Week #38 - Cajamarca

I can´t even explain the joy I´ve felt this week as a missionary in Spanish, let alone in English. This week was full of miracles and the grace of Jesus Christ was so evident.

We had an appointment with Ray, whom I have been teaching here for a little over 5 months in Chontapaccha, who has always struggled with his doubts about Joseph Smith. He accepted a baptismal date last week for this Saturday the 14th, because he truly wanted to believe and feel that it was true, and we promised him that he would receive his answer if he just trusted in the Lord and His timing. In the last appointment we had this week, July 6th, I experienced one of the most powerful experiences thus far in the mission. We decided to review the baptismal questions with Ray to see where he was at, and everything went well until we asked about Joseph Smith and the Restoration. He told us he felt so good in the chapel and with the things we were teaching him, but that he was still fighting doubts with the history of Joseph Smith and polygamy, and still hadn´t felt in his heart that it was true. This made us a little nervous, but we held on to our faith. We had the help from a returned missionary, Deinner, who accompanied us and shared his own testimony about prayer, and shared how Enos´s prayer helped him to receive his own confirmation of the truth when he had doubts, even as a member. Enos had ¨spiritual hunger¨ and was willing to pour out his whole soul to God to receive an answer. Ray was truly touched by the passage, and I felt the need to invite him to pray just as Enos did in that moment, and he gladly accepted it. We promised that if he prayed with all his heart and strength that God would give him the confirmation, and that he would be baptized the 14th of July… When he kneeled down, he started to pray and began to cry, pouring out his heart and his desires to God. I couldn´t help but cry during his beautiful and sincere prayer, and when he got up from his knees, we sat in silence for a while with tears in our eyes, touched from the spirit we had felt so strongly. After what seemed like 2 minutes of silence, he said ¨hay pocos sentimientos que son tan increíbles...¨and explained that as he prayed, he had never felt something so strong and powerful in his heart, and that he knew it was true. His girlfriend Mercedes who is a member was by his side and stared to cry, and Ray leaned to hug her. All of us were balling and it was an experience I will never forget, one that required a lot of patience, but one that was truly so special. He thanked us for everything, and it seemed like he was a different person. It was as if a veil was released from him, and he wasn´t blind anymore.

As if this wasn’t marvelous enough, this past Sunday we had 7 investigators in the chapel, and in the Gospel Principles class the topic was prayer. Ray shared his powerful experience of how he received his answer that he needed to be baptized, and our other investigators that attended got the chance to hear his amazing testimony. All it takes is a little more hunger and faith, and in a single moment, they can receive a sure answer and be ready to make a covenant with God. This truly boosted my own faith of prayer and help me see that God has the power to change someone´s heart in His given time. We are so excited to see him be baptized this next Saturday, and I know that we have many more miracles to see here in Chontapaccha.

It´s interesting that true converts when they receive their answer, receive a remission of their sins at the same time. They give in to and accept the truth through the Spirit and are given a new heart and a new spirit, and it´s so noticeable. Enos ¨tuvo una lucha¨ (had a wrestle with God) before receiving a remission of his sins, and this was exactly what Ray was experiencing. And now, he and Mercedes have a goal to get married and one day be sealed in the temple for time and all eternity, and my joy is so full. I couldn´t stop crying when I heard the words “I know it´s true¨ come out of Ray´s mouth, and I know without a doubt in my mind that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the true church on this earth. 

Robert whom we contacted just a week earlier, attended church. He is at the point of divorcing his wife and has so many trials right now and is looking for a religion to guide him in the right path to happiness. When he heard Ray´s testimony, the teacher asked him what his thoughts were. He explained how marvelous and beautiful it sounded to have an experience like that, but explained that he only imagined how much more beautiful it would be to actually experience it, and that he wanted to experience it too.

Some funny moments this week:

Relief Society - We were talking about the family, and a lady was sharing her testimony and said with tears in her eyes: Ï know I am going to get married and I KNOW my husband is going to be the bishop!¨…

Walking in the street we see a huge choncho (pig), struggling to walk and the owner is smacking it with his hands to get him to move. Hermana Terrera: ¨My dad trying to get me to go to seminary every morning¨...I died.

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Hermana Doney