On Tuesday and Wednesday we had divisions, so one of our sister training leaders came with me and I showed her around Santa Lucia and fortunately didn´t get lost, even though I made her climb a mountain. Our area goes pretty high up, but we managed.
Wednesday morning, the first of April, still with our sister training leader, we had an appointment with our goldern family, Hermano Eugenio and Hermana Mirta, to have the baptismal interview that morning. It was the only time we could do it because they couldn´t later and because of Holy Week there would be no buses on Thursday and Friday.
I hope you understand how important this was as I relate the following. Hermana Steele and I were heading toward the bus station of Santa Lucia when Hermana Hogge got a call from her district leader. The district leader informed her that he and his companion had accidentily slept in, and had missed the bus. Her heart stops and she tries to keep calm. And then the district leader tells her that he´s just kidding and that they were already in Santa. Then the district leader almost died because of his bad April Fool´s day joke, becuase Hermana Hogge almost killed him. Ok, It was kind of funny later, but in the moment, I was so worried.
Unforunately, that wasn´t the only hurtle to jump before Saturday. The other one was the pool.
Yes, the pool. In Santa Lucia, we have a branch and don´t meet in a chapel. We meet in a refurbished house. IT´s very nice, actual, and spacious and everything. But it lacks a baptismal font. So, we attempted using a pool. On Friday, we four hermanas went to go see it because we´d heard our branch president had set it up. We found it leaky and a little dirty, and literally spent hours trying to fix it! Many were unreachable because everyone was doing things for Holy Week. It was actually kind of fun, with we four and the pool (and no we didn´t go swimmng). But, in the end, the pool won. We saw it wasn´t going to work, prayed about what to do, and all felt that it would be in the stake center instead. So we contacted our branch president and the missionaries in the area La Esperanza (our stake center - also the area of our sister training leaders.) and organized things for the baptism there.
It was beautiful. Though a little pressed for time, after the Saturday afternoon session and before the Priesthood session, we were able to go to the stake center and witness the baptism of Hermano Eugenio and Hermana Mirta Doblado. I never get over how clean people feel after they are baptized. It wasn´t perfect getting there, it never is, but they are faithful, good people and I am so happy for them and their family. It´s also really great that some of their children were able to attend Conference and their baptism. This weekend was so wonderful! I have much to learn, much to improve, but I´m grateful that I was able to witness their baptism. I know that I was only a small part of it - so many missionaries have been visiting this family. And they both shared, after, that ¨being mormon¨ was the last thing they would ever be. But look where they are now. I wish that all the missionaries involved could have been there for the day of their baptism. It gives me hope for other people´s progress that maybe I am only a part of.
And, of course conference was AMAZING. I loved the quote by Nelson Mandela ¨A saint is a sinner that keeps trying¨ I also appreciated what President Monson shared about temples and, well, I did my best to keep up with Spanish and will learn more, I´m sure, when i can read them. But it was an amazing Spirit there.
Ok, I´ve talked a lot. I hope that you´ve enjoyed this weeks adventures and have some of your own this week.
 |
| Hermanas Bautista, Juarez, Hogge, Araujo and making toritillas por mano |
I love you all so much and hope you all were able to learn from Conference,too. Feel free to share your thoughts with me!
Love,
Hermana Hogge
No comments:
Post a Comment