Adventures from West Virginia: 100 Miracles

Howdy thur,

I Found a Yellow Rain Jacket and Of Course, I Wore It

This week, was such a great one! I personally, for the last couple of weeks have been praying for miracles. Not any one specific thing, but just miracles in our areas. I wouldn't say our area hasn't been struggling, but we know that it has a lot more potential that what has been happening lately. So I just have been asking that God would lend us a hand and bless us. The scriptures say, "Ask and ye shall receive" and boy, did we receive!

Our miracles are so many! This week was full of them. I wish I could write down every single one, but we might be here all week, and our preparation day ends at 6:00 pm. So I will share a few of my favorite miracles of the week. It all started one dark night and it had just gotten really, really cold! We were shivering! We did not want to be outside, but our lesson had fallen through and so we decided to knock an apartment complex. We don't have to knock on doors in the pitch black, because it creeps people out. We find one near our home and start knocking it (miracle). So we knock on some doors in this complex and met a super awesome girl, Eleanor! (miracle). - I hope y'all are still sharing the Christmas Initiative, because it changes hearts! - We were sharing the Christmas video that night and Eleanor let us right in out of the cold to share it (miracle). Eleanor is 19 years old and she is currently living in Christiansburg, but going to school in Radford (a town about 20 minutes away). She is majoring in English and she wants to go into linguistics. She is super sweet! We had her watch the Christmas Video and 3 seconds into it she says, "Wow, this is already cute!" (miracle) After watching the video we start talking about it. She told us that she loved how it showed people loving and caring for one another, because that is what Christmas is all about! (miracle) The spirit was really working in her and in us, as we started talking a little bit more about her religious background. Eleanor has had a hard time with churches and religion in the past because, she has been to some where people are very judgmental and not willing to help each other. We went into the Restoration lesson and talked about the Book of Mormon. She reads the Bible every day and even keeps a study journal! (miracle) We taught her about modern day prophets, and she agrees and says it makes a lot of sense (miracle). We invited her to read from the Book of Mormon and to come to church! She accepted! (miracle)

Our New Investigator, Eleanor

The next lesson we taught, we answered some questions and taught a little about the plan of salvation. She told us that she has been doing some research on the church as well (that made all of us nervous) but she said that she has been looking on "mormon cites" and she loved all the stuff that she read! (miracle) She has also been reading from the Book of Mormon and loves it! (miracle) She loves the feel of the Mormon community. (miracle) We then invited her to be baptized and she accepted! (miracle) Eleanor also told us that she had really been struggling, that week, and she was really wanting to know if God was real, and if God was there for her... Then we knocked on her door, and she recognized that it was a message from God!! (miracle)

In Front of the Christmas Tree with Elizabeth

Then at church, we were in our ward council meeting, because it ran a little long. It was about 20 minutes before church started, and we get a text from her, saying that she is here! (miracle) We coordinated with members and the ward council to help her feel welcomed at church, and while she was then at church, SO MANY MEMBERS TALKED TO HER (miracle). The testimonies that were shared in Fast and Testimony meeting were all focused on Jesus Christ and loving and serving others, which is just what Eleanor really needed to hear! (miracle) She even got 5+ dinner invitations from members throughout church to have us all over for dinner and then to teach her in their home! (miracle) The first one happened to be to eat dinner with a member and watch the Christmas Devotional that same day! (miracle) She was so excited and accepted the invitation. (miracle) The dinner went really well, we talked more about modern day prophets and apostles and then we all watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional! (miracle) Eleanor loved it, and she even took notes during the devotional! (miracle) Afterwards, she told us that she just had the most amazing day, and she was so happy (miracle). That made me so happy! Does God answer prayers or what? :) What a collection of mighty miracles! :)

Elizabeth's Tree

I am so blessed to be able to be serving here at this time. I love it here! I love this mission! I love the Lord! I love His work! I love the people! I love my calling!

And I love you all :)

Stay cool, xoxo

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

All Christmas cards must be sent here :)

Sister Kayla Willis

1389 Dow St. #B

Christiansburg, VA 24073