Ostensibly, the subject line refers to the flooding we have been getting here in Houston, but really it refers more to the blessings of the Lord that have been being poured out!
First of all, V__'s baptism on Monday was beautiful. It was great to be a part of it, the service went well (and smoothly!) and the ordinance itself was very spiritual. V__ has so much faith, and had an incredible desire to follow Jesus Christ. When she came up out of the water, she was sobbing, and it made me think of when Christ was baptized and the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove. It was an amazing experience.
Tuesday we went down to Summerwood for Zone Conference and for interviews. Midway through the day, as the APs were giving their segment, the lights flickered and lightning flashed in the windows behind them. Spooky ;) but there weren't any problems. Until we tried to leave, that is. Kingwood was apparently flooded with a couple of feet of water. So we got on the freeway...and stayed on the freeway...five hours later, we finished the 45 minute drive home. We passed the time by propping Elder Stebbins tablet on the dashboard and watching the Testaments, Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration, Johnny Lingo, Book of Mormon Scripture stories as told by legos...it was a very long car ride. Through water, on some points! It was pretty cool to see the water on the road and off to the side, honestly. Also, even though we all left Summerwood at different times because of interviews, at one point we were stuck next to both our Cleveland sisters and the Hermanas from Oakhurst. So I dashed out of the car and flipped up the wipers on the sisters car. Worth getting soaked for.
The rest of the week I will probably give a person/event treatment.
D__, who we started teaching last week, is just awesome. She has so much love and faith in Christ. We taught her the Plan of Salvation on Wednesday, and I felt prompted to include the Word of Wisdom, so we did. I was a little worried about it, because the last thing I wanted to do was to scare off someone who is so prepared, but the spirit told me to go for it. And she understood and accepted it. Fast forward a couple of days, Elder Wilkinson and I are praying to know what to do, where to go, who to see, etc. And we get the feeling to stop by D__. When we knock on her door, she opens it, her eyes red, and says she had just been praying. As we talk to her she bursts into tears again, not feeling good enough. We were able to testify to her that God loves her and is aware of her-and that we were there in answer to her prayers and our own. It was a big testimony to me that God is aware and loves each of us. We were able to give her a blessing of comfort, and I am just so glad that we could be instruments in the Lord's hand to serve her.
T__, as you know, has been very sick, and it has been preventing him from progressing. We had been praying for what we could do for him, and we felt like we should give him a blessing. We went by and explained what a blessing is, and asked him if he had faith in the priesthood and that the Savior healed the sick. He said yes and so we administered the blessing. Elder Wilkinson was being voice, and as he gave the blessing, the spirit just coursed through my veins. It was like a lightning shock through me. Truly I felt the powers of heaven being called down. It was a very powerful experience.
I think we gave three other blessings this week. (One of which at 6:31 am...that gave a new meaning to always being ready to exercise the priesthood). I love blessings. I love being a part of God's work to bless His children. It is always a spiritual experience for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be an instrument in God's hand.
We had a wonderful Mother's Day. As we made an especial effort to reach out and thank the mothers in the ward and mission, it made me feel good to be thanking them and serving them. Thank you to all mothers! You truly do so much. I am especially grateful for my mother. She taught me so much about life and the gospel, and truly set my perspective. Just a couple of weeks ago in a lesson I shared some of what my mother had taught me. I truly appreciate her and everything she has done. Shout out to mom, she is the best.
It was an incredible week, and we saw the Lord's hand in so much. In the big miracles as well as in just the little answers to prayer as I studied and went about my days.
I know God loves each of us, that Jesus Christ invites us all to come to Him. I love my God and I love my Savior, and I am so grateful to be out here serving them and my fellow man.
Warm regards,
Elder DeFord
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