Week #50 - Esperanza

Hello all!!

I know it´s long haha, but keep reading to read an amazing story!!!

This week went great. I had noticed it has been a little difficult contacting effectively throughout the day, because we were so busy with appointments this week! But we realized that we need to make a stronger commitment with God to strive and have 20 contacts daily, si o si! We have successfully been teaching 2 members daily, and this week we have found so many less-actives. The Lord has truly helped and guided us with the goal we have set to teach members daily. Sadly, we did not have exchanges with the sisters this week. The sisters from Vista Alegre got sick and we had to postpone the exchange with the sisters from Los Cedros for this Wednesday. This gave us a lot more time to study together as companions, and we were able to organize our area book more and practice teaching.

We prayed, practiced and studied so hard for the appointment we were going to have with Carlos, a less-active member’s husband, this week because we set the goal that he would accept a baptismal date for this month. He never accepted a date before even though he previously received his answer by praying on his knees during an appointment when we invited him to. He told us he knew and felt the church was true and we were so confused with what to do. We started out the lesson asking him what more he was expecting in his answer from God, and he had trouble explaining to us what more he wanted. He told us he was scared of making mistakes after baptism, but we didn´t feel like that was truly why, because he had such a strong testimony of the Atonement. My companion went through the baptismal questions with him, and he clearly displayed that he had felt and accepted the Holy Ghost´s influence in his life. What more did he need? After responding to every question correctly, my companion put down her agenda and said, ¨Brother Carlos, you have just answered the baptismal interview questions, and you answered them correctly. There´s nothing more!¨ Tears streamed down his wife´s cheeks, and she eventually left the room. We kept teaching him and when his wife returned, she decided to tell us what had just happened. She told us she felt a burning inside right before she started to cry when we finished the baptismal questions with Carlos. She said she was determined to return back to church and be active again and never fall away. She shared her beautiful testimony, Carols kissed her on the head and looked at us seriously and said, ¨No Sisters. I´m not going to wait anymore. That was the answer I had been waiting for. I wanted to hear her say what she just said. I couldn´t tell you what I was expecting because I didn´t want her to know that I was only waiting for her to make this commitment with God again.¨I was so completely shocked, but so overwhelmed with the Spirit at the same time. I thought, ¨what just happened??¨ Now, he is so excited to enter the waters of baptism and become completely clean. THE MIRACLES ARE SO REAL. He´ll be baptized the 27th of this month.

I am so privileged to be a missionary. And I know that the more we face challenges in our lives, the more opportunities we will be given to help others face theirs. 

Love you all, have a great week!

Hermana Doney