A Marvelous Work

Wednesday is a red-letter day for us. It's the day Colin's letter comes in! He's serving in the Washington DC North mission, presently exercising his faith and wits in a town called California, Maryland. Last week's letter contained the following description of what he and his companion, two twenty-year-olds, are up against there.

"My prediction has come true. I said we'd be doing a lot of tracting and I was darn tootin' right! We tracted like crazy this past week. We set a record of lessons taught to people in this area that goes back for at least 3 years since there aren't any records older than that in our area book. We knocked on hundreds of doors.We have about 5 new people from that who said we could come back. Sometimes when they ask us to come back they don't keep appointments and such, so we'll see how these people are, but we have high hopes. One lady we tracted into saw us and said, "Mormons!Can I see your underwear?" She was pretty crazy and she told us we were going to hell etc. She was asking us about our belief in Jesus Christ but wouldn't believe us and when we tried to read her scriptures from the Book of Mormon to prove that we believe in Him, she would interrupt and refuse to hear anything from it. She thought it was evil. But we bore our testimony to her and did our best and I guess that's all we can do."

Several family members and friends fasted for them to be able to find people with willing minds and humble hearts to teach. This is a little bit of today's eagerly received letter.

"Out of the ton of tracting we did, none of the people have really turned out to be good investigators so far. But we have some we haven't met with yet, so we'll have to wait and see. We're hoping to have someone good to teach because we're starting to get a little burned out on tracting nonstop, especially when it isn't very fruitful. I appreciate your fast and I am positive that something good will come of it. :) Whether it be goodness for me or for a missionary and others down the line, I care not, so long as good is had."

While Colin is about our Father's business in MD, another set of faithful elders brought unexpected, long--praydd-for blessings to me last Friday, Aug. 1, 2008, a day I'll never forget! I have been weighed down with much sorrow since my darling Jordan died in May. I still can't believe I'm typing those words.It seems so foreign. I thought as a mother I had some idea of what it'd feel like to lose a child. But I didn't! It has been far, far worse than I ever imagined. Instead of comfort, my time spent with the scriptures often increased my questions, confusion, fear and pain. I simply did not know how to break free of the prison of emotion that held me fast. Then, after weeks of agony, the doorbell rang, and within a matter of minutes I was free! Not free of missing the dear sound of Jordan's calm, inteligent voice that usually held a hint of a smile,, his fun-loving, unique personality, and his enjoyable presence, but free of other deep and mysterious concerns.

Elder Beheshti of Arkansas, and Elder Canold of California, came armed with the Holy Spirit, the scriptures, and an amazing blessing for me that has restored me to happiness. I am eternally grateful to them for coming, and to the Lord (and perhaps to my Jordan too) for sending them to me. I know that my prayers are being heard, and answered, and that Jesus Christ is the Savior, who has saved us from spiritual death, and who has saved me from lingering, seemingly unshakable despair. Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. May all His messengers, the missionaries, bring the world His truth. Amen and amen!