Another Week of Miracles

This has been an amazing week! The first couple days were cold and
miserable and we didn't see many people, but the next day the sun came
out and the miracles started raining down!

  Some of the most wonderful experiences this week have been with
Clara, a ten year old girl preparing for baptism. The first time we
met with her, we gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon to read, and
asked her to do so a little each day. We went back this week to read
with her, and found out she had finished all of first Nephi! We told
her how impressed with her we were, and she bashfully said, "I've
been staying up reading more than one chapter at night". She is so
amazing, her mom was impressed as well. I am so thankful that we are
able to meet with their whole family. Tonight we shared the plan of
salvation with them, and her mom was moved to tears. She was so
grateful to know that we will all be made whole because of Christ's
atonement, and all of the pain and suffering in this life will be taken
away! I could feel the spirit so strongly! I am also so grateful for
the knowledge of my Savior, that because he paid the price, and died
for our sins, we will all be resurrected and have the opportunity to
stand before God to be judged. I am so grateful that we won't have to
stand alone, that we can have Jesus Christ as our advocate standing
next to us! Our Heavenly Father and Savior love us so much!!! Believe
that!

We had a great lesson this week with 5  "rowdy", as sister Lopez says
:) teenage boys! We have been meeting with them for a few weeks now,
but when we met with them last they asked if we could just have a
question and answer session next time. So we did some studying on a
few things they asked us to and then cam and answered questions. It
was great because they participated so much in the lesson and were
really insterested in what we were saying. They appreciated it and I
think we built a lot of trust, so we hope they are just as engaged in
the rest of the lessons! They really are good people seeking for
truth! They have come to church the past two sundays so we are
excited!

We had another baptism this past Saturday! It was a 10 year old boy
named Braiden! His family was the first lesson I went to the night I
got to the mission field! I have enjoyed teaching them so much! My
favorite part of the baptism was seeing Braiden's face looking up so
innocently and intently at the man baptizing him.
 Mark 10:14-15 "But when Jesus saw it,‍ he was much displeased, and
said unto them, Suffer the little children‍ to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto
you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein." is so true, unless we are as little
children, we cannot enter into God's Kingdom!

It is so neat to see how the Spirit can guide you and you don't
recognize it until you get to where you're being led sometimes. Twice
this week we had something fall through and them felt like we should
go somewhere specific or knock doors on a certain street, and both
times we meet two different women who told us they knew God had sent
us because they really needed the lift and to feel the Spirit! Those
are such amazing times, and make it all worth it! I know God knows us
all so individually, and He is listening and cares!

This week during personal scripture study, I learned from
Mark 11:22-24 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith‍ in
God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall
not doubt‍ in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he
saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore
I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe‍
that ye receive them,‍ and ye shall have them.",
that if we have faith in God, and do not doubt, anything is possible;
those verses outline the simple steps involved: desire, pray, believe,
and receive! I know that God hears our prayers and answers them
according to our faith, and He wants to bless us more than we can
imagine.

I am praying for you! Let me know if there is anything specific I can
remember in my prayers :)

Love,
Sister Kirkpatrick