First comes work, then comes the blessing

Preach the gospel to every creature, right?

It has been an amazing week! At the beginning of the transfer, Sister Perez and I set some goals for what we wanted to get accomplished. It was so fun to have her come out with her greenie excitement, so we took hold of it and prepped ourselves to work hard, pray hard, and see the blessed fruits of our efforts. The night we set the goals, I was laying in bed and had a thought to open up my scriptures. I opened right to Enos 1:12.

 12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.

I was PUMPED! I knew right then that God told me straight up that I would get everything I had set a goal for if I worked my hardest, kept Him involved with constant prayer, and had faith even when the goals started to seem impossible. It had been a couple weeks a beating down on our hope. We were having great success, but it just didn't seem like we were on track to hit our goals. However, we kept following as the scripture had said, and went forward in faith that we would achieve what we had planned and set. 

Our goal is still not reached, HOWEVER this week was the week of hope that we needed! Heavenly Father placed so many amazing blessings right in our lap. It was amazing. 

Friday, we were able to teach a recently reactived member's grandson. He wanted to know how he could be saved. It was a great lesson, he is so ready and prepared! And she was pumped to have a family member be joining the truth, she is the only active member right now. I am so excited for her.

We also have an investigator who is 16 preparing to be baptized on the 15th! We hope she will be ready, she wants it so bad, and the mountains we thought we had to climb before she would be ready, just turned into little hills this week. It was perfect!

Thursday night, we taught a woman named Mary, going into the lesson, I had no idea what to expect. In all honesty, I didn't expect much of it. But it was the most spiritual lesson I have ever taught in my life. Within the first 3 minutes we were all in tears. There was no doubting that the message we had shared was true. She expressed a lot of concern of people who had passed in her life, and normally we would share the Plan of Salvation, but the spirit prompted both of us to share the Restoration. It was so pure and true and obvious that was what we needed to share. And as we did, it wasn't about the Book of Mormon, it wasn't about Joseph Smith, it was about how the message we were sharing could bring the Savior so strongly into her life, that her pain could be healed, and her family could be eternal. I believe that with all my heart.

Anyway, I have to go, but I love it so much out here! There is so much potential here in Carlsbad, just keep the prayers headed this way! I love you all so much. Have a great week. 

I am so eternally grateful for the flatness that is New Mexico.
It makes biking in to 106 degree heat so much less...burning hot.