Week 43 - And the rains came down again, and the floods went up even higher!

For some reason all I can think about is flood water.  Haha but about that.  We'll talk about it later.

Well for starters, I am being transferred!  I don't know to where yet, so if you were planning on sending me mail, please send it to 16623 Hafer Rd, Houston TX 77090.   I will let you know where I end up next Monday. :)

We had a "Why I Believe" Fireside yesterday in Spanish.  It was pretty awesome.  We got to be part of the missionary choir and that was always a special treat.  We sang A Child's Prayer (which always reminds me of you, mom), Called to Serve, and the EFY Medley in Spanish.  I loved watching the conductor cry as she felt the spirit.  I loved smiling and singing and wondered why I haven't smiled while I sing for the last 20 years, but I am glad I learned that lesson now rather than later.  There were talks by people who recently got baptized, musical numbers, and a bunch of other beautiful surprises.  My favorite part was definitely afterwards.  There in the crowd were all these people that I know and love and had not seen in a long time!  Esmeralda cried into my shirt and I could not stop smiling at all my friends from previous places that I have been.  It was a little slice of heaven pie.

A small miracle: (okay, actually it was a big one) when I was in the beginning of my mission there was a lady we were teaching named Oralia.  Oralia had been investigating the church for 15 years.  Missionaries had given up because she would never progress and could never get baptized for some unknown reason that she could not explain.  But one night Hna Jorgenson and I were sitting in her apartment and we brought up baptism.  She would not accept a date.  But that was when a scripture came to mind!  We brought out the Book of Mormon and read part of Mosiah 18 and asked her to be baptized.  She finally said yes!  But she told us it would take a long time, but she was willing to put a date on it even though it was six months later.  Well, six months later was Saturday, and Oralia was finally baptized.  There was such a sense of peace that came to my heart when I heard that.  Book of Mormon + Holy Ghost = miracle.  There is nothing that Book cannot do.  I LOVE IT!!!

Also, we had flooding.  Obviously.  Haha.  It kind of reminded me of Hurricane Sandy a little bit.  We stayed clear away from flood water for about two days, but then we got to drive across a road which had turned into a small river.  We figured it was safe because there were a lot of other cars there and we made it out fine, but that was about the extent of the high water that we got really close to.  But, in an area that we work in a lot of cars were completely ruined.  We did service in one house where the water line came up to our wastes.  Everything was destroyed as we helped people through their lives away and start over.  A little rain went a long way.  All the rivers are still about to overflow.  School was out all week, and water was up to 22 feet high in some places.  But check this out! BIG MIRACLE:  the area where the temple is was flooded super bad.  Although many mansions were destroyed and the roads in and out were closed for three days, the water never touched the temple.  God protected it from the flood.

A little bit of rain goes a long way.  So do the little things we do every day.  If we want to better our lives, we don't need a flood of change to be happy.  We only need a little sprinkle everyday, such as when we read the scriptures and pray.  As those sprinkles accumulate, one day the rivers will break and the reservoirs will over flow and we will find ourselves in the midst of more enjoy than we can contain.  That is the promise.  Watch the little things you do everyday because your decisions, even the small ones- especially the small ones- determine our ultimate destiny.  So make them count.

I think I now know the meaning of that scripture that says, "and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

I love you all!  I hope you have a great week!
Always,
Hermana McCurdy

These first three pictures I snagged from the Texas Houston Mission blog.  This is Madison and Hna Jorgenson and Hna? at the "Why I Believe" fireside.

I love this shot, because you can see the green grass where the water line stops.  I have also seen a great aerial video, that clearly shows the where the water ends.

Some amazing shots of the temple.

There is a story floating around, that during construction inspiration came to raise the Houston temple 10 feet higher then the surrounding area.  Isn't that amazing?