Serving in Paradise: Week 20

Hey ¿Que sopa mo?

We had a baptism this week!! It was the perfect end to a very strange week! Let me start from the beginning :)

Tuesday we had an awesome lesson with our investigator Lourdes! She was the contact we had when Hermana Salas saw the swimming pool and just knocked the door and have been meeting with her ever since! She is so funny and loves having us over for lessons. Though she still hasn't come to church I am confident that she will eventually come! Our lesson with her was so great! We just talked about the Book of Mormon and bore testimony and the spirit was so strong! We read the introduction together and then opened it to a random scripture and it was the perfect scripture! At the end of the lesson she paused and said "I really need to read this book"!!! It was so great and we were so happy!

On Wednesday we had a lesson with another contact for the first time. She was actually a contact I had with Hna Salas but we never found her again, so this time we made sure to get all the details of her house! (There are no house numbers or even streets sometimes...) We didn't think they were members or anything so we started out everything with this woman and her 4 daughters. We start singing the opening hymn (How Great thou Art) and halfway through the hymn her youngest daughter runs out of the room and returns with another Hymn book!! We were so shocked and confused! The lady (I guess I should say that her name is Vileca) said they went to a different church before hand so after the hymn we questioned further as to why they have a hymn book and found out that 3 of her daughters were baptized in the church 2 1/2 years ago but she said she was baptized in a different church. We questioned a little bit more and found out that she too was baptized in the church the same time as her daughters but started going to a different church because one of the daughters dad didn't like them going to the church so we they stopped. So we continue on to the prayer and Vileca offered to say it. In the prayer she asked for help with her sickness. I was impressed to ask what it is she may have and she responded with "Tengo demonios" Yes this word is very similar to demons but we weren't so sure so we asked what that was playing our gringo card to get some clarification. She clarified with "Concocen el diablo y infierno".... She has demons ladies and gentleman! It was great! So we kept our cool and said that the Elders would come with us the next lesson and give her a blessing! So tomorrow I will experience my very first demon casting out thingamagig! After the lesson we went to check out her teaching records in the Area Book and found out they were never confirmed so we should be having 5 more baptisms! The youngest daughter just turned 8 so she can not be baptized too!

Okay so now for the very best part! My very first baptism as a missionary! I was so excited and she was so great! She really wanted to be baptized so we were able to cram in all the rest of her lessons so that she could be baptized yesterday! Her name is Michelle and she is 21 and was dating the son of one of our most faithful members! He is on his mission right now but she continued to take the lessons and just really wanted to be baptized because she knew it was true! ( Hey I can see the blessing from his mission already! It is always helpful with that extra help! :)) So yesterday we were able to help her get prepared to be baptized and she was baptized by his dad and she was just so happy and nervous beforehand and then afterwards was just so happy! It was the greatest thing ever and it just helps reaffirm my testimony. I feel like everyday I have experiences for my own personal growth. The Lord knows exactly what I need and for that the mission is in no way a sacrifice. These blessings are just too great! If anything I feel a little selfish because I have been so blessed! I know what my purpose here as a missionary is and it is to bring souls unto Christ. Enduring to the end is probably the most important thing for us in this life. We can't achieve exaltation without doing what the Lord has commanded. He knows us and He loves us and will bless us if we are humble and willing to ask!

I love you all so much and thank you for your love and support and prayers!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

This is a picture of Me Hna Patrick and Michelle before her baptism!!!