Answers to Prayers

This week wasn't the greatest. Sister Herrick was still overcoming her sickness the first of the week, so we didn't get a lot done. She is doing a lot better now. We had a really low day on Saturday, when our only progressing investigator randomly decided to drop us, and we realized that we had no one to work with. That was hard for us both. However, through prayer and the Lord's help, we had a much better day on Sunday. He really helped us see that we aren't at a complete standstill in the work. We had a surprise in the morning when our only other real investigator, showed up at church for the first time since we started teaching her a couple of months ago. She only stayed for sacrament meeting, but enjoyed it and I think she felt the Spirit. We visited her later that day with our recent convert, Donnaliez, and they really hit it off. They have a lot in common and were able to relate well in their situations. Our investigator expressed that she will "definitely be at church next week" and that she will be staying the entire time. She also excepted a baptismal commitment for her birthday in April. All of this truly was a miracle and an answer to our prayers, because we had recently been questioning whether she was truly prepared and interested at this time; we got our answer! The Lord had to bring us low so that we could be humble and see how blessed we really are with those we are teaching. I know He will continue to help us find those like our investigator and Donnaleiz who are prepared and searching for this gospel. We will, with His help, get the work going again here in San Fernando. 

Love,
Sister Bratt

Staying in Sando

This week was slow. Sister Herrick has been sick this weekend, with what, we aren't sure. Probably just a virus. We are hoping she get's better soon. But at least we found out that we will still be together next transfer, so we have plenty of time to get her back to health and to get back to work in our area. :) We were happy when we heard the news on Friday that we are both staying. There were a lot of changes throughout the mission this time, so we were lucky to stay together.

Have a great Valentines day and know that you are all my Valentines! Haha!

Love,

Sister Bratt

It's a Small World

We had a good week here in Sando (San Fernando). Our investigator is still doing well. We got to see her Sunday afternoon and she had a friend join in our lesson. She seemed to like what she heard, so we are going to try to teach her as well. That was a great blessing. 

There were a couple of cool things that happened this week. Sister and Elder Bird were here on Friday, and though I didn't get to see them, I talked to Sister Bird on the phone for a bit and got to catch up on whats happening in St. Vincent. They met our senior couple for lunch by the mission office and Sister Bird told Sister Bateman a crazy story to relay to me. It requires a bit of background information. So, when I went to the hospital in St. Vincent and was waiting so long for my IV to be hooked up, there was a man who was rushed through the ER with his arm dripping blood. They took him into a room for a long time, but since I was there waiting so long, we saw when he came out. Sister Small was with us, and she asked him what happened to his arm. He told her at he and another man were fighting over a women and it resulted in his arm being chopped up with the other guys cutlas (machete like knife they use for everything here).  So, flash forward to Sister Bird's part of the story, She went to church in the Kingstown Branch sometime after that incident, and saw a man and his family who she hadn't met before. In talking to them she found out that they had recently gotten baptized. Well, she noticed that his arm was bandaged or scared (I'm not sure which) and came to find out that it was that same guy! He won the girl he was fighting for, and they were married and then baptized! I don't know how much time elapsed between all these event, because I heard the story second hand, but it was really cool to hear! Small world, huh?

Anyway, another thing that showed us how small the world is was when we met a man who has been living in Florida for years with his family. He saw us on the street and knew immediately who we were because his family was all baptized in the States except for him. His youngest daughter went to BYU for a couple of years, and the missionaries come to his house all the time in the US. He said his wife goes out with the Sisters in his area to help them teach because she speaks spanish and english, so she helps them teach. It was really cool to talk to him and see what has held him back from joining his family in the church. I wish I could say that we were able to have a greater impact on him than we did, but he has his own views and isn't really ready to budge on them yet. He is a really nice guy. I feel sad for him that he is missing out on the blessings of this gospel, and especially sad for his family who are waiting anxiously for him to join them so that they can be sealed together in the Temple for all eternity. It reminded me of how important this work is and what is at stake if people choose to reject what we share. They may not see the importance, but we do, so we have to try to help them as best we can. 

I love you all
Sister Bratt

Hastening His Work

We are working hard here in San Fernando. We have loved watching our recent convert, Donnaleiz, become so involved in church. She just loves all the activities and events that the church offers. She wants to come to Sister Mehr's music workshop among other things, which is exciting. We have also been working with a member referral who wants to be baptized on her birthday next month. We are excited for her, and can see the Lord hastening his work. 

