Dear President Preston,
This week has been incredible. We have been seeing miracle after miracle. We had what I would consider to be the best lesson I have ever had since being on my mission just last night. We made plans to go do Burneside to call by some potential investigators and street contact our way from one to the next. It wasn't until looking back that I saw truly how precise and to the T the Lord allowed things to go. The train we caught was 10 minutes late but no worries that allowed us to talk a little longer to a woman. After arriving we spoke with a 93 year-old man that had dementia and told us the same stories 3 times in a row, but that is ok because we taught him of gospel truths. We then started talking with a woman that was walking her dog. Before we even spoke Sister Crookston did something that was so kind and that taught me so much. She put her own umbrella over this woman’s head. I would have probably later in the conversation but the very first thing my companion did was serve this woman. We then proceeded to have the best lesson ever. This woman, Rosie, was very kind and said how she kept wondering why bad things happen to good people. She said how no preacher could answer her question. We simply allowed the Book of Mormon to do the heavy lifting and shared Alma 60:13. She said that made sense. Question after question we answered with the Book of Mormon. She told us how when she was young she had such amazing faith that at age 6 she decided on her own she wanted to be baptized but not by the sprinkling of water but by going all the way under the water like Jesus did. She said she was baptized in a barrel. She said since then she kind of fell away and questioned if God was there. She said she prayed and prayed and prayed but had received no answer. But then it seemed like she had an epiphany and said, "Maybe this is my answer." We went on to share the restoration. The spirit was so strong and she pointed out that many times she said she felt goose bumps. We were then able to help her identify the spirit. She beat us to the punch line of every principle in the Restoration lesson. It was as if the spirit was telling her things that she already knew from the pre-existence and we just had to open up the scriptures to secure those truths and answer her questions. One of the things that astonished me the most was when she said she was engaged to be married next year and wondered why some people bother getting married if they do it in a hotel or on the beach, because she understood it to be a commitment you make between you your spouse and the Lord. She already knows about the temple sealing! This was incredible! One of the crazy things was that she told us she normally wouldn't stop to talk with people like us because of the stigma against missionaries. But despite the pouring rain, her hyper active dog, her tardiness to visit her sick mother, she stopped and received an answer to her prayers. I am so grateful I was able to be present and help in the Lord meeting the needs of one of his precious children.
I know this church is true. I know the Lord hears and answers our prayers. I know that I we all can learn from others no matter how new they might be to the mission field.
Love Sister Longmore
