Hola!
I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! No fireworks or parades for us. Although it was the most beautiful day I have seen here in a very long time! It rained (a cold rain) ALL DAY LONG!!! It was the most random thing! over 100* on Tuesday, BAM! Cold weather and rain all day on the 4th, and then back to super hot in the 100's again the next day. It was weird (but don't tell: I had been praying for a good cold rainstorm earlier... I just hope it didn't ruin anyone else's plans for the holiday! Oops ;) But we did end up having dinner at My's and had some real good BBQ hamburgers! Then home by 8 pm. It was great :)
Via and two of her kids are getting baptized this Saturday! We are sooooo excited for them!! Except yesterday was so incredibly crazy: she was supposed to ask her husband for permission to baptize the children when she went to visit him last week in the prison facility... but she forgot. Yesterday she and her mother-in-law and kids were going to see him again and make sure they got his written permission. On the way there they got in a car accident. Everyone involved was safe and OK, but now she has no car and no way to get to the prison.
Thank heavens we are in contact with the missionaries who teach in the prisons down there to get the permission. Last night she called us up and we talked about it all. She said he is so supportive of them and desires them all to go to church. Since he has been in there he has started to read the Bible and search for truth and light in his life. Via told me, "I can't believe I didn't listen to you! You told me that if I didn't get baptized right away that Satan would try and stop us the longer we put it off! When we got in that accident my first thought was 'Oh my gosh! They were right! He's trying to stop us!' I should've listened!"
We laughed and told her that everything would still work out. What's done is done, and she and the kids will still get baptized. "Just keep praying for strength and protection, and the Lord will take care of it all." (funny how I tend to eat my own words... I've been freaking out in my mind how we're going to get his written permission in time!) haha but yes, we are all putting our faith in the Lord to help with these baptisms this weekend. I know that whenever we try to do the right thing the adversary will always be there trying to stop us. But who's stronger? We are! With the Savior on our side we can accomplish anything. Via felt more relaxed and agreed that all would work out.
But get this! This week we picked up two new investigators and put them both on-date for baptism in the first lesson... The first is Jee. I don't know if I told you about him already, but he is going through a super difficult time with his family and a 6-year relationship break-up. He's very excited about the Gospel and the joy and peace he feels when he reads the Book of Mormon. We had the Elders teach him for the first little bit, and when WE met with him for the first time he told us he was already halfway through the Book of Mormon: FOR THE SECOND TIME!! Wha--?? SO COOL! He is just soaking it up! He is quitting smoking and drinking coffee, and despite how difficult it is for him to give these things up, he wants to do it for the Lord. We're hoping for him to get baptized by the end of this month!
Chi was our other newbie. Chi is originally from Detroit and moved out here because he knew he needed a better lifestyle than the one he was living. He said "I knew that I'd either spend the rest of my life selling drugs in Detroit, or move somewhere and get a college education and BE somebody better." He has a lot of LDS friends, and plays basketball with the Elders Quorum a lot in the week.
We met him at the church and gave him a tour. We ended up in the chapel and there had our lesson on the Restoration. The majority of the lesson he just sat there, not answering much to our questions, and seemingly blank about it all. But as we shared the First Vision account a smile spread across his face. He looked down at the floor and the chapel was silent. The Spirit filled in the rest. It was incredible what he told us next: "I will be back here this Sunday. I know this is true." We extended a baptism commitment and he accepted!!
I am so grateful to have run into him outside an apartment complex, it truly strengthened my testimony in following the Spirit and not being afraid to open your mouth to everybody to share the Gospel. As we were walking through that particular complex I had an impression to take the long way back to our car. But it was incredibly hot that day, and we were already pretty tired. But we listened to the Holy Ghost, and there was Chi. We testified of the Prophet and Apostles that live today and he accepted our invitation to meet with us.
Miracles.
I love this work!
Dee and Jae are still praying about a baptism date. Dee came to church for the first time in a long time yesterday and had a wonderful time!! Unfortunately she is having knee surgery today and will be down and out for a few weeks. Ouch! I just hope she can still come to church! Jae is such a good missionary; she is inviting all of her 15 year old friends to meet with the missionaries and read the Book of Mormon too! :D So awesome!
Well, I am grateful for your love and support and for sending me your prayers and letters! They make my days bright!
I love you all so much!!
'Til next week: Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah for Israel! * * *
Love,
Sister SPF 100 :)
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