Ok, Miracle of the month: Araceli Saldana.
Flash back to # 47, When we were in a blind panic about Agustin. The elders had forwarded a Spanish-speaking couple to us. One was a member who had been active for some years, the other was his loving but extremely shy wife. We met them after church, and set up a follow-up appointment, all the while, Araceli is sitting there looking at us funny.
(That night, she went to work with her husband. She told him that while she was willing to take the discussions, she was going to take everything slowly, and see where all this lead her. If we pushed baptism on her, she would stop.)
Well, that Tuesday, we meet them in the Crystal Lake Chapel, with Presidente Olvera coming along with us. We talk briefly, and Have an excellent first lesson. (See Preach My Gospel, Chapter 3, Lesson 1) When we get to the part about Joseph Smith, she shares a story about how when Shared (Book of Mormon name, BTW. check the last few chapters of Ether) and her were first dating; how her family all told her that the Mormons worshipped Joseph Smith, but Shared and his family all said that this was not true. She was studying both the Bible and a few Liahonas, (Intl version of the church magazines), but still felt confused. She prayed for god to help her understand.
That night she dreamed about an image of Joseph Smith (see attached), with the text, "We do not worship Joseph Smith." She had never seen the picture before, and thought the whole thing very odd.
The next morning, she found the pile of Liahonas on her breakfast table had moved slightly, revealing the one issue she had not yet looked at. (Dec 2005) On the cover was the picture from her dream. Startled, she opened the magazine to exactly this point:
"We do not worship the Prophet. We worship God our Eternal Father and the risen Lord Jesus Christ. But we acknowledge the Prophet; we proclaim him; we respect him; we reverence him as an instrument in the hands of the Almighty in restoring to the earth the ancient truths of the divine gospel, together with the priesthood through which the authority of God is exercised in the affairs of His Church and for the blessing of His people."
As she tearfully related this experience, she realized that she had received not just a clarification of the Gospel Doctrines, but also a firm confirmation that Joseph Smith was in fact a prophet, and that this is his church in Latter Days. We asked if she would be baptized, and she told us "The sooner, the better." We fixed the date for October 23. Her husband (who had been watching the whole thing wide eyed 0_0) unswallows his tongue and says that he never imagined this would happen, and that he knows we were called of god to teach them: the reason that Araceli had been watching us so funny in church was because she was sure that she has met us before. He shared a few experiences of his mission, and testified of the divinity of the work.
Talking with Presidente Olvera later that week, we asked if Shared would be ready in time to baptize his wife. Presidente said probably not, that it would be better to choose someone else.
Araceli just flew through the lessons. We resolved several of her long-time concerns, and she became less and less shy. It was like teaching our best friends. We choose Hermano Wachlin, one of the branch councilors, to do the baptism.
Last appointment before the baptism, we're putting the finishing touches on the program. President Olvera is interviewing Shared to check on his progress. We are just about to explain that Hno Wachlin just had something come up, when Presidente comes out. He asks us who we had planned to do the baptism. We explain the situation. He looks at Araceli and asks, completely deadpan: "How about if Hermano Shared Saldana does the baptism?"
Of course, she cries, he cries, we cry, and we all know it's a miracle.
The baptism goes off without any major problems. (we ended up using a plate to cover the drain in the font because the rubber plug had broken.) That same day, she goes out to help us with a couple appointments. She gets the Holy Ghost the next day, and has begun to absolutely blossom under it's influence. She's not nearly so shy anymore.
This past Sunday, the Saldanas were called as ward missionaries. They're so thrilled, and we are so honored to have been able to work with them.
Whew. That took a bit.
Transfers are next week. Hermana Mendoza is going home, with about half of our district. I'm probably going to be training. Not to mention our area is getting split, and the English program we were temporarily covering is still going to be really green. I might as well be the first Sister District Leader (joking). Things should be interesting for w while.
Love ya lots. Be good.
