Ending with a baptism!

Hola family!                                                                                        Dec. 2, 2013

Where to begin? (I seem to start every letter like that....I am stalling until I know what to write.)

Well first miracle. We are going to have a baptism before I come home! It has been a pretty miraculous and crazy week. So about 4 weeks ago, I came to peace and terms that although I had done my best, I probably was going to be one of those missionaries that didn't get to baptize while on my mission. Not a big deal. Rough because I had always just wanted to experience witness someone I was teaching enter into that covenant. By this time in my mission, it wasn't about proving anything, I just longed for that sacred experience.

About 2 weeks ago, when I was so sick, and I decided to stay. I had a very specific discussion with my loving Heavenly Father. Among other things, I just asked that Sister Glaittli and I could baptize before I go home. I explained how we weren't teaching anyone that seemed all that interested, and if they did, there were barriers that would be keeping them from making that step any time soon. But I felt prompted to pray for it, and so I did, and I knew that with God, all things