Become converted so THAT He can heal you! 
This gave me a greater understanding to Joseph Smith's quote "all things pertaining to the gospel are just appendages to the atonement. As we do the things we are asked and become converted that is when the atonement can truly work in our lives. 

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxo, Hermana Koutz