July 15th, 2013

So this week was AWESOME. So first this was my favorite miracle. There is this girl Rachel who is 8 who the missionaries have been teaching forever. Her dad is a less active, he hasn't really been to church in like 5 years, but he is a former missionary, and so he wants Rachel to get baptized and knows the church is true and everything. But he is beating himself up super bad about something he has done and so he doesn't want to go to church and so she can't go to church and thus she can't get baptized. But him and his daughter have the cutest most loving relationship ever, they act more like best friends than father and daughter. So anyways, on Saturday we called to see if we could come over to see Rachel and he said yes.  So then we put in Finding Faith in Christ and then just bore our testimonies over and over again about how God loves him even more than he (the dad) loves Rachel, and how Christ came to heal not only physical infirmities, but all the pains in our hearts as well, and how once he goes through the repentance process he will feel so much joy. We knew that his daughter would be what would ultimately motivate him to make the changes he needs to. And then we committed them both to come to church the next day and for him to go to the bishop. And guess what, THEY DID. After Sacrament Meeting he went out to his car though when she went to primary, so we went out there and reminded him that he had committed to talk to the bishop and that it was for his daughter and he came in and did it. And then he even stayed for Priesthood afterward. Man guys, Christ's atonement has so much healing power. It is going to be the best day of my mission when he baptizes his little girl. 

Okay, to answer dad's question, the sweet little boy Arath is getting baptized next Sunday! So that is super exciting. That whole family is just so amazing, the mom, Maria de Carmen, who can't get baptized yet because of her husband whose in Mexico who she hasn't seen in 23 years is like the most amazing woman ever. She has more faith than like ANYONE I KNOW. She is so funny, she finds everything on her ipad, and by the time we come to teach her she has already read everything and every scripture to do with it and every scripture those footnotes reference and knows exactly what we are going to say haha. She does that for all the sunday school lessons as well. And her daughter, Ana, who is a recent convert is doing family history to get ready to go to the temple and do baptisms. And her mom has been helping her. But anyways, Maria de Carmen had a dream about an ancestor she had never met who came to her and told her her name and basically that she wanted to get baptized! And then she did the family history on that side and found that person! This woman is just incredible. We are going to start taking her on lessons even though she is technically not a member yet. The whole family is soooo special. 

Man, there were so many miracles this week. I just don't have room for them all. Here was a cool one. Last week during sacrament meeting I was sitting there and I just kept thinking about this neighborhood we had walked by the other day. And so last Monday after p-day we just went and walked through that neighborhood and talked to EVERY ONE. And we were feeling good when were getting back to our car, we had taught like two lessons, given away a book of Mormon to a woman who was super excited about reading it, and all and all seen a bazillion miracles. But we had prayed for a new investigator and we didn't have that yet. And so we contacted one last person who was right next to our car and he was super excited and said how much he has been looking for the right way to get closer to Jesus Christ. Well, we gave him a pamphlet, and by two hours later he had read the whole thing and texted us and asked us when we can meet and teach him more. He is 20 and his name is Oscar. He just came from Mexico 3 months ago so he doesn't speak any English. Anyways, we have taught him twice since then and he reads everything and loves everything. Last time we gave him a book of mormon and the next morning he texted us saying he loved Joseph Smith's story about how he got the Book of Mormon that's in the beginning ya know and where can he read a more complete and expanded story about Joseph Smith and his life. This guy is just SO AWESOME. 

Oh, also, we are in a threesome again!!! We have a new hermana from Guatemala, her name is Hermana Lopez. She is pretty funny. She speaks english just well enough that a lot of funny things can happen haha. Today we were leaving target and she saw the "'gift cards" on our way out and she thought that they were free, like a gift to her for shopping, so she picked one out that she liked and started walking out haha. Then we had to explain to her that those aren't gifts for her but you have to pay for those. 

One more funny story that I just found out yesterday. So the first week I was here there was a training meeting for all the newbies. And there was a part where the mission president's wife talked to us and all our trainers went in a room with President Becerra. And everyone was like asking questions about how to help problems they had with their trainees. And apparently Hermana Duran said to him "She just has so much energy! I can't keep up! but it's awesome!" haha and then he said "kind of like a puppy?" and she said "yea". and then you know what president said? He said "You just have to put her on a leash, but don't kill her enthusiasm while you're at it". Put ME ON A LEASH??!!! I'm going to have a talk with this man. They better make a titanium leash because I'm pretty strong. Haha. President Becerra is awesome though, he is a super inspired man. But a LEASH??? REALLY?  

Oh.... And I crashed a car. Oops ;) Trial of faith before the miracles right? Sorry about that, it probably means my insurance will go up. The driving here is super confusing. I'm not going to drive anymore though hopefully because now I'm scared haha. It wasn't too bad, it's just the other person hit us at an angle from behind which ripped our bumper off but barely dented his car. 

But seriously, it is crazy out here. So many miracles, but also you can see the forces of opposition working against us constantly. Like Carmen de Maria, she actually found her long lost husband on facebook, but he doesn't want to get divorced! It was an arranged marriage, they lived together for 9 days, they both have kids with someone else who they are living with now, and they haven't seen each other in 23 years.

Well, cheers my fam! Say hi to Cheryl for me. And also Tiffany and her boyfriend if they are at church again!