Heee. Ok, we had a baptism this past week. Agustin has been to just about every Christian church ever. He reads his bible and now is putting a lot of effort in to the Book of Mormon and the D&C. About 50 and single, he lives in the house of another investigator, and while initially leery of baptism, has recently begun to really fly, asking us if he was progressing enough. We assured him that he was, and arranged for his baptismal interview.
Well, he almost didn't come. His ride had a last minute injury. We made frantic phone calls while the Mission President (special case interview, anyone curious about that can see the section on conducting interviews in Preach My Gospel) sat very patiently and waited. he finally showed up, and we waited nervously while he was interviewed (because you NEVER know what's going to happen in the baptismal interview.) He passed, and was baptized that Saturday he bore a sweet testimony, asking the members to help he continue following in the path. I think that was a major wake-up call for our mission leader, cause he commented on it in his talk the following Sunday.
Speaking of the following Sunday, Spanish branch has sacrament meeting last. Gospel doctrine begins, and AGUSTIN IS NOT THERE. Nor was he there for the beginning of priesthood. Hermana and I are making frantic phone calls, when one of his room-mates calls and tells us that some anonymous white truck just picked him up and carried him away (ohmigosh our investigator just got kidnapped!) Well, that wasn't the case - one of our members had run back and picked him up. He was present and well for his confirmation in sacrament.
Then Hermana realized that she has to give talk on service in five minutes, and I notice that our pianist (a youth volunteer from the English Program - I'm conducting) has chosen a few hymns that are either 1) not in Spanish or 2) drastically different in Spanish.
Ok, Miracle of the Month.
That same Sunday, we get a call from Zone Leaders: they just re-directed a Spanish-speaking couple our way. We're ok with that, but in a panic about Agustin. So we finally meet them after sacrament. He's super-inactive, she's not enthusiastic, and does not look happy to see us. We set an appointment for Tuesday.
(We learn later that she has had several exposures to the church and the missionaries, mainly through his family, and after church and almost directly before our appointment, she tells her husband that she wants to take the lessons super slow, and does not want to be pushed towards baptism.)
We meet for our appointment in Crystal Lake chapel. President Olvera (branch president and super-supporter of the work) comes along. The lesson starts well enough (she seems happier) and we settle into teaching about the restoration. She takes it all very well, and we begin talking about prayers and answers. He shares an amazing experience about praying to understand Joseph Smith's place in our beliefs, and receiving an answer. She tearfully concludes that she knows that Joseph was a prophet. we ask her to be baptized on October 23, and she says the sooner the better. We ask if the 9th is too soon, she says it might be, she'll check her schedule. Meanwhile her husband unswalows his tongue (he's been in silent shock ever since we asked the baptismal question) and shares a few similar experiences from his mission (which he had had to end early due to health issues). He basically testifies that we've been called of God, and that he knows that when missionaries work hard, miracles happen. He holds back his tears, but sincerely thanks us for our sacrifice. He then offers a sweet closing prayer, and does a brief interview with the branch president.
Ok, you may now be wondering why on earth I say the sky is falling when we're seeing miracles. It has nothing to do with the huge thunderstorms we've been having (we've had to pull off the road several times this month due to extreme rain and wind). The other night we had just finished an appointment, and were outside talking with an investigator outside of a Burger King when something black falls out of the night sky and lands with a "slap" in the parking lot... and then crawls a few inches. I'm the only one to see it. At first I think it's a frog, but there hasn't been a tornado in over a week. Maybe a leaf blown in the wind?... but there are no trees nearby, and it's not that windy. I go over and look, confusing both my companion and the investigator. I get close enough to see, bend over, and then declare that it is a bat. (Except I don't know how to say bat in Spanish, so I just say bat, which I think just made them more confused.) They come look, and say that it's a "Morcieloga" (I think I've got that right.) I reach out to touch it (you know me) and Hermana freaks out a little, saying it's going to suck my blood. I firmly correct that myth. The little brown bat bares its teeth at me but barely moves as I gently touch its back. I think it was hurt, but what could I do? if dogs and cats are to be avoided, bats are definitely off limits. We leave it laying there in the parking lot.
Ok, that's all I've got. Have a wonderful week.
(PS - Halloween is coming up, and I want pictures!!!)
Hermana Maren Jones
Well, he almost didn't come. His ride had a last minute injury. We made frantic phone calls while the Mission President (special case interview, anyone curious about that can see the section on conducting interviews in Preach My Gospel) sat very patiently and waited. he finally showed up, and we waited nervously while he was interviewed (because you NEVER know what's going to happen in the baptismal interview.) He passed, and was baptized that Saturday he bore a sweet testimony, asking the members to help he continue following in the path. I think that was a major wake-up call for our mission leader, cause he commented on it in his talk the following Sunday.
Speaking of the following Sunday, Spanish branch has sacrament meeting last. Gospel doctrine begins, and AGUSTIN IS NOT THERE. Nor was he there for the beginning of priesthood. Hermana and I are making frantic phone calls, when one of his room-mates calls and tells us that some anonymous white truck just picked him up and carried him away (ohmigosh our investigator just got kidnapped!) Well, that wasn't the case - one of our members had run back and picked him up. He was present and well for his confirmation in sacrament.
Then Hermana realized that she has to give talk on service in five minutes, and I notice that our pianist (a youth volunteer from the English Program - I'm conducting) has chosen a few hymns that are either 1) not in Spanish or 2) drastically different in Spanish.
Ok, Miracle of the Month.
That same Sunday, we get a call from Zone Leaders: they just re-directed a Spanish-speaking couple our way. We're ok with that, but in a panic about Agustin. So we finally meet them after sacrament. He's super-inactive, she's not enthusiastic, and does not look happy to see us. We set an appointment for Tuesday.
(We learn later that she has had several exposures to the church and the missionaries, mainly through his family, and after church and almost directly before our appointment, she tells her husband that she wants to take the lessons super slow, and does not want to be pushed towards baptism.)
We meet for our appointment in Crystal Lake chapel. President Olvera (branch president and super-supporter of the work) comes along. The lesson starts well enough (she seems happier) and we settle into teaching about the restoration. She takes it all very well, and we begin talking about prayers and answers. He shares an amazing experience about praying to understand Joseph Smith's place in our beliefs, and receiving an answer. She tearfully concludes that she knows that Joseph was a prophet. we ask her to be baptized on October 23, and she says the sooner the better. We ask if the 9th is too soon, she says it might be, she'll check her schedule. Meanwhile her husband unswalows his tongue (he's been in silent shock ever since we asked the baptismal question) and shares a few similar experiences from his mission (which he had had to end early due to health issues). He basically testifies that we've been called of God, and that he knows that when missionaries work hard, miracles happen. He holds back his tears, but sincerely thanks us for our sacrifice. He then offers a sweet closing prayer, and does a brief interview with the branch president.
Ok, you may now be wondering why on earth I say the sky is falling when we're seeing miracles. It has nothing to do with the huge thunderstorms we've been having (we've had to pull off the road several times this month due to extreme rain and wind). The other night we had just finished an appointment, and were outside talking with an investigator outside of a Burger King when something black falls out of the night sky and lands with a "slap" in the parking lot... and then crawls a few inches. I'm the only one to see it. At first I think it's a frog, but there hasn't been a tornado in over a week. Maybe a leaf blown in the wind?... but there are no trees nearby, and it's not that windy. I go over and look, confusing both my companion and the investigator. I get close enough to see, bend over, and then declare that it is a bat. (Except I don't know how to say bat in Spanish, so I just say bat, which I think just made them more confused.) They come look, and say that it's a "Morcieloga" (I think I've got that right.) I reach out to touch it (you know me) and Hermana freaks out a little, saying it's going to suck my blood. I firmly correct that myth. The little brown bat bares its teeth at me but barely moves as I gently touch its back. I think it was hurt, but what could I do? if dogs and cats are to be avoided, bats are definitely off limits. We leave it laying there in the parking lot.
Ok, that's all I've got. Have a wonderful week.
(PS - Halloween is coming up, and I want pictures!!!)
Hermana Maren Jones
