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| Alex's baptism. President came to baptize him. |
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| She's 93 and my best bud |
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| No - I don't play the guitar...yet |
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| Birthday party of Frederick. The child of an investigator. It was on their roof. Supa sweet. |
What a blessed week it has been.
Alex´s baptism was amazing. Presidente was able to come down and it was so special. Hna Stephens and I sang ¨Yo se que vive mi Señor¨ and as we sang I just prayed that the Spirit would come and that Alex could feel it, his family could feel it, and that all the investigators there could feel it too. Right as I said that little prayer, I had chills all over my whole body and the Spirit once again bore testimony to me that the Savior lives. That Jesus is the Christ. We gave Alex a picture of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane and it was so special. He bore the most beautiful testimony and talked about the changes and the light that came into his life when he started listened to the missionaries. He talked about the power that God has to forgive us and change us and make us more than we are. He said ¨This is the best decision I have ever made in my life. I am so excited to start on this path with my family and keep going on it forever.¨ What I would give to be here when they get sealed... but Helia, his wife, got up and bore her testimony and said that now they do family prayer together and that they are all more focused on the temple and on the gospel than before. Katy, his daughter, talked about a promise in her Patriarchal Blessing coming to pass and how grateful she was to have a father who could now hold the priesthood. This family is so special. It was a great weekend and his confirmation blessing was beautiful. Now we just endure to the end :) And enjoy every minute of it!
Celeste, the girl from the curb, will be baptized on Thursday. She got the signature from her mom and we are all good to go. Miracles in every day. She is so wonderful and full of faith and wants to do what Heavenly Father wants. Antonio´s sister, Isidora, is coming along. It was her son´s birthday and that was great. She told us that the Testigos de Jehova came and talked to Antonio but she was really confused because she thought they came to share a message with him but instead he just sat there and taught them for half an hour and they didn´t say anything. hahaha oh man... I love when the converts share their precious testimonies. That has been such a blessing- to be able to watch these people grow and experience new and different things. It is the best. Hno Charles, one of the High Priests in the stake, came to Alex´s baptism and talked about how different this ward is as compared to a few years and months ago. It is so true. They are stronger and kinder and more faithful. I love it!
I told the Lord that if he kept me in this area for another change that I would go nuts with the members and get all the youth on missions. So He kept me here, and we are working harder than ever on those 2 things! Full-time missions are hard here because nobody has money and the kids work to help support the family, so to have them leave is a huge sacrifice. But the faithful members know that it brings more blessings than anything else so they do it anyway. But I had this crazy idea about getting the youth and families involved and stoked for missionary work... by doing the mini-missions thing we did in the Highland ward when I was younger. We have been planning like crazy and getting everything ready for the coming weeks. But we love missionary work :) I love this ward. I love serving them and loving them as the Savior would. Despite their issues and crazy stories... they have become my best friends and they are gems in my eyes.
In the guide for the scriptures it says ¨the eye is often used as a symbol of a person’s ability to receive the light of God. Symbolically, a person’s eye also shows spiritual condition and an understanding of the things of God.¨
That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ does- it gives us new eyes. Eyes to see people as the Savior would and love them in the same way that He does. Eyes to look past trials and see the eternal significance of the things and the deliverance that always comes for the faithful. Eyes to witness miracles and angles and healings and the hands of God in our everyday life. Eyes to seek out opportunities to serve and help and bless the lives of others. (3 Nefi 13)
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where amoth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
22 The alight of the body is the beye; if, therefore, thine eye becsingle, thy whole body shall be full of light.
My only desire is to love and serve and help other people. Little by little we are doing the Lord´s work and learning so much! What a glorious process it is. Love you all and I am praying for you always! Hope it is a great week.
Hermana Jane McGill
