Dearest family,
How are things going in the states? That is cool that ben decided on a college. Sounds like all is well up there.
This past week was the most miraculous week of my mission!!!! The biggest miracles came with our investigator Marcelo. He has been into drugs, alcohol, partying, etc since he was 14 (6 years) and his whole family has been involved in the same things. He has wanted to get closer to God, but the word of Wisdom he has always struggled with. He has been able to quit drinking, smoking, partying, but drugs he couldnt. This week the bishop talked to him and told him that he cant get baptized unless he quits doing these things, and therefore extended the committment to stop right then and there. Marcelo agreed and left. The next day he called us saying that he couldnt do it. He had tried to drink just so that he wouldnt do drugs, but the cravings were still there. We said we would come and talk to him as soon as we can. We tried to call some members that lived close, and they were not home, and we ran out of minutes after the first call so we could not call anyone else. We had prayed earlier to find a member to come with us, and Hermana Bracho came into our mind. She lives a little bit farther, but we decided to stop by her house too. As we waited outside we knew she wasnt there. There was nothing more we could really do, so we decided we would go without a member and meet him outside of his building and talk to him. Just as we turned around, Hermana Bracho´s husband was walking towards us. We asked him if he could come with us and he said, Of course! We went and met with marcelo in the park nearby and he was having withdrawals. I have never seen withdrawals before, but they are bad. Addictions are real and are a method Satan uses to drag us down. We sat there trying to convince him for 1 hour, sharing scriptures, encouraging him, and he kept saying that he couldnt do it and that right afterwards he was going to go buy drugs. We finally convinced him to pray after 20 more minutes. After the prayer he still said that he couldnt do it. There are not many times that I have prayed so hard for someone like I was in that lesson, and still he said that he couldnt do it. Then three minutes later he said, "you know what. I am not going to smoke pot. You have my word that I will not do it." It was a sudden change and a MIRACULOUS change from one second to the next. We left him, and he stayed true to his word. He now is complying with the word of wisdom (he gave up coffee and tea at the same time too) and should get baptized in two weeks!!!!!! God works miracles! There is no doubt in my mind!!!
Also this week, Martín Del Castillo was baptized!!!! His dad (reactivating) got to baptize him and it was so special. Only a few hours before the baptism, the hermana that was going to lend us baptism pants called us and told us that she could not find them. That was a little stressful, but we prayed and we talked to an elder in our stake that lent us his baptism pants last minute. This was a mini miracle too. Maybe not quite as drastic as Marcelo, but for us sister missionaries it was a direct answer to our prayers.
Also, a family that is returning to church, there is a son named Thomas that can serve a mission. This week we invited him to visit some people with us and he said that he is thinking about serving a mission. He is just waiting on one thing before he says yes for sure. Four months ago, he had not been to church in more than two years and was going down a different road. Now he is really active and dedicated. The Padilla family is evidence that many people just need the invitation to return.
Also, Friday we had a ward activity and we invited LOTS of investigators. We ended up with 7 or 8 investigators that came, and many stayed the whole 4,5 hours! That has never happened in my mission before. They really liked it too!
Also, this week we did all we could to meet our goals. Sunday, we had met our goals for the week, we just needed one more new investigator. We tried for a family that wasnt home and it was 9:40 as we were walking home. We passed by a contact that we had made two weeks earlier, but wasnt home when we passed by for the appointment. We decided that there was nothing to lose, and we knocked and she was home! She and her husband listened to a short message and we set up an appointment to come back this week and made it back to the apartment by 10:20. The Lord knows our hearts and our desire to serve Him. We had set these goals are a reflection of the desires of our hearts and He truly helped us meet them, even if it was the last contact we made that day. This truly was a miracle too. We were committed to fulfill these goals and He made it possible. It is a miracle to me.
Easter was amazing here too! People do not do very much here, except not eat meat (only fish) for the whole week. Many go out of town, and many do absolutely nothing. After church (and after the baptism) we had an easter devotional in which the spirit was really strong. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly through music before, and I understand why we have choirs and why we sing so much in church. Singing truly is a prayer unto God if it is from the heart (DYC 25:12), but also the piano or other instrument that is worshipping the Lord in the same manner counts as a prayer too.
I am so grateful for my Savior. I am so grateful that He lives and that He payed the price so that I can repent of my sins. I have many, but through the Atonement of Christ I have received and continue to receive forgiveness. I love Easter and I love my Savior!!!!! I know that with Him, we can do everything the Lord asks. I know He lives!!!
I love yall and pray for yall!!! Do everything you can to serve the Lord, and everything else works out better than you could have imagined.
love
hermana taylor
No comments:
Post a Comment