A Swedish Syster: MISSION MIRACLES

Well. I have once again just been amazed by the blessings and miracles that come in missionary work.

Yesterday was amazing. Started off the day with a prayer in my heart and fasting for a miracle. Little did I know just how merciful the Lord would be.

So first of all, Sacrament meeting was PACKED! That is amazing in and of itself! When you have a Branch of 60 active members, it is crazy to come in and see 90 to 100 people! I don't quite know why there were so many people there, but I'm not questioning!

But, during Sacrament Meeting, I just kind of felt like I should pull out my little notebook and start writing out some of the miracles I have been able to see so far on my mission. Little did I know I would be writing in a couple more later that day.........

So, after Sacrament Meeting was over, we were all still sitting there, and a woman went up to the front to talk to the Branch President. He then went back up to the pulpit and asked if we would all just stay seated for a little longer because this lady wanted to say something.

She goes up and said that she had just recently lost a family member and, to keep it brief, she was thinking she might take her own life. And then, she said that she had a vision--and that she could not take her life, but that she needed to go find her Book of Mormon and read.

So she did.

Soon after she saw her cat--almost dead--(don't quite know why). She was heart-broken, and couldn't stand to lose anything else, so she got down on her knees and prayed. Soon after, her cat just got up and started walking around--and after that, she knew that she had to come to the Mormon Church.

{Annie's wonderful trainer--Syster Bateman--is in Sweden this week and found her!}

We quickly went over to her after she spoke, and she just said: "Sister. I really want to meet with you. Can we just talk outside for a minute?"

So we went outside, and she just hugged us and thanked us for coming, and said, "I know this is what I need to do. I want to be baptized. I would love if my friend Björn (who is in our ward) could baptize me, and I really don't need to be taught that much more. I know a lot already from family and Systers who have come before--but I know this is what I need. You can come over Saturday--I will make you lunch, and you can teach me everything you need to!"

{the Systers are a little bit amazed at the silly Pokemon Go craze...it's even in Sweden!}

I just stood there in shock. And I am still in awe. I don't quite know if I have fully comprehended it all yet, but I am fine with that. But I didn't have too long to let that settle in before we had another amazing lesson!

After Church, we met with this super cool guy. Basically, without too many details, this guy grew up Aramaic. Grew up in the Middle East, and then later in Africa after his parents and grandfather were killed in attacks.

He later studied art in Kenya, Russia and the Ukraine--and then started an entertainment business in Switzerland with his brothers, and he now lives between Switzerland and Sweden. He speaks 5 different languages, including; Aramaic, Swahili, Russian, Arabic, English--and is now learning Swedish.

We just had an amazing lesson with him. He was blown away by the fact that he had never heard about this religion. He is a very strong believer in Christ and loves his religion, but is very open to the fact that he may not know everything. And he very openly said that, and was very interested in learning more!

He immediately asked if we had a website that he could read more on, and said that studying those sites and the Book of Mormon would be all that he needed to be entertained for quite a while. He was truly sincere and so grateful that we were out and sharing what we know to be true.

After we had him read Moroni 10:3-5, he just said, "Wow, that is beautiful. The wording is so beautiful and easy to understand. Often, when reading other scripture, you read it and you have to stop and think--and it just logically does not make sense--but this does! As I read it, it was just so beautifully worded that it just made sense in my heart and in my mind!"

WHAT?! What is this?! This guy is amazing!

Well, we left him with the Book of Mormon, the Restoration pamphlet, and 3 websites to go home and study! We also took him around the Church, showing him all the different paintings. He is a Christian painter, and he just loved the pieces.

He said he just wants to go home and study the painting--especially the picture of Christ when we came to the Americas after the three days of darkness. He just loved the emotions of all of the people in the painting, and said--"I am going to look at this when I get home and divide it up into parts on my computer and study it. It is truly beautiful."

It was seriously one of the coolest lessons I have ever had the chance to be a part of!

Well, I truly did gain a greater testimony of fasting today. When your heart is in line with the will of the Lord, there is no reason for Him to not bless and strengthen you.

Perhaps one of the greatest parts of it all, was that after we came back in from talking to the woman, Syster Howlett looks at me and says, "Wait...did you say you were fasting for a miracle today?", with a little twinkle in her eye. And I said, "Yes..... were you, too?" And she just smiled and hugged me.