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At transfer meeting, Sister Snow said, "Sister Peacock! We are teaching Elizabeth still. The woman you found. She always talks about you."
What?
Rewind to Christmas Day. I had just been transferred a few weeks prior to Little Neck and had searched for service to do on the holiday. Finally the thought came to call the veteran's hospital, where we had a service project a month before. We went and served food, caroled, and spoke with the veterans. As we were cleaning everything up, I noticed a woman who seemed a little lonely. I began speaking with her and felt prompted to invite her to meet with the missionaries. I gave her a card and got her contact information. I sent it to the Terryville sisters and that was the last I knew.
She'd been learning since that time and was feeling pressured by baptism, according to Sister Jean. Everyone I met knew Elizabeth and asked about her. The bishop and another member had both excitedly asked if we had spoken to her this week.
We stopped by her home on Wednesday and as she opened the door, she began exclaiming, "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Sister Peacock. Oh my gosh. You're here." I was in shock, as you can imagine, that she had remembered ME.
We had a lesson with her the next day and asked what the next step was she needed to take for her progression. She knew the answer was baptism. I told her that was what I wanted to share with her, and read from 2 Nephi 31, applying it to her. I said, "You won't believe what's in the scripture."
"And he said unto [Elizabeth]: Follow thou me. Wherefore, Elizabeth, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father? And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved son [on June 15]." (2 Nephi 31:10-11)
I told her that is how I apply the scriptures to my own life. She said, "June 15? You think I can be ready by then?" I promised her that she could be ready and that through fasting and prayer, we could help her.
She accepted the date! She told us she knew she had wanted to be baptized, but had been waiting for something "more." At the Memorial Day BBQ, she felt something was missing in her life and felt the need for baptism. She said the feeling was the strongest it had ever been. When I showed up on her doorstep two days later as the new companion, she said it was God telling her the time was now and that she had been waiting for me to be there to see her be baptized.
I cannot describe the happiness I feel to see Elizabeth accept the gospel. Truly, there is no greater joy than to see people decide to take upon themselves the name of Christ and be baptized. I noticed huge changes in her, physically and spiritually, since I first met her. She has a light now. She is happy. She is beaming. She knows the gospel is true and can explain what the missionaries taught. She has a testimony. She has a desire to be baptized.
This week, her son also showed up unexpectedly after being absent for 3 years. I know this is a blessing from her living the gospel. It was amazing to hear her conviction of living the word of wisdom and all the other commandments.
Sister Jean said Elizabeth would not listen when they first visited. The sisters did service for weeks while Elizabeth was too depressed to leave her room. She is a changed person. That it what the gospel does. It changes people. It changes our hearts and our habits.
I now know there was more than one reason I had to come to Terryville. Who would've thought a Spanish-called missionary would be sent to an English ward where a contact met 5 months ago would be debating on getting baptized? This definitely seals my testimony that God is aware of us. He knows our needs and desires and He knows where He needs us also. I know God hears prayers and He cares about each of His children. God has a divine plan for each of us, which includes His timing. We will be blessed as we act on faith.
I also feel blessed because very often, we do not see the results of the seeds we plant. We plant them, and then go on our merry way. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that he allowed me to see the results of something I had done, following a prompting of the Spirit to speak with someone. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to see that I made a difference in New York and in someone's life. To know that I WAS an instrument in His hands that Christmas Day.
Even though the results are not important, it is such a blessing to witness this miracle! We'll keep working and praying that all will work out for June 15.
Love you!
Sister Peacock
{ny south|forever changed}
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