Week 13: Sacrifice brings MIRACLES‏

Hello!
This week was a long week and full of so much good stuff! I think the
real reason that sisters are called to serve for 18 months is because
our investigators like to throw all the problems on us and naturally
we have to try to find a way to fix them and help them overcome all
the many things that are hard about this life. It was a good first
week in the YSA Ward though! The people are awesome and there is a lot
of work for us here right now. My companion is Sister Kurtz. I'm sure
you have already heard about her a little bit but I'll just tell you
more! She is super awesome! She keeps me positive and loves the people
so much. Although being with someone for 24 hours every day is hard
and naturally small annoyances come up, it's really been a really good
week with her.
This week we had lesson couple of lessons with Alicia! She is super
awesome and is someone I really look up to for all the things that she
has had to overcome. She is set with a baptism date for November 7! We
are really excited for her, she has come so far! I'm really impressed
by the faith that the people that we are working with have because
they really love the lord and are eager to follow his example. We had
a lot of lessons with our recent converts this week to. With on of
them we read from the book of Helaman. He was so stocked about it
after he started reading. He was really into it and it was like super
hard not to just sit their and laugh. He was even making a list of
actors who would play certain parts. It was great!
Saturday was the day of small and simple miracles. The entire mission
had a sacrifice Saturday. Basically what we did was fast for the day
and spend our entire day tracting and contacting. The purpose was to
find new people to teach. It was an exhausting day but it was also
really amazing. The day started off with us tracting some doors for
two hours. That was fun and then we street contacted and talked to a
bunch of different people. The miracles happened all throughout the
day. However the biggest on of all happened at 7:45 at night right
about when we were going to head to dinner to break our fast. Sister
Kurtz and I had one pass along card and one Book of Mormon left to
pass out. We prayed that we would find one more person that we could
give the card and Book of Mormon to. We continued walking and saw a
woman come around the corner of the apartment complex walking her dog.
We knew it was her. We talked to her for 10 minutes and talked about
how we had a Heavenly Father that loved and cared for us. She wasn't
really religious but she did believe there was something out there.
She loved what we said and wanted to know more. We continued to talk
to her and invited her to read the Book of Mormon. She said yes! We
have an appointment with her tomorrow. It was amazing. I know that
Heavenly Father answers prayers and that as we work hard to be
faithful we will receive miracles. Saturday was amazing. I just loved
it even though I am super sore and super burnt...
Sunday was a good day too! I was so tired so it was like the worst day
to meet everybody but I got through that. Sunday night we had an
activity at our Ward mission leaders house and we found another new
investigator. MIRACLES. Heavenly Father seriously answers prayers. It
is amazing. I love him so much. We have a lesson with our new
investigator tonight. We are really excited. I think good things will
come from all of this. This work is amazing. Vegas is so good. I love
it. This morning I was reading in Jacob and I know I have read these
scriptures before but they stood out to me so much today.
Jacob 5:70-75
70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant;
and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and
brought other servants; and they were few.
71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in
the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that
I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the
season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye
shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against
the time which will soon come.
72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their
mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they
did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and
the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the
wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they
did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength
thereof.
74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the
commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been
cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself
that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became
like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the
vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most
precious unto him from the beginning.
75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his
fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called
up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have
we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done
according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it
is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou;
for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard,
and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the
natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is
cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my
vineyard.
I just love these scriptures so much because it testifies to me of why
I am out here and the blessings that I will receive from helping
people come closer to their father in Heaven. I know that as we each
take part in nourishing his vineyard that we will be able to learn and
grow as well. Missionary work is awesome. I just love it so much. I
hope all is well wherever you are and if it isn't then ask your father
in heaven for help and you will get it! I love you all!


Sister Lauren Camilleri