December 9: Mormons, The Burrow, and Prayer.

First off:

AARON GOT HIS MISSION CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been waiting all week for this. No lie. You can ask Sister Wallin. I woke up yesterday and the first words out of my mouth were "I get to find out where Aaron is going on his mission!!!" 

Columbia!! Ah, Aaron. By the time you get back I will... hopefully be able to speak with you in Spanish. (I have made a goal since I've been here that when I return, I will be learning Spanish. Through German. Ah?) We'll see how that goes. :) I am SO excited, though! April 23rd... Yeah. It'll be a while. But that's okay! What is time, anyway?

This week was really good though! We had a few really neat experiences that made me 1. Jump for joy 2. Melt, and 3. Question if I was not thrown into a fantasy world.

Deysi, our beautiful Cuban investigator, was admitted into the hospital this week. She's been having a lot of health problems, and so she called us the day after she went in. A snipit of our conversation:

Me: Deysi, how are you feeling now?

Deysi: I don't know. I am not completely better, but the doctors are helping. GUESS WHAT?

Me: WHAT?

Deysi: I brought my Mormon book with me!!

Now if that didn't make your day... I encourage you to read the scriptures until you love them and get back to me.

I was OVERJOYED. Especially since it's like pulling teeth to get some of these people to read. She just gets it though. She knows the Book of Mormon makes her feel good and even though she can't really explain it, she wants it. We haven't had another opportunity to teach her since last week, but we're continuously praying for her :)

On Sunday, we had an eating appointment with a family in our ward. Guess how many children they have. Go on guess. 
Nope. Higher. 

They have 17 children. 17!!!! And you want to know the best part?

They live just like the Weasley family in Harry Potter. The dishes wash themselves, birds and other animals roam freely (surprisingly clean, though!), and the spiral staircase extends at least 5 floors. It was so fun. 

So, one of our investigators, Xiao, is from China. And her son, Shenzhi is 14. Last time we went to Xiao, we talked with her a lot about the bible and everything but Shenzhi wasn't that interested, so he went to his room to play video games. Towards the end of our stay, he came out and chatted with us a little bit before we left. 

Yesterday, we went to Xiao's and he was waiting for us with his mom at the door. 

We sat down and started talking with them about who knows what, and we weren't sure if he was going to be interested in a spiritual discussion but we're missionaries. That's what we do. 

Anyway, we planned on teaching the Restoration again, but ended up spending an entire hour on who God is, why it's important to know him, and how. 

Shenzhi was enthralled. (It was so exhilarating...!)

So we asked him if he wanted to know if God was there. He said yes. We asked him what he was going to do about it. He said he was going to ASK HIM!

So he did. He prayed, right there with us and his exact words, "Heavenly Father, are you there? In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." 

The first time he said he didn't feel anything, so we explained a little more, gave him a few more ideas and he prayed again. The exact same prayer. He sat back in his chair when he was done and said, "I feel something. It's a higher feeling. Is that just me?"

We told him to pray again that night and when he gets the feeling again, he knows it's not just him, and that it is God, telling him that He is there. 

The simple faith of a child. 

The more children I meet, talk with and teach, the more I realize that it was perfectly... perfect that Joseph Smith was 14 when he received his answer from God. I think I'm learning a little more every day about childlike faith and how simple it really is. There is nothing complicated about asking your Father if he is there, for something you need, and simply putting your trust in Him.

I am thankful for Christmas. I am thankful for my Savior. I am thankful to be a missionary. 

Love you!!

Sister Babbitt