Iokwe from OK! Holidays and Miracles

Iowke!

Haha, it's started to get weird for me to put that at the beginning of my emails! It's been about 5 months since I've been in a Marshallese-speaking area! Crazy. My English is doing great though! 

Apparently my Spanish is doing well too! We saw a couple miracles last night! Here's another story similar to finding Patrick when my bike broke down over a year ago! (Patrick, by the way, will be baptized as soon as he finalizes a family logistical matter)

We decided yesterday to bike over to a neighborhood about 2 miles away to see some people past missionaries had left records of and suggested that we visit. Missionaries prior to us hadn't seen them since and they were from 2013, so we had no idea if they would be there, but we decided to give them a shot since they seemed to be interested in learning more. Though it was below freezing outside with a slight Oklahoma breeze (which means pretty cutting and cold despite layers) and few people were out.

But we bundled up and went out anyway! It was pretty cold. But we kept going, and tried the first couple of people, one of which wasn't home and the other said that they really weren't interested in us coming back or sharing more with them anymore, but thanked us. We had thought about a couple other potential people that had also talked with missionaries in 2013, but only briefly. We had talked with a couple other people who were also crazy enough to be outside (and said the same about us, haha!) so it was getting a little late, progressively colder, and we had some other plans to get to when we went back, but we felt that they were people we needed to see.

So we went to see them anyway! The first person we tried walked out onto her porch to talk to us - even in the cold, which was great! She also only spoke Spanish! We learned her name was Maria, and she seemed willing to talk, so I tried speaking a little Spanish with her (background on my Spanish: I took up to Spanish 3 in high school and it's been about 4 years since I've had a class, and really no vocabulary about religion). I was doing my best to recall anything that I know from school and what other missionaries used around me to communicate our purpose to her. It was a subtle miracle, but amazingly I had words come back to my memory that sufficed. Though they communicated the barest, minimal understanding of what we wanted, I was able to explain that we were missionaries, what church we were from, and set up a time for us to come back to, in her understanding, discuss faith with her. This was different that my experience with conversations in Spanish in the past, since it's really just been a struggle to not just speak in Marshallese, which is often what happens anyway. Though I was not fluent by any, any means, we still got what was necessary to set up a time to come back, and only that because I started speaking in Marshallese with very little Spanish right about after we got the appointment to come back set up. So, we will be going back with someone who is fluent, but I know the Lord blesses us with spiritual gifts, when they are needed, enough to bless His children when we are in the position and willing to do so.

The second miracle was on our way back: we stopped by the other home and the person who opened up had moved in (so he wasn't the guy we were looking for). But we learned his name was Jacob, and after learning we were missionaries, he welcomed us in! We learned he had moved to the US from Asia a few years ago because he felt God was inspiring him to do so, and that he really didn't know what more he was supposed to believe. He had moved in to that home two months prior and was looking for direction in his life. We stayed briefly to explain that we are here to help people know who God is and what His plan is for us. He told us he believed we came by looking for someone for a reason and we made plans with him to come back to teach him more! We made it back home when it was dark and later than we had planned, and according to our information line, it had been 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside while we were deciding whether to head back earlier or to follow what we felt the Lord was suggesting we do. I know when we do what He directs, we will always see miracles, whether they are just enough to get us or others through to what we need, or bigger and involving the direction we need in our lives!

I love the miracles that come through faith because of Heavenly Father's love for us. I know He loves each of us enough to watch out for us when we need it and to be near, whether we seek Him or not. We just have to look and see it, but the miracles really are there!

Love you all, have a great week!

Elder Josh Kilmer
Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Mission, English-Marshallese speaking不動心
Fudoshin:  immovable spirit
www.mormon.org