Oi familia!
We had quite the adventures this week! First off, we got pulled over by the cops for looking "suspicious!" US! The missionaries! I didn't even know that we could be pulled over for so little cause. Granted we had just come our of a rather sketchy neighborhood and smelled like smoke and probably other not so legal drugs. {Don't worry Mom, we were visiting a less-active and it was super safe} but still! Poor Sister Stanley had never been pulled over before and was terrified it would go on her record. The police officer looked utterly confused to find two missonaries and kept saying things like, "I am just trying to figure out what you all are doing." Saving souls and crying repentance with the voice of a trump didn't seem like the response he was looking for!
Adventure Number 2: We drove out to Hollywood. Hollywood, South Carolina, is ironically country. Deep country. We were at a gas station filling up and we saw a lady with a SQUIRREL on a leash. Sister Stanley and I couldn't stop staring at the squirrel perched on her shoulders. The best part? This lady got on her motorcycle, put the squirrel on the front and drove away. I could not believe it. That squirrel was riding shotgun!
Adventure Number 3: Our ward did its Day of Service last Saturday. We cleaned up an orphanage. When we first got there, they handed us a pair of pruning shears (at least I think that is what they are called) and instructed us to prune and shape a bush. Having never pruned a bush and not knowing what it was supposed to look like, our results were less than satisfactory. Fortunately we were given some rakes and a plot of ground and we did a lot better with that. Later, we saw Michael sneak over and fix our poor massacred bush. It was really funny! Then we got to organize the clothing donations, and that was a lot of fun. I do so love to organize :) Michael and Mona both came and seemed to enjoy it. They are very much a part of the ward now and have a lot of friends, so that's good!
We had a miracle yesterday. Although he wasn't in our plans, I had the prompting to go and see Grant Staley, who is a less-active. Usually, he lets us into the foyer to say a quick prayer in Portuguese (he loves that I am learning Portuguese) and rushes us out the door, but not this time. His nonmember wife whom we have never met opened the door and invited us in. We actually got to sit down and share a message. I know it sounds like such a little thing, but it meant a lot to me. We have been visiting with him since I first came here and we were never able to have a lesson or meet his wife. It was such a tender mercy and I know that it is because we followed the prompting of the Spirit.
There are big miracles on missions, but a lot of the time the miracles we see are small. Sometimes, it is simply that someone is nice at the door after we have had some not so nice contacts. Sometimes it is meeting someone who isn't interested, but recognized us as a sign from God that He loves them when they desperately needed that validation. It amazes me and will never cease to amaze me that when I am sad or when I am disheartened that the Lord will send a tender mercy, my own little miracle to show me that He has not forgotten or forsaken me. I know that God loves me and that love doesn't change. It isn't something that I have to earn by promotions or plaudits. It has always been and will forever be. I am grateful that I get to tell people this, because there are many who haven't realized that yet!
I love you guys!
Sister D
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