This last transfer has gone by so fast. I can't believe that I have already been with Sister Herrick for almost two transfers, it feels like we just got together. I love serving with her, and learn a lot from her each day. She is a great missionary. As my mission continues on, time keeps speeding up; or at least that is how it seems. It feels like just yesterday that I got to Trinidad, and reached my 6 month mark, but now 2 months have past and I have been serving for 8 months. The next 10 months are going to just fly by I'm sure, so I want to make the best of it and serve with all that I have. 

 I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Bratt

                                                     Trip to the Beach on P-Day

Blessings of Baptism

This week was pretty successful. We came close to most of our goals, but I know we can still do better and continue to set higher goals as we achieve the ones we set. 

 We had the great blessing of witnessing the baptism of our wonderful investigator, Donnaleiz. She is the newest member of the San Fernando ward, and I see great things for her and the ward in the near future. She is very creative and will surely become involved in the 2015 Celebration for the anniversary of the mission opening here in the West Indies, as well as any other part of the ward she is able to. She feels very good having her sins washed away and being confirmed and blessed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

 We also had a great trade-off this week with Sister Edmonds and Sister Jex. I know that I learned a lot, and with the help of Sister Edmonds, we were able to find a few new families to teach. I hope we get to continue meeting with them and that they will progress. We also had the opportunity this Sunday to meet a referral we received from a member of our ward. He met her at the store she works in and was able to bring up the church with her. He discovered that she is currently searching for a church and for truth so that she can raise her 2 year old son with a knowledge of God. I know that she was an answer to our prayers just as we were an answer to hers. This gospel is what she is looking for that will bless her life as well as the life of her son, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach her. 

 We are starting to get curious about what will happen next transfer. We know that 6 sisters are coming, 5 English and 1 French speaking. So, there will be some shuffling going on. Sister Herrick and I hope to stay together, but we are unsure whether we will. I will just have to wait and see what the Lord has in store for us! I love you and hope all is going well back home! 

 Love Sister Bratt

Zone Conference with Elder Anderson

Yesterday we had a special Zone Conference with the Mehrs as well as Elder Anderson, our area 70. He and his wife came and spoke with us and also answered any questions we had. It was a great day. We also got the special experience to witness the baptism of an excommunicated member of the church who has been attending church faithfully ever since his excommunication 7 years ago. He was able to be baptized by Elder Anderson, and it was very amazing. I really look up to him for his strong faith and testimony of this gospel that kept him coming even all these years. He is so dedicated to the church that we didn't even know he was excommunicated until his wife told us a couple days before the baptism and invited us to come. 

Speaking of baptisms, our sweet investigator will be getting baptized this Saturday! It will be wonderful. We are so excited for her. 

Love you all!

Sister Bratt

Tender Mercies

Through prayer and fasting, we saw small miracles towards the end of this week. We had a simply productive day on Saturday as we started our fast, and just met nice people. It helped to raise our spirits and to remind us of our grand purpose as missionaries. One of the people we met actually sort of contacted us! We were walking down a street calling into houses, and as I looked up to see if people were home in one house, I fell into the ditch in front of their house. (Don't worry, I was fine, it wasn't a deep ditch) I know that it was meant to be, because after I got up, there was a young women riding by on a bike that saw me fall and stopped to see if I was alright. After seeing that I was, she asked what we were doing and it opened an opportunity for us to talk to her. Not only that, but she is really searching for peace in her life right now, so she was very receptive to our message. We sang the hymn "Where Can I Turn for Peace" to her right there on the street, and I know the Spirit was there so strong. We will be seeing her again soon, and we have great hopes for her.

On Sunday we also had a great experience with a young girl we contacted a couple weeks ago. We haven't been able to see her since, because she only has free time to see us on Sundays, and our appointment with her last week fell through. We had a great feeling about her though, so we were excited to see her again yesterday. When we did, we were able to answer some of her questions and she really opened up to us about how she has had the desire to build a relationship with God for so long without success. She doesn't feel that God answers prayers any more, because hers have felt unanswered for years. We bore sincere testimony to her that God is there and that he does hear and answer prayers. We invited her to pray once more to simply know whether he is there, and then to pay careful attention to her feelings afterwards. It was a very emotional and spiritual lesson. She is truly desperate for this gospel in her life, and we know it will bless her. It is now just up to her to see that. We are leaving that in the Lord's hands and we will see her next week to see what happens.

I have felt truly blessed of the Lord this weekend, and cannot thank him enough for his tender mercies.

Hope you all have a great week! I love you!!!!

Sister Bratt