Before I could say much she said in Spanish to me "I can tell you are a good person. I would love to talk to you but this is my stop and I have to go. Thanks for coming back to talk to me." She then exited through the back doors of the bus and proceeded to stand on the side of the road and wave good bye at me as the bus pulled away.
As I watched her disappear in the distance I was sad that my opportunity to talk to her was cut short. I said a prayer that a missionary would one day have the opportunity to give her a Book of Mormon. Since we were serving in a small town far away from that populous city where I had just met her I didn't think I would ever see her again.
A couple of weeks later we decided that we were going to visit a tourist location in that city on our preparation day. While walking along a beautiful path outside of the world famous Alhambra I heard someone call to me. I was baffled to see this woman walking with a man. She had recognized us from a distance and made her way towards us. In the next few minutes were then able to share with her the message of the restoration and give her a Book of Mormon.
The way the sun fell on the wooded pathway around us as we talked was beautiful. It was an oasis in a bustling city. My companion, who was an amazing singer offered to sing a song, which we did together with another sister in harmony. Our voices carried well and the sun rays split all around us through the trees while glowing specks of dust floated through the air. And the spirit was strong and our surroundings were peaceful.
After the song there was silence and she became emotional. She told us that it was her birthday and that morning she had prayed that she would receive something special from God. She held up the Book of Mormon that we had given her and said "I know this is that gift."
With special permission, since she was out of our jurisdiction, we were able to return for the first discussion with her but I never saw her after that although other missionaries continued teaching her. In a time before widespread use of email and online information I don't know if she was ever baptized but I did feel Heavenly Fathers strong love for her.
I couldn't help but reflect upon the moment weeks before when I had sat on the bus and watched her disappear in the distance. I thought about my heartfelt prayer that a missionary would find her and give her a Book of Mormon and how I was allowed to miraculously be the answer to my own prayer.
The Lord offered me a sacred opportunity to see the other side of that prayer. As missionaries and member missionaries we say prayers for people to hear and have an opportunity to embrace the gospel. I am so grateful for a small peek into the workings of the spirit and to be a part of that sacred experience.
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