We showed up to an appointment that fell through, but we knew the Lord had something else for us to do. We started biking and talking to everyone we saw. All of a sudden we noticed a mom in the distance walking with 2 little boys all carrying big grocery bags. I exclaimed, "a family!" and we quickly flipped a U-ie. We asked them if we could carry their groceries in our baskets and we got to talking. The mom, Sharica, moved here 2 years ago from Memphis. She has been through it all, including being forced her into prostitution at age 12 in order to get money for food. While living the "bad girl life", she always knew she was a "different bad girl". She always feared God, not Satan/man. She eventually realized she needed to take a leap of faith and get away. She moved to Corinth knowing nothing.
When we met her she said, "You don't know how much it means that I met y'all today. You are the friendliest people I've met in 2 years. I rarely leave the house because it is so dangerous but today something just told me I needed to." Needless to say, she came to church 2 days after we met! At church Markease, her 5 year old son, turned to her and said, "Mom. I knew we would find our family."
When we met her she said, "You don't know how much it means that I met y'all today. You are the friendliest people I've met in 2 years. I rarely leave the house because it is so dangerous but today something just told me I needed to." Needless to say, she came to church 2 days after we met! At church Markease, her 5 year old son, turned to her and said, "Mom. I knew we would find our family."
The moment her son said that Sharica knew it was true. She knew God had answered her prayers and led her to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. She has been fighting for 2 years to do what is right, with no family, friends, or money. She stays in the house all day because she lives in a bad part of town. I know God led us to Sharica and her 2 sons, CJ and Markease.
I don't know how to describe it, but I feel a different type of connection to Sharica than I have to anyone else. She is a very special strong spirit. I know we knew each other before coming to earth. It is really crazy and I've never felt this way before, but I know I was supposed to meet her. It was predestined. She said, "girl, you and I have some spiritual thing going on here. Whenever you talk I just cry."
I am deeply humbled and so grateful I was able to listen to the subtle prompting to notice them in the first place. If I hadn't promptly followed, Sharica would still be living in confinement with no help. She would not have found the truth. She would not have found her family. I love being a missionary more than words can describe. The work is real. The power is real. I know with perfect clarity that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, and I am eternally thankful.
All my love and amazement at the goodness of God,
Sister Ella Rae Madsen
Sharica!!! She was SO EXCITED to get the Book of Mormon! She taught me how to throw up the "deuces" hahhahha
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