SISTER ZACKRISON: Miracles are headed your way! :)

Hey y’all!

This week seemed to just fly by. I can hardly believe that this is the last week in the transfer. I will find out on Saturday if I am staying in the area or if I am being transferred! BUT! I need y’all to pray for me that I get to stay in Hoover. I will explain why later on!! Get excited. It is real good news!

So before the big news, let me tell y’all a funny story. On Wednesday, we had planned to stay in town and so we knew we would be able to bike. We are running low on miles, but we don’t want to ask for more…calls for sacrifices.  I despise biking with all of my being. I just don’t like feeling like my life could end at any moment as I am riding down the road, or that I might flash the world as my skirt goes in my face. Anyways, the fact that I was biking was a big deal. First time I have touched it in 8 months. So we are sitting in an appointment, and it begins to look really dark outside. We finished up the lesson and then got back on our bikes. As we were riding, the heavens decided to open up, and a wall of water comes right for us. We could see it. Luckily for us, we had just reached a Walmart. We got soaked as we frantically tried to lock up our bikes, but made it inside to take refuge. We walked around the store a few times, talking to everyone inside. We waited for the storm to die down…but it was not stopping. We made the decision to tough it out and get going. As we were getting on our bikes, a crowd of Mexicans were sitting there laughing at us! Yes, I felt pretty silly as well. We got to the light, and it was out. So picture this. Two girls in skirts chilling on the corner in the rain…it would be comical right? Well, no one was going to let us cross so we went down the street to the light that works and got back to our car. The whole time I was just laughing. I am sure the Lord was too. We locked our bikes back on, got inside, and dried our faces off. Then. The rain stopped. Funny huh? We ate our packed dinner in the car, and I discovered a weird black rim on the top of my water bottle. I asked Sister Petersen, she opened it up, and we discovered the inside was covered in MOLD! I drank from a moldy water bottle for two days! It was awful. I am still living, and feeling fine. It is a miracle I am still here y’all. This story taught me a lot about the blessing it is to be a member of this church. I would not go through that if I didn’t love the Lord. It also made for a great memory! I saw a quote this week that reminded me of that. It is by Charles Baudelaire and it said, “A multitude of small delights constitutes happiness.” We can find joy in the little things. We find happiness when we let the little joys fill our memories.

The biggest miracle I saw this week was that Tawanna made the commitment to be baptized. She wants to be BAPTIZED! It makes me so happy. She has been having a really hard time at work, and has felt the influence of the adversary. One night she told us that she was really struggling and asked us to come pray with her. We went over early the next morning and talked with her about how the choice she was making was the right one, and that was why the adversary was fighting so hard. The elders gave her a blessing, and she felt so much peace. The next thing that came out of her mouth surprised us all. She asked us the soonest date she could be baptized! I almost didn’t believe it. She had to work the night shift on Saturday night, but came to church as soon as she got off work so that she could be baptized this Saturday. That was when she met you. She really loves this gospel, and she feels like it is right when she is there. We taught her the commandments and she has already been living them! It just showed me that the Lord truly does prepare people to find the church. Everything is working out how it should be, and her kids will be back in town in time to see her baptism. Her baptism is supposed to happen on August 2nd, the last Saturday of the transfer. So in like six days. Her kids have been staying the summer with Tawanna’s mom in Florida, but she has told them so much about the church. Her kids are all old enough to be baptized, and I just know that they will accept the gospel like their mom. This has been such a tender experience for me, because I wasn’t expecting her to be able to be baptized so soon, and I wasn’t thinking I would see a baptism in Hoover. But that is why I want to stay here so desperately. I want to be able to teach her family, and see them join the church together. I have dreamed of this my whole mission, and now it is almost in my grasp. I want to stay here! I know that the prayers we express with sincere hearts are not in vain! I am so grateful for the power of prayer.

This week, it was Elder Matson’s birthday. He is one of the elders I work with. Now, if you know me, you know birthdays are a big deal. We got Elder Mckay to leave the car unlocked at church, and we got inside and filled the car with balloons! We also took streamers inside and decorated it. Then, we got window markers and covered the outside with fun birthday notes. I am getting so prepared to be a mother! Haha. It was a complete shock to him, and he was so happy. We have learned how to work really well with the Elders, and we are a team in the Hoover ward. That is how it should be. So we had to make a contribution to his big day, and I wanted to send y’all the picture.

The quote I want to leave with y’all is from Ray Bradbury. I thought it was profound, not only for missionaries but for everyone. He says, “Treasure this day, and treasure yourself. Truly, neither will ever happen again.” We have been given the gift of life. We need to cherish each moment the Lord has blessed us with. This has been so true in my life this week as I have been working with Tawanna. We live in a world of once-in-a-life-time experiences, but every day is once in a lifetime! Make each moment count. Smile at the little things and love the hard things. They are blessings too. They make us into who we are.

Make this week a good one. We have the power to choose. I love y’all!