Week 76 - Hey, It Was a Miraculous Week!

Dearest family and friends. 

It's Thanksgiving week, and though I highly doubt I will be eating turkey or mashed potatoes, I feel 110% overjoyed with life because HUGE things are happening in Togane. The Christmas miracle is real! 

This week the miracles just kept on pouring on in. Yesterday, 9 of our friends came to church. I was running around sacrament meeting like a chicken with my head cut off making sure everyone had someone to sit by, but everyone seemed to really enjoy the Primary program and realize how important families are to our church. It was pretty miraculous. 

We had an incredible lesson wit C---- on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and she left completely glowing, saying for the first time ever in the six months of meeting with her, "I think this is all true." She's going to pray tonight about what day she should be baptized. It was pretty miraculous. 

We were able to teach more member-present lessons than I have in my entire mission thus far, though I feel like none of it was due to my efforts. People in ideal circumstances just falling into our laps. It was pretty miraculous. 

I made a cake out of tofu and sugar. And made up a cream cheese frosting to go on top. It feels like it shouldn't taste good. But it did and was the richest, most delicious thing I have ever tasted, if I do say so myself. Also miraculous.

Wednesday was freezing. A member saw us biking in the icy rain (I must have not been smiling when he passed us ... I should try more) and we came home to a box of cake on our doorstep. Delicious miracle. 

We had dinner with our friends M--- and K-----. We showed them a picture of SLC temple and Kazuki says, "I've been there!" Turns out her host family in America took her to temple square years ago. She started talking about "a weird bathtub for being cleansed"--baptisms for the dead! Cue segue into the gospel of Jesus Christ and invitation to be baptized because it's super important (rather, a commandment from God). We told them about eternal marriage in the temple, and they chimed together, "HOW ROMANTIC." Pretty great is what it is. Miracle. 

As we all know, things do not always go perfectly, however. Our friend fed us some persimmons. And I am always grateful for warm hospitality. I love persimmons, but as I started eating it, my lips swelled up really weird and my throat closed up and I thought I was dying (exaggeration). This was just as I was trying to explain what faith in Christ meant. Fortunately she gave us some spicy crackers next. We kind of mumbled our way through and excused ourselves. We walked out of the lesson and Sister Dopp says, "Does your chest burn?" And I said, "Do you feel terrible?" Fortunately we were able to book it to Seven-Eleven and were saved by the hot cocoa. Lesson learned: be careful what persimmons you eat. 

This entire past week I've been having those moments of just pure cheesy missionary love, where I just feel "AHHH I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK SO MUCH I JUST WANT TO SQUEEZE EVERYONE I SEE." Most weeks I am feeling the joy of the work but this work it was particularly there. This is accompanied by moments where I am on my bicycle, alone in my thoughts, when I start thinking about how much I am going to miss it all and tears just start welling up in my eyes. And then, I came to the realization that missionary work does not end in a few weeks. 

Sister Dopp and I have to be going home soon. We are training on member missionary work, recent convert retention, and less active reactivation and have some prepping to do. In preparation I was studying the Spirit of Elijah this morning. (Small side note: did you know ... the parentage of Elijah is unknown. Ironic, considering he held the keys for sealing power and is generally who we always tie family history work to. I love the Bible Dictionary). 

Ahh, it's everything's so great! I love missionary work. I love the gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. Happy Thanksgiving!

love, sister margaret willden. 

(Monday, November 24)

Philippians 4:16 

Pic 1: cake on our doorstep. 

Pic 2: latest culinary adventure. Sorry I sent pictures of nothing but cake this week.