What an incredible week. I said it was going to be, and I sure was right. I am not even sure where to begin.
I want to tell the story of two families.
The first is a family from Bolivia in our ward. One Sunday Herminia came up to us and told us that her mom, Yola (who speaks NOT ONE WORD of portuguese, only spanish and is in a wheel chair) would like to learn more about the gospel. So we brainstormed about how we could teach her and brought the other set of Sister Training Leaders as Sister Henrick is from Argentina. We all went together and Sister Henrick taught the doctrine of the restoration very simply in spanish. Yola had many doubts, didnt quite understand everything but said she would be baptized. So we left, a little confused about what to do but with lots of hope! The next Sunday Hermina approached us again and said Yola had been begging for us to return and had listened to Herminia read El Libro de Mormon all week. It was very clear that Alma 13:24 had been taking place in this time. However we had to travel to a city 3 hours away to go on splits with the sisters there that same week. We talked to our Zone Leaders, and Elder Bravo happened to have a mexican mom and speak spanish! They offered to visit her for us during our trip. When we returned we called to see how the lesson had gone and Elder Bravo said she was doing great, he taught her everything, interviewed her and she was ready to be baptized Saturday! Epic Zone Leaders right? We returned Thursday and Friday to talk more with her, and somehow by the power of the spirit an American, a Brasilian and a Bolivian all became friends in spanish. Dont ask me how we conversed with her because I have no clue, but we all understood each other.
Then Saturday came her baptism. We held the service in the afternoon since she doesnt do well at night. Her large Bolivian family arrived, along with a few members of the ward. We held the service in spanish for her to understand, Elder Bravo gave a message about baptism and having hope no matter what point we are in our lifetime and Sister Amado and I sang I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go with Michael on guitar. Because she isnt physically capable to stand, in order to baptize her, Elder Marsh held her in his arms like a child, and Elder Bravo performed the ordinance, together with Elder Marsh. It was a beautiful moment. We closed the baptismal service with I Need Thee Every Hour and there were few dry eyes in the room, including hers. This was one of the most special baptismal meetings I have ever attended, truly it was a privilege to work with her and be a part of her conversion. It was the work of many!
Next, is Maria. We found Maria and her two sons in the Area Book when we arrived here, and we have been working with her for weeks to mark a baptismal date.Thursday night after our lesson with her I felt completely helpless in what more to say to her, because she believes in everything, but just wont say yes to a firm baptismal date. We prayed and studied hard Friday morning and went into the lesson friday night with all the faith we could muster. After the opening prayer I began to talk about the scripture in 2 Nephi 2 that talks about us chosing eternal life, using inspired questions to open her up, and as I went to the bible to read John 3:5 Sister Amado already had it open. She read the scripture and took over talking about baptism and Maria accepted to be baptized this Saturday! We left that lesson walking on absolute sunshine. Truly there are angels preparing the hearts of these people. We worked with her and her two sons Casio(11) and Alvaro(10) to be baptized. While we were talking about baptism Casio asked if he had to be baptized again since he was already baptized in the Catholic church and Alvaro burst out LOGICALLY! YOU DIDNT HAVE SINS! DUH! We all burst out into laughter at his frankness but truth! Saturday night they were baptized as a family along with another boy who had turned 8 in the ward. The usually crazy and loud Casio and Alvaro were quiet the entire baptismal meeting as they began to recognize the spirit and feel the importance of what was happening.
Our Sunday sacrament meeting was amazing. 5 confirmations and beautiful testimonies. I cant quite think of a better way for Sister Amado to end her mission. It was a powerful week. I have a huge testimony of miracles and really of the hand of angels in the work, there are deeper and more sacred parts to these stories but I know that as missionaries we have guardian angels. We have had so much success this transfer, we taught TONS, and baptized and really I know that when we set high goals we accomplish them.
I want to end my email with an amazing quote from Elder Ballard, "I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reachour goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, hewill then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”
My invitation for you all this week is to set some new goals, high goals this week and GO GET THEM because, well. We are capable to accomplish much more than we think we are. I am so grateful to have had a companion this transfer who really pushed us to work hard and make the most out of every minute we have. She alone this week make 200 street contacts.
We must do things that have never been done before.
To infinity and beyond,
Sister Holmes
I want to tell the story of two families.
The first is a family from Bolivia in our ward. One Sunday Herminia came up to us and told us that her mom, Yola (who speaks NOT ONE WORD of portuguese, only spanish and is in a wheel chair) would like to learn more about the gospel. So we brainstormed about how we could teach her and brought the other set of Sister Training Leaders as Sister Henrick is from Argentina. We all went together and Sister Henrick taught the doctrine of the restoration very simply in spanish. Yola had many doubts, didnt quite understand everything but said she would be baptized. So we left, a little confused about what to do but with lots of hope! The next Sunday Hermina approached us again and said Yola had been begging for us to return and had listened to Herminia read El Libro de Mormon all week. It was very clear that Alma 13:24 had been taking place in this time. However we had to travel to a city 3 hours away to go on splits with the sisters there that same week. We talked to our Zone Leaders, and Elder Bravo happened to have a mexican mom and speak spanish! They offered to visit her for us during our trip. When we returned we called to see how the lesson had gone and Elder Bravo said she was doing great, he taught her everything, interviewed her and she was ready to be baptized Saturday! Epic Zone Leaders right? We returned Thursday and Friday to talk more with her, and somehow by the power of the spirit an American, a Brasilian and a Bolivian all became friends in spanish. Dont ask me how we conversed with her because I have no clue, but we all understood each other.
Then Saturday came her baptism. We held the service in the afternoon since she doesnt do well at night. Her large Bolivian family arrived, along with a few members of the ward. We held the service in spanish for her to understand, Elder Bravo gave a message about baptism and having hope no matter what point we are in our lifetime and Sister Amado and I sang I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go with Michael on guitar. Because she isnt physically capable to stand, in order to baptize her, Elder Marsh held her in his arms like a child, and Elder Bravo performed the ordinance, together with Elder Marsh. It was a beautiful moment. We closed the baptismal service with I Need Thee Every Hour and there were few dry eyes in the room, including hers. This was one of the most special baptismal meetings I have ever attended, truly it was a privilege to work with her and be a part of her conversion. It was the work of many!
Next, is Maria. We found Maria and her two sons in the Area Book when we arrived here, and we have been working with her for weeks to mark a baptismal date.Thursday night after our lesson with her I felt completely helpless in what more to say to her, because she believes in everything, but just wont say yes to a firm baptismal date. We prayed and studied hard Friday morning and went into the lesson friday night with all the faith we could muster. After the opening prayer I began to talk about the scripture in 2 Nephi 2 that talks about us chosing eternal life, using inspired questions to open her up, and as I went to the bible to read John 3:5 Sister Amado already had it open. She read the scripture and took over talking about baptism and Maria accepted to be baptized this Saturday! We left that lesson walking on absolute sunshine. Truly there are angels preparing the hearts of these people. We worked with her and her two sons Casio(11) and Alvaro(10) to be baptized. While we were talking about baptism Casio asked if he had to be baptized again since he was already baptized in the Catholic church and Alvaro burst out LOGICALLY! YOU DIDNT HAVE SINS! DUH! We all burst out into laughter at his frankness but truth! Saturday night they were baptized as a family along with another boy who had turned 8 in the ward. The usually crazy and loud Casio and Alvaro were quiet the entire baptismal meeting as they began to recognize the spirit and feel the importance of what was happening.
Our Sunday sacrament meeting was amazing. 5 confirmations and beautiful testimonies. I cant quite think of a better way for Sister Amado to end her mission. It was a powerful week. I have a huge testimony of miracles and really of the hand of angels in the work, there are deeper and more sacred parts to these stories but I know that as missionaries we have guardian angels. We have had so much success this transfer, we taught TONS, and baptized and really I know that when we set high goals we accomplish them.
I want to end my email with an amazing quote from Elder Ballard, "I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reachour goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, hewill then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”
My invitation for you all this week is to set some new goals, high goals this week and GO GET THEM because, well. We are capable to accomplish much more than we think we are. I am so grateful to have had a companion this transfer who really pushed us to work hard and make the most out of every minute we have. She alone this week make 200 street contacts.
We must do things that have never been done before.
To infinity and beyond,
Sister Holmes