6.2.2014

Dear Family,

This week was pretty awesome and so filled with the spirit! Yesterday President Weidman set up a little conference with Elder Ballard, Elder Schweitzer, and Elder Acosta(our area 70). I remember thinking before shaking Elder Ballard's hand just trying to muster up as must of my faith as I could and love for the Savior so he could know that I support him and love the Savior and have no doubts about this gospel, and then when he got up to talk one of the very first things he said was that he could feel our love for the Savior. I'm not even trying to exaggerate that he said exactly what I was thinking. It was kind of a shock because his hand's just immediately made me think of Grandpa and I was trying so hard to hold back the tears! At Jose's baptism Obispo Flores told him that the gospel makes us crybabies(because so many people were crying) and I've decided to change it to "the mission makes us crybabies". (Brooke, you would be so proud!:)) The spirit was so strong! I can't even explain it...hhmmmm try your most spiritual experience in the temple times 2:) The church is so church because there is no way that a room full 300 missionaries can receive all the answers to their questions from the same talks! We are really struggling getting people to church and I got some good ideas and they gave me a different perspective for attending church. Elder Acosta talked a little about how Once they have enough faith to attend church they are ready to make and keep other commitments and I had never really looked at attending church as having faith, but the more I think about it it is so true! One thing(out of all the great things he talked about) was calling down the powers of heaven in this work. For all missionaries that's not an uncommon phrase because Elder Ballard talks a little bit about that in one of the Preach My Gospel videos, but it reminded my that I need more faith. When I wake up in the morning I need to expect that I am going to find someone and that the spirit will touch whoever we are teaching. That we will find, teach, and baptize. I should wake up filled with faith and love for the Savior! 

 Within 3 minutes of him leaving as we were just writing down our impressions an Elder had a seizure. I've never been around someone having a seizure so it was just a big shock for a lot of us because it was so quiet in the chapel and the spirit was still just so strong, but it was a really cool experience because you could tell that we all just turned back and started praying really hard. It didn't last super long and it was a blessing because the mission nurse was there as well as one of the stake presidents who is a physician. It was just a very surreal experience. The power of prayer is real. 

Jose is getting the aaronic priesthood this next week at church!

Thanks for the letter Julia and Natalie!

I hope you all have a great week and know that I love you lots!

Love,

Hermana Ford