This week was a little bit slower just because of the holiday and how busy we were with that. But we still had some incredible experiences this week that really were testimony builders.
We had our Christmas conference this week with our entire mission (284 missionaries all together!). It was so amazing to look around and see so many people who have made the choice to serve the Lord. I know I already talked a little about this on Skype... but the Christmas program we had was so great. Listening to missionaries who have been here for a while, and missionaries who are newer, share miracles they have experienced was so uplifting. They all had so many things to share, it is moments like these that I really feel change and mold me into a better missionary. Hermana Hale and I were talking about how different it would be to be a missionary serving by yourself, either not surrounded by other missionaries, or without a companion. Honestly... I couldn't imagine it. I couldn't imagine doing this by myself. If I didn't have someone to help me when I don't know what to say, or to help lift me when I am down, I would be so lost. I am so thankful for all the missionaries that are all around, so that we can build off of each other and become even stronger.Speaking of working together, Hermana Hale and I had some moments this week that proved the importance of having "two witnesses". We have been really working on trying to do more finding this week. We 've been talking to literally everyone, and doing a lot of tracting. I also have been trying to work really hard on listening to promptings and following them. There was one time this week that we drove by a street on our way to another appointment and it totally stuck out to me. I told Hermana Hale about it later and said we should going finding on that street sometime. She told me that when she drove by, she totally noticed it too... Coincidence? I think not. So the week went along and we didn't really get the opportunity to visit that street. Yesterday, we had a recent convert with us at church. She had to leave halfway through sacrament meeting because of an emergency. We went later to check on her, but she wasn't home, and we just became very worried for her. Later that night we were going to check out a referral we had recently received. We got to the apartment, but both felt like we needed to come back another time with a member. So we drove away, and suddenly I felt like we needed to visit the street we had noticed earlier this week. Hermana Hale felt the exact same thing. So we started driving towards that street and right before we got there, we saw our recent convert walking down the sidewalk with her two daughters. We flipped a U and pulled over to her and started talking. She needed it. She has been having a very rough time and just minutes earlier had found out that a close family member had died. We were there for her in that time that she needed comforting. It was incredible. After she left, neither of us were feeling like we needed to visit the street anymore. We are going to go back and visit the street later this week, and who knows, we may find someone who is ready to hear our message. But Heavenly Father put us in that path to notice the street, a week earlier, knowing that our recent convert would be walking past it on Sunday and that we would need to be there to help her... incredible. It is so amazing to feel the Lord working through us. It is such an incredible blessing to be called as a missionary and have these experiences. It is also amazing to constantly be having the same promptings as my companion. Whenever one of us says "I feel like we need to..." and the other says "I was literally just thinking that" we always laugh. But the spirit is always so strong.
Time for your mind to be blown... because mine sure was. I experience a miracle this week... that I will not forget. Each week we usually get a restock of book of Mormons in both Spanish and English to share with those we meet while we go finding, teaching lessons, etc. This week we were not able to get that restock and we ran out, which is a problem. We take a book of Mormon with us everywhere we go. Even if we are just walking into a gas station. So one night we asked to Elders for some and they were able to give us on in English and one in Spanish. We gave the English one to someone and only had the Spanish one left, but it looked like a kid had gotten a hold of it, because it had scribbles all over the front of it. The next day Hermana Hale and I went to go in somewhere and remembered to grab a book of Mormon. We reached into the back seat to grab the last book of Mormon we had, a little embarrassed of it... and found two new book of Mormons. One in English and one in Spanish. The Spanish book that had been scribbled on was still there... but there were two new ones as well. Neither of us have any clue where they came from, because we didn't put them there. But this morning we were able to give a man the English one. I am convinced that it was the work of Heavenly Father.
Well its about time to go. I am so excited for this week. Hermana Hale and I have set some incredible goals for ourselves and we have quite a few potential investigators that we know are ready to hear the gospel.
I am so thankful for this amazing incredible work that I am called to do. It is such a life changing experience to be here, serving the people of Tucson Arizona, and to be a vessel for the Lord to work through. I am so thankful for the incredible missionaries that I get to serve with. I know that this gospel is true. I know it. There is no part of me that doubts. I have seen the change it has made in people these short 3 weeks I have been here. I have felt the change it has made in me, and know there is no way this could happen if it wasn't the truth. I know that Thomas S Monson is a man called of God to serve as a prophet, to lead and guide us and help us know what the Lord would have us do. I love my family so much and am so happy to know that I get to spend eternity with them. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in my life. I love you all so much and wish you a happy new year!Love, Hermana Lundquist