Miracles are Everywhere

Hello Family,
It's been a truely miraculous week here in Steilacoom. I don't know if I told you about Heather yet, but we've been meeting with her for some time now, about 6 weeks. She's been coming to church since September but because of a really scary situation with her ex boyfriend whose physically abusive, she hasn't been able to get baptized. About three weeks ago we knelt in prayer with her and Sister Johnson a sister from the ward. We said four prayers. First I said one, then Sister Fox, then Sister Johnson (who is German, so she said it in German) and than Heather, one after the other. We were all praying to know when Heather could get baptized. As my companion and I sat in a small classroom in the church with these two women I felt spirit fill the room. When Heather finished her prayer I asked her if she knew when she could be baptized and through tears all she could say was "I just feel like right now." Sister Fox and I looked at eachother and knew the 23rd of May was the soonest. So with faith filled prayers we sent Heather to look for an appartment on a meager salary, with two children to provide for. The Lord loves his children. Heather went through a valley of trials to get to this weekend and just four days ago we decided to push her baptism to the 29th, because she was unable to move out in time. With great faith Heather pushed forward and just two days ago she moved out of her ex's home with not much more than the clothes on her back and her two children with no place to go. Her first question as soon as she saw us was "Can I still be baptized on the 23rd?" She now has an appartment and is moving in on the first of the month. The ward has just taken her in and has basically provided the furnishings of her whole appartment. As I watched her be baptized yesterday I couldn't help but smile as I watched this woman, who has sacrificed so much, enter into the water, happier than anyone I've ever seen. She has a great understanding of sacrifice and what really matters in life. I'm finding her faith is strengthening my own. I learned a valuable lesson. When we ask the Lord for a miracle, we have to continue to press forward in faith not just believeing it will happen, but knowing it will. That's what hope is! Hope is trust that the promises we've made with the Lord will be honored. It's believing that despite how impossible it may be, trusting Him to the very end. Heather did just that! She is so amazing. I wish I could bottle up her faith and save it for when days get hard. I love this work! I love being in Washington and especially here in Steilacoom. I hope you're all doing well. I love you!
Love Sister Bradley