I honestly have no idea where to even begin this email, I have so many thoughts to share from these past 2 weeks. As many of you know hurricane Maria came and directly hit Puerto Rico:(, so I guess I will just tell our little story and hope to show the many ways we saw the hand of Lord helping and watching put for us
We heard that the hurricane was predicted to hit Puerto Rico the Saturday before, and so like we had done with hurricane Irma we all went to the store that night to prepare! Over the next few days we definitely knew that this hurricane was bigger than Irma because everybody was preparing and talking about it way more, and telling us to prepare. We then began to prepare our house for the hurricane but Tuesday morning we got a text that said we were all to pack a small bag, bring all our food and water and go to the mission home where we would all be staying for the hurricane. So all of the hermanas (50) went to the mission home and the elders (100) went to the mission office. We were just spread out throughout the mission home over the next week became so so so close! The hurricane hit Wednesday morning at around 3am and the worst was over around 10am. Our house was good besides a little flooding in one bedroom and water coming through the ceiling because the roof covering came off, it was honestly incredible how our house took so little damage, we were very divinely protected and during the storm felt very calm and safe! After the hurricane and when the winds and rain calmed we were allowed to go outside, it was so sad to see the damage and we could only stay within our urbinazation and so for the next few days we helped families clean up their houses and cleared many roads. The entire island lost electricity and we lost water, but we had many flashlights and candles:) and the day after the storm we helped our neighbor clean up his backyard and so he let us use his pool to wash our hair and to use the water to flush the toilets. This was a HUGE tender mercy, the fence was down too and we used a board to get across it and it worked so well! We then over the next few days began to realize how bad it reakly was, people couldmt get a hold family across the island and we couldn't get a hold of anyone in our areas either, we knew that trees had blocked many freeways and so transportation was hard too, then on Friday night president smart with tears in his eyes told us they were evacuating our mission and he read through our new missions. I was assigned to the California Arcadia mission Spanish speaking along with 3 other hermanas and 2 elders. This was the last thing we were prepared to hear and absolutely broke our hearts, we all packed and were ready to head out the next morning. The airport was pretty crazy, and they were only able to get 35 hermana out on Saturday, I stayed for the next 3 days and I am so grateful I was able to, i became even closer to the 19 girls who stayed and we shared many spiritual experiences together. Over the next few days we tried to get flights out but because of the confusion on flights being booked and then dropped the church chartered a plane and we all left Tuesday and then stayed the night in Miami, we then all headed out to out new missions. These are our temporary reassignment and we all hope to return as soon as Puerto Rico is builds up a little again and I pray everngiyh for my beautiful island the people I have come to love there.
I know this is already the longest email but I just wanted to share some miracles and spiritual experiences we saw through all of this
1. The first miracle is that president and hermana smart brought us all in before the storm, they had the plans set of who was going to move and combine with other missionaries on the island of those who were expected to get hit the worst, but that say they both received a very strong spiritual impression to "Bring them home" they followed this prompting and had all of the missionaries together which was a huge miracle!
2. Another miracle is that after the storm we were all able to call our families! I still am amazed at how this was able to happen because our phones could hardly contact anyone even to get in contact with the elders and after it usually took president smart all day to make a couple phone calls from his satellite phone to salt lake it was another huge tender mercy we saw from our loving heavenly father!
3. One story I wanted to share was when we were working around the neighborhood, it was so incredible to see so many hearts open, we were able to share a little bit of our message with many and sing songs to people and many want to hear from missionaries, this is a neighborhood that has been contacted many times and we saw so many miracles and people who so humble and full of gratitude. One story I wanted to share was really cool and special to me, we helped clear the parking lot of a Catholic church that took a lot of damage and they were going to have their service outside I believe the next day. We spent the day clearing trees and after we sang I am a child on God, he said that he could feel the presence of God and we could too, it was such a special moment for all of us and brought so so much joy. The next day we heard that they put the "Mormon women" on their prayer roll, it was so incredible to be able to serve this sweet community and see the Lord truly working miracles!
4. The last story I wanted to share was the Sunday before we left, there were about 20 of us, and we had sacrament in the mission home, it was one of the most spiritual sacraments I have ever had and I wasn't even wearing shoes,the spirit truly touched my heart and we knew he was with us all, we then had a small testimony meeting
I am so so full of gratitude for all of the love and support I have received, I have the most amazing family and friends in the world, it truly still is heartbreaking but one thing I learned in general conference is how we must trust in the Lord, I gained a song testimony that God has a plan for us in my last transfer and it we true then and it's true now. I love Puerto Rico please please please keep praying for them, God is preparing manybmighty miracles for them! I love you all so so much!!
Con MUCHO amor, Hermana Zimmerman:)
cleaning up from the storm
Hermana Rich and me :D
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