Hey everybody!!!! :) I'm sooo excited to talk to ya'll once again!! I can definitely say my heart is full this week!! It was a really good week!! :) I loved hearing from you all last week! Once again thank you for the support and the love and prayers! You all help me so much in ways you couldn't even imagine! So thank you!! I'm glad everyone's doing good! Hope it continues to be that way! My prayers are always with you all!! As I have been able to see the Lord truly does watch over those families of missionaries who are serving.. Sounds like everyone I love is just getting blessings poured down upon them! So I'll just work harder for you all!! ;)
My testimony this week has grown immensely.. Maybe one of the quickest and greatest growths of the mission thus far. Not only does every day build your faith in Christ and strengthen your love for him and his incredible sacrifice. But this week it just took leaps and bounds my friends! :) So I'll start off with one of the single moments that I truly received revelation from the Lord.. And it was through one of the mouths of his beloved apostles, David A. Bednar. One of my favs! So like I said last week he came this week!! We had a conference and it was just the missionaries in the city areas so I was very blessed and fortunate to be able to go! Feel bad for Elder Atkin and others that missed out! Haha Anyways so we had a usual mission conference with our mission president and his wife and all that good stuff! So Gordon B. Hinckley awhile back implored the world that "with concentrated effort we can double our baptisms." That's just what this mission did. What a miracle that is. To answer a prophet's call and to give it their all and actually double their baptisms! That's HUGE!! So to double the mission needed 1600. We got 1730ish around there. I was just so blessed to be able to come in at the end of that success and effort. But this year they're even raising the bar even higher as always. Going from multiple souls a month now it's weekly!! So that's what's going on with this mission! And this 2011 will be my one full year in the field so it's going to be fun!!! :) Can't wait to just give it all I've got!!
The mission conference was amazing with Elder Bednar. At the end Bednar came with a couple quorum of the seventies members. As he walked right by us you could just feel the spirit of the Lord. He then told us all we'd be receiving revelation this day. It's not a mission conference it's a revelatory experience. How exciting does that sound! My heart was just pumping! So he didn't teach us anything, which is amazing. He allowed the spirit to do it all just by asking us inspired questions. So in preparation he had us read some talks he did previous about faith. And after he outlined how we were going to do this he asked does anyone have something they want to share that they learned from reading and studying those talks. My hand shot up. No one else’s did. I wasn't even ready for that; I had no clue what I was going to say!! It honestly just shot up by itself! He says Elder! Stand up! So I did, my hands were shaking a bit not going to lie! He's an apostle of the Lord and he was going to use me as his first victim! So I told him what I learned and what I enjoyed. About in Alma where it talks about how we as missionaries take the message and the spirit unto the hearts of the lord's children. Not into! That depends on their faith. But I just discussed that with him for a second and then he just simply asked may i ask you a question? (Letting me act and learn by faith) I was like of course!! So he asked me a question, i answered. Than he asked another question. This was all in front of tons of missionaries and it was frightening not going to lie but a lot of fun!! And in that single moment with his inspired questions I learned a very valuable lesson about learning by faith. It was amazing!! The whole experience with him was just incredible that day! Probably one of the best learning experiences I may ever have. To have an apostle in that personal of a setting was just so humbling and amazing! That was defiantly one of my favorite things this week!! :)
This week something happened that was really hard as well. Because transfers are coming up this Thursday and it's defiantly possible I'll be leaving this area. Who knows of course! But we've been trying so hard for miracle baptisms at the end of this month and Lavinia, Eddie's sister's daughter who we always hang around with. She's been to church heaps and her Nan, this mean old lady has finally softened her heart and has allowed us to teach her as well. So we taught her and set her for baptism. Than we came later to talk to the Nan again and give a spiritual message and proceed to talk to her about Lavinia's baptism. This would have just been the cherry on top for Eddie and his family! They would all be members! This is one of the powerful moments on this mission that I have felt what charity feels like.. The mom refused. And as the mom was talking I just looked at Luv and she looked so sad. She's only 13 but this is her salvation! This lady doesn't understand!! I did all I could with the Lord's help to try to penetrate this hard heart. But it came to nothing. She wouldn't budge. As I looked at Luv I just felt it tear at my heart. Since the day I've been here I've given everything to this family and the Lord has wrought such a powerful change on them all. Seen so many miracles with Eddie, Pa, Deija, Casarni, but we were stolen Lavinia's eternal progression. I can't tell you how bad this hurt. I truly love this family like part of my own. I've been honored to share the gospel with them. Before we left we sang some songs and I offered a prayer with the entire family which is the first time we've done that with them all and especially the Nan. And I just broke down.. I felt like I gave my all for them and felt like this may be the last time I'd have a moment like this with them all and I just couldn't hold it together. I truly felt that pure love from God. I've really come to love the people here so much. But Eddie and his family are very special. They've been the fruit of our efforts!! :) So that was a really hard experience but also I felt so close to the Lord.. But can't get discouraged! That's opposition to faith so must press on!! :) We're still praying for a miracle from there of course!
A lady in our ward who has helped us out like no other and is such a sweet loving old lady had to go into the hospital this week for a heart surgery. We'd see her a lot and she'd have us over all the time. How things are looking this may have been the last time we'd see her.. We had a really good talk with her, but it was so sad. Our prayers are defiantly with her, I know that the Lord will take care of everything. We had training with a senior couple this week as well! That was really fun! Elder and Sister Brasheir. I learned a lot from them it was great!
Baraniko just has trial after trial I swear! Not only have we been walking this whole transfer because of his arms but now he's really sick and can barely talk!! There's always an opposition in all things!! Haha :) So ya this week was a great one!! Joy's been doing great! Her baptisms looking solid. Jamaine and Disinda are looking good, we're looking to get them married and baptized soon as well! So things are going good! The Lord is so merciful, though I have many weaknesses and imperfections he is still providing for us and paving us the way and preparing his children for the message of the restored gospel! This week had its up and downs!! But I figure rollercoasters are fun! So this is too!! Just as exciting and a huge adrenaline rush as well! This mission is honestly just the best thing that one can possibly be a part of! :) I've loved every moment of it all!! I'm so thankful for you all and your support and love!! I miss you all sooo much and wish you all the best!!!! :) Ofala Atu!! Arohanui!
With Love Elder Devey
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