Good day everyone!!! It's been a lovely week! The sky's were blue again, now they are back to smoke covered gray. The foreboding doom that accompanies transfer calls has come and gone... we are both staying!! I am so excited to get to work another transfer with Sister Runs Through! AND I get to be here for Isabel, Juan, and Rajesh’s baptisms!!
I was looking back on my past emails to see what I have actually told you about these people and I realized I haven't told the origin story of Rejesh! So I'll tell you that now...
It all started back with our interviews with President two transfers ago. President Tateoka told Sister Johnson and I that he could feel that we were about to find a prepared person, if we were diligent and obedient. Well that night we met this guy named Daren and we both were super excited and thought that he must have been the one. So we honestly kind of forgot about President’s inspiration.
Two days later we were running around frantically inviting all of the people we were teaching to attend a baptism that was happening that same day. As missionaries we can't attend a baptism unless someone we are teaching comes with us. We also understand that baptisms are a super great opportunity for people to feel the spirit, so we were desperately looking for anyone to come take advantage of this opportunity, but alas no one was available!
We were starting to get a little frustrated that despite our best efforts nothing was working out. When we took a moment to stop and think about what to do next Sister Johnson pointed out that we have yet to pray. So we paused in the middle of this apartment complex and prayed. I can't remember the words we prayed or the specific things we asked for, but I do remember that all I wanted from that prayer was to know that our efforts had been seen, and that something good would come from them.
A few minutes after we ended our prayer this car pulls up next to us and the man inside, Rajesh, asks us for directions. Sister Johnson and I both jumped on the opportunity. We helped him out and then introduced to him the Book of Mormon and invited him to church. Oddly enough we didn't invite him to the baptism. We exchanged numbers and parted ways, after that we didn't really think much about the simple exchange and went back to business.
We were never able to find someone to come to the baptism. And for a while it felt like one of those situations where sometimes things just don't work out. But we had been being diligent, we had been praying in faith for a miracle to happen and in our eyes it never did.
Well after a few months I have finally had my eyes opened to the connection between these events and the miraculous story of Rajesh! There are so many miracles happening all around us! So many little things that all play into each other, and you may not be able to see the big picture now. It may even feel like you have failed, but don't give up! Faith is believing without seeing, it is trusting that God is orchestrating miracles in your life, even when everything looks like it is falling apart.
Recently in my scripture reading I came across this scripture, Ether 3:5. This is when the brother of Jared is asking the Lord for a miracle.
"Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men."
I know that there are miracles happening all around us. More often than not they are in the small and simple details of our lives. I invite you all to make an extra effort to look for the hand of God in your life, and write down the small and simple things you see.
I am so grateful that I have been able to be here to see the following chapter of Rajesh’s story and I am so excited that I will be able to be here for his baptism!!
Have a great week everyone!! I love you!
-Sister Peterson
Song: When I Am Baptized
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