Some fun people from our zone (that's elder Acosta in front whose every 3rd sentence is "Hermana WILSON toca el piano bien chido.") Our old zone that is, but many of them came with me to my new zone so there's that.
But let's start with last week. I was basically Nephi this week which was really cool. I mentioned last week that Violeta had told us she was more than ready for her baptism and we started a journey of faith. I've never prayed quite like I prayed for her baptism this week and I've never felt heaven quite so close. It was an experience unlike any other as we prayed, studied, and followed ALL impressions and I really felt God guiding us all week. I had the impression Monday that we should visit Z. (mama de V.) every day, and that's what we did. We passed by Monday and ran into her but she hid in the house and sent Y. out to attend to us. Tuesday we had exchanges and I headed to Hortalizas ward while Hermana Castillo and the other hermana did everything they could, but once again she was hiding (or "sleeping" :)
Wednesday I had the idea to bring Angeles to help open her up, since she's just the most giddy, radiant, loves-everyone-and-the-gospel woman and is also now in Young Women`s. She's been super busy and worn down from work and some classes she's taking but was of course more than willing when we explained the situation. Couldn't receive us, Z. was busy. The next day praying I had the impression that it was time to bring our wonderful powerful bishop, so we organized with him and changed some appointments and went in the night to find an empty house. And the whole time, it just filled me up with more faith because I literally felt Him guiding us and it was so fulfilling to be doing everything we possibly could for something so important and to be trusting in His wisdom. I really felt like I was in Nephi's shoes as they tried time and time again to do as the Lord commanded and kept having failures, but Nephi never seemed to see them that way. He was always looking for what's next.
Sooo Friday. We had an activity at 7 and not much of a time gap to visit, and with the bishop busy with his activity and Angeles just sick and worn-down, we planned to go alone. And thus, having fallen through all of our plans we resorted to going into the city of Jerusalem, not knowing beforehand what we would do. It didn't feel right yet all afternoon so we visited others until 6, and then it was like, yeah let's go visit Z. So we headed down and just as we were turning onto their street we see her heading our direction. Yay! She informs us she's heading to help her sick sister and Y. is in the house and leaves. No! We debated for two seconds and then went to visit Y. and talked to him about talking to his mother about this baptism because we'd been doing all we could and didn't know what more to do. After a while we closed and stepped out the door and BOOM there she was arriving. And, as a miracle you can always count on in Tapachula, it was raining! So she told us why not wait it out inside. My companion was like "Oh, don't worry about us" and I was like "Are you kidding we've been praying for this opportunity all week" and I was in the house before she could change her mind.
Dun dun DUN. There we were in the city of Jerusalem. And we started chatting. And immediately the spirit was just so strong in my heart. She started talking about V. and how she had played a joke on her the other day and told her Hermana Wilson had come by to say goodbye and was leaving, and she said V. was completely alarmed, turned color and was headed out the door in the rain when her mom caught her and told her it wasn't true. When she told me that I just started choking up and couldn't keep my voice steady for quite some time. I told her how very special V. was to us and how strong her testimony was, how she had come to us to talk about her baptism and how we'd been praying all week to know how to help resolve the worries of a loving mother. She listened and looked at me with a face I've never seen before, just full of love and the spirit. I know she felt it so strongly. She thanked me for everything we'd done for V. and how special we were to her. And then suddenly she sat up straight, hardened her face and said "But." And in that moment we lost. Or I should say she did. Because the spirit left the room and she began to contend against the church, and anything we said after that turned to an argument so we mostly remained silent. It was amazing to me to see how immediate the effect was. Y. entered the room and defended his sister and the church and we were very touched at his testimony, especially as he hasn't been so very constant lately. But we knew there was nothing more we could do because she had FELT the spirit and she had rejected it. The Lord had answered our prayers, He had provided us with the opportunity and He had softened her heart, but there's only so much we can do when people use their agency in such a way. Later I was reading in Alma 8 when it talks of how Alma prayed with all his soul to soften the hearts of the peole of Ammoniah, but later says "Nevertheless, they did harden their hearts." But an angel came and told him how blessed he was and to keep going. This experience was so special because we participated actively in campaigning for the salvation of a willing soul, and one day when she makes it we will see her and I can't even imagine the joy. One thing I've learned out here is that timing doesn't really matter to the Lord. It's something only we measure and often something we measure our success by. But if we can have faith and see through a greater perspective we will realize that EVERY act of faith, every prayer in behalf of another will be so much more than worth it because the blessings are ETERNAL. I believe in that so much more strongly than ever and I have felt so much joy this week as we gave our all!
So that was that. So far. But Sunday we knew I would probably be transferred the next day. We planned a family night with some investigators and the Fuentes family and watched the Testaments. HOLY COW THE SPIRIT WAS STRONG. As the movie ended it was then only Violeta, Alma, Jenny and us, but we were all crying and then started talking about the second coming, and then the elders called us and told us that I would be leaving the next morning at 7:30 for Ocozocoautla, Or Coatla as they call it here. So we all started bawling dramatically and hugging and it was super funny and beautiful and we kept saying, Okay now we really have to go. And then laughing more and talking or singing dramatic goodbye songs and then, Okay it's REALLY time to go. Violeta said that this time with us has been the best time of her life and sent me a note that thanked me for showing her a world full of joy and truth that she'd never known. I had already basically said goodbye to the members we'd seen because when you're about to be transferred you just know it, and everyone was showering me with gifts and telling me not to go and AHH stop. But good thing I never cried for real. The only one I didn't get to see was Ricardo--he hasn't come the past few weeks nor answered his phone, and we found out it was because he was grounded from leaving the house for anything for not doing well in a class. But Jenny let him know I was leaving over Facebook and yelled up to me through the window in the morning saying Ricardo was so sad and had something for me but couldn't come, and that he couldn't believe it and made her write me a long letter with what he told her. And then I cried.
But now I'm here and happy and more adventures and mansion stories next week.
LOVE YOU!
Violeta, Angeles, Jenny..You know. The usual.
Post-"Testaments" party. :)
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