Sometimes its funny the way God uses us.

This valentines day I wanted to do something special for all the girls in my group. I came up with a very simple idea to write letters to each of the girls in cursive (since it looks more romantic) using bible verses and spirit of prophecy quotes. Then I would fold the paper up in a heart and secretly put them on their pillows right before we went out to work so when they got back they had a cute valentines note on their pillow waiting for them.
So I started to work on my idea, sneaking into the church's Primary class when it was unlocked and grabbing a stack of papers and a box of bright markers.
Everything went as planned, but with the limited amount of time I had, I was only getting about 2 done a day (since my cursive is so atrocious and took forever.) So the last day, valentines, i just put on a sermon for my devotions and whipped out the rest of the valentines. As I looked at all of them, my atrocious handwriting, and sometimes thoughtless hurried notes, I wondered if I should just not give it to them, since it was so sloppily done. Then I thought of all my work, and decided I should do it anyways. Hopefully someone would appreciate them.
One of the girls was sick that day so she stayed back. I asked her if she would distribute them for me. She put most of them on the pillows, but one of the girl's rooms was locked, so there were about 3 people that didn't get them that day. It was fun to see the girls come back and ooh and aah over their valentines, discussing who might have done it.
Several days later, Hadasa remembered the three other valentines, so she gave it to the girls that hadn't gotten them on valentines day.  God knows the perfect timing with these things. One of those girls came up to me later and thanked me saying she had just been praying and crying to God about why she was even at Souls. In my hasty, scribbled note, God had given her a direct answer to that question. I think I even wrote "God has brought you here to SOULS not only to ___, but also to ____."
Then last night another of those girls came up to me and also thanked me. She told me she was having a rough day out on the field, with a lot of mental anguish, and actually had her leader take her to a park to pray and think awhile. So she was there at that park, also crying out to God, when she remembered the heart note that Hadasa handed her that morning. So she took it out, unfolded it, and read it. In that note was also an answer to her prayers and a huge encouragement to what she was directly facing at the time. She said she bawled over that note and read it like 10 times.
I am so humbled.
This is not oh-look-at-what-I've-done. This was all God! I have absolutely no wisdom as to what those girls needed to hear at that time. Its just an encouragement to me to know that God is working through me. I want to be an open vessel for him to use at any time like that.
Praise the Lord!


Just a quick update on my life, I'm in Hemet, California (So Cal) doing a leadership practicum with Souls West. We're learning a lot about different aspects of leadership as well as a different style of canvassing at the doors. So next Sunday I'll actually be leading a magabook team for the first time. Yesterday, John and Christin Miller showed up without telling me. He is the literature ministries director for Washington, a good friend, and the one who might hire me as a Youth Rush leader, which is what I wanted this summer. So we talked about the possibilities of me being a leader, and I think based on what he said that there's a good chance. There's a catch, though. They need a kitchen head, not a head scribe. I've always been a scribe (the ones who count and record the money gotten each day.) So that would definitely be stretching and growing me. I'm not the best chef in the world...  Anyways, that is my life. Still lovin it!

Laressa