This week was CRAZY. I can't even remember the first half, but the last three days our baptism fell through once more because our investigator fell to temptation the NIGHT before once again :( We're praying for him that he can be strong enough and change a little more inside so he can have all the changes he wants in his life. We have been working so much with him the past couple months. Crazy guy.
Also, the day our baptism fell through both Hermana Hernandez and I got sick and were throwing up in the morning, and I don't know WHAT possessed us to go out on the streets but somehow we ended up walking all over town miserably all day. We knew we should have stayed home but we had a choir to direct, ward correlation, a baptism to cancel, and other random little things and ended up out on the streets until sense finally knocked us in the head and we realized we could not go one more step like that and went home and slept and slept. But this day was so amazing, because once I woke up feeling better, I started reading general conference talks and ended up getting through more than half the magazine from last October. And in those few hours of quiet I can't even describe all the things I learned. My faith in these men and in our purpose on earth grew so much! We are here to do so much and we have prophets to guide us! What an amazing thing! I wish I read their words more often, because they are words of God especially for us in this time!
Now a couple more miracles: first J. de Cocos. We first found J. de Cocos across the street from the church where he sells coconuts, hence the name, and he approached us asking how to get to another LDS church far away, because some missionaries had give him the address. After finding out he was from our area and had already had all the missionary lessons in North Carolina when he was there but had to leave before his baptism, we told him that's ridiculous, come to this church right here and also be baptized. He also basically taught us all about the Book of Mormon and its history and had a huge amount of knowledge of SOME doctrines, but doesn't understand a few basic things like he needs to come to church. Silly man.
We also have another investigator, C., who has SO many perfect questions and all the desires in the world to know which church is true, but WON'T STOP TALKING. We can't even get through one basic point in the doctrine without him starting on another question. Frustrates my companion a lot haha but I think it's pretty funny. He'll get there.
Well I don't have much more time but I just want to say that this week I have realized so many new things and I wish I had time to relate them all. I have become so much more in this mission, and with all the non- and almost-baptisms we are seeing I have learned that what Elder Holland said is true-- salvation is not cheap. We have seen countless people with desires and understanding, but nobody can progress if they're not willing to give something up. And the same is true for all of us. We want to be better and we want to be happy, but we HAVE to sacrifice and that is something that we are all naturally inclined to resist. But when we take a step and sacrifice something that is HARD for us, like reading scriptures in the night, family home evenings, fast offerings, whatever it may be that we're not making time for, that's when more miracles will come than those we receive by following the "easy" commandments. And I just know this church is true and holy cow Jesus loves us so much it's incredible. I have felt it SO MUCH this week and I hope everyone knows that! I love you all so much!! 'Til next week!
(Here is Kelsi with the mission president's wife)
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