June 25, 2019

Bonjour! This was such a full week! I feel like this is the busiest I have ever been as a missionary! Its exhausting and its amazing! So we went on exchanges last Tuesday and it went so well! I was with sister Rodriguez in Chapel Hill. I love her so much! One of the best things about being a missionary is that we get to feel a small part of the love that God has for his other children. Just that small part is so immense! We clicked really well and I was able to help her. We are so similar. We did a lot of passbys and got some return appointments! And of course we ended the day with chocolats favoris! Yumm. We have still been doing a lot of bus contacting. We are working hard to try to find more people to teach and so far it has been rough, but I know that there are people being prepared for us. We just haven't found them yet. But we will! I had a sweet tender miracle this last week that I wanted to share. Last week while on the bus a man saw my name tag and asked about it. I told him that I was a missionary and he thought that was amazing! He started telling me all about his life and some hard things that he was going through. We were having a really great conversation when I had to get off at my stop. I was only able to leave him with my card. I didn't even have time to catch his name... I felt so bad that I hadn't been able to share more with him. I prayed for this stranger all week. I prayed that he would call or that we would get the opportunity to see each other again. A week later, we were walking to the bus stop and we got there just before the bus was about to leave. We almost didn't make it. So I got on and there he was. He recognized me and we continued our conversation! He said that he has been looking for peace in his life and that it probably wasn't a coincidence that he met a missionary twice in the same week after having prayed for an answer for so long. He said that he would like to come to church and would like to talk more. It was such a testimony to me that God is very much aware of each individual person. He knows that man and he knows his needs and has already provided the means by which to help him. It also built my testimony that faith and prayer have power! Faith through prayer that week was strong enough to make our paths cross again. Do not ever underestimate the power behind a faith driven prayer. That is how miracles start. And work is how they are accomplished. We need both. Working with the Zone leaders and district leaders is a lot of fun. I am learning so much from them. There are so many super great missionaries serving here and I am truly blessed to work alongside them. This week President Low is coming to start interviewing all the missionaries, and then President Phillips will be leaving us. I can't believe it.. It is going to be quite a change, but I am not worried. Heavenly Father knows what he is doing and I trust him. I trust the leaders that he has called too. I know that they receive revelation for those who are serving under them. I know that this is the way that God directs his church. It is orderly and efficient and yet it focuses on the one. I haven't met president Low yet but I know that he is called of God to direct this mission. I know that God's love is real. I have felt it in very real ways and I cannot deny it. I know that this work is his. I know that he is hastening it. I know that Christ is at the head. I have come to know him more in these past 10 months than the rest of my life combined. I know his love for us. I know that he wants us to have his joy and I know that he has given us the means to do it. I know he lives! I love him. I love you all dearly and i feel your prayers and love. Thank you! I hope you all have a wonderful week! A le prochaine! Sister Bates