Answered Prayers

Through no fault of my own, I ended up in a situation that made me a bit uncomfortable on Wednesday. I was trying to help someone, but it wasn't going very well. I was at my home with my children and Alfredo was gone. I said a quick prayer for guidance to know what to say and do. I wasn't in danger, but felt uncomfortable and unsure how to handle the situation. Just a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. It was the missionaries. Elder Duke had a new companion that he wanted to introduce us to. They were just planning to stop by, but after talking for a minute at the door, they ended up coming in and talking and sharing their testimonies. I have no doubt that it was a direct answer to my prayers. I found myself with tears in my eyes...partly because they spoke with the spirit, but primarily because I knew that Heavenly Father had heard my prayers and sent help. I was planning to call them today to thank them, but as I was driving home from work, I saw them walking down the street. So I pulled over and talked to them and thanked them. I told them that they were an answer to prayers, and they said that as they were walking down the street, they just had the thought that they should stop by briefly at the Panamenos. I'm thankful that they listened to the spirit and came "to the rescue." They are wonderful young men with strong testimonies of the gospel. I am thankful that my Father in Heaven is aware of my needs...and of the needs of those I'm trying to serve. The missionaries seemed to know just what to say during a time when I was having difficulty figuring out what to say and how to handle the situation.

On Friday, teachers had training at East High. We started in the auditorium. Then we broke up into different classrooms for three different sessions. At the end of the first session, I leaned down to grab my stuff and noticed that my purse wasn't there. I looked all around me, looked in my bag, looked around me again and then hurried down to the auditorium. I wandered up and down the aisles near where I was sitting, but my purse wasn't there. I thought, "Maybe I left it in the car." So I hurriedly jogged to my car and searched, but my purse wasn't there. At that point, I said the third prayer I'd said in those 10 minutes and headed to my next session. At the end of the last session, I told my friend Brenda about the purse. We checked in the high school's office, but it hadn't been turned in. So we asked the leaders of the conference, but no one had given it to them. I knew I had brought it, because I had an errand to run briefly on my way home. The leader of the conference assured me that teachers are honest, good people and that she was sure someone had it and just hadn't made it downstairs yet. So I waited around. My dear friend, Brenda, waited with me. After about 15 minutes, I really thought it was gone. I was just about to give them my name and phone number and ask them to call me if it turned up and head home (luckily my cell phone and car keys were in my jacket pocket, not in my purse). I was starting to feel worried... my purse is small and doesn't have a lot in it, but there is one credit card and my checkbook and my license and just canceling and replacing those three things would be a big hassle. Just as I was about to give up, a man walked by pushing a cart of audiovisual materials from the presentation in the auditorium...and on the cart was also my purse! I'm so thankful that it was returned to me with nothing missing. What a blessing! I'm thankful for honest people and for answered prayers.

Today, a close friend blessed their baby. I wasn't able to attend the blessing, but Alfredo and the girls went. Afterward, I met them at the friend's parents' house for a luncheon. I had the address, but it was an area that I have never really been to, and I was feeling a tiny bit nervous about finding it...I am not super great at finding my way to unfamiliar places. I was unsure which exit to take and was saying a prayer about it, when my phone rang. It was Alfredo and he was pretty sure he had just passed me and he then let me know which exit to take. When I got off the exit, I was right behind him and was able to follow him there. Simple, but yet another answer to prayers. Certainly not all of my prayers are answered that quickly, nor do I always recognize the answers I receive. But I feel like I am being led by the spirit so much more now than previously and I know that my prayers are heard. I am so thankful.