Experiences You Will Never Get Anywhere Else!

Wow this has been such a fantastic week I seriously don't even know where to start!?! But I think I'll just give all the cool details first and then the spiritual stories. 

This past week has given me just a preview to the happiness that never ends. So I had kept the whole fact that it was my Birthday this past Wednesday on the down low so that our investigators know that we teach with the "it's about them and not for us", but this past week just about made me cry. First we started off my Birthday at Zone conference and everything was pretty normal with the birthday wishes, but once we got back to good 'ol Oak Cliff, I got to have some of the greatest experiences ever. First of all, we got to work for the rest of the day without having dinner, which definitely gives you the "working hard" satisfaction that every missionary strives to get. Then we got home and I got to enjoy all my presents and snack and stuff from everyone back home (Thank You all so much!) and even a little surprise (thanks Mom!!!!) But what blew me away was what happened on Friday. 

Earlier on we had set up an appointment with Manuel's family, but were only able to squeeze them in on Friday. So, after Manuel, being a boss and perfect example for our ward, came out with us to teach, we went to their house to have a lesson and get Daisy and Esther ready for their baptism. After the lesson, we normally ask them if they have questions and if they don't come up with any, we end up quizzing them. But every lesson they don't come up with questions and we end up quizzing them.  This time, Manuel said, "Yeah, I've got a question....you guys ready to eat?" Then Esther brought out this HUGE 3 Leches cake that she had made herself, along with a ton of Papussas (this meat packed tortilla/quesadilla food from El Salvador that I have come to love on my mission, and if you don't know what they are...I would highly recommend them!) He said, "It's always tough to get a time to feed you guys so we figured we'd make it so that you have to eat with us."  I was absolutely without words and could not believe it. They took me over to the kitchen, and as I was stuttering out just how impossible it was for me to show just how grateful I was, I saw the ingredients, utensils, cake spread, batter, decorating tools, and the rest of the results of what looked like cooking for hours on end. 

Then as I was just telling them how much I LOVED it and how could they possibly know that I love all this stuff? Kevin just exclaimed, "We remember watching you eat at the ward party and what foods were your favorite and stuff!" I had a feeling that I will never forget, about how these people, a family that we had just gotten to know by knocking the door and had only known for 2 months, has shown so much love for me. It is really quite the humbling experience when you are put in positions where you know that no matter what you do, you will never be able to show just how grateful you are, and you will never be able to work hard enough to be even with the blessings of the Lord. 

There were also two other members that gave me cake without even a dinner appointment, and one even gave me Cuatro Lecces! It is so unexplainable the love that I felt from the members and investigators...but now time for the cool spiritual story. 

We have been teaching the Martinez family with the new baby that we blessed for a while now, and as Manuel came out with us one day, we were explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the things that we need to do to receive a testimony. Then Hermana Martinez cut us off, and just said, "I would do those things, but I already know that this is true." And then she laid her testimony out right in front of us… A while ago, she had been visiting the beloved church of Jesucristo Es Mi Refugio Inc., but she said that after a while, the 20$ entry was getting too expensive along with all the other costs that they charge. She also found in the Bible that Jesus and the apostles along with all the other Prophets didn't expect anything for all of the miracles that they performed. So she decided to stop going there, but she still knew that something was missing. She had been praying during the difficult times of her pregnancy, for God to send her something. She said that when her baby was born with heart problems, she felt especially discouraged and in need of divine help, and prayed harder and harder. She then told us that ten days after her baby was born, we knocked on her door asking if we could bless her new child. From that moment on, she knew that the church was true, and the now terminated heart problems are a continuing testimony to her. The funny part is that President Durrant only gave us permission to knock around less active members, and that day we decided to knock a few doors after visiting Hermana Napoles, who lives three houses down the street. As Elder Bednar said, "Being led by the spirit is very rarely an overwhelming impression, and is almost always just doing what we are supposed to do, and miracles will put themselves in our paths." I love and miss you all! Thanks for all the letters and packages and I'm excited to give you more updates next week!

Elder Justin Wilson