Monday, February 8, 2016

Bautismo

This week we traveled to Castro twice. Once for district council and again for zone council. There are three new elders being trained in the zone. One is from Hawaii, and we have clicked super well. Once he found out I have 7 months in the mission, he asked me how it felt. Why are you asking me?!?! Haha. Ask the other dude who has 1 cambio left! I feel for the new elders so much because the beginning of my mission was the hardest time of my life. Just like it is for everyone else.
We are working with Richard and Paula. We are helping Paula get divorced with a former husband so she can get married to Richard. Richard is investigating. He came to church yesterday. And in the gospel principles class, he said he wants his 4 year old son to serve a mission!!! Richard wants to be baptized. We are helping him stop smoking. The only downer is the process with the lawyers to get them divorced takes time and we don’t have any control over that so we can’t put him with fecha. But he is so good!
We are helping Luis and Julia get married. Julia is the investigator. She has prayed about marriage and is waiting on an answer. Luis wants to straight up get married. Yyyyyeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh buddy!
This week we passed by a member of our branch. She is a widow. We cut her wood every 3 days. She is 84. We talked with her for a while this time. She told us that she is struggling with depression, she misses her husband, her son is a drunk that gets angry fast and she does everything for him (he is like a little kid). Her daughter left the house and her mom with lots of bills and debt to pay off.  This sister can’t leave the house because of her health. We cut her wood, and then pulled out some chairs and shared something with her outside. Right when we ended, the rain started. Not a coincidence. It was so good to hear her testimony. She cherishes this gospel. Great lady, and I felt the Spirit super strong.
Yesterday we visited a less active. Her husband works in the sea, so he is gone a lot. She can’t read. Which means she can’t read the scriptures. She has a very complicated family situation, but we were able to share Doctrine and Covenants 100:15 to help her. She just needed someone to listen to her and read the scriptures with her. Such a blessing to be a missionary and do what Christ would.
Nicole is progressing well. Still going strong for the 27 of February for her baptismal fecha. She read the law of chastity, word of wisdom, and gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlets in one sitting!!!!!!!!!! No one reads ONE. And she read THREE, and all in the same day!! Crazy!! So prepared. She stopped drinking coffee when she heard it was wrong, even before we taught her. So she started drinking tea to replace that, haha. Once she found out about tea, she stopped drinking it in a heartbeat. Her evangelico parents are happy that she is getting baptized and support her decision. They will come down for her baptism from Puerto Montte.
On Friday, a man called us up and asked if he could come out and work with us. Turns out he is from Coyhaique. Turns out he was the zone leaders’ investigator. Turns out he was a guy Elder Lawton and I contacted!!! Crazy! We found him outside of our house. He has back problems and walks with a cane. He fell one day, and couldn’t get back up. His cane was out of reach, and dogs were biting him. Elder Lawton and I found him, and helped him up. As we were working, he said he knows the church is true. But he still isn’t married with his pareja, so he can’t get baptized. But way good guy. He helped us out Friday with citas and all of Saturday cleaning the church and filling the font.

The familia Carrillo-Lemus. LOVE THEM. This is a family I will never forget. This week we were with Hno Mario. HE ASKED US FOR THE SPIRITUAL THOUGHT!!  Then we talked about him going to the temple with his family. He committed to begin on that. Complete miracle. We gave him a form that the Church has that shows all of the steps to get to that point. The form is called the “hoja del templo”. The next cita with him, we planned a welcome home party for Catalina, Benjamin, and Claudia for when they go home from their travels. When they got home, we showed up an hour after. Hna Claudia told us that when they went to buy their bus tickets to Quellòn from Viña del Mar, there weren’t any until the 9th, 3 days after Catalina’s baptism. A few minutes later, she got a call saying that there were EXACTLY THREE SEATS AVAILABLE. When Catalina heard that, she told her mom that she had offered a prayer and asked Heavenly Father if he wanted her to get baptized on the 6th that He would give them seats home. Right after the prayer, 3 seats became available. Miracle. Anyway, we were with them in their house after they got home, and Hna Claudia told us that her inactive mom told her about how women aren’t appreciated in the church, how they are slaves to the men, they don’t have rights, and other ugly things. Claudia said a prayer. The next day they went to church and the bishop in Viña del Mar gave a lesson to the Relief Society about a talk from President Hinckley about the value of women in our lives. THE TALK WAS JUST FOR HER. Miracle. Anyhow, we are with them in their house talking. Catalina tries on the baptismal clothes and they fit perfect. Then we talk more. Then Elder Torres says, "Oh, Hno Mario isn’t there something that you wanted to show to Hna claudia? (wink wink, hint hint)." He then stands up, grabs the “hoja del templo”, hands it to Hna Claudia, and tells her that he wants to be sealed in the temple as a family. MIRACLE. She bursts into tears. The Spirit was so strong. I cried. I have never been more happy in my life.
The next day Catalina was baptized. Branch President Ojeda did it. Later that night, Hno Mario told Hna Claudia that he will come to church from now on and return to activity in the church. WWWHHHHHAAAAATTTT?!?!?! I can’t believe that we are seeing this miracle take place. I don’t deserve to be a part of this. But Heavenly Father is blessing me so much. I love this family with all of my heart.


The next day, I confirmed Catalina as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. A great experience.
I have no idea why I am being so blessed. This is a miracle. I am so grateful. Before my mission, I had a powerful experience where the Spirit told me there is a specific area that I need to serve in, and specific people I need to teach. I know that the familia Carrillo-Lemus is one of them.


Elder West