just f a l l into His arms of love

I'm in one of those lucky missions where we get to visit the temple every three months! So today marks one of those three months. There really is no place alike it, while home and the cabin come second. I definitely have a testimony of the temple's importance, and how important it is to come prepared to the temple. 

About a week ago now I had a unique experience. Well, maybe my companion would disagree. I'm not sure how graceful I was before the mission, but here in Brazil- my feet haven't accostumed to the broken up sidewalks and driveways that are all different (different material and often different slopes). I'm afraid this is how my companion will come to remember me, the companion who tripped a lot, and ate "broas" (it's like between an english scone and corn bread) and "avacado vitaminas" which is just milk and avacado and sugar blended together, which she introduced to me. 

But this day we were on our way to a zone meeting, just about two blocks away- when I remember thinking, "oh, I'm falling" and my knee caught my fall. Luckily there was no one in the road to see my fall, only my companion. I won't go into details, but it was mostly bruises and a deep cut- but don't worry- all is fine. (mom, all is fine- really. (: ) I did end up limping from house to house and going up the stairs only one stair at a time... Yet- you know know, and I know, how our sacrifices and sorrows with ALWAYS have miracles that follow them. If you don't believe this, I encourage you to pay attention next time something "out of the blue" happens that you weren't hoping for. 

We started finding more people to teach, and somehow I had the energy and strength to get through the whole day! I remember one day in particular, we literally walked all day, all of our appointments had little 'x's next to them, meaning that they had fallen through, all of our back up appointements as well. We talked to people who didn't really want to talk to us. And during the last two hours of the day (it was also a holliday, or day after a holliday) we walked around, literally chasing down people in the road to talk to...When we passed by this one house of an investigator who was really hard to get a hold of. We rang her doorbell, she was home!! 

I learned from this, that sometimes things don't happen like we think they will, and I know that we weren't finding people to teach, because the Lord was waiting for us to listen to this prompting, to help Graça. It was the first lesson with her, and after a long day of trying not to feel discouraged, what a beautiful lesson we had with her- answering her questions and doubts, watching her think about what we were saying. There's no equal to feeling the Spirit work in our lives. 

I know the Lord is looking out for us one by one. I know that if we wait with faith and hope, that we'll recognize the miracles in our lives. And I know that there's nothing more important that helping others, loving others. Thank you so much for your prays and showing your love towards me, through great things, and the small and simple. I know that each one of us can make a difference!

Love, 

Sister Duncan