I Love Children!

It is only February and yet I feel like it is spring here!  I love it!  This week has been mostly clear blue and sunny.  I am very grateful that it has only rained once this week.  I have been so spoiled on my mission.

I guess I have to get used to the fact that my weeks in the mission from now on are never going to slow down.  I have probably said this several times and I am going to say it again, where did the time go?  I feel like I just emailed yesterday!  This week has been filled with miracles and blessings.

Last Tuesday I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in another musical number, singing "I Feel My Savior's Love" with the same sisters (as a couple of weeks ago), at the LDS Business College Devotional.  President Poulsen, our mission president, asked us to sing because he was the speaker.  President Poulsen gave an incredible talk.  Even though I am not attending college at this point in my life right now, I learned so much about the spiritual goals I want to set when that time does come again.  As we sang the musical number I could literally feel the Savior's love for the students in that room.  What a wonderful feeling that was!

Singing at the LDS Business College Devotional

Thursday night we had a lesson with one of our investigators over the phone.  For those of you who are not familiar with what resources missionaries serving at visitor centers have, let me first explain what the Teaching Centers are.  Our mission boundaries are just Temple Square, but we can stay in contact with any one that is visiting and teach them over the phone.  This also includes the calls and chats we receive form mormon.org.  The last or second to last week of my second transfer, Robert (not his real name) came on chat with a question about the Book of Mormon.  He already had a copy a previous neighbor gave him a long time ago, and he also started reading it before chatting with us.  At the end of the chat he wanted to continue to stay in contact with us.  Fast forward to a week or so later- Sister Chayama and I taught him the first lesson, the Restoration and invited him to be baptized.  We taught him about the proper priesthood authority.  He did not give a definite answer on the baptism invitation, but he did commit to saying his prayers and continuing to read the Book of Mormon everyday.  We continued to stay in touch with him through text, in between our lessons.  This past week he was sick.  We had the opportunity to introduce to him priesthood blessings.  We explained to him that we could send the local missionaries to give him a blessing.  When we talked with him Thursday night he shared an experience that he had that completely overwhelmed me with the Spirit.  Here is what I wrote in the teaching record.
"Another Spirit lead lesson! (He) is still sick, getting better. Did not go to work. Went to the doctors and they told him he has upper respiratory (infection) and nothing they can do about it. The prescription did not help. He went to Walmart to buy medicine. He was going to check out, but forgot something, he went to an aisle and saw two missionaries. He went up to them and told them that he has been talking with us and that he read the BOM. He mentioned a priesthood blessing and they went to a nearby church and they gave him a blessing! They put oil on his head. They talked with him about faith. Afterwards he did not feel better immediately, but when he got out of his car all of a sudden he felt a lot better. He was amazed.  Elders gave him their contact info."

Sister Chayama and I were grinning from ear to ear!  We were amazed at what we had just heard!  Another thought I had was the elders were very prepared and inspired themselves to talk about faith with him because that was exactly what we had prepared to talk with Robert about.  When Heavenly Father knows we have a desire to change, he will make it possible for us to receive the blessings we are promised.

On Friday I was on exchanges with Sister Melone from Italy.  While we were on Square we met Rachel down by 'Scriptures and Revelation'.  Rachel was a member and had just gotten back form the Marshall Islands, teaching elementary aged children.  She shared a very moving story with us.  On the island she was teaching, the church was not established.  Whenever she would travel to the main island, she would tell the missionaries that her island needed missionaries.  Still they never came and so Rachel decided to fast and pray.  I don't know how long she was out there for, but it was at least a year.  Two weeks after she had fasted and prayed missionaries, were sent to her island.  The teaching program she was in pulled her out of there and she was the last person to ever go back.  I don't remember the exact words she used, but she basically said that there will be no more schools on that island, but the church is now developing there, missionaries are teaching her children and the people are much more blessed now.  I was very overwhelmed, again, with the Spirit.  Because of Rachel I have been inspired to pray more diligently and fervently for my investigators.

Sister Melone from Italy

Yesterday Sister Chayama and I were walking around the temple grounds and a little girl from the opposite side shouted "Sisters!"  Then she ran up and gave us a big hug.  It was one of those moments for me that I realized how much I loved children and love my own brothers and sisters.  I can only imagine what the Savior felt like when little children ran up to Him when He visited the Ancient Americas.  I am excited for the day when I will be able to run up to my Savior and hug showing all my love for Him.

I love little children!

I love meeting more of Heavenly Father's children every single day!  I am grateful to be here on this earth to prepare for when the Messiah comes.  I know that serving this mission is a step in preparing me for that day.  I know that when we pray with a sincere heart, God will listen and answer us.  I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints holds the same exact priesthood authority that John the Baptist and Jesus Christ held.  I say these things int he name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Love Sister Aquino