Promptings are Invitations
Two weeks ago, President Alves called us from the island of Terceira where he and his family live. He asked if I would accept a calling to serve as the District Young Women President for the Azores..
I love the youth of the Church and know that they have great influence and testimony.
My mind was overwhelmed as I thought about the language transitions here on the islands. Just on Sao Miguel, many are speaking a French/Portuguese...and there are 8 dialects just on this island. The island of Terceira is a bit different as well.
However, after grandpa gave me a blessing, my heart became calm and I remember that Nephi didn't need to know how to build a ship, he just needed to know that Heavenly Father knew how to build a ship! So, I will try my best {to listen better after my prayers} in this new challenge to learn from and share our love of the Gospel with these wonderful youth.
My thoughts went to a phone call that came out of the blue before our mission. The lady asked me if I remembered her. She called to tell me thank you for giving her a Book of Mormon 50 years ago! I had only known her for 3 months in our Okemos high school, just outside of East Lansing, Michigan, when all at once, she quit talking to me? We were both 15 years old. But, now (after half of a century!) she was calling to tell me that she had just been baptized. She explained that all those years ago, when she took the scriptures home, her father was angry and told her that she could not speak to me again. Long story short, she told me that she had experienced, studied, and even joined many churches, but in her heart she always remembered how she felt when we were 15. A simple invitation to an activity at our church, a gift of The Book of Mormon, many years ago, stayed with her for all those years. In the year before this mission, we rekindled our friendship, and she moved to Rexburg from California and has now been sealed to her late husband in the Temple.
And so I thought of Mariah. She is fifteen. Elders Alvey and Nascimento are teaching her about the Gospel. Her mother, Laura, (newly reactiviated) and her stepfather, Paulo, are so kind to invite us along as well and we enjoy visits with this family. The young missionaries were hoping that this family could attend Church again this Sunday as President Barcellos (mission President) and President Alves (District President) were coming to give a training to the leaders and they would share their testimonies with the branch. However, Laura and Paulo had work and Mariah had studies and thought they could not come this week.
Saturday evening, the Relief Society had a going away party for Ines who will be leaving for her mission to England. After the activity, while visiting with Dulce, (who was baptized just 4 1/2 months ago and is now a counselor in the young womens' Presidency in Ponta Delgada), a little prompting came as we were speaking and I mentioned how timid Dulce was at first and how it would be wonderful if Mariah had an invitation to attend church from someone who would understand her feelings.
(left to right: Ana, Ines, Dulce)
The very next morning, we received a call from Laura (Mariah's mother) to see if it was possible for us to give them a ride to church. After the meeting, Mariah said she had something to tell me. She said she had been praying about baptism and had asked if she could know for herself about the things that she was learning. And then she received a text from Dulce inviting her to church. She felt that her prayer was answered and that this was the path she wanted to follow. They came to Sacrament meeting and loved hearing the beautiful testimonies and she confided that she wants to get baptized. And then they had to leave for work. I went back in the church to find Dulce to thank her for being a wonderful young womens' leader, for reaching out like she did, when she did. This is The Work of the Lord! (Esta é a Obra do Senhor!) I gave her a hug. (Maybe someday Mariah will share with her that her little text...her invitation...was an answer to a prayer that we did not know was being offered).
What a wonderful blessing in my life to know that while none of us know enough about timing, miracles, or what to do next, our Savior does! And we don't have to be extra brilliant, or even confident in ourselves, but we can be confident in Him! Our part is so small... we just go with our little promptings...our little invitations, our little inklings of love for others, and because of His love, we get to experience a little part of this wonderful work!
President Steinfeldt gave us blessings as he set us apart for our mission. After my blessing, I asked him if I could tear a small part of a page from his notebook to write down a very specific part of his counsel using his exact words. These words touched my heart:
"A Prompting is an assignment from the Lord to be done
with crispness and exactness."
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We know those words are inspired and that they are true. Promptings are little invitations that teach both giver and receiver an insight into the love that Heavenly Father has for every single one of us.
It takes courage at first to follow through with promptings, but 'if ' and 'as' we practice our promptings, we will understand more clearly the patterns of eternity. Amazing!
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Make a great week! We love you and are thankful everyday as we think about how blessed we are to be part of your family. Thank you for gifting us that Joy! with love, Elder Grandpa and Sister Grandma!
