We're getting white-washed! For the majority of you that don't know what that means, both Hermana Jones & I are getting transferred and new sisters are coming into our area. It's been hard saying goodbye to everyone here for the past two days, especially because we have to leave the area and our investigators in the hands of two new sisters that don't know them, their concerns, or the area.
I am doing my best to trust the will of the Lord, in that he has somewhere else for us to be. That somewhere else is Show Low... we are being "inner-zone transferred" meaning we'll be in the same zone, and we'll stay together as a companionship. We are also white-washing into an area, which means we'll have the same set of challenges as the sisters coming to our area... trying to learn the area, leaders, and investigators, etc.
On the plus side, we are going back to Spanish work. There is a small Spanish Branch in Show Low that apparently needs us, and we are really praying that we will be able to find the people that are waiting for us to teach them about the gospel. From what we hear, the AZ immigration law has affected the Spanish population there just like everywhere else, so it is not going to be a cakewalk by any means.
As I said, I am learning to trust the will of the Lord and through prayer trying to find out what He has in store for me. Fortunately, we just had the incredible opportunity to hear a fireside (in Show Low) by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Most of his talk consisted of learning the Lord's will and following it. It definitely prepared me for the fateful phone call we received the next day.
Elder Scott said that as we pray, we receive answers to our prayers and an understanding to the Lord's will in pieces. He said that he has never received an answer to a prayer in one package. It's true that as we earnestly pray in faith to our Father in Heaven we can see His hand in our lives, and can piece together the His will.
Last Wednesday (P-day) we went to a cave in Vernon... not one of those caves that have become a tourist site, but pretty much a hole in the ground that we crawled through which opened up to a series of underground tunnels. It was very fun, VERY muddy (as you can see from the pictures), and also very dark. Each of us had a flashlight, and most of the time it was impossible to see in front of me any farther than my dim light shone.
I think our lives are like this - sometimes we walk in the dark, not exactly sure where we are going, with only a faint light to lead the way. As we move forward following the light, we find that it continues to light the way in front of us.
President Boyd K. Packer put it this way: "Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that ‘leap of faith,’ as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and step into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two."
This applies well to one of our investigators, Mike. I have written about him before and described his stubbornness and indecision of what path to take, but we had a HUGE breakthrough with him this week. We fasted with him last weekend, and when we followed up with how it went he told us we had some interesting things to talk about. He described that at 8:05 pm Monday evening (a couple hours after closing his fast) he was sitting in his living room when a feeling of complete peace and comfort completely overcame him. It was AWESOME to hear him say that, and to describe the Spirit, something he has never before felt, or at least recognized. We promised him that as he continues to read the Book of Mormon and pray he will continue to have the Spirit with him, and know that the path he is on is correct.
The Lord's will is the light in front of us, and as we follow it He will continue to make clear what lays ahead of us. As of 6:00 this evening I know I will be walking in the dark. But I also know that the Lord answers our prayers and if we let Him, He will direct our paths.
May you each make a renewed commitment to follow the Lord's will and "step into the darkness". God bless you on your spiritual journey.
Much love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
PICTURES:
TOP: Hermana Jones and I after caving in Vernon, AZ
BOTTOM: The zone after caving--Lots of laundry to do!
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