The Lord works in mysterious ways

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Example 1: Fasting.

Who would have thought that purposely starving yourself for 24 hours would bring blessings? God did. He commands us to "fast and pray oft" so we can receive the blessings we need. This week my comp and I taught one of our investigators to fast, and started a special fast with her for her family. Not only did we see blessings in her family during this week, we also saw miracles in missionary work. During the 24 hours we fasted, we were blessed with many new people to teach. Some we were led to, others came right up to us and asked if we could visit them. God is amazing.

Example 2: Appointments that fall through

Here in Bolivia the majority of people we go to visit aren't there when they say they'll be, or they say they are "too busy." But I have found that when we plan to be somewhere, it is because God needs us there, and He will put people right where we can find them. One example is when we went with some members to visit a farm-woman late at night in a darker part of our area. She said she was too busy and shut us down. So, taking advantage of the company of the members, we asked them to introduce us to an interested family. When we knocked on the door, they let us right in, we taught the first lesson, and they believed all of it. This happened at least 2 more times during the week: that we ended up right where we needed to be, because somebody else rejected us.

Example 3: Hardships

"...the Lord doth chasten His people with many afflictions..." If we do not follow God's path, He will chasten us. There is a young woman and her mother in our ward that got hit by a bus on their motorcycle. Miraculously they both lived. Now the daughter realizes how much she had fallen away from the church, and now she regrets it a ton. She realizes that God sent her this trial to bring her back. After living through a close-to-death experience, she has a renewed desire to serve a mission, and bring the gospel truth to everyone. She just has to recover from the accident, and she says she is sending in her papers=) God knows how much everyone can handle=)

I know that God works in many mysterious ways, and I am willing to be that mysterious way. 

Love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

FUN FACTS:

- Today is Father's day again in Bolivia! So happy Father's Day Daddy! I love you so much and respect you so much for how great of a father you are to me=)

- Today I also met a sister missionary that came from my home stake!!!! Hermana Curtis!! The world is so small=)

-- Don't count the days, make the days count!

~Hermana Madsen