Chocolate fountains, the Atonement, miracles

The saying that the days are long and the weeks are short has never been so real to me! So much has happened this week and yet I can't believe it's Pday again!

So last Monday, sister Allen and I went to visit this less active lady who has a daughter on a mission. She's pretty amazing and she's a nurse! :) anyway, my Comp has been having health issues and so we discussed it with her and her suggestion to help her feel better was....YOGA! So she gave us this yoga book and we were so super excited to start doing yoga this past week. Well...Tuesday morning comes around and we try...and fail...she made yoga sound like the cure all and I'm convinced that it's probably really good for the wonderful gift of our bodies, but it's hard! And we could not figure out how the Asian man in the book got into the positions he did! We tried but we probably looked pretty stupid...BUT when I get home me and mommy are going to sign up for yoga classes. It's gonna be awesome!

So...I'm not sure if I've told you about our recent convert W. She reminds me a lot of Joan...we go over Tuesday night, still pretty stoked about yoga, and W really struggles emotionally, so we thought yoga would be good for her. Well...long story short somehow we ended up doing these weird deep breathing exercises on CD and holding this rock called Utah ice on our tummies and her singing to our backs....it was one of those moments that I looked around and thought to myself "what series of events led me to this moment?"

Me and sister Allen were doing our best not to bust out laughing, but we couldn't help it sometimes. We love her though. She's got such a strong testimony and is so loving and kind....just a little different, too.

So many miracles happened this week, I don't even know where to start! We've been giving ward members cute little hand outs with the names of our investigators and their concerns so the members can pray specifically for our investigators because specific prayers yield to specific answers.

We've put Patsie on the handouts with the concern of reading the Bom. She would not read it because she wanted to finish the Bible first, but we always leave her assignments. Well, we went over this week, and she read from the Book of Mormon on her own! For the first time in nine months!!! It caught us so off guard and was definitely a miracle! Prayers work! They are real!

Also we've been fervently pleading with The Lord to help us find one new person to teach. Well we get a call from the Alstons. I love them! And they had invited one of their neighbors over for crème brûlée and to talk to us. He had talked to sisters before but it'd been a while. Well we weren't sure what to expect so we went in and then somehow we found ourselves teaching him the first lesson and setting up a return appointment! That was the first time ever that I literally felt the Spirit running through me as I taught. It was unforgettable. The Spirit told me exactly what he needed to hear because he had some hidden concerns about having a modern day prophet, but we were able to address his concerns and teach him what he needed to know, not just a lesson.

Valentine's Day miracle. Sister Allen and I decided to go on a date to the local milkshake place. We started talking to this guy in front of us about what we were deciding to get. Then when we went up to order he had already paid for our milkshakes! I do not know his name, but he was my valentine this year. It was the sweetest thing ever! Saturday we spent the day doing service with this part member family. And then they had us for dinner and Sean, the nonmember husband, taught us how to make Chinese food. He's a great cook. Then somehow I got roped into agreeing to teach them how to make mummy's fresh tomato sauce....so I need some help remembering how to do that. Anyway, we challenged him to read the Book of Mormon after dinner, and he said maybe. After we get a text from his wife all excited because he has NEVER said maybe before. Only no. Miracle? Heck yeah!

This is going to be a great week! We have so much going on, and we get to go the temple! And G's baptism is on Saturday!! Pray for him because the adversary is already working on him like he always does right before someone is going to make a good decision like this. We got to teach YW at church this week. I loved it. I hope I get to serve in YW someday!

Oh, so something I read today in the Bible Dictionary this morning about temples is that it is THE most holy place of worship. That's pretty bold to say, and even more bold, that the home is the only place that can compare with the temple in sacredness. Think about that!

Alma 7:11-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Also I've been thinking a lot about the Atonement and G. G wasn't ever a super wicked guy that needed to repent of horrible sins, so I haven't gotten to watch the atonement work that way in his life, but it's played the role of comfort. He is a completely different person not because he changed his actions, but because the Atonement has changed his attitude. There's a line in Preach My Gospel that says everything that is unfair in this life is made right through the Atonement. How real that is! I absolutely know it's true! It changes everything if we only let Him make that change in our lives. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it.

I love being a missionary. It's the greatest calling in the world. I never want it to end. I'm so grateful for the miracles I get to witness everyday. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I love you all! Thanks for everything you do! I miss you.

<3 Sister Byrne

Sou dicípulo de Jesus Cristo