Miracles

I don't know what happened with our ward but it has changed. We had three lessons with members last week. That's more than the last transfer combined! It was just great! We had a member I knew from Walled Lake call and go with us to teach her friend. It was a bad lesson. The lady had agreed to take a lesson so she could get help with some work stuff. She really didn't feel it but we still got to go and teach, which was good.

Then we did some service for a lady. Her home teacher took us. She had some friends over to help her get packed (she's trying to move). When we went to give a message, she told us we should go to the kitchen "there are more ears there."  We did the nail lesson. They are older and were awed! ha-ha It was cool. The member that took us, he and his wife teach seminary. They had a funeral to go to and didn't have a sub. So we taught seminary Thursday and Friday and today. It starts at 6:10 a.m. Let me tell you! We got up at 5:30 a.m. to go over there. That little bit makes so much of a difference!  We came home, did personal study, tried to do comp study, and then took a nap! The kids were super cool! Today we had a high of 9. There are kids in seminary that don't even come to church! It was so great!

We taught the girls about the temple. They are so pumped to go there some day. They are so converted! The week before last, they were in Florida. We went to church and I didn't realize they were there. They came in late and sat by themselves. This week they came and sat with us. It was sweet! They are just little lights in the ward.

We had a couple super cool thing happen. We got a referral to go see this lady and her husband. We went stopped by but they weren't home. We called and the woman was so nice to us. Her husband was in a nursing home. We said we would call in two weeks so we could check in and meet them when he was better. We called the man who gave us the referral, his name was Peter Jensen (I thought of Pete, but it wasn't him--I asked). Peter said that the man wouldn't be coming home with his wife. He had a week to live. He was dying of cancer. I felt so bad! She didn't even let on! We sent some elders to see them--the nursing home wasn't in our mission.

On Saturday were were doing service for a member's non-member daughter. She's moving into her parents' basement to help take care of them. We were with her when we got the call that the man had passed. I don't know them. I've never seen them. But I hurt for them. Lisa, the woman we were moving, was lost to what we had to do with it all. So, impromptu, we taught maybe the best restoration lesson I've ever felt. We simply explained that we, because of the restoration of the gospel, have all the peace, hope, happiness, and strength that any person could want or need. We have it and we're giving it away for free. This time she got it! She agreed to take the lessons after she was settled in. What a blessing!

It has been cool learning how things feel. Once I was annoyed with a family here in church. This mom was struggling to get her three children to be quiet and settle down. They were distracting from the spirit and I wanted to worship! What an inconvenience to me! Then I looked at the Bishop's face. He was looking at her like she was an angel?! He was so happy to see HER. I pondered on that. Here was a mom, alone, that brought her three kids to church because that's where they needed to be and she had that duty to herself and them. She came alone and has since I can remember. A warrior against the devil for her children! The Bishop loved her like the Savior does. He was so happy to see all the sinners and hypocrites, the trodden down, battle-worn people file through the doors into the chapel to worship and be renewed. It has changed me forever! I now see people in church through his eyes and I know how Christ must see me. Miracles, I'm telling you! I don't pray for hard times, but I learn so much more when I have them.

Have a good week!

-- Cooper