Miracle Baptism!

So this week, we had a baptism!   We had been working with an investigator for quite some time (since before I got out here!).  He did not want to be baptized until he was in college (a good year and a half away) and no matter what we did or sad, he would not change his mind.

Then, our district leader suggested we let him interview him The interview lasted over an hour, and he felt the Spirit and decided he wanted to be baptized   :D :D :D yay!

On Sunday, he texted us and told us he was too tired to go to church.  We told him that if he wanted to be baptized that day, he'd have to.   So he agreed willingly without much persistence on our part.  He came to church, all went smoothly. We saw him right before he left , and he's still excited and ready for his baptism at 5:45 so we can start at 6 to be done in time for Seminary Graduation at 7 --- we were on a really tight schedule.

So we go about doing missionary things for the rest of the afternoon.  We arrive back at the church at 5:30..  5:45 rolls around and people are showing up for the baptism.  Everything's great until a member, who was supposed to pick up our baptismal candidate, shows up. Our baptismal candidate is not with him.  The member told us he went to his house, but he was not answering the door or his phone.  We try to get a hold of him, but no luck.

So, we went with the member  to the  house at around 5:55 and start ringing the doorbell - a lot.  Nobody is answering. We kept thinking about the lesson we had had during zone meeting the day before: that if things aren't working out the way they should we have got to "do something about it" and make the miracle happen.

Long story short, we found out his door was unlocked, we found one of his neighbor friends, and his friend walked inside his house to his bedroom and woke him up - he had just been taking a nap.   He came outside still rubbing his eyes, saw us, grabbed his stuff for the baptism, then we all went back to the church arriving at about 6:25.  He quickly changed into his clothes, the baptism started at 6:35, it was over right at 7, and as soon as it was over everyone left to go to seminary graduation.  I was so tired by the end of that!

But, we had a baptism!!!! :)   It was truly a miracle, and - as do all miracles - it required a lot of effort and trust in God on our part.. There was a point where it just seemed like no matter what we did, we ran into a brick wall, but we kept trying, trusting that truly God wanted our investigator to receive the blessings of baptism. We followed the Spirit - and we saw the blessings!

It was truly a great week!

Faith and Prayer Work!

We once again taught Gospel Principles in the Spanish Ward.  The lesson was supposed to be on the Atonement, but we decided to teach about faith.  It went really good.  A long-time member shared a story about how she had a knife that she loved to use for cooking because it was sharp and could just get the job done, but one day, it had fallen into a box that she had thrown away.  She looked everywhere for it for 3 or 4 days then finally decided to pray about it.  She then had the thought to check in the box she had thrown away.  She thought that would be ridiculous, but she decided to follow the prompting and she found it.  She kept saying it was a silly story, but we were able to use it and analyze it to show what she did to exercise her faith and what God did to answer her prayers.  It was a reoccurring theme throughout the lesson that we used to teach that a huge part of having faith is acting and not just praying and waiting for something to happen.  She had to get down on her knees and pray then follow the inspiration she received....the knife didn't just appear before her.  It was a really good lesson.

Replace Fear With Faith!

My sacrament meeting talk was about amidst all the turmoil in the world, we can still look to the future with faith and hope as we live the gospel.  It was really good.  Elder Ballard highlighted four things we can do to have optimism.  The first point was:

Replace fear with faith - There is still much good in the world.  God has promised that his gospel will spread throughout the entire world and God always fulfills his promises (Alma 37:16-17)

There Is No Other Way!

In District and Zone Meetings this week, we learned about the importance of the basic principles of the gospel.  We can never stop learning about the first principles: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.  The more I learn about them, the more I realize the importance of missionary work. If we don't do these things, we cannot reach our highest potential.  Missionary work is so important because it provides a way for people to return to live with Heavenly Father.  There is no other way.

A True Invitation to Learn

The Prophets and Apostles of the Lord have taught the need for missionary work throughout the whole world. The importance of the participation by all members, both missionaries and members. We are to invite all to participate in the great work of Salvation, as well as invite others to partake of the greatness of Christ's Atonement. Through Faith in His name, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. It is not about pushing people to the truth, forcing people to listen, but truly inviting everyone to come and learn. As well as taking every opportunity to share why the gospel is needed for them in their lives."

Baptismo!

This week, our absolutely wonderful investigator was baptized!!!!!  We have honestly had the best time teaching her!  It's been so much fun! We were talking last night about the very first day we met her and her sister, who is also scheduled to be baptized.  It was the week the mini missionaries were here and we were contacting a former investigator when she yelled from across the street: "Hey! Are y'all from the church?"  We went over to talk with her.  Little did we know, just 6 weeks later, she'd be baptized!!! We are so happy for her!

 

The baptism was wonderful.  The Spirit was very strong.  She came out smiling and happy and gave us a big hug! :) This was our area's first baptism in a year! 

 

I think the experience teaching her has taught me a lot about faith.  While teaching her, we grew to love her family so much and we were willing to do anything to help her get to baptism because we know it's an important step for salvation.  However, there were several times when we had to rely a lot on faith because as we prayed about how to best help her, the answers we received were completely contrary to how we normally would have proceeded in her teaching.  We had to have a lot of faith and trust in the answers we received through prayer and through our leaders to get her to baptism.  It was well worth it.  The Spirit at her baptism was incredibly strong!

"Disfruten Su Misión, No La Sufran"

President Maluenda also told us: "Disfruten su misión, no la sufran."  I think the same could be applied in everyday life.  We need to enjoy life, and not suffer through it.  Another thing that I have learned out here is that happiness is a CHOICE --- and perhaps also an act of faith.

2 Nephi 2:25 teaches us that "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." 

The Fall of Adam created mortality which in turn created pain and suffering.  However, the reason for the Fall was so we could have joy.  In mortality, despite all the hardships we may go through, we are told that our purpose here is to have joy.  It's going to take faith sometimes to look at your life with all its hardships and injustices and LEARN to find happiness, but it is possible.

Faith Without Works is Dead!

We had a surprise zone conference and President Maluenda gave a wonderful talk about what it means to have faith.  He told us how faith is an action word --- something I have come to really understand here in South Texas.

We have often been told that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20) .  I had heard that all growing up, but it was not until I was with Sister Dudding that it really became clear what that meant.  And its significance is soooooo simple!  All it takes is common sense!

The example President Maluenda used:

If I want to lose weight, I might exercise faith by praying to God for help losing it.  If I pray, but just continue to sit around eating cake and ice cream every meal, am I going to lose any weight?  No, of course not! But if I pray for help, and I exercise every day and watch what I eat, I'm going to lose weight.  God will help me perhaps have the willpower to do it, but it's up to me to take the first steps.

So, in the mission field: if we pray to find investigators, but we don't open our mouths on the street, we won't find them!

For all you regular members: if you pray to have a stronger testimony, but you don't read the scriptures, pray every day, and go to church, you're not going to get a stronger testimony.  You may have a strong belief and even knowledge that prayer works, and yes, prayer is an act of faith.  But after that prayer, it is up to us to take the next step.  We can't just wait around for things to happen.

It sounds simple and like common sense, right?  But if you really try to apply this concept in any and EVERY aspect of your life, you will see that acting on faith really IS an act of faith.