I hope one of you got the song reference with the title...

This week we have seen lots of little miracles. For instance, on Tuesday we had a lesson at 6 and dinner at 5. Our dinner was 2 miles away from our lesson and we asked our dinner if we could get a ride from them, they couldn't give us a ride. So we had to leave dinner 30 minutes early and book it to dinner. Normally it takes us 45 minutes to walk 2 miles so we were walking with a purpose to dinner and my companion looks at her watch and we had about 5 minutes and 1 mile to go. So I said a prayer while walking that we would somehow get a ride to our lesson. We walked by a home and people were grilling outside, we quickly walk past them and for a good 30 seconds I was debating whether or not we should go back and ask them for a ride, but we kept walking and this car pulls over. This sweet lady rolls down her window and asks if we need a ride. When I get in, I tell her that she was an answer to my prayers, and she looks at me in shock and said that she had seen us walking and felt prompted to leave where she was and ask us if we needed a ride! #MIRACLE it was so great. The spirit and Heavenly Father are always looking out for us. The lesson ended up canceling, but we made it just on time. 

We were able to go up to Bountiful this week for a MLS-missionary meeting. Bountiful is weird. It's so much different than downtown, it was just very odd to see such big houses and nice lawns compared to the apartments and the dead grass and small homes I see everyday. I may be in the ghetto but I love it. But the meeting was good, very helpful with how we can work with our MLS missionaries in our mission. An MLS couple is an elderly couple that are called as full time missionaries to serve in the stake that they live in. Normally Spanish programs don't have MLS couples because they don't speak Spanish, but ours does! So we were able to go to the meeting. 

A family in our ward didn't believe me that I was Hispanic. It was super funny we had dinner with them and somehow I was talking about my family and I said that I was Hispanic and the wife looks at me with a straight face and says "are you serious?" Normally people look at my last name and say "so your last name, it seems Spanish, but you're not Hispanic are you?" Then I tell them that it is Spanish and yes I really am Hispanic, then I show them a picture of my sister and they believe me a little bit more. Oh the life of a white missionary in the Spanish program. 

I've started a preach my gospel challenge. So as missionaries we have investigators that have to deal with quitting addictions. As humans each of us have addictions, sometimes they are major, but for a lot of people there are small addictions, and sometimes we don't even realize it. So apparently during lessons I crack my knuckles and I don't notice. My companion pointed it out to me. So for the preach my gospel challenge we are supposed to recognize an addiction of ours and stop it So we can understand how our investigators have to feel. So I'm working on not cracking my knuckles. So far I have gone almost a week without cracking a finger. I accidentally cracked my pinky and I was very upset, but that's okay. 

On Friday after district meeting we had a special zone meeting. We split into two groups, those who have been out a year or longer, and those who have been out less than a year. In my group we talked about the mission and what we expected it to be and what it actually is. Then we talked about Christ, and His mission, it wasn't what He expected it to be. It was a lot harder. The leaders asked us why did we come out to serve a mission? Then they asked us, why are you still here? And I thought it was interesting. I have heard the first question numerous times, but I haven't ever been asked the second question. A mission is hard, it is completely different than what I thought it was going to be, it's a lot harder, but it's so much better. A quote that I really like is: "If it wasn't easy for Jesus Christ, as the son of God, why do you think it would be easy for you, as a missionary?" It can't be easy for us because it wasn't easy for Him. 

And last miracle of the week happened on Sunday. So we have been having a hard time reaching our with goals this week, but we did on Saturday. But we were 2 short on our LARC goals, we had no scheduled appointments for Sunday so we set all of our plans to have LARC lessons. We had one and it was great. Then we stopped by a less active that we found and we were hoping to have a lesson with her, but no such luck. So we were walking away from her home and we thought about visiting another less active in the same neighborhood but it was already 8:30 and she doesn't like us coming late, so we continued walking away and I felt prompted to turn around and go to her house. So I stopped in my tracks and turned around and said to Hermana Ribucan "we need to visit her." So we did, she let us in, was super happy and we had a great lesson with her! So our last miracle of the week was that we reached our lesson goals! 

I truly believe that miracles happen everyday. And it has become such a blessing to look back on our day and even if ALL of our lessons fell through and we just walked for miles on end without any luck, we can still reflect on what happened and find a miracle that happened everyday. Sometimes it's harder, but then sometimes it's so obvious and you end up having too many miracles of the day to just pick one. That's the greatest thing about being a missionary, about this gospel in general. Being a missionary and just living this gospel can bring into your life so many miracles. It's incredible what the savior and Heavenly Father can do and will do for you on a daily basis to show their love. I love being a missionary. But more importantly I think, is that I love this gospel. I love how it has changed my life and I love seeing it change the lives of so many others I have seen on my mission. This gospel is a gospel of miracles, it's that simple. 

I love you all. I hope you have a great week this week! Look for the way that God's hand was in your life each day and the miracles that happen in your life. Les quiero!