This week was an extraordinary week! :) Such exciting things happened! It started off with a great Specialized Training by the Zone Leaders on Monday, great lessons with one of our new investigators, Elijah! And then later in the week we had an AMAZING Trainers Meeting that I loved! :) And to top it all of... are you ready for this???....
BROTHER RUSHING GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) Aaaahhh!!! I was (and AM) SOOOO EXCITED!!!! :) I'm SO grateful I was blessed to be able to go back to Lawton for it and witness it!!! :) He even had me give the Baptism talk! :) hah He's so funny! He is the best! It was SO exciting to see him all in WHITE, all ready to be baptized and become an OFFICIAL member of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints!! :) It puts such a BIG SMILE on my face!!! :) When I got there I told him I was SO EXCITED!!!! :) And he said, "You're ALWAYS excited!" haha But I told him this time I was EXTRA EXCITED! :) Because I was, and I am! I have been praying for this day to come and I am SO excited and SO grateful it finally has! :) What a miracle and great blessing!! :)
Let me take y'all back to the first day we met Brother Rushing and share with you a powerful principle I learned! :) So on Monday, December 3rd (which was a P-day AND the FIRST DAY of the "50 Member Present Week"!! ) we were at the library emailing our families. I sat down next to 'Brother Rushing' and felt like I should give him a mormon.org pass-along-card, so I did. He took it and kind of laughed and said, "I've been given one of these cards before." And so I asked him if he had looked at the website? And he HAD!! :) (Miracle!! :) people NEVER look at the website! ha) So I asked him what he thought of it and if he had any questions. He told me and asked some great questions. :) I asked him if he would like to meet sometime and we could answer more questions/share a message with him? And he said, "Sure! I can meet right now." So I went and told Sister Ewell that this guy wanted to be taught right now, and so she came and we went and taught him the Restoration! :) And it was amazing! :) We taught him every week since then and you've heard all the 'in between time stories and events' in past emails! :) And NOW HE IS BAPTIZED!!!! :) :) :) :) :) SO AMAZING!!!! :) What a Miracle!! :) Did you COUNT how many MIRACLES are in that story??! Even the 'smallest of ones??" I counted about 7!! :) It's AMAZING to see how the Lord places us in peoples lives at 'random times' and helps us say/do 'random things' in order to bring about His AMAZING and PERFECT work!! :) (1 Nephi 9:6) I LOVE it!! :) It's AMAZING how He can truly take an imperfect person and not a very ideal situation and produce a MIRACLE!!! :) Our loving Heavenly Father is TRULY a "God of MIRACLES!!" :) I TESTIFY that that is TRUE!!! :) I see it everyday, almost all day!! :) In the smallest to the greatest of ways, and I love it!! :) If only we have FAITH and are WILLING (not perfect, but are WILLING) to do what He prompts us to do each day, I PROMISE that you WILL see many miracles unfold before your eyes daily! :) Even if it's in the smallest of ways! For truly (and this is the principle I learned from this experience/story) "by SMALL and SIMPLE things" are "GREAT things brought to pass" -even BAPTISMS!!! :) How AMAZING!! :) And as Elder Neil L. Andersen said, "It's a MIRACLE!! It IS a MIRACLE!" :) It truly is!! :)
Another great thing I learned this week (amongst many) was at the Trainers Meeting with President Taylor! :) We were talking about "How We Turn to the Lord" in our lives? And we answered and said, "Scriptures..Prayer.." and He agreed and Sister Taylor wrote them on the board and then he brought up the great point that these involve Action! :) As we study the scriptures and pray we need to act! :) He then started talking about how when we need to relax (typically girls) or 'pamper ourselves' for a day, we got to the spa! And then he turned to us and said, that's what we should do every day on a mission! Have a "S.P.A." Day! ..
S-criptures
P-ray
A-ct !!! :)
Isn't that SO great??! :) Sounds like something I'd like huh?! ha I LOVE acronyms and fun/creative ways to remember things!! :) Oh, President Taylor, he is SO inspired!! :) So I love that!! :) And I thought you would too mom!! :) And many others!! :) So when you are feeling down, and even if you are feeling great! Remember to make every day a "S.P.A." Day! :) Study the Scriptures, Pray to your Father in Heaven, and Act upon the promptings you receive and what sticks out to you as you study! :) I know as we do, we will truly be "turning ourselves to the Lord" and applying HIS Glorious and TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ which will bring us great and lasting happiness, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, guidance, and even more!! :) I KNOW this is TRUE! :) I've seen it in my life as I have LIVED IT and I truly grow deeper and deeper in my LOVE for it as I "S.P.A"! :) ha The Church is TRUE!! :) "I KNOW it. I LIVE it. I LOVE it!!" :) ..Let's go SHARE it! :)
Another exciting thing is we were blessed to be able to meet with a new investigator, Elijah this week!! :) We met him at the booth one of the first weeks I was here! And he is so great! :) Part of his family are members of the Church too! :) We've met with him a couple of times this week and HE CAME TO CHURCH!!! :) And to the Ward Potluck and Ward Prayer!! :) He is so great!! :) Please keep him in your prayers as well! :) And THANK YOU for ALL your prayers, love, kindness, and support!! :) The Lord loves you and I do too!! :)
Well, this has been a super exciting week AND we also found out some SUPER exciting news about the mission/missions all around the world! But I don't know if I can tell it yet?! ha But I will when I can! :) Along with that, I also, found out that I am only training ONE New Sister now (whew! ha) because some things had to be switched around within the Sisters in the mission, but that's okay! :) I'm super excited for this New Sister to come and to be a part of the GREATEST WORK EVER!!! :) MISSIONARY WORK!! :) The Church is TRUE!! :) And your Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ LOVE YOU!!! :) ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT!!! :) You are a son or daughter of infinite worth and grand/divine potential!! :) "The sky is the limit!" As President Hinckley says! And with the Lord, you can truly do ALL things!! :) I KNOW that this is true! :) In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. :)
Love, Sister Carlini :)
ps. QofW: "Relax into the hammock of obedience" -Hermana Goodfellow (a great Sister in our Mission!)
"Never underestimate the power of a pass-along-card." -Me (with the Spirit :) )
& "In your own way, in your own culture, you can share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ...Pray to your Heavenly Father. This is His sacred work. He will guide you in what to do. He will open doors, remove roadblocks, and help you overcome obstacles." -Elder Neil L. Andersen :
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