The Atonement

Dear Family,

Hey, so this week, I need to just bear to you guys my testimony about prayer and our Savior. This week was probably one of the harder ones in my mission, but also the best. We had about two or three days where a lot of our citas fell and we resorted to contacting people and just talking with everyone. While usually this is very edifying and exciting, this week with the rain and dark sky, it was a little more trying and I got to thinking about Grandpa a lot. I especially remember one moment where I told Hna. Mota that I wasn`t sure I could keep working after another one of our citas fell. She was concerned and just encouraged me to keep going. As we were walking down the street, I saw a man in a bus, cleaning it out and something told me to go talk to him. I was a little rebellious and said that he is just an old man that will probably tell us he doesn`t need a church to worship God, like they all like to tell us. But after I had this thought, the feeling came again and I said to myself, fine we aren`t doing anything else, kind of grudgingly... :) So I stopped Hna. Mota and we went to go talk to him. He told us about how he drives a bus in Santa Cruz and he likes to see new places. He then told us about how he believes firmly in God and he actually went to our church once and loved it, but then moved to Curicò and never went back. My eyes started swelling in tears once I realized that this man had just been waiting for members or missionaries like us to find him and invite him to church. I felt the spirit super strong and then Hna. Mota asked him if we could sing him a song. I don`t know what it is in English, but it is called Ama el Pastor la Ovejas. It talks about how the Savior rescues His sheep and brings them back to the fold. My emotions were almost to much to bear and I couldn`t hold tears back. After the song, the man, Jaime, basically said, well I guess you guys rescued me and I need to go back to church. We nodded and told him how to get there and he said he would be there. He didn`t come, but we think it is because it was really rainy, so we are going to go rescue him again ;) 

I just want to bear my testimony to you guys that when you are going through something hard in your life, there is someone that is going through something a lot harder and that the Lord uses these people to show us how blessed we are and to give us an opportunity to serve them and ultimately lift them so the Savior can lift us. I believe in the power of the Atonement with my whole heart because I have felt my Savior`s careful attention to me these past couple of days. I know He is aware of each and every one of you guys too and that He knows you individually and not only knows what you are going through, but FEELS what you are going through also. 

I love you guys so much. I hope you turn to Him this week and experience the love He has for you, because He has a TON of love for you. 

And I love you too, 

Hna. McCubbins

P.S. Hna. Mota is SO funny. She is a Brazilian trying to learn English, and she know how to say, ``don`t cry or I will punch you in the face!`` ;) She says it with love. I think... ;D

Jessica's Grandpa--He's now on a mission in a different place.