Week of Miracles!

January 23, 2017

We have had some awesome Miracles this past week! God truly has blessed us.

This week we had an awesome experience that taught us that our good example as members of the church is so important! We have been doing service for a man in our area who is friends with our Ward Mission Leader, and really good friends with a Bishop in the Arcadia mission. He needed help to clean out his yard because it was full of trash and weeds, and could be a fire hazard. So we've been over there several times to help him clean out everything. This man's name is R., and we have had a great time getting to know him. For some reason he's been crazy super impressed with us and the work we've done for him. So on Friday we get a call from him and he says that he is so impressed with us that he wants to investigate the church! Elder Dickson and I turned to each other and were just like WHAT?! R. said that he is going to invite his Bishop Friend up and ask him some questions to get his concerns straightened out! It was an amazing miracle and such a neat experience! We are going to have dinner with him tonight and teach about Joseph Smith! It really showed me that we should treat everyone with love and kindness, and hopefully it will inspire them to learn more about Jesus Christ!

A. had an awesome experience as well! She has done some sketchy things in her life and she feels really bad about them. Right now we are specifically focusing on helping her realize the power of repentance and the Atonement. We had a great lesson with her on Tuesday, and at the end we committed her to ask for forgiveness in her prayers that night. The next morning we texted her and asked how her prayers were last night. She said that she felt the love and power of God as she prayed for forgiveness. She said she loved the experience and that God is good! It was sweet!

It has been raining a lot here in CA; most of the people we talk to have been saying that this is the most rain they've seen in one year here in the desert! It's been fun because it reminds Elder Dickson of home. He is from the wet side of Washington. He gets super happy every time it rains. :) Also it's really fun to see the change in weather.

Here we are in Pep boys waiting for our car to be fixed.  We had just been walking in the rain.

Sadly no investigators came to church this week, but R. the less-active did! It was sweet! We were finally able to get into his house again, and he said that he would be at church! On Sunday he was there and he said that he would come again next week! He just loves church and seeing the people there. We are hoping to start teaching his girlfriend T. as well.

This week I just had several impressions that God loves each of His children so much! No matter what we've done or where we are on the path of life God's arm of mercy is always extended to us, we just need to reach up and take it! just like the parable of the laborers in the vineyard we are all working toward the same goal, it doesn't matter when we've been hired. we just need to get the job and stay with it giving our all! I have felt the power of the Atonement in my life so many times! It strengthens and uplifts me.

I know that God has a plan for me and each of you. Always be asking him "what can I do to follow you better?"

Have a wonderful week!

Elder Petrie