O trabalho esta trabalhando!

This week was awesome! So many miracles...again :) Some of the people that have not been progressing in like forever are progressing. Lots of people at church yesterday. It was pretty crazy for my companion and I though. We had to be in both 2nd and 3rd ward meetings so we had to go on splits. Usually we try to stay together but there was just too much work to do this week!

Sunday morning started off awesome because of Levinia's 7 year old Seandreona. We went to Levinia's house at like 10 to remind them about church and the time change. Levinia was sick so she was not planning on going to church but after a few minutes of being there, Seandreona said, "I'm going to get ready to go to church." She put on a dress and came back with hairbrushes and detangler. Sister Askren and I brushed out the tangles of her super long hair for a solid half hour since she hadn't brushed it in days probably. Then Seanisha who is 4 decided that she wanted to go to church too so Levinia spent 20 minutes brushing out her hair too even though she was like dying through her sickness. It was awesome because them the girls walked to church (which is like a block away). She just has so much faith and has a great desire to follow the commandments. I have so much to learn from her.

I always come back to this quote but it is a huge theme for so much of every single lesson that I have: "A religion that did not demand the sacrifice of all things would not have the power to lead men to salvation." I think about Utchdorf's talk in conference "Come Join with us" and the story he tells at the beginning with the young couple who talks about all the things that we do in the church. There is no way we would give up all of our time and effort if this wasn't true. We talked about the construction of the Salt Lake temple with a few people recently and how it took 40 years to build. The saints gave up so much so for those temples. 

Last night, I came home and thought about how much success we have had and how much it is God's work because none of this came from my weak and simple efforts alone. I know that because this is God's work, it works. I was thinking of Acts 5 and Gamiliel who warns the council of Jewish leaders that if this work is of men then let it be because it will eventually die out, but if this work is of God then it will never stop and they would be fools to try to stop it. I feel that way a lot. There is no way that any of this would be possible if it was not God's work.

Also I was reading in Our Search for Happiness in the chapter about the fruits of the gospel and I love what Elder Ballard says about missionary work: "...even though, to be perfectly candid, most of them feel every bit as uncomfortable standing on your doorstep as you do finding them there. Not only do they have a message of eternal significance, but they have a divine mandate to do so...I often suggest to those who want to know if the church is true that they spend a few hours working with our missionaries. It doesn't take long to learn that no one can do all of the things a missionary does everyday without knowing beyond any question that what they are doing is right and true." Love that because it is so true!

Also this week I got to watch the Restoration video with an investigator. I was really impressed by Joesph's concerns especially: 1) God could not be the author of so much confusion and 2) shouldn't there be one answer that is right for every one? ....right? If we are all God's children then shouldn't there be one answer. One way to live this life. One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5).

Sorry that I didn't give much details about the events of this week; just know that the work is working. I know that the conversion that I have seen is definitely not coming from me but from the Spirit. I am just excited to be a part of it. The gospel is just so fun and exciting. The more we have fun with it, the more other people want to enjoy it too!

Love, 

Sister Sadie Bledsoe :)

P.S.

You know you are a missionary when at the end of a phone call you say "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen" instead of "I love you, bye!" -haha courtesy of Sister Askren 

picture of sister askren and I with our toe socks on Christmas eve

Sister Garner, one of the Relief Society presidents gave us these pendants for Christmas. They are real turquoise :)