3-3-14 Well, THEY HAPPENED!!!

As you all have been anxiously waiting to hear how this week went (and if either of our babtisms happened) I will let you know. THEY DID!!!! And they were truly beautiful. I feel overwhelmingly blessed to be in THIS mission, serving and teaching THESE people. I know for a fact we are called and assigned to serve in very specific places where Heavenly Father needs us to be. I had this recomfirmed as we met Jenny a few weeks ago and have been teaching her. And then this weekend, again, as I watched these two amazing people make covenants with God. A cool little thing about Angelo and Jenny, is that they are the first two people I have taught from the VERY first lesson. :) And I have a "mission bucket list" and one of the things was to have someone walk up to me and ask to know about the church and then be babtized, and that was Jenny!! So this whole week has been happy. But I will start at the beginning. 

Monday we had a noche de hogar with one of our favorite families in the ward (our old penchionista and her daughter) with Jenny AND her son!! It was so awesome. Jenny expressed that she wanted to be baptized, but didn't think she had been forgiven of her sins yet. We had a wonderful lesson and the members bore very strong testimonies. But Jenny was leaning towards NOT being baptized still. Which was hard for me because I KNOW that is what she needs in her life.

Tuesday, we walked past Angelo's house (I don't know if I have explained this before, but he has attended church MANY times and we have taught him all the lessons, but his parents wouldn't give him permission to be baptized.) Well, we decided to stop and ask to talk with his mom, he said she wasn't there, but then a lady walked out of the house that I had never seen before. I turned to my comp and said "that's his mom" and she nodded her head. So we started a conversation with her and let her know how SMART Angelo is and how ready he is to be baptized. She was very surprised and happy. And she said YES very easily!! Also, we got a baptism date for one of our awesome investigators Ronal! SO that was good. He had been saying no over and over, and then he changed his mind! Then this night we went to go talk to Jenny (and I was SO nervous) because we needed to know if she wanted to be baptized or not.. well,. she said she did!!! And that she was ready. Scared, but ready. Which isn't that how we all feel sometimes? I was TERRIFIED to leave on the mission, but SO READY!!! I think that is just a feeling we have to feel sometimes, and it is worth it. Always. 

Wed, we had both of our entrovistas and just worked hard all day :)

Thursdsay: work

Friday: divisions! I was with another Hermana in my Zone. I was able to talk A LOT in the lessons and it felt awesome! I also understood a lot more than usual. It will be interesting to find out this next cambio! (Next Tuesday by the way!!!) I am kind of very nervous. I love my companion and my area, so its going to be scary!!

Saturday: Babtismo de Angelo!!!! lots of hard work and some little bumps, but it was beautiful. Right before he was baptized, him and the guy baptizing him looked up at us. Jonathan (the one baptising) was smiling and Angelo was BEAMING. It was a beautiful beautiful sight. I cant really explain it, but it was amazing.

 And when he bore his testimony he said " the water was cold, but I didn't have ANY fear of it" most people probably didn't understand the significance, but he is TERRIFIED of water. So to hear him say that made my heart burst, he was ready and had God's help and had no fear. It was wonderful :)

Sunday: Jenny's baptism!!! There was SO many people there!! (the elders had 3 as well) That's the first time we have had a big turn out and I was SO happy because Jenny doesn't really have much support. But it was wonderful. Everyone was so happy and it went fairly smoothly.

After she was confirmed, she told us that she had an inexplicable warm peaceful feeling. I think she got the forgiveness she has been looking for. I LOVE THIS CHURCH. I love it. I love being a part of this glorious, TRUE work!! 

Also, not spiritual note, carnival is over!!! Finally!! It ended with the last four days of Calixto, where there is water, paint, colors, talco, etc thrown everywhere on everyone. We just avoided those roads. But it was crazy! 

One of the carnival tree drinking parties DIRECTLY outside of our house. Until 4 in the morning. NO sleep. Our door was shaking and vibrating and there was hundreds of people... oh man.

So this week my comp will be gone for FOUR days and I will be with a member. I would humbly like to ask you all to pray for me. I still do not understand the language super well, and I dont talk very well, and I am a little worried about those four days. I know I can do it with God's help! Thanks in advance :))) 

Well. It's time to go. I love you all. This church is true. Jesus Christ is the head of it. Missionary work is awesome and fun and you should all try and do it!!!

con bastante amor,

Hermana Whitlock

Our candy store... :D

Our house... first floor is ours!!