God Had His Hand In It

 


November 15,2021


Dear Family & Friends, 

The best part of my week was Friday.  My companion and I were decorating a Christmas tree in the church foyer and went to the Dollar store to get more decorations.  That’s when it got interesting. 

The woman behind us in the check-out line had a large bunch of balloons, so we let her go ahead.  We chatted about the party she was having that night. Then I offered her a pass-along card with a picture of the Savior.  She declined stating that she didn’t need a picture of Jesus because He was already in her heart, and added that she was a pastor.  I love talking with people who know the Bible!  I was able to talk with her about our love for the Savior who did for us what we could not do for ourselves.  But the best moment came when she went to pay for her purchases and discovered she had left her wallet at home.  I offered to pay for her purchases--telling her to just pay it forward.  It was a loving moment.  After she left, the cashier said quietly, “That was really nice!”  And I was able to give the cashier the once-rejected pass-along card❤️ 

The love I felt continued with me throughout the day as I ran other errands. I’ll share the experience I had at Walmart. 

I ended up in a check-out line that was incredibly s-l-o-w!!!  I let a few people ahead of me.  But the line didn’t seem to be moving at all.  I joked with the people ahead and behind me that before we got through, we were all going to be good friends!  This ended up to be true!  I found out that the lady next to me used to be in a gospel choir.  We discovered that we both knew the song, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and we sang it (but not too loud😉)  I told her I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that we were living in the latter days.  Then she started singing a song about your latter days being greater than your past.  We had a delightful conversation.  

After she was able to complete her purchases, the man behind me told me he believed that this slow line in the store was no accident and that God had a hand in it!  He pointed out how everyone in line was talking with each other, and said this is the kind of thing the world needs.  I agreed and was able to testify that God is in the details of our lives, that He is our loving Father in Heaven and we are all His children, and that He has provided a Savior so that we can all return to Him.  I gave pass-along cards to my new friends. 

Saturday evening I was able to meet with the Hermanas to teach a man named Julio. The lesson was about the Word of Wisdom.   
Julio was ok with no drinking, smoking, etc.  But going without coffee was going to be a challenge.  My comment was that these things are addictive.  But the hermanas had a better way to teach.  They explained that our bodies are the temples of our spirits and that when we take care of our bodies, we are better able to communicate with God and hear the quiet whisperings of the Holy Spirit.  Then Julio asked each of us to give an example when the Holy Ghost communicated with us, which we did.  

But I need to say here that I really need to practice my Spanish.  (I probably should have told him that if he was able to understand me at all, it was a manifestation of the Spirit😄)  I’ll attach a photo of us in front of the restaurant where we met. 

I love you all, 

Sister Manwaring 

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