Right before mission leadership council, President received an e-mail from a sister missionary. She mentioned that it would soon be a year since Sister Vea’s passing and that maybe our mission should consider sharing the testimony Sister Vea wrote just weeks prior to her passing. So the mission leadership talked about the idea and each zone decided how it would be best for their zone to honor her. Plans were made and carried out. Missionaries prayed to know who would benefit from her testimony. One zone fasted on the day of her passing and dedicated their service that day to her memory.
There was one thing that happened this weekend that none of us foresaw, but certainly blessed our mission in a big way. Unexplained, unexpected people came forward. They asked for copies of the Book of Mormon. They explained they had been less active and wanted to go back to church. Missionaries found investigators at gas stations and supermarkets. One set found 7 investigators on Saturday. It was stunning.
At the Tri-stake youth activity in Tulsa, the speaker before us essentially used a lot of what I had prepared. So I felt like I should change what I was planning of presenting. As I started to speak I prayed that the Lord would fill my mouth. Since school was starting, I challenged the youth to take the time to share the gospel with others. I felt like I could promise that as the youth invited others to have the gospel, that angels from the other side would help them know what to say and how to say it. I could feel the spirit witness that it would happen, and that Sister Vea would oversee that help.
President and I also felt extra help this weekend. Sitting in the waiting area of Firestone President and I struck up a conversation with a young father who had two small boys with him. As we visited, we saw his heart open. What started as not wanting the missionaries to come ended with him receiving a copy of the Book of Mormon with our number and the telephone number of the local missionaries written on the inside cover. As we drove away the thought came that Sister Vea had been involved from the other side and that angels would continue to beckon him nearer to God and that I needed to do my part in praying for Eric and his little family. Later that evening as we entered our hotel, the desk attendant asked us what we were doing because he didn’t see many people dressed up coming into this hotel. (It was a little bit of a sketchy neighborhood.) Of course that was the intro we needed. What started as a guarded conversation about religion ended with President presenting him with a copy of the Book of Mormon and a pretty good conversation in which he shared that a friend of his attended Rick’s College when it was Rick’s College. I couldn’t help but think with a smile. Sister Vea struck again.
I testify that last weekend our mission experienced this promise made by Elder Boyd K Packer, “Those who give themselves with all their might and mind to this work receive help from the other side.” (The Holy Temple p 252) Isn’t it great to serve in the kingdom!
From some missionary's letters this week:
From Sister B________
"We received a member referral and contacted him on Sunday and asked if his whole family wanted to be taught and they said yes :). We also found tons of less-actives who are either not on the roster or who have moved from the current address. We even met one today right before we came to the library at the car wash! :)"
From Sister O_____
I felt the Spirit so strong this week as we sat with a family and read Sister VEA's Book of Mormon testimony. in her testimony she declares who much the restored gospel (a huge chunk of it found in the book of Mormon) has changed her life and many many others. She declares that it is a gift that Heavenly Father gives us when he wants to communicate to us. She knows the blessings the Book of Mormon offers and says heavenly Father is just waiting to bless you. The quote I love out of her testimony is this.
"I have come to learn in life that if a person wants to talk to HF they need to pray, if that person wants an answer from Heavenly Father they need to read the scriptures"
I know that what Sister Vea said is true! I have seen countless answers to prayers through the scriptures.
From Sister K______
Sister Vea Miracles
About a month or more ago I went on an exchange in Anderson Missouri and I shared Sister Vea's testimony with an inactive member and a non-member. After sharing her testimony they said to me "get me one of those books!" Well I got to go to Anderson again this week and I found out that both the member and nonmember has been reading the Book of Mormon and attending church! The non-member has also joined the ward choir.
On Saturday we went to the Schillings home and Shared Sister Vea's testimony with them. The grandparents are active but their son and daughter in law have been less active. We met with the daughter in law once before and she just started coming back to church. As we read her testimony the spirit was more strong than anything we had experienced that day. The daughter in law lightly cried while we shared Sister Vea's story. On Sunday we were so shocked when the Bishop asked the Schillings daughter in law to stand up as he announced her new calling as 2nd counselor in the relief society haha. So amazing!
From Sister Ra______
This week was fantastic! Sister Mi___ and I saw so many miracles and we know it was because of Sister Vea. We gave a Book of Mormon with a copy of her testimony to a guy that even looked like her. It was incredible. I know that she is working hard on the other side.
Elder S______ related
We were waiting for a ride that was late so we decided to go tracting in our neighborhood. We knocked on the door across the street and it ended up being a less-active member who invited us to come back. I was on an exchange and we went up to a guy at the gas station. He ended up agreeing to the discussions, and has already come for one.
From Elder H_______
This week we had a really cool miracle. So we were trying by a referral, and there was a apartment on one side of the street, and another apartment on the other side. So the info that we were given, told us to go to #3. but we werent sure which side of the street! so we tried by on one side, and we asked the lady that answered if she was our referral, and she said no! So i just asked her, "do you wanna go to church?" Then she told us that she was baptized in Huntsville, and got offended and went less active! So we told her it was no accident that we ran into her! so now she wants to get active and go to church now! Her husband isn't a member, so there is a ton of possibilities there! It was such a miracle that we went there. It was no "accident" that we found her that day. It's really amazing to see how the Lord can work through a couple of imperfect missionaries to help others come back to Christ!