La Semana de Milagros

Lots of great people, food and miracles so I am just gonna get started!

There's a recent convert in Little River that I met when I was in Old Town at a dinner. She shared with me how she was baptized in July after investigating for years and how her daughter was baptized in Peru and that because of her daughter's example she started investigating here in the U.S. Her story made me so happy and hopeful being the only member in my family. She and I talked that whole day and we got so close. She told me she was going to pray that I would be transferred to Little River. She must have a lot of faith because here I am! Hahaha! She was so excited to see me! I now have the opportunity to teach her husband who is investigating the church. They are now one of my absolute favorite families. As we teach him she bares testimony of what we teach, you can feel just how much she loves her family and wants them to be all together in the gospel. It gives me motivation to work hard so she can have her whole family at church together. She is so faithful and a huge example to me. Here is a picture of us cooking AMAZING Peruvian food with her. I'm kind of obsessed with Peruvian food now cause there are so many Peruvians here and I refuse to leave without learning how to cook my favorite dishes. Cooking with her was so fun, she is pregnant and due in 3 weeks, so prepare for baby pics soon! 

Update on my DJ investigator!!! HE IS ON DATE FOR BAPTISM! He is so willing to change his life around and be better for his children. He is a serious, intimidating, bigger man but in our lessons he is so emotional and open. He will come with a question or doubt and once we give him an answer with scripture references he will just be mind blown and say "HERMANITASSS!" Every single time without fail hahahha! This week he found out news about his best friend doing something behind his back. DJ has trust issues because his wife in Bolivia was unfaithful to him and he has a hard time trusting people. When he told us what had happened he was telling us he was done changing and that he was going to stop trusting people and that he just wanted to be alone. We rushed over to his office and he just went on and on about how he was going to be heartless and mean so people would stop using him and how it was his fault he had always been let down because he let people use him and lie to him. He was filled with so much anger and refused to let us speak. He was convinced being a mean person would prevent heartache. In that moment I thought about Christ. The second he stopped talking I said in a soft voice, "Who would you say is the person that was treated the worst on this earth and suffered the most?" DJ said he didn't know. I pulled out a picture of Jesus Christ holding a lamb and I pointed at Christ. DJ covered his mouth with his hand and with tears in his eyes now, he let me speak. We talked about the ministry of Christ. About his example of selfless love, forgiveness and charity. That lesson he decided to set his baptism date and is stronger than ever and willing to be like Christ. I think we have all felt like DJ before, I know I have. But as we strive every day to love those who hurt us and simply be kind no matter what, then we will feel joy in our lives. We should never let other people affect our discipleship or who we are. I am so grateful for Christ and his example and my humble prayer is that we can all strive to be like Him.

Miracle Moment #1: 

Saturday morning our lesson fell through and we didn't know what to do. We decided to go to a neighborhood by our next appointment. We had about an hour and a half until our next appointment so, just as we were going to start knocking doors, we receive a call. It was from the DC temple visitor center. A missionary was calling us about a family that went to the temple Friday night that really wanted the Hermanas to stop by and teach their family. She gives us their address and we check our maps and guess what... We were RIGHT BY THEIR HOUSE!!!! We sprinted to their house and knocked on their door and they are new investigators and an AMAZING family. Those moments remind me this is the Lord's work! He knows where we need to be and who we need to teach. This is not the church of Hermana Tapia but instead the Church of Jesus Christ and He is at the head of this work and this church.

Miracle Moment #2:

Hermana Johnson lost her tablet and we were all worried sick! We had been driving for about 30 minutes looking for it until we decided to drive back home and see if she had left it there. As we parked the car and got out Hermana Doyle says, "Umm.. Hermana... I think I found your tablet." As she points to the back end of the car. Her case literally gripped onto the back of the car and survived the bumps and turns of crazy Virgina streets and traffic! We freaked out! Hahahah! I have picture evidence of this.

Weather Update:

Don't ever come to Virginia at the end of October, the wind will break your windows, tangle your hair, and make you do backflips in the air. Okay, I'm exaggerating! But seriously it is so windy! And it's terrifying when you're as small as me and weigh like 7 pounds! Other than that I can't complain I LOVE Virginia. Just pray the wind won't blow me away... Speaking of weather! It rained a lot this week! If you know me pretty well you probably know I love the rain because it reminds me of my grandfather. Every day he would water his plants. The whole week he died up until his funeral it rained. My aunt mentioned that it was almost as if he was watering the plants one last time. Now it always happens to rain on the hardest days when I am having a rough time. I feel almost as if the rain is my grandfather comforting me, encouraging me to keep going and keep working.

My companions and I are on our way to Burke Lake now so I will talk to you all next week! Can't wait to hear from you and have a safe Halloween! 

Los quiero!

Hermana Tapia