There Can Be Miracles! Madi's Baptism!!‏ May 23, 2016

Hi you all!
Well, this week had it's up and downs... But on the brightside, I've realized that Hermana Brown has really helped me to learn how to talk to people and how to immediately start teaching and testifying while tracting/talking to people who are out and about. I felt like I had it down in Spanish but in English it's been such a struggle! So I'm learning a lot from Hermana Brown especially in those ways!
Service at Sister Bartlett's! We helped by caulking,
 wood filling and painting her kitchen table before
they move!
 As for our area, we saw so many miracles and had great planting seed moments in tracting Thursday evening and the next two days especially, we had some major breakthrough moments with several less-active members! One of them was Sister B. who we learned was struggling with smoking again, but is trying to quit and trying to help another less-active quit as well! 
Second, we visited a young man, Benjamin, again this week and learned that he hadn't been to church in 2 years before last Sunday. We visited him and his grandma last Friday and in talking with him last week, Hermana Brown invited him to pass out a Book of Mormon. She then asked "How long do you think it will take you to pass out?" and he said "A day." Oh okay! Then we also invited him to come to church and after a bit of persuasion, he said he would come! We called him up last Saturday to find out his cousin was on his way to pick up the Book of Mormon and that yes, of course he would be at church, he said he would come! And he did! We just thought he was a golden less-active who just needed some encouragement to come back to church, and then we learned Friday that he hadn't been in two years and it really was a miracle that he came! But they only stayed for sacrament and left before we could talk with them. Benjamin did mention that he wanted to stay for the other classes but they left and we are hopeful that as we meet with them more that he will start coming more regularly! 
Oklahoma Skies
Third, we met with Sister Con, who again has been less-active for years. When we went over there, she said we could come in for a few minutes. We didn't really have a plan, and so we just read 3 Nephi 11 because it's an amazing chapter and then as we are working with our members, our plan is to ask for referrals so Hermana Brown did! And somehow it lead to a miracle. I don't remember what happened but Sister Con completely opened up, she has a testimony of the scriptures and prayer, but she didn't think that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the true church and that Joseph Smith restored it and was a prophet. She told us that she hadn't voiced her concerns to anyone besides us and while she doesn't come to church she has good relationships with some of the members and continues to do her visiting teaching, so we were kind of surprised by this. We were able to invite her to read Joseph Smith History and pray about Joseph Smith which she readily accepted. It was such an incredible miracle and we will continue to work with her!
I'm looking more for God's elect and trying to plant seeds wherever else in unity with Hermana Brown and we are seeing the Lord's work hasten! It's still a struggle (The Atonement in Missionary Work by Elder Holland), but it's going to continue up from here!
Then.... Madi's baptism!! So. Much. Stress. Yet it was probably the best baptism I have been blessed to be at! Last week, Sister Bartlett asked me to accompany her and Brother Bartlett in a duet they were asked to sing. I of course said sure! And then she came up with music on Sunday to an arrangement that I hadn't heard of If the Savior Stood Beside Me by Sally Deford that was pretty complex. I tried playing it on Wednesday, I sounded awful. I practiced it over and over again and it improved quite quickly but it definitely was NOT baptism/performance worthy, let alone accompanist worthy.
Lucy, Sister Veal, Madi, Shannon and Jack! 
 
Well, I had the chance/time to maybe practice it 10-15 times in a 4 day period and about 3 of those times with the Bartlett's, in which we never made it through the song without stopping before the baptism. But after much prayer and pleaing that somehow, someway, at least the Spirit would be there during the musical number even if it sounded like a trainwreck because of my playing, we got up to do the number and it happened. And it didn't sound awful. I messed up A TON, and dropped the left hand several times, but it was a miracle that it sounded as good as it did! The Lord blesses us in our talents if we put in our all to do our best! SO blessed! And Madi was baptized which was the best part of all! I love her so much! (: 

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