Seven Loaves and a Few Little Fishes

Kaitlin's District on Thanksgiving 

Hey Family!

Happy Late Thanksgiving!!!

Things here have been going awesome. K is doing super fantastic. She hasn't smoked since Wednesday, she is plugging forward in the Book of Mormon, she loves church, and she is soaking it all in. She wrote Sister Johnson and I the sweetest notes this week.

Also at church, we had a fun surprise yesterday! Remember that super prepared man that I told you about awhile ago. The one who said, "Thanks for finding me." And then disappeared again. We had finally just dropped him from our area book because we couldn't get a hold of him. Well he showed up at church yesterday!!! All jolly and friendly like usual! And he still wants to meet with us and be baptized!

We had an awesome district meeting on Thursday. We all knelt and prayed for a district baptism goal. We have set the goal as a district to have 8 baptisms. And I feel in my heart that we will exceed that goal, easily. It was a precious moment as we all put our faith together, and set goals and made plans to move mountains this month. We were able to move them last month too!

Street Contacting in 100% Humidity

Cool story: last month our zone had a goal of 9 baptisms, we had a week left and we were 4 short of that goal. We as a district prayed to know how many of those 4 we could get as  a district and we felt that we could get three. So we made a list on the board of all the possible people that could be baptized that week and as a district we prayed for each name every day. The next day, some sisters set a baptism date with a man and his three sons that they hadn't seen in weeks. And he and his sons were baptized, meeting our goal of 9 baptisms as a zone. It was incredible. The power of prayer is real! It is so real, you guys.

As a mission, we have really put a focus on prayer. Planning takes forever because we pray for every name and every goal. Sometimes multiple times for each! We pray in the morning, before we study, after we study, before we leave the house, before every lesson, after every lesson, every time we see someone walking towards us on the street, twice with people during lessons, etc etc. Its amazing what happens when we involve God in every decision.

When we set a goal, we discuss what goal we feel is reasonable. Then we pray and ask if that is His will, then we sit and wait. More often than not, he lets us know that we are and He is capable of much more. And when we set the goals that Heavenly Father tells us to, we can be assured that with His help we can reach them. This is His work. Its absolutely silly to think that we can do it without him.

There is a recently returned missionary in our ward who is on fire. He loved his mission. And hates every day that he's not on a mission. He feels like something is missing from him. The other day, he went out with the elders all day long and prayed with them all day long and he told us that that's what his was missing from his life was that frequent and constant prayer.

I love prayer. My favorite part of the day is when I can kneel and talk to my Father. And I love the unending dialogue that I have with Him throughout the day. The relationship that I have gained with my Father in Heaven is so precious to me! In district meeting, we committed to devote one prayer per day to pure thanks. He share the story of Christ and the loaves and fishes. When Christ prayed, he only gave a prayer of thanks...

Matthew 15: 36-37  And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude... and they did all eat and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

All he did was give thanks, and the miracle happened. Without him even asking for it.

I want to extend the same invitation to you, to devote one prayer a day to only giving thanks.

I remember in primary when one of my teachers gave us the challenge to put a penny in our shoe, and every time we feel that penny to say a little prayer of thanks in our minds. I triple dog dare you to try that for a full day:) I'd love to hear how it goes!

I know that God hears and answers prayers. He loves talking to us. And talking to Him will bring us more light and joy than we can imagine.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

Love always, Sister Rowland