Sometimes we think what we do isn’t very significant but the other day I was reminded even the simplest act of kindness of service can be an answer to someone’s prayer and have a ripple effect that can bless many!
Friday after being out of the office for three days with a Mission Tour and a Missionary leadership training meeting where I was in charge of lunch for each day, I came back to the office with a list of things that needed to be addressed.The most critical ones were concerning Missionaries and their visas.
We have what’s called in the Mission “visa waiters”. These are Missionaries who got their Mission call to go foreign like Japan, or South America. They are temporarily assigned to serve in the states until their visas come.
We received a visa for a Sister last week and on Thursday a mission assignment change. The only problem is she was leaving from Provo instead of Indiana because she had not come yet to us.
I tried to contact Salt Lake a couple times with no success. A few minutes before 5 PM Friday an emailed came back asking if I could send the Sister’s visa ASAP to Salt Lake and try to overnight it as she leaves Wednesday for the Netherlands from Provo. We had another visa 2 days earlier come for an Elder headed to Peru. I asked the MTC passport/visa woman if I should send both at the same time and she said YES.
During all these email conversations. The office Elders gave me a list of items to order. A parent was asking about Christmas for their Missionary, I was going through the long list of emails where I learned about a new Elder coming December 17 which changed the number of hotel rooms I needed to book.
For their first night here in Indiana we book hotel rooms so they can get a good night sleep as they have traveled all day and will have a busy few days meeting their companions, new areas and learning about missionary life.
By now, my brain was toasted🤪 trying to keep track of everything so I told Elder Davis it was time to go home and get some much needed rest!
Sleep is WONDERFUL🥰 I was ready to face the new day! At 10 AM we had our ward Christmas breakfast. When Scott/ Elder Davis got up he was dizzy and not feeling well.
I needed to take to the party a casserole I made so I decided I would go and leave early to take the visas to mail at FedEx as a storm was supposedly coming.
The party was fun. I visited for a few minutes, ate breakfast then noticed it was starting to snow. I am not a snow driver. I have not had much experience so it makes me nervous.
As I went to leave the building, passing the missionary closet, I remembered the 5 gallon pot of ham and bean soup sitting in my storage room from yesterday’s missionary meal. That room is unheated so it stays cold. I was going to try to put it in smaller containers and freezer for the zone conference dinner at the end of the month but with snow coming down I needed to go! I went to the kitchen to see if someone might want soup but they were so busy setting up a cookie frosting activity for the children I headed back towards the car. As I reached the door the spirit whispered again to go back and offer the soup to families so I headed back in.
This time the only one in the kitchen was Sister Foster. She had actually came and helped with a missionary dinner on Thursday so we knew each other. I asked if she and others might want to have some ham and bean soup. She said yes. I explained I needed to go now and asked if she would just dish out the soup to whoever and later I could get the pan. She said yes. A sigh of relief came over me.
With that taken care of, I turned my attention to the task at hand getting to FedEx!
It was a little unnerving driving as snow was sticking on the roads and a bit slippery, but I got behind a plow truck and made it safe and sound about 11:30 to FedEx. Offering a prayer of gratitude and mailed the visas next day.
Grateful to be home again, I found Scott/Elder Davis resting.
At 12:30 I text the Mission President letting him know I got the 2 visas sent off to Salt Lake. That began a series of texts….
President…So that was for Sister H and who was the other?
Me..,Elder C
President..,Elder C is here already -I haven’t seen travel for him but his transfer day seems to be set for 17th. Which means he would likely fly from Indianapolis to his mission.
Me…Salt Lake said to send both the visas to Salt Lake, so that’s what I did. I have not seen a travel flight either.
President…Ok – maybe there is something else going on 😉 – we can call them on Monday
Me..,😂 glad there’s a Monday to fix it all
President…Amen!
1:35pm
President…travel has just scheduled Elder C to fly out Tuesday night – seriously 😜
Me…Oh no! Let me call fed ex
Me..,I cannot get a hold of the office, but FedEx says they don’t do next day on the weekend so it wouldn’t leave till Monday morning. I am going to try to go retrieve it🙏💖🙏
With that, I was on a mission to get to FedEx! The snow was coming down and everything was covered by now. Scott still too dizzy to drive. I was not sure what to do..,
Prayer offered and while thinking through possibilities I got a text from Sister Foster asking if she could drop off my big pot. All the soup handed out!
I text her right back and asked “are you a snow driver?”
She said “yes.”
I asked “could you take me to FedEx to retrieve a package?
She said “yes.!!”
I knew this was a direct answer to my prayers!
3:35pm
Sister Foster pick me up. The roads were pretty snowy and we slid a couple times but she seemed comfortable.
When we got there, I went inside and the same girl who had helped before found the envelope right away! I retrieved the Elder’s visa and put back in the envelope the Sister’s and I was off!
By the time we got home, there was a couple inches of snow and the wind was blowing. We gave each other a hug and she was on her way. I told her she was definitely an answer to my prayer.
I sent this picture to the President and said..,Another modern miracle❣️I have Elder C visa and Sister H will be in Utah Monday👏🏻❣️👏🏻
As I sat down finally back at home and thought about what had just transpired over the last couple hours, I felt a deep gratitude for Sister Foster and wrote her this text..,
You were the answer to many prayers today
My need to get to Fed Ex
President Matheson’s need to get a missionary off to Peru.
Provo MTC’s need to get the visa so Sister H could head to Netherlands to answer the prayer of a Mission President there
A young Elder and Sister’s prayer to go to their Original Mission call Peru and the Netherlands.
And the people they will find teach and share the love of Jesus with!
Most of all you were the Lords hands today. You followed the prompting to say, “Yes I can give a ride in the middle of a snowstorm “💝
You were his hands💕 and my wheels🤣 THANK YOU AGAIN!💕
She wrote back…Wow! That’s a lot when you think about it…You also answered their prayers by following the prompting to give me the soup which is what started it all!☺️
I have thought much about the series of events that unfolded Saturday and have such gratitude for my Heavenly Father. He can take our simple offerings like a prayer, a ride, a pot of soup and turn them into something magnificent that multiplies and blesses more than we ever know.💞
Elder Michael A Dunn 18 Jun 2021 said:
“God wants to answer your prayer, but maybe also someone else’s prayer through you. As President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) enjoined: “Please do not pray—I plead with you—for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.”5 Follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and allow God to answer someone else’s prayer through you. Truly, when you “are in the service of your fellow beings, you are in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).”
May we this Christmas season recognize the miracles around us and be the miracle for someone. Thank you Sister Foster!
❣️Skittles Elder and Sister Davis