Ch. 69 Miracle With a Cherry On Top

Chapter 69: Miracles with a Cherry on Top

This is the last time I am making a birthday cake on my mission. We always get ourselves into the worst situations. A couples weeks ago, our bishop gave us the assignment to go visit a family that has been less active for the past few years. Most members thought it was impossible, but we were up for the challenge. When we got to their house, we were given a semi-chilly reception, but we ended up warming up to the family fairly fast and easily. We gave them a challenge that if they read the Book of Mormon daily, prayed as a family every night, and came to church on Sunday, they would see a miracle. We also promised them that we would bake for them an American birthday cake for their daughter´s birthday. We were really surprised when they came to church last week, and we knew they were going to receive their miracle....and their birthday cake. Now, I usually love to make cakes. But, we woke up that morning realizing that we had no recipe, and Betty Crocker has only come out with select flavors here in Spain, so we scrimmaged around everywhere and just happened to find a recipe that a member had given us of an apple cinnamon bundt cake. My companion was determined to turn it into a vanilla birthday cake. So thus began the adventure. Really, the cake part went pretty well. It looked...almost normal. Then she wanted to make a butter cream frosting. I left the room, came back, and two minutes later I saw her adding egg whites to a very white runny material. What on earth. I just started laughing and she said that it was too liquidy, so she was going to try to fluff it up with egg whites. Well, I noticed that she had used all of our powdered sugar, so I just laughed and let her to it. When I came back it was even worse, so I decided to try and help out. We were going to make our homemade powderered sugar. It almost worked. After half a bag of sugar through the blender, it was getting better....but not quite. It tasted awful, and it was still too runny.....and my companion adding flour to the concoction sure didn´t help the poor frosting´s cause. Time for Plan B. I asked her what she had added and she said, sugar, milk, eggs, flour....so I though quick, sugar cookies!! So we started adding a ton of flour and salt and put them in the oven, but we still didn´t have any frosting. I noticed my last companion had left one small container of cream in the fridge....it would work. I boiled it, added the last of my precious peanut butter and wah lah! Peanut Butter frosting. Next thing I know, my companion is loading a bunch of vanilla ice cream to the top of our cake, and putting the hot frosting on top. Oh goodness. it looked so awful. hahaha We just sat and laughed and laughed. Then, they called us (they were planning on picking us up) and told us that they couldn´t pick us up, and that we needed to catch the bus that was coming in 5 minutes that was a least a 10 minute walk....with an ice cream cake....in the hot sun. Bring it on. We took off running cake and all (I am sure plenty of people were looking at us wondering what on earth the two Americans were doing) and got to the train station 3 minutes late....or so we thought! The bus ended up coming 10 minutes late. Tender mercies. Well, it was a 25 minute bus ride, and once we got to their house, our ice cream cake was now....I don´t even know what. They kept asking us why we were laughing, and we just replied that we needed to use their freezer. We had a nice lunch, and we shared the message. It was the coolest experience; the entire family had changed. Each member’s countenance was shining, and then they told us this. The mother turned to us with tears in her eyes saying, "I think I have forgotten about the Lord. I have been looking for a job for at least 6 months now since we are really struggling. I stopped going to church years ago because I just didn´t have the time. Now, we did this challenge this week, and the day after we went to church, I got a job offer that pays well. I don´t know why I ever forgot about the Lord." It was such a big testimony to me that missionaries really do have the power to promise blessings, and they really do come true if people do their part as well. The whole family came to church again, and the daughter is now working on going on a mission. It´s just incredible the difference reading, praying, and coming to church makes. Now, the cake comes back into the picture.....we pulled it out of the freezer after having this sweet experience, and it looked like....well awful. So we covered it with sprinkles, put in the candles, and said a prayer.  We brought it in and sang and cut the cake, and watched as everyone put their first bite in their mouths......Hey. It wasn´t that bad. One of the members that was there said, "I am a professional chef (oh gosh) and this is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted. This vanilla sauce is done to perfection (melted ice cream) and this peanut butter cream cuts the sweetness (thank you)." So it was a miracle right down to the cake we ate. haha But the cherry on top this week was really Marta. I am just so humbled every time that I meet with her. She is leaving all her family behind her to be a member of this new family, and she does it always with a smile on her face. She says she gets nervous sometimes, but she knows that this is what God feels for her. Every time we teach her she just takes notes of what we says, and never doubts it. She has a lot of questions, but she is so sensitive to the spirit that the spirit just testifies the truth to her of everything. I really am so excited for her!! This week was really full of lots of miracles, and we have decided to do the "week of miracles" for all of our investigators, so I am sure we will all be seeing a lot more. It´s such a sweet experience (and I am not just talking about the cake!)

Les quiero!
Hermana Hopkins