Miracle Of Life

This past week Elder Lenon and I have experienced so much together. Sometimes I wonder if I am worthy of all the many blessings I receive here in my mission. I know I am forever indebted to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and to my Heavenly Father. I feel the Lord working through me and in that I have felt His love for His other children here in Santa Rosa. More and more people are opening their hearts to the message of the restoration and it is a marvelous sight to see. Right now in our mission there is a big push to "FIND" and talk with everyone. Our purpose as missionaries is to find those who are ready to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, teach them the doctrine of Christ, and baptize those that are willing to follow the example of Jesus Christ. As missionaries we have been praying to "have more faith when we find". Elder Lenon has such a great attitude and we both have been filled with that faith over the last week. Even though we are not perfect we have been doing our best and the Lord has once again opened the windows of heaven and blessed us. This week has been filled with amazing experiences, blessings and miracles.

One of the best things about serving a mission is that because you give everything up in your "normal" life you can SEE everything else. You see everything in a whole new light and you see things for what they really are; not as the world views them, but as God sees them every day. That has been one of the reasons why my life has been changed on my mission. I know I have been set apart from the world, and that even though I still live here on earth I know I have been called to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I know that I can be a disciple of Jesus Christ forever. I have also seen how the Lord tries our faith and how big a part He plays in our lives. I have been filled with such exeedingly great joy as I have seen the miracles He has put in my life. I think it all began with the people. Before my mission, I couldn't just walk up to a stranger and love them instantly, but now that I have been on my mission I have begun to see everyone I meet as my brother or sister.

Last week we couldn't make contact with one of our investigators, Lupita, to figure out a ride for them for church. As we were driving to an appointment, we saw her on the sidewalk and quickly pulled over to talk to her. I know that she was there for a purpose and it was no coincidence. That is one tiny example of the many miracles the Lord has worked in my life.


"If you don't believe in miracles perhaps you've forgotten you are one."

My eyes have been opened to the miracles of God. As I have prayed every night before bed I have come to realize that my own life is a miracle. The very air I breathe on a daily basis is a gift from my Heavenly Father. I know that I am here for a purpose and that I am one of His sons. I know we are all creations of our Heavenly Father and we were made in His image. Families have been given to us to guide us and love us so that we can have happiness in this lifetime and the life to come. I believe a miracle happens when we recognize that God is our loving Heavenly Father and He blesses us, His children.

The ability to love is a gift from Heavenly Father. I am grateful for that because I have come to love the people here in Santa Rosa. They feel like my family because they are my family. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the people here and to bring them closer to Jesus Christ. Elder Lenon is such a great example to me and I have learned so much from him. Yesterday we taught a brand new family together. They are from Mexico and they have two young sons. We taught them the restoration and about how through Joseph Smith the true authority of God was restored. It was such a powerful lesson and the Lord blessed us with this family. Today they came to church. It was a miracle because a lot of people work on Sundays. They came and I know they felt the love of God. Two other investigators also came to church and it was such an amazing Sabbath day. I love my mission. I love my life. I love my life because I know it was given to me by my Heavenly Father. This universe and world was created by our creator, Jesus Christ, under the direction of God, our Heavenly Father. I invite you all to open your eyes to the wonderful miracles that surround each and every one of us today ... and think about those in your life who would benefit from meeting with the missionaries. You can send a referral through the link in the blog side bar for missionaries!

Los Amo,

Elder Vance