A Silent Lightening Storm (Week 53)

Cocoa Zone

Monday, September 14, 2015

Hey Everyone,

Again I am working on applying to Philmont, so I don't know how much time I have.

Zone Conference was awesome.  I am super pumped to go out and be a better missionary.  One thing cool about Zone Conference was that the Winter Garden Ward was the ward that was doing the lunch.  I got to see a lot of people, who I know!  It was so much fun.  I got pictures of all of them that were there, but I don't know if I will have time to send all of them.

President has changed the rule on music.  Apparently there have been some problems with some missionaries and music.  Now the only music we are allowed to listen to has to be found on LDS.org, which is kinda sad, because some of my favorite music, which is clearly about the Savior isn't on there.  I will survive though.  Just warning you though I will want to listen to the Redeemer CD when I get home, so be prepared.

I hit my one year mark.  Wow, this year has gone by super-fast.  In some ways it feels like I have been a missionary forever, but in other ways it feels like I just began.

Last night when we went to the Malcolm family, they are members, the son prayed and thank God that we came over so they could have a better percent of getting to heaven.  It was so cute.

This one day we bike all the way to the top of our area on Merritt Island, which we never go to.  There is one member who lives up there.  We thought they were less-active.  It was a long, but beautiful bike ride.  It turns out they are active, even though I have never seen them at church, according to my memory.  They recently moved in from an adjacent ward, so I think they still go to that one.  Anyway, our long trip wasn't in vain.  The wife is really ill and will eventually die from it.  We shared the video The Refiner's Fire, which is think she really needed.  She thanked us for coming.

Once we left we rode straight to our next appointment, which took about an hour to get there.  We only had one short break to wait for a light.  That is a long time to bike.  Our legs and butts were sure feeling it.

After that appointment we were trying to ride to dinner and beat the storm.  Well that didn't happen and we got soaked.  There was so much lightening that we stopped at the Publix and called Sister Miles and asked her to pick us up.  She did and she also let us wear her dresses, so she could up our cloths in the dryer.  She is super sweet.  She is also like 90 years old.

Miracle: One night I was trying to fall asleep and then I opened my eyes for a little.  I saw a flash of light.  I thought oh it is lightening, I should unplug my iPad.  I didn't want to get out of bed, so I rationalized that it would be fine, I didn't hear the thunder, so it must be far away.  I then thought, no God let me see the lightening, so I could unplug my iPad.  After that I got out up bed and shuffled my feet to the study.  After I unplugged it I thought since I was up I should check to see if the doors were locked.  I thought they were, but I went anyway.  They weren't locked!  I instantly knew that God had told me to unplug my iPad, so he could further instruct me to lock the doors.  I don't know if anything would have happened if I hadn't, but it is a testimony to me that God watches out for us.  I also helped me realized a way that I have changed since I started my mission.  At the beginning of my mission I wasn't very good about listening to the spirit, but I have improved so much.  Of course I still have much to learn.

Also I looked for Sister Tamacori's iPad to unplug, but I couldn't find it so I went to sleep.  In the morning, hers was fine, so mine would have been too, but I was able to lock the doors, because I followed the first promptings.  I love having the gift of the Holy Ghost.

One more thing about the experience, before I headed to sleep I looked out the window.  Roughly every second, sometimes more, sometimes less, there was a flash of light behind the clouds.  I couldn't hear any thunder though.  It was pretty cool.

Love you all!

~Sister Aurora Pack

Brother Sarmento from Winter Garden

Sister Allie from Winter Garden