Miracles in the Visitor's Center

So I heard about all this wind that everyone is experiencing in the Midwest!! Well guess what, we have been having our own windstorm here!! Last Sunday we were walking back from our chapel to the VC and we almost got blown away... literally. Dirt was blowing EVERYWHERE and branches were falling down and nature was getting stuck in our long hair... and it was raining to top it off. Perks of not having a car: You get to experience the elements. I actually thought a tornado was brewing by the looks of the sky and I started getting really nervous... but I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore. I mean Missouri.

Dad asked me if I am learning any Spanish from Sister Morales, and I'm learning a little! But not enough... One night for dinner we went to this family's home who were Mexican (all the Mexicans are always inviting us since Sister Morales is from Puebla). We had some DELICIOUS pozole (like a soup...I had a few bowls and was completely full) and I started telling the family how much I had enjoyed it. They had daughters our age so it was also a lot of fun. The dad then said to me, "You know how you compliment someones meal in Spanish? You say 'TENGO HAMBRE!' " So I looked at them with a huge smile and threw up my hands and said "Tengo hambre!!" And they all started laughing and laughing. I guess it means I'm hungry... So yes, I'm slowly learning more Spanish. 

Every week we are experiencing miracles in the VC - it's amazing. I have a lot of neat stories of so many people who have come in recently that say coming into the VC that day changed their lives. Its fun to keep in contact with them via email and telephone in our Teaching Center (where we accept/make calls and emails all over the world and chat on mormon.org) and check on their progress!  But something the other day really stuck out to me! There was a little girl who came bouncing in and I welcomed her in. She told me in a very exciting voice that she had come to see her father. I said, "Oh, your dad's here?" And she replied, "Yes! Father is here!" Then her mom caught up with her and said in a sweet voice that she didn't have a real father who was around, but that she was talking about her Heavenly Father. And then the little girl kept skipping along and looked back to her mom and said, "Come on mamma! Let's go see Father!" And I just stood there with my eyes full of tears. 

How sweet is that!! Another experience we had was in a lesson with a less-active who just recently divorced from his wife, and he had custody of their new born baby. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and when we were talking about Heavenly Father and our life before earth, this baby started, literally, jumping and leaping and shouting for joy! With the biggest little smile on his face! We then said, "I think this is all a little familiar to him!" Which it totally is! Now I feel I really understand why we are told to "become as little children," :) 

Sister Morales, Pearson and I and all of our investigators are SO excited for conference this weekend! In the message of the Christus in the VC, we always here the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that says:" Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." What a wonderful opportunity to abide by this scripture!! We can learn more of our Savior and how to be like him, listen to his words through our prophet and his apostles, and then walk in the meekness of his Spirit by ACTING on the things which they've said! 

Since our gospel, our message, and our lives are centered in and around Jesus Christ and His Atonement, this conference I have decided to find out how each and every talk is centered around the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Being a missionary provides a new perspective on listening to the words of the prophet - I thought I loved conference before but I REALLY  love it now!!! 

And I love all of you!!! :) 

Love, Sister Martin