Pixie Cut = Hot Weather Problem Solved

Well, I got my hot weather problem solved!! Chopped it all off! When I would chop it off in the past I would always regret it a tiny bit and feel sad (I know... pathetic), but this time I didn't shed a single tear and I don't regret it one bit!! I am going to grow it back out...I think. We'll see :) 

Yesterday was just a wonderful day. It started out in the Visitors' Center. While us and the other sisters on shift met before it started, I just had a feeling that something good was going to happen. I was all excited inside. It was weird! But I had been praying that whole morning for Heavenly Father to send in someone in the VC whom I could share my testimony with, someone whom I could help feel and connect with the spirit. 

At first this Beligium couple came in and I gave them a tour of our temple pictures, told them what it was all about, and helped them with their family history on the computer and finished it off with the movie God's Plan for His Family and then introduced them to the Book of Mormon. Normally a tour with that many resources would take like 30 minutes. It took us 15 because they basically sped walked through everything and just wanted to hop from one thing to the next! It was slightly exhausting. I don't think I've ever explained the temple in such short and concise sentences before. But it was good practice! At the end when I explained the Book of Mormon, I handed them one in Dutch and told them that it was our gift to them (in the mean time thinking that this is the moment I've been praying for). But they acted like I just pulled the black plague out of my pocket and practically ran out the door saying something that sounded like a heavy accented "No thank you, not interested!" They ran away faster than I could "Goodbye, have a nice day!"  Haha it was a bit funny to watch.

But THEN this 19 yr old girl came in and I started talking to her a bit. She opened up and told me that she had been off and on with the church for a while and told me how her family was sealed in the temple in 2010 but now her parents were getting divorced. She had put her mission papers in at one point and was struggling now to stay committed to the gospel. We ended up talking for about an hour and a half about the decisions she has made in her life, her goals in the future for herself and her future family, and lots more. I really felt like God had been preparing not only her but also me for this experience.

All I've been studying recently in my personal study is 1 Nephi - and I've been praying for an opportunity to use the material I've studied for a few weeks now. And guess what, I was able to not only share with her my testimony of the Book of Mormon but also share many passages and experiences of Nephi that related to what she was going through. She was so sweet and had such a strong desire to do good. She attends Dixie State so I gave  the missionaries her address and number that she told me to give them, and I will call her every now and then to encourage her. I just love the Visitors' Center and those whom the Lord prepares to walk in :) 

After our shift there, we went to the home of a less-active woman who is in her 80's. She has been coming to church a lot more recently (yay!). I remember one lesson we had with her awhile ago - we were teaching her all about Jesus Christ. She seemed to not really care about His sacrifice or anything else. Ever since we've been reading the Book of Mormon with her and helping her develop a testimony of that. Yesterday when we had her lesson she said she was having trouble understanding chapter 21 of Nephi. And she says every time we open up the scriptures "Sorry gals, I didn't read very much this week." We've been in 1 Nephi for centuries. But thanks to her large print Book of Mormon I saw that she was actually on 3 NEPHI! Like she was almost done with the whole book! I kind of shouted her name out of shock and I told her that she was doing great in her reading! She said "Well, I'm trying! I try to read a little every day!" And then she talked to us about her goals to go to the temple and actually started crying while talking about her health problems and her gratitude for the Plan of Salvation. It was a MIRACLE! Her heart has been softened and all because of the Book of Mormon she is beginning to actually gain a testimony of all these things. I just love that book. And I also just really love Nephi. And then we watched the restoration movie with her and I accidentally fell asleep... oops!! 

I have run short on time, but I have more to say next week about my day full of miracles. I hope all of you have a fantastic week!!!! I love you!!!! 

Much Love, Sister Martin