We had a really cool experience happen this past week with a girl we are teaching that I wanted to share with y'all.
Here's a little back story to understand more about her...
So the way she found out about the church was she was on YouTube watching something one day and a free book of Mormon ad came up, so she clicked it and requested one! (The church is super fast about responding to these immediately, the online missionaries are amazing) so minutes later, the online missionaries called us and told us about her. So we made time in our schedule to go over to her house and give her one! She was very interested in learning more about the gospel, so we set a time to come back!
We met with her a few different times, talked with her about the restoration, plan of salvation, and even set a date for her to be baptized! She was so excited and she told us that she knew all of what we were telling her was true. She told us she felt the spirit testifying of it and making her feel good!
This of course made us sooo happy for her, but we realized that she was 19, which means we would switch her over to the YSA sister missionaries. So we planned another lesson with her and the other sisters to "hand her off" to them.
So here's where the story actually starts, we were about to leave to go to this lesson and we get a text from her.. In the message she basically dropped us and said she's too busy to meet with us anymore. So I looked at Sister Blaney and was like this is clearly the adversary, we're still going. Hahah
So we texted her back and said we were already on our way, could we just come by and visit for a minute? And so she said yes that's fine. So we went and picked up the YSA sisters and got in our Van and drove to where she lives.
When we got there, before we went in, we said a prayer and in the prayer I remember specifically praying for her family's hearts to be softened. I didn't know why.. But the spirit prompted me so I said it.
When we got up to her front door she opened it and started coming outside to have our lesson out there. Then out of nowhere her dad pulls open the door and you could just tell he was furious. He says to us, "the next time you come over to pray I need to be there" so we were like perfect you can join us right now! So he ended up inviting us inside their house to meet. We go in, and we could just feel how angry this guy was, it honestly scared me a little bit.
He started off by saying that his daughter already has a church and that she's been baptized. And he didn't like how we were coming in trying to change her religion.
We tried explained that we weren't trying to change her religion and we weren't forcing baptism on her or anything, and then we apologized for any inconvenience. but he was still just so angry.
So what the 4 of us missionaries did, was each of us sat in silence, just waiting for the spirit to help us and tell us what to say.
We each ended up sharing our personal conversion stories and our testimonies of Jesus Christ to him.
The entire time we were there we could tell that the girl we were actually teaching was not on board with what her dad was saying to us and that this was all his decision. We could tell she wanted to continue meeting with us and learning more.
To make a long story short, after we bore testimony, we asked if we could come back and just study Come Follow Me with them. He said as long as we keep it Jesus we could come back and do that.
He ended up singing us one of his psalms for our closing prayer. He said he had never sang it for anyone before.
It was one of the coolest experiences so far that I've been here in Texas. I wish I could type out all the details of the full story but it would be way too long. But this guy went from being SO angry, to singing us a song he wrote and then after singing it, he was worried that it offended us in any way. His heart became so soft and willing to listen to what we were there to do, which was teach more about Jesus Christ and bare testimony of Him!
We had no idea when we were outside praying in the car before we went in, that her dad would end up joining our lesson, but we saw that our prayers were answered. his heart was softened and we are still able to meet with the girl we're teaching. It might take years before she's able to be baptized but as long as she's doing what's right, following the way of the Lord, then she will be okay.
I want you all to know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers!! no matter our situation in life, however far away you feel, He is all always there for you. I know this because I have felt that way, multiple times, and He continues to help me, lift me up, and shows me how much He loves me and is aware of me. He will do the same for each and every one of you who is reading this email. Have faith, and act upon it! Pray always, no matter how tired you feel or how difficult it may be, make time to talk to your Father in Heaven. :)
Have a great week and happy (early) mothers day to all the moms reading this 
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Love, Sister Thorpe
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