To my favorite people in the whole world,
I AM INCREDIBLY HAPPY!!
Let me just tell you about this incredible week!!
I would also like everyone to know that I used my coat two times
this week!! I took the inner liner out, but the Utah coat was used! Ha! Ha! Now it is hotter again. Somebody would think I was back in Texas with
these crazy temperatures bouncing around!
We also had exchanges this week with the Sister Training Leaders
... one day before the baptism. It was a little hard for the control freak to
leave her area again! Ha! Ha! I worked with Hermana Cuazitl. She finishes her mission in 3 weeks! At night
we were listening to music and then a talk from Henry B. Eyring started. He
talked about being in the room where they assign missionaries to their
missions. He talked about seeing our faces flash upon the screen and just
knowing where we needed to go. He used a phrase ¨the Lord knows your face¨
about 3 times and I felt the strongest spirit. I knew it was true. He truly
does know and love us and He knows the desires of our hearts. He knows our
potential and He knows exactly where He needs us. I completely believe that my
mission call was inspired and I am exactly where the Lord needs me. Wow, the
Spirit is great.
Exchanges are key for we get up super early in the morning and
have to travel and sometimes we travel with wet hair and no makeup, but we are
official Subway travelers. We even have
the card!
Now for the best part of the whole week!! Thursday Hermano Oscar
had his baptismal interview and well I’m a Rawe and so I worry and I had to
start telling Hermana Malacara about all of the Disneyland rides so that I was
distracted and not wanting to throw up. Ha! Ha!
He passed with flying colors and comes out all red eyed and said it was
a really special experience. He tells me ¨You’ll be there the day I get married
in the temple¨! Wow, I felt the
strongest spirit and well, it’s just the truth! I’ll give up anything to be
able to go!
So, the day of the baptism arrives. We leave in the morning to
go to work and we visited one of our investigators Anabel. We found her about a
week and a half ago and she just needs lots of help. We asked her to say the
closing prayer and it was the most sincere prayer I have ever heard in my life.
She just kept saying ¨Heavenly Father help me, help me leave the drugs, help me
be a better mom, help me find the truth, give me understanding¨ it was just
wow...so sincere. Leaving there and thinking about the baptism I think we were
a little tender hearted and then...I SEE THE CAT. I literally almost cried in
the street. We went to the closest store (because they are on like every corner
here) and bought some cat food. I just wanted to bathe him, but we left him
with some food and we left broken hearted!! Mom, you’ll be happy to know
I DID NOT pick him up!
We got to the church for the baptism. We had so many problems with the baptismal
font and all of the hermanos were filling it up at about 7 o´clock with buckets
and freezing cold water. What an
adventure! So many people went to the baptism. Two of Hermano Oscar’s siblings,
his parents, two cousins, his wife, his three kids, and a ton of ward members!
We had to start in the chapel because so many people were there. Hermana Elsa
(his mom) and his uncle shared two talks.
They did great! Then Hermana
Malacara and I sang ¨Yo se que vive mi Señor¨ with a Paul Cardall arrangement
that I had. We had like two weeks practicing and Friday my throat started
hurting so much and I was coughing two days straight. I was so nervous and
thinking ¨noooooo, it’s his favorite hymn and we have to sing it pretty!¨ I
just started praying that we would be able to invite the spirit with the hymn.
We started singing and what do you think? No sore throat!! I was singing
with my whole heart and trying not to cry because everyone I made eye contact
with was crying, but ahh, it was just awesome. I love the Spirit, I love that
hymn, and I love the Savior.
Afterward, Hermano Oscar was baptized. We all wrote him notes as
he was changing and afterward his wife, and his hermano Jose shared their testimonies
about how he had changed. They talked about seeing the kid and receiving a
husband and brother again, both with tears in their eyes. Then Hermano Oscar
shared his testimony. WOW! He is so
strong, so converted, and he is going to bring his whole family with him! It
was just an incredible baptismal service and I’ll never forget it. I have been
walking on clouds for days.
Sunday, he arrived at church with mom, and then came his wife
and their three kids and then about halfway through sacrament meeting ... Jose shows
up! He came all by himself! This is the same kid that told us that he didn’t
want to hear anymore ... shows up to church by himself! Wow!! They talked about
temples and the importance of being sealed in the temple as a family and Hermano
Oscar sent us a wink. We took a picture after church on Sunday. Mexicans never smile in pictures. Seriously! Check out the first picture. Then
Jose says ¨Nooo, I don’t want this purse in the picture¨!! Everyone starts dying laughing and the second
picture is the most beautiful thing in the whole world!!
Nehebka, the son of Hermano Oscar, asks me on Sunday ¨Hermana,
when I get baptized and go to the temple to do baptisms, do I have to wait a
long time?¨ I told him, as soon as your dad rents his house here, you and your
mom can get baptized. You can go to the temple in two years. Later, Hermano
Oscar tells us that leaving the baptism Saturday night his son says ¨Dad, I
want to get baptized. How many more lessons do I need? Which ones am I missing?¨
Tears came to my eyes so fast. Kids are
so special, they are so sensitive to the Spirit, and they just want to follow
the Lord. Wow, just a little tender moment :)
I love these people. I love them a whole lot, and I love the
Lord. I love my mission and I love what I’m doing. It’s hard, sometimes it’s
discouraging, every week is the challenge of what more can I do, how can I work
harder, but it is so rewarding. There is nothing like the joy of serving a
mission. It just makes me sad that it’s passing by faster and faster. We’re going to come back and visit right??!! I am the most happy I have ever been in my
whole life. I just want to live every
moment to the fullest and do everything possible for these people here.
I love you all tons! Happy
Thanksgiving this week! Eat some turkey for me! Be good! Love you all to the
moon and back!
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