He is in the details of our lives

Hello family!!!

This week was GREAT!  Although we had most of our lessons fall through, we still saw so many miracles!  And the people that we are teaching are really starting to open up to us and trust us! Sister Phelps is such an amazing example of being compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others! I am so grateful to be learning from her and to be serving beside her! 

I am just so so grateful for all that has happened this week!!! I feel like I always share with you how the Lord is in the details of our lives...but it's the truth, so i will say it again and again!

So here is just one example...
On Friday before the Nationals  game that we went to, we received a phone call from a sister who has not come to church for about 9 months.  We have talked to her a couple times on the phone, but never visited her or anything.

Here is some background info that will add to the story:  The week that Sister Phelps got here, Bishop asked us to check on her. He suggested we just give her a call and then see if we could come on by.  We have called her a couple times and talked.  She has been really sick and has wanted to come back to church.  She would tell us that she was coming on Sunday, but Sunday would come and go and she wouldn't come. 

But back to the story.  On Friday, we got a call and she asked us if we could come over that afternoon.  We had a window of an hour or so before the game with no set plans, so we said yes!  When we got to her home, she was so loving and welcoming!  Come to find out, Sister Phelps was the exact person that she needed to talk to!  She basically committed herself to come to church, and she said that nothing would stop her!!  She told us over and over that she was so grateful she had followed the prompting to call us. And Sister Phelps was so grateful that she shared what she did with her!  On Saturda, her and her husband came to our ward activity and then they came to church on Sunday!!!   About 9 months ago, she was set on not ever coming back to church.  It is truly amazing how the Lord softens hearts and prepares us (the missionaries) and them!  I can't even explain all the little miracles that happened prior to us visiting her, but every little prompting that we had (like me looking at the phone at the exact moment she was calling--the phone was accidentally left on silent), the sister had, and the bishop had, made it possible for her and her husband to come back to church!!!  It is all in the little details that the success of bring others back to the enjoy all the blessings of the gospel happens! 

That was such a lesson to me on how CRUCIAL it is to follow any little prompting I have. We can't disregard what might seem insignificant at the moment, because Heavenly Father's grand plan happens in his time and in the small and simple ways.  I love D&C 123:13-17.  The first verse talks about how we should always be striving to do good.  As we are "wear[ing] out our lives" in the Lord's work we cannot go wrong!  Lives are changed by the things that may seem insignificant to us, but they are never insignificant if they are good and guided from the Spirit!  The little things that we do make all the difference!  I know that I need that reminder constantly, but I am grateful for all the reminders around us! This just came to me, but I am so eternally grateful that Heavenly Father works by small and simple things.  I am so grateful that he is letting me, Sister Udall, take part in helping others (and myself) come closer to him.  I am so grateful that he only requires us to start out small.  I am so grateful that he lets us all take a part in this glorious and joyful work! 

I have also been thinking a lot lately about the missionaries in my life, the people that have helped me come closer to Christ.  Woah, it's too many to even list or name, but I am so grateful for every single one of them!!  Every single little thing they did for me has helped me.  And I am just so grateful right now...I can't even handle it!!!! :) 

Oh, and the Nationals game was crazy on friday night! I couldn't even believe I was there! It was a totally different experience than any other baseball game that I have been to.  It was amazing to see all the missionaries at the stadium! It was also amazing to see all the missionaries on the metro as we traveled there and back.  We actually met a man last night who asked us, "Is there some kind of convention going on around here? You were all on the metro Friday night." That made us smile, and we had a good talk with him.  People recognize us :) Pictures are way better than explaining it all to you.  The Nationals won 6 to 1 I'm pretty sure.  It was a really late night.  We didn't get home until 12:09! We had permission, but it was a miracle that we woke up on time the next morning! 

I am so grateful for Heavenly Father, his love for each and every one of us, and this restored gospel. I am so grateful for the knowledge that Heavenly Father has a plan for us all, and he IS in the details of our lives :)

LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

Til next week,
                        Sister Udall