The washer decides to take over.

This week has been great! A little longer than usually it feels like, but still went by much faster than at home! This week we were able to see a lot of great miracles! At least, I guess that’s how I see them. Honestly life is so much more fun if you see all the little blessings as moments of miracles, then when those big miracles come along we can appreciate them that much more! Not to mention it makes life more enjoyable because you always see the great things God is doing for you!

Right, so, this week was awesome. Last week we started teaching a new investigator, sister 조. She’s awesome! She’s also a great missionary, she works really hard to bring other people to English class and to meet with us for the 30:30 program. When we first met she felt a bit of 부담 (burden, there's not really a direct translation in English, its kind of like feeling pressured to do something), but this last time when we met her she asked a bunch of really great questions. When we told her about prophets she immediately asked “Is there a prophet living today??” And when we explained that we had received an answer for ourselves the Gospel is true she said “That’s so amazing!” Then we told her “You can too!” She asked “How????” So she’s progressing really well. She texted us the night after we met the second time and said “I was having a bad day, so I sad an extra long prayer, and I felt peace.” It was great!

On another occasion, we were coming back from something and my companion asked "should we go on the bus or the subway?" and then she headed for the subway, but then suddenly changed her mind and we went on the bus. We had to transfer buses, so while we were sitting at the bus stop  a woman got off a bus and stood by us. We greeted her. A few minutes later she turned to me and asked in English “Do you have a worship service?” And I responded that we did. We talked about the church, what time it started, and using the Restoration pamphlet explained the service and classes. We took the same bus and she said she would be interested in attending church with us. Something she said that stuck out to me was “I can see it in your face, I know you follow Christ.” It made me feel special. Apparently she lived in America for a long time and gets along better with, and feels comfortable around Americans. 

Yesterday we had a special fast. One of our investigators isn’t progressing. She likes to learn, and she loves the missionaries, but she isn’t making spiritual progress. So, my companion and I decided that in order to continue teaching her she needs an immediate support system. We decided to try and teach her mom. Her mom doesn’t have a religion, but she really wants her to believe in God. So, we focused on that desire and asked her to fast for her mother. We fasted for the mission, and also fasted for her mother. 

She fasted with us from Saturday to Sunday. And this week we hope to be able to meet her and her mother together with the blessing of the Lord. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without fasting. I mean, I love prayer, and it’s a great way to ask God for help, but to some extent you can only get so many blessings from prayer. I love the opportunity to show my obedience and faith in ways more than just words. It also helps to know that there is something special I can do for my special needs. Really, fasting is God’s great blessing to us. 

Friday we visited a member and practiced a song for sacrament meeting together. Though we are not sure if we can do it because there is only time to do it after transfers and we don’t know if I’ll be here. Though the dad, is lobbying for me to stay here because the Stake presidency wants me to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ in Korean and English (they’ve already decided the order haha) at Stake Conference. Anyway, while at their house we were practicing. The mom is a great missionary! She had her daughter bring some food to their neighbor, and then when the neighbor brought the bowls back she had her come in and listen to us practice and talked to her about English class and stuff. She’s really great! I love the members here, they are all so awesome. Really, missionary work goes well when the members are involved. Especially those members who know how to invite without fear. 

Recently the Mission leader here has been into proselyting together with the missionaries. Last week we tried to sing at a park, but we didn’t prepare well, so it didn’t go nearly as well as it could have. I do have to say though; singing is a great way to get into people’s hearts. This week we went sticker boarding together.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about this week is having faith in God. But not just in the usual sense. I know he’s there, I know he loves us. I know all that. I testify of that every day. But recently while teaching Sister 조 I have been putting my faith in His ability and desire to answer prayers. I’ve always promised people “You’ll get an answer; you’ll know he’s there.” But I’ve never heard until now from the mouth of an investigator that they’ve felt a peace, that they’ve experienced something they have never felt before. It’s really an amazing feeling. 

There's a PI that calls me 'Brookie' so now my companion started using it haha.

So our washer was being super odd and not draining water for the longest time and we didn't know why, so we called and the lady on the phone told my companion to pull this thing off at the bottom and turn a knob. 

What the lady failed to tell my companion is that once you turn the knob all the water that's in the washer decides it wants to be out of the washer. So, we had a lovely little pool in our laundry room and my companion was like "Bowls!!! Bowls!!! I need bowls!!!!" 

It took a long time to clean it up. 

At least we cleaned the filter and the washer works now! XD

I want to ask all of you to hit 'reply all' on this email and share some experiences of when you've fasted and seen blessings!!!! :) Thanks muchly! I love you all!!