This week was full of SO MANY miracles and blessings!!! Where do I start?!
Well last week was tough cause we had ZERO success finding new investigators and a lot of things just fell through. That week I was working on patience and boy did the Lord try me! This week was humility so I was expecting another tough week (haha) But the Lord blessed us with so much success as we strived to work diligently. Monday was a rainy day, but an hermana from Peru (who fed us chicken feet and chicken liver the other day) wanted to have an FHE in her house for us to invite investigators and to teach her daughter-in-law who is super interested in the gospel. We called up our 2 golden investigators-Ricardo and his family and Ingrid (also from Peru) and her family and all committed to come amidst the rain (that´s just plain ole miraculous in Chile, when it rains no one wants to go out to do anything). We taught them the 5 steps of the Gospel of Jesus CHrist with smores and everyone met and had an awesome time!
We were also blessed to find 10 new investigators,committed 5 investigators to be baptized end of August, and had 20 lessons. Best of all on Friday was Ricardo and Glorias wedding!!!Well last week was tough cause we had ZERO success finding new investigators and a lot of things just fell through. That week I was working on patience and boy did the Lord try me! This week was humility so I was expecting another tough week (haha) But the Lord blessed us with so much success as we strived to work diligently. Monday was a rainy day, but an hermana from Peru (who fed us chicken feet and chicken liver the other day) wanted to have an FHE in her house for us to invite investigators and to teach her daughter-in-law who is super interested in the gospel. We called up our 2 golden investigators-Ricardo and his family and Ingrid (also from Peru) and her family and all committed to come amidst the rain (that´s just plain ole miraculous in Chile, when it rains no one wants to go out to do anything). We taught them the 5 steps of the Gospel of Jesus CHrist with smores and everyone met and had an awesome time!
We were all pretty nervous about the big day, I mean last time Gloria tried to committ suicide 2 days before the wedding, so the tention was high. But she asked for a priesthood blessing to help her feel at peace and sure of what she was going to do. So the Elders came and gave her a blessing and we showed her a Mormon Message called "Courage" about Esther and other LDS women who faced their fears or difficult circumstances with courage. We helped her pick out what she was gonna wear and her jewlery, Hna.Thomas gave her a necklace like the women in the video to give her courage to take such a big step in her life. The next day we woke up at 6 a.m., got ready, and then went to their house to help them get ready. I did Gloria´s make up, and the sisters helped her daughter Javiera pick out an outfit and get ready. We headed to the registro civil in Quinta Normal and waited a bit in the cold until the big moment. The ceremony was short and simple, but the lady who officiated the ceremony shared some lovely words with them and congratulated them for taking this step after being together for 20 years. We all walked out with a huge weight off our shoulders knowing that nothing was holding Ricardo back from his dream to be baptized. It´s been a crazy long 8 month wait for him, but finally on Sunday July 10th at 2 p.m. Ricardo Ahumada entered the waters of baptism dressed in white along with 3 other investigators from our branch and the other ward (Valle Azapa) combined. It was a huge turn out at the baptism and the spirit was very present. Hna.Thomas, Hna.Adamson and I sang #58 "Roca de Eternidad" as a special number and made a special arrangement for the baptism since it´s Ricardo and Gloria´s favorite hymn. The smile on their faces was indescribable and filled me with so much joy I could just cry! I know without a doubt that they are the reason why I´ve been in Renca almost 9 months, the Lord had a work for me to do and I had to see to it, and I did! I am just so grateful to Him for using me as an instrument in His hands to bring about the joy and blessings to such a wonderful family. Yeah they have their problems and aren´t perfect, but they have come SUCH a long way from when I first met them and wanted to get sepperated and didn´t even know if God existed. As promised in my patriarchal blessing, I´ve been given the courage to stand among strangers and bear humble testimony of the restored gospel and to see those I teach enter into the waters of baptism and have the joy that comes from helping my brothers and sisters There is no other joy in the world like it!
Spiritual cookie: "The Lord uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible." -Elder Russel M. Nelson
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