A miracle, a swarm of gnats, a face plant, and broken glasses : /

Hello Family!!                                                         

Thank you so much for the pictures, updates and the birthday package :) I am excited to open it and truly do feel loved.

Also Dad, you were such a cute little missionary :)

1st off. The miracle of today. I still have chills from it and again I am reminded that prayer works. So tomorrow we are putting on a "Sisters Specialized Training" for all the sisters in the mission (we are up to over 70! (counting the senior sisters)). The other 3 Sister training leaders and I have been working closely with Sister Calderwood and the other mission presidency's wives to put on this almost all-day sisters conference. We have wanted to close the conference with the new rendition of "As Sisters in Zion" that none of us had heard before, but we just had heard it was phenomenal. For the past 2 months, we have been searching for the new "As sisters in Zion" (Or should I say "As Sisters For Zion") to no avail. On our way to checking our email this morning, Sister Calderwood (My mission president's wife) called us and was very disappointed because she still couldn't find these new lyrics and so it looked like we were going to have to do without. Sister Neilsen's (my companion) parents serve in a branch presidency at the MTC (and that's how we found out about the lyrics in the first place). So we were going to hope that somehow Sis Neilsen's mom would be online or something and by some miracle she would be able to remember and give us the lyrics. I said a silent prayer in the car that we would somehow find these lyrics before tomorrow's conference. Sis Neilsen got on her email first while I was finalizing plans for this conference and for our plans tonight, and wasn't able to get in contact with her mom. I just non-chalantly opened my email, and lo-and-behold, the first email I open, is your email WITH THE LYRICS!!!! It was particularly crazy because of how I scrolled, it was the first thing I read as part of the forwarded chain! So thank you for sending those to me and thank Wendy McNevin for me and her mom. It was an answer to prayer and will greatly bless all of the sisters here.

The Sisters in Zion (Sis. Perry even changed the title a little)

(Music found in the Hymn Book page 309)

The sisters in Zion are called to God's labor
We willingly serve Him in spirit and might
We go to the nations with truth everlasting
We teach of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We thank thee O God for a prophet to guide us
We trust in his words and our purpose is clear
The angels of heaven are walking beside us
We'll share our glad message with all who will hear.

We go forth enlisted with Helman's army
In numbers much greater than ever before
With power and spirit we'll faithfully witness
The Heaven's have spoken and truth is restored.
 

This week has been a rough week, but one of miracles.This past week I did exchanges in Patchogue (clear out on the SE corner of the Island) and in Little Neck. On my exchange in little neck, I forgot my contact solution. (Suprised? you shouldn't be, esp seeing how I had 10min to pack). Anyway, I didn't have contact solution, so I couldn't wear my contacts. It was a little bit of a bummer, but I remembered my glasses (I am improving! haha). So Sister May (the sister I was exchanging with) and I went running in the morning and I was wearing my glasses, when all of the sudden I ran into a cloud of gnats (They seem to hover just about 5'9 above the ground! haha) and so despite my glasses, a bunch of gnats got into my eyes. I took off my glasses to get the darn bugs out of my eyeballs, when of course, I trip on a rock and would of face planted, had I not caught my self with my hands, which tragically were holding my glasses. So yes, they broke, and you know how blind I am without them. ( I wish I could blame that for me falling, but sadly I have just been blessed with what Dad calls, my own kind of grace) Anyway, thankfully it was just the frame. I have tried super glue to no avail. Thankfully I was able to walk home okay. But I had a problem. I was stuck with no glasses or contacts. I prayed that God would help me get by, and honestly what followed was one of the best days on my mission (a little bit of a bummer I didn't see very much of it haha)

Probably the greatest miracle of the day was when we went and saw Ayda and Luis. I don't know if you remember me mentioning them. But they are a mother and son who recognized something in us as we were standing on our busy corner on Main St in Flushing and advertising for our free English class. She came to church twice and introduced us as her "Angelitas" to everyone there. Sadly we found out that she lived out of our area, so we "handed her off" to the Little Neck Sisters. They have been progressing ever since and the Little Neck Sisters have been exactly who they needed. Anyway, I felt strongly that we needed to drop by and see how they were doing. As we did, they seemed really stressed and cold as they came to the door, but when they opened it and saw me, they were very surprised and seemed thrilled. And it was SO good to see them again (well what I could see anyway.) What startled me the most was Luis. Even though I could barely make out his face, I could see and recognize a stark contrast and change in His countenance since the last time I had seen him 3 months ago. He was happy, He was bright, there was a light about him that was not there before. He seemed to have energy and looked healthy. At the end of our lesson, I asked if he would give the closing prayer, which he gladly accepted and asked if we would kneel. He said one of the purest prayers I have ever heard, and truly talked with our Father. The spirit was so strong. As we left, I commented to Sister May how he would never pray when we were teaching him, and she said that that was the first time he had prayed in front of her as well. It was all a miracle and tender mercy. I also learned that you don't need to see clearly to be able to recognize the change that the Light of the Gospel brings to people. You know me, I can hardly tell my roommates apart when I don't have my glasses on. But I could clearly recognize the changes Luis was making as he was following the path back to the Savior, and I didn't need glasses to see it.

I know God Lives and that He has restored His gospel to the earth through prophets in hopes that we would accept it, live it and be forever changed by it. Stephen, I am so excited that you are going to be joining me in this Labor (so soon!! 2 days!!) I want you to know that I know this work is REAL. The changes occurring in me and that will occur in you are real and true. I am so proud of you and can't believe the moment we have dreamt about is finally here when we would both be serving the Lord at the same time. I Love you and wish you luck! (Also, about the MTC. Just make it to Sunday, and you will be good to go! (I am the first of probably many that will tell that to you.

I love you all and miss you dearly! Thanks for your constant prayers and concern. Till next week!

Megan