This week has been full to the brim with miracles. I mean holy moly, it's hard to know where to begin.
First of all, Sister de St. Jeor rocks my socks. We spend pretty much laugh every other minute, it's fantastic. "Men are, that they might have joy!"
Some quick snapshots from my brain:
-Teaching J about the Book of Mormon and committing her to read and pray about it. We leave and walk up the street. We come back a while later, and there she is, sitting on her porch, cigarette in one hand, Book of Mormon in the other. And if that wasn't the happiest sight I ever did see. We'll go the Word of Wisdom soon. Baby steps.
-Making breakthroughs sitting on C's porch, discussing the will of God and eternal life.
-Having 25+ mosquito bites on my feet and legs.... Having your feet look like they have chicken pox. Awkward.
-FINALLY eating at the Smoking Pig. Pulled pork sandwich with their classic BBQ sauce, baked beans, and potato salad? Yes please.
-Spending many hours at a member's house digging up her dead lawn/laying new sod. Fantastic workout. And I'm pretty much an expert sod-layer now. Possible future career option...?
-Deciding to stop by D's late one night, and there she was sitting on her porch, chin on her railing, looking like the very personification of depression. After spending about 30-45 minutes discussing the future, and change, and almost leaving three times, D told us that she wanted to be baptized :) We offered her May 10th as a possible date, and she told us no, she wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. As she was looking at the calendar, and as we sat there in silence, letting her think, she told us, "April 26th. *pause* ...Yepp, April 26th." It was WONDERFUL. Wonderful. This has been a long time coming: multiple sets of missionaries, moves, changes, etc. I mean she wants to go to BYU people! Man, so excited for her.
-AND.... G and D got baptized!!! (see below for more details)
On Saturday, we were able to be part of the wonderfully special baptism of D and G (ages 13 and 10). Their mother has been less-active most of her life, and their father is inactive. We met their family almost by accident, but in the Lord's work, there are no accidents... And we've been working with them to prepare for baptism for the last month and a half-ish. Well Saturday was finally the big day. They were very excited and S (their mom) was clearly overwhelmed with emotion. A week or so before the baptism, we had convinced her to say the opening prayer at her children's baptism, and only moments before it was supposed to begin, she came up to us and said, "I can't say the opening prayer. I just can't." She explained how she was going to cry (she had tears in her eyes as we were talking) and she just didn't think she could do it. We reassured her and told her how much it would mean to her children if she said that prayer, and she agreed to try. After the opening hymn, she stood right up and started saying the prayer immediately. The tears came, and so did the Spirit. It was an amazing baptism. A few hours after everything was finished, we received this text message from her: "Thank y'all. The day was perfect. My heart is overflowing. Thanks for being a part of it all and for pushing me to say the opening prayer. I'm glad I done it. I love y'all. See y'all tomorrow :)"
This is why I'm a missionary. This is why this is the very best place I could be right now. This is why the gospel means so much to me. Because it changes lives. I love it.
I would like to conclude with a wonderful quote from Mother Theresa:
"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, They may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway."
And now, because we're thinking about being better people, click on this link: http://www.mormon.org/cecile
And watch the video.
She is the perfect example of not just reading that quote, but living it. Try it for yourself. I dare ya.
Sister Szilagyi
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