All in the Tag: Week 6! "Leave Them Alone, They're Mormon"

From 3/3/14

Here is a picture of me trying the earthy, peachy, hairy fruit of Zapote. I look three shades darker because that morning we were house-hunting:

This week we spent a loooot of time house-hunting. The requirements are so specific in order to make sure the new missionaries coming in will be distant enough from each other and secure. Right now, our ward has 2 sets of missionaries. But in the new transfer in a week, a new set will be coming in....therefore, house-hunting. I´m eager to find a place so I can proudly announce my new title of first-time home owner heheh.

Today I kinda just want to share some stories I think you´d enjoy.

March 1st through 4th is Carnival. So for those days, we are only allowed to go outside if we have fijas, not citas. (Fija = planned appointments). Because if not, there´s a chance people are going to chuck water balloons at your head from their terraces, or dump buckets of water on you, or....Carioco.

Hna C (my companion) and I were walking down the street to an appointment, when suddenly I felt a giant wet glob on the left side of my head. I looked up and saw a big yellow school bus drive around the corner, and a group of pleased young children laughing. I made the saddest, most pathetic puppy-dog face I think I´ve ever made in my life as I peered back at them through the bus window. They laughed even harder as the bus drove off. It was so funny. Hna C loves the smell of carioco, so fruiiiity. But the left half of my hair was in clumps the rest of the day hahah.

Saturday, we had a family baptism. The family "P" that I mentioned before in that huge shpeel about the "C" family...yeah them. I´ll tell you a bit more about them at the end. But it was raining quite a bit this week, so I let them borrow my parrawa (umbrella).

And Hna C and I put trash bags over our heads to keep our stuff dry. We loove the rain!!! So we basked in it and climbed the long hill home. The only problem was that the entire highway blacked out. No lights anywhere....All the cars were gone. Only a few crazy people were left standing sporadically throughout the sidewalks. My shoes got soaked. Squash squash squash. And onward we climbed, in the complete blackness of night. Every once in a while we saw the lights of a car pass by. But other than that, raindrops and empty streets. It was awesome! But also kind of scary. These places can be sketchy at night sometimes. And carnival doesn´t help with that heheh. But we were so soaked! It was so cool :) And we didn´t get sick. :)

Hna C and I have to pass through a little alleyway sometimes. We avoid it especially at night, but this day we were walking through and were walking past a man and woman standing there watching us approach. The man began to say something and move as if he were about to do something to us. He was obviously on drugs, and not the type of person we wanted to be around. But as we walked briskly and purposefully onward, the woman curtly turned to him and said, "Leave them alone. They´re Mormon." He left us alone. And we walked through. I feel the protection that comes as a missionary. And we feel the promptings when there´s peligro or something to be cautious about. We feel the angels around us, to protect us, and to bear us up.

Another time on this very same road, there was a suspicious-looking man leaning back-to-wall. We walked quickly past, but he called out, "Hello Elders!" as we did. I didn´t think to respond because I was so focused on getting through there quickly. But he called out again, "Good afternoon, Elders." Hna C turned her head a little to greet him quickly as we walked on. Then we heard him call out, "One day I will repent and change. One day I will follow the path of God." And that was that. It was actually rather sad. But one thing I´ve come to notice is that these people often steer clear of the missionaries. They leave us alone because of some unspoken knowledge or respect of what we represent.

Every day I feel the Lord´s protection. And every day my eyes are opened a little more to the variety of people that live on this earth. People we don´t know, but He does. We were visiting with a less active member family, and they serve us in amazing ways. Even though the wife is less active and the husband refuses to join any religion, they recognize the Spirit of the Lord when we enter their home. It is amazing.

And, did I tell you? I live in the clouds :) Literally. And figuratively. Life here isn´t always perfect, but it´s always right. And I already know I´m going to miss it in 16 months. I love you all and hope you are doing well. I love your stories. Aren´t stories great? Especially mom´s this week. And Dad...thank you. I look forward to every Monday when I can get another glimpse of your story.

"Good afternoon, President.

This week was a little different because Hna C and I spent a lot of time looking for a new apartment or home within the sector, as well as the difficulties teaching and finding people because of Carnival heheh. But, we were blessed to have a few special experiences embedded within this week.

The P family (including the mother and her two daughters) were able to be baptized this past Saturday. It was very special because her sobrina ´happened´ to be visiting that weekend and, as we found out, is actually a less active member in the church. Also, several members of this family were also able to attend the baptismal service. The energy and excitement of their girls spread throughout the rest of the family, and the excitement showed in their faces. The family members were able to support them in this decision, just as Hna C and I prayed they would.

The room was so full for the baptism that a couple members and missionaries has to stand in the hallway during the baptismal service. It was special to see a family with so much interest in completing the covenant of baptism. Prepping up for Saturday, they kept asking, "When will it be Saturday? When can we practice being baptized?" This is also the family that we found at a discouraging moment, and through the miraculous event that the C family finally permitted us to enter their home. The Lord is in the details. And He is preparing His children. This I know, because I have seen it.

Also, we are teaching an hermano named H, who will be baptized this coming Saturday. H lives alone and when we encountered him, he was rather depressed and alone: swallowed in the grief of something that happened in his past. As Hna C and I began to visit with him, we felt something very sincere and genuine about his desire to improve his life. He initially felt unprepared to be baptized, but began challenging himself to step outside his comfort zone and put his seed of faith to the test. He has been to every church meeting and baptism since then without fail, and is also looking forward and announcing the day of his baptism.

He shared a very special experience he had several years ago when he last visited the church. I hope he is about to share it with you when you visit with him this week. He mentioned that he felt as if he was "wrapped in the arms of Heavenly Father" one day years ago as he sat in one the gospel classes. H is a very prepared man, and I have seen the light of hope brighten every time we share our experiences and testimony of the gospel. He is not the same person I met a few weeks ago. Instead, he is glistening with a new hope and light. And I know that this is what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can do for us.

This weekend is his baptism, and I look forward to seeing the progress these families and investigators will continue to make as they accept the Lord as their Savior. Hna C and I have the goal of being a little braver in contacting and finding new people heheh. Because when we do the work with confidence, I see that the Lord blesses us with His children who have been prepared."