22 & Yard Sailing

Dear Friends,

 

Thank you so much for all the happy birthday wishes! Now I can really be considered an old person in the mission field. Hoorah!

 

So if you're wondering what I did for my birthday, I didn't really do anything special. Although in District Meeting on Thursday they threw me a party. It was really fun, and there was even a "Feliz Cumpleanos" banner with old-school clowns on it. I brought a cake (thanks for the mix, mom) and Elders Taylor and Shore also made me a cake that said "Bday?" with a cat on it and no-bake cookies. We even broke out the leftover ice cream from our ward ice cream social. Needless to say, it was fun. And I even got a cat-shaped sandwich box and a drawing (I'm sorry, I forgot it) from Elder Flake of three cats holding a birthday cake... with Dobby in the background.

 

On Friday we actually went to the park and played again, and it was quite fun. We talked to a man who said that he was having a rough day because it was his mom's birthday and he had to put her in a home. I mentioned that it was my birthday, too, and he didn't believe me. But after a while I was able to talk with him about the gospel, and when he left he said that he felt much better. How awesome!

 

One of the coolest things that happened this week was on Saturday. We went and stopped by a referral, but they were too busy to talk. I saw that the area we were in had a bunch of yard sales, so I thought it would be a good way to talk to people. Now, if any of you are unaware, yard sailing on the east coast is... intense. People love yard sales out here. I had the thought to grab a Book of Mormon before we set off, so I did. We walked around and talked to quite a few people. I felt impressed to turn down a side street, so we did. I saw a table full of games and started perusing when I found a stuffed cat that meowed! I was playing around with it when a woman said, "It sounds like a real cat, right?"

"Oh yeah!"
"I didn't know there were girl ones of you." It took me a second to realize what she was saying.

"What, missionaries?"
"Yeah, I've only seen the guys."

"Oh yeah, there are Sisters. So you know a little bit about us then?"

"Yeah, I know quite a bit about the Church."
"What do you know?" We talked for a few minutes about the Church and I asked if she wanted to learn more when she said, "I'm actually a member of your Church."

"Wait-- what?"

"Yeah, I got baptized and everything." I was surprised. Sister Hall asked her why she stopped going to Church and she said that she joined the Church up in Nazareth and had to get rides to church up there. The she moved into Allentown and lost contact with the Church. We pretty much asked her if we could see her and get her going to church again, and she said that was fine, and that she even wanted to bring her friend. MIRACLE!

 

And that's not even the best part. After we got her info, she stopped and asked, "Do you have a Book of Mormon. I lost mine a while ago." And sure enough in my bag was the copy of the Book of Mormon that I had been prompted to grab.

 

It was a very humbling experience. The Lord knew that Sister Hall and I would wander around the yard sales and that I would pick up the stuffed cat. He also knew that the woman, who doesn't even live near there, would be at that yard sale at that time. What a wonderful miracle! Heavenly Father knows and loves each of His children, and He wants all of us to come to Him. I am so humbled to know that I can be an instrument in His hands in bringing his work to pass.

 

I testify that the God is there and that He loves us all immensely. I also know that our Savior Jesus Christ shares that love, and that He atoned for us because of that love. I also that the Spirit testifies to us the reality of their love, and that we can all feel that Spirit through obedience to the Gospel.

 

I love you guys, and once again thank you for the birthday wishes!

 

Love,

Sister Singleton

The cake they made me

A terrible picture of Sister Hall and I