Sister Macy England: 10 10 10

Happy Birthday to me...

TWENTY TWO!

Hello hello,

So first of all I just want to say thank you all SO much for all the birthday love I received! You are all the best! Especially you mom! I loved absolutely EVERYTHING in the package and everything fits perfectly! I even got it on my Birthday because the zone leaders brought it down from Loveland! It was a great birthday! Hermana Snow decorated the apartment and made muffin cake...muffins in a cake pan because we don't own a muffin pan. haha (problemas de las hermanas pobres) and I got to do missionary work ALL DAY :):) Best birthday ever!

The rest of the week was CRAZY but AMAZING! We tried this new 10 10 10 thing where we have 10 member present lessons, 10 other lessons, and 10 less active lessons. And we did it! We had a lot of appointments fall through but it was so cool to see how the Lord provided for us when that happened. Especially when members were with us. It's very stressful when you have a member with you and an appointment falls through but in every case that that happened we found someone else to teach that perhaps needed the testimony of that member even more. Everything happens for a reason!

One of those instances was when we found Ricardo and Claudia. We had a specific appointment set and we brought our Relief Society president. The lesson fell through so we started walking down the street and that is when we met Ricardo. We started talking to him outside his house and he allowed us to teach him. We found out very quickly that he has some serious health issues physically and mentally. He is an alcoholic and has severe depression. We bore testimony and taught of the power of the Atonement. His wife Claudia came out at the end of the lesson and expressed to him and to us that several things had happened that week to bring Jesus into Ricardo's life. She told him that God had sent us and that he needed to listen! THEN the member that we brought (Sam Corrales..return missionary of 5 months and RS pres aka AMAZING!) was able to bear testimony that it really wasn't a coincidence that we were there and that God put us in his life so that he can accept the gospel. It was a powerful lesson.

They both committed to come to church so on Sunday we stopped by early and they were still planning on coming! :) Well sacrament meeting starts and they were still not there. But hey everyone is late so we weren't worried but after about 20 min in we started to worry. During the sacrament I was just so bummed that they didn't show up. After all the work we had done that week I had a "throw in the towel" moment...but then I thought...NO! If Heavenly Father helped us get our 10 10 10 goal then he can bring these people to church! So I said a little prayer basically pleaded with Heavenly Father to some how bring them to church and that I knew with out a doubt that He could do it! Turns out Hermana Snow was doing the same. Well the meeting went on and on and still no Ricardo and Claudia. BUT in the last five min of the meeting we got a missed call on our phone. We rushed out to the hall and called it back and it was RICARDO! He told us that they had come in late but they thought it was the wrong church because it was in English (Spanish branch had sacrament meeting in the Relief Society room) So we explained that the Spanish meeting is at the same time but in a different room and they said...okay we will be there in a few min! They showed up just as sacrament meeting was ending and were able to enjoy that last two hours of church! It was SO amazing to see how Heavenly Father really answers our prayers. I feel like I am really learning what it means to exercise my faith!

I don't remember if I told you but Miguel's new church building is an hour and a half away from his house!!! Before he moved we gave him the directions and committed him to go to church even though it is in English (I think they have translation) and an hour and a half away! He said he would but we were still worried. We called him on Saturday to make sure he knew where it was and he seemed pretty hesitant to drive that far away for church. We were so worried about him!!! But Sunday morning we get a call from him saying....Okay I'm about a half hour away, do the missionaries there know I'm coming? Haha he is so awesome! Such a solid convert! I'm so glad he is making the sacrifices necessary to have the gospel in his life! We haven't been able to meet with his daughters but we pray that this week we can get in touch with them! Some extra prayers for that would be awesome!

Well it sounds like another big wave of missionaries are going out from the Sandy Granite Stake! That is crazy another Kenney boy is going out...I remember seeing Andrew Kenney in the MTC!! Wish them all luck for me! So exciting!

I hear Bo killed it in his first soccer tournament! Good job Bo! You rock! And Dad killed it too in his golf tournament. :) I have a cool family! I hope you all have an incredible week!

Hermana England

PS. That same dog took another nip at me but just got my shoe this time. (less active people's dogs are the worst because you have frequent contact). That thing growls at me all the time too...it can sense my hatred. ALSO WE ALMOST DIED from another dog! This huge one comes barreling down the street at us (seriously like full speed) Hermana Snow and I screamed then just held each other (comp unity! If we go down we go down together) haha we seriously were holding hands huddling together and squatting a little bit hahahaha and right as the dog got about two feet from us it just stopped. Like point blank stopped. From a full speed run to a halt! I am convinced that it was a heavenly shield! I'm not kidding it was a miracle!