Have Miracles Ceased?

Let me tell you a little bit about Judy. Judy Herrera is a good friend of ours that we have been teaching here in good ol' Bastrop, TX. She is, in her own words , an outgoing, friendly, bubbly person who likes to joke around and make people smile.

"If I can make someone smile in a day then I have done my job." - Judy

One day Judy was on her phone just minding her own business while looking through her Facebook. When suddenly an ad appears saying;

"Jesus said, "Learn of me... and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Sign up below to receive three lessons from missionaries to increase faith in Christ!"

So without skipping a beat, she signed up. She recognized that she was looking for a greater sense of rest in her life due to the challenges and trials that she has been through. Upon sending her information, two Elders recived a notification on their phone.

Judy has had a wonderful but challenge filled life that she could tell you all about for probably multiple days. Through her meeting with the missionaries and coming to church she was excited to start a new journey, a new path, a new life by accepting Jesus Christ into her life more fully through being baptized into His church.

She could tell you, it wasn't an easy road. She knew that Satan would be trying to throw her off the straight and narrow but she wasn't going to let that happen.

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad."

(2 Nephi 2:11)

We had shared this scripture with her and she would often bring it up more than I think she realized. Judy understood a pretty important principle that I think a lot of us just forget at times. She understood how to 'Endure to the End'.

Like I said, her path to follow the Savior and His example of being baptized wasn't an easy one. She has recognized the hand of the Lord guiding her throughout her everyday life and also noticed the small tricks that Satan would often try and deceive her with.

But nonetheless, just as Nephi, a Book of Mormon Prophet, she knew in whom she has trusted.

"...nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."

She has recognized God in her life and decided not to listen to all the evil around her but to trust in God and His plan. She would constantly tell us all the things that were going wrong but would always end with, "but I have faith and know that God will provide!"

Judy was originally going to be baptized in November but after some inspired direction from the stake president we decided to move it closer. And she agreed and was prepared to be baptized on October 13th, 2024.

I had the wonderful opportunity to stand in the waters of baptism with Judy and preform the baptismal ordinance. What a special and sacred opportunity that was. Often times when I meet with people, the Spirit will whisper to me, "Imagine them in white." Or "Imagine standing with them in the waters of baptism."

Once I have, there is a different, stronger, love that comes over me for the person standing or sitting in front of me. It grants me with a greater hope that one day they will be able to receive the blessings of covenants.

It has also put into perspective the importance of the work that I am actually doing. And the importance for all of us to be doing this work. If we know that it is true, wouldn't we want to take this to someone else. We are on the Earth, found the fullness of the Gospel, now need to bring others into the fold.

Do not be scared to share the Gospel. Worst they could say is no.

As we go about our week, we get in contact with this man who once lived in Amarillo, TX and moved down here closer to Bastrop. We were able to visit with him. Come to find out, as we were talking on the phone, he is a member and was baptized in Amarillo but moved down here nine months prior and hasn't been able to get in contact with the church. We set up a time to meet with him in person, checking where he lives, thinking he only lived 15-20 minutes away, we came to find out he lives an hour away.

We were lucky enough to take time to go visit him and other people that live all the way out in the small town of Schulenburg, TX in the U S of A.

Upon our arrival we realize that the address we had for his place of residence couldn't be right. We were led to City Hall of Schulenburg. No that wasn't the right place, with a little bit of panic and hope we called our friend. He gave us the correct address and we found our way.

We met the sweetest man I have ever met with in my life. Come to find out he hadn't had contact with the church for over 9 months! He missed the people and the feeling of going to church. We then chatted it up for a bit and left him with a new Book of Mormon.

He grabbed it out of my hands and held it close to his heart and said thank you.

He had been touched and ultimately changed by the contents of that book. It was powerful to witness. The Book of Mormon really does change lives. It changed his. It's changed mine. And so many more.

It contains a testimony of Jesus Christ that will leave you holding it close to your heart and saying "Thank you"

It was hard to leave knowing we wouldn't see him for awhile. Living an hour away from the church makes things a little difficult. We had met a man who knew that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the fullness of the Gospel. He has had a wonderful life and has done a lot of searching and final found what he was looking for. The spirit was strong and his testimony is pure.

It's moments like those that keep you going. It's moments like those that keep you enduring the heat, the unkind comments, the discouragement, the long days with appointments falling through. It's moments like those that are worth it.

Thankfully this won't be our last time seeing him. We have an older couple in the ward that lives in Schulenburg and come to church almost every week. Only times they don't, is when they are out of town. So, they said they could give our new found brother a ride to church.

God is good.

I don't have much else to say. I feel like I have finally figured it out and its coming to an end. The work continues on and there are miracles to be seen!

"...behold, our work is not finished..."
(Alma 14:13)

The weather is slowly getting cooler. Might be sweater weather pretty soon...

Look at the photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WUYwsyauonMKVuc29

That's about it. See ya.

• Elder Payne