Week 31 Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!! I hope that everyone had an amazing Independence Day. I'm so grateful for this wonderful country that we have and that we have the opportunity to live here! I'm so glad to be an American. We were able to stay out until 10:30 to watch the fireworks, we went with a family from the branch and it was so awesome!

Just chillin waiting for the Fireworks to start.
My Companion Elder Cornejo is to the right of me.

Well, this last week started out pretty interesting! On Tuesday, I was conducting my very first District Meeting. That is where we learn more about principles of missionary work and get the chance to practice skills together.  As I was giving the announcements, I announced that we would be meeting President and Sister Christiansen on Thursday as they do their mission tour. Well, as I was making this announcement, I saw two people coming down the hallway, and it just so happened to be President and Sister Christiansen. I said "Well, looks like we get to meet them right now!" Everyone was so surprised that they were there! We all said hi and then President said "Well, Elder Leavitt we were hoping that we could join you for your District Meeting today." Umm, I was a bit nervous to say the least! But, I can testify of the power that the Holy Ghost has, because as I gave my instruction on Diligence, I was saying things that I don't even remember what I said! I just remember feeling such comfort and feeling so amazing as I promised blessings to the wonderful missionaries in my District. We had an incredible Meeting. By the end of the day, everywhere I went people knew that I had just conducted my very first District Meeting with President and Sister Christiansen there too! 

President and Sister Christiansen

President and Sister Christiansen are going to do an absolutely amazing job. They have been talking about how important it is to realize that you are on a mission to bless. To bless lives, bless people, bless everything around you to become better, and I have loved that!

One of the companionships in my district had an amazing miracle this week. They received a call from a lady that they had done service for. This lady was not a member, but because of the service they had done, she recognized missionaries as helpful and kind people. This lady on the call said "I have a woman here named Alisha. I just found her on the streets without a home and figured you could help her." Well, they obviously weren't exactly sure what to do, but they drove over to meet her.  They got there and met this woman, and she told them that she had just moved here with her boyfriend into the boyfriend's mom's house, but the boyfriend's mom had kicked her out of the house because she was white.  She had tried calling every church in the phone book but nobody would help her except for these missionaries.  So she was now stranded in Maryland. Well, they called the bishop and a few other people and found a place for her to stay for the night. She was incredibly grateful. Well, because of these members and the love that she saw from the missionaries, she wanted to learn more. After 1 Lesson, she told them she wanted to be baptized. Not only is she going to be baptized, because of the missionaries and members, she now has a job that provides housing in an old folks home. Not only does she have the desire to be baptized, she is ordering a bus that will come to the old folks home to bring people to the LDS church. She has shared the gospel, in ONE week, with over two hundred people and plans on having multiple buses to pick up all the people she has been sharing the gospel with. The Lord works in absolutely amazing ways.

As far as the people we are currently teaching, we will be seeing Victor Soriano tomorrow, he will be getting baptized in July or August!! Luis, the one that we helped push his car out of Costco, we will be seeing this week also! We met a guy named Pablo, who lives far away, but we took a member with us and had an amazing meeting last week and he wants us to keep coming. We are also working with a young couple named Carlos and Viridiana. Carlos is a member and Viri isn't. They are so awesome and came to church on Sunday! 

This is a little boy I stopped & played
 airplanes with on the street.

I've been learning a lot about diligence lately, the principle I shared in the District Meeting also. I love the examples of Nephi and Lehi. In the very first chapter of the Book of Mormon, Lehi has an amazing vision, and even after seeing all those things and being completely exhausted, he goes out and preaches to the people. Nephi, when in the trouble of getting the plates, tells his brother that they will not return until their work is done. As missionaries, we don't go back to that house early, we stay out and do the work and until our work is done! Nephi and Lehi are such amazing examples of that!

I love this awesome quote that was shared with me.  "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible" When we begin by doing what is necessary, we pretty soon are doing things that we never thought possible. I testify of that. On my mission, I've learned what it means to do what is necessary, and because of that, I have seen things that I thought impossible before my mission!

One more thought, I love this quote by Russell M Nelson "Real intent means to really intend to follow the answer." I think that sometimes we forget that we have to follow the answers we are given to our prayers and that God knows so much more than us! I love this counsel that we are given.

Seeing miracles every day, I know that God lives. I know that this is the true church with the true authority of God. I'm so grateful for this Mission and for the wonderful people I have got to meet!!

- Elder Leavitt