So last Wednesday we got to meet our new Mission President!!! President Palmer came all the way up to Casper and introduced himself and his family. It was a very brief intro and nothing really crazy happened but I had been thinking since I was in the MTC that I really wanted a priesthood blessing. I have had some incredible experiences during prayer but I always seem to doubt them as soon as they are over but I felt that if I could just get a blessing, it would be like God was speaking to me. So I had been thinking this for weeks and it just never felt right. I always didn't know who to ask, or I was too afraid to ask the people I would have wanted so it was just always on my mind. Then a few days before meeting President I thought about asking him to give me the blessing and I immediately knew it was something Heavenly Father wanted me to do. When the meeting finally closed I marched right up to President Palmer without introducing myself or anything I just said, "President, would you be able to give me a blessing?" He of course agreed and we all walked into a side room off the chapel where we got to talk one on one with the President. It was THE BEST I felt like I connected to him and his wife so much more and he hinted at things to come in the mission. Then he asked a few questions about why I wanted a blessing and started. Immediately I felt so intensely that God was speaking to me. As President was giving me the blessing it felt as though he could see my whole life laid out in front of me. He referenced so many amazing things that will happen in my life and it honestly *of course* brought me to tears to hear and get a sneak peak at my future. He finished the blessing and as soon as it was over that feeling that he could see my whole life faded away and I knew, without a doubt, that those were the words of God. It was absolutely incredible.
Then on Saturday Sister Harry and I had another breakthrough with Shawna. We felt impressed to take her on a chapel tour even though she had come to church 8 times already. During the tour I just felt so strongly that we needed to really talk with her about where she thinks us meeting with her is going. Once we got to the chapel we started talking about her growth and if she could see herself progressing. This led to a conversation with her about how much Heavenly Father loves her. She started crying as she talked about how she didnt know. In that moment I knew that she hadn't really known the basis of everything we teach which is that Heavenly Father, without a doubt, loves us. We talked and shared experiences and there are things I shared with her that I didnt even know I knew. I felt God filling my mouth with the things I should say. That is when I knew I may not be speaking a language but as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I had the gift of tongues. I could speak, as referenced in 2 Nephi 31, the tongue of angels. Heavenly Father was speaking through me, without my knowledge of the words that would come out. It was an awe inspiring moment for me. We then asked if she would like a Preisthood blessing.
*Backstory*
Shawna has had a hard time with the priesthood and how it is only with the men for a long time. The missionaries have been trying to work on that for 8 months with little or no progress.
*end backstory*
After the idea of her getting a blessing was brought up she thought about it and then accepted!!! *I KNOW CRAZY RIGHT??* so we quickly texted the Elders and later that night they gave her an amazing blessing that talked about specific things she had been thinking about and worrying about. And she stood up after it was done with tears in her eyes. It was beautiful. Yesterday we met with her again and asked about her experience and her ideas on the priesthood and I swear to you all her entire countenance had changed. She thought differently about the priesthood and we could tell she was just feeling more and more of God's unconditional love for her. It was an absolute miracle. God is good. He is SO good everyone.
It has been a week of absolutely high highs. I also found out that we are going to be training a brand new missionary!!! Starting tomorrow I will be in a trio with a missionary from the Mtc and I will get to help train her!! I'm so excited!!! Honestly I am pumped beyond belief about the whole thing!! I feel like I will be able to relate with her so closely and be able to help her easily because well I was there like a day ago so I get it. Ugh I'm so pumped. As it turns out my Zone leader when he was just starting had the exact same thing so basically I'm on the way to becoming a Zone Leader? That's how it works right?
I just wanted to let you all know how much I see God everyday in every small thing that I do. I feel Him pushing me to wake up on time, I feel Him give me extra confidence, I hear Him tell me things the people around me need to hear and most importantly I see Him in every single little moment where I need Him the most. I have said this before and I will say this until the end of time, God is in the details, even the ones you don't think He cares about.
I love you all!! Keep praying for me and my work and especially pray for my new companion who I'm SURE is nervous out of her mind!!
I'll email you next week!! BYE!!
Sister Carter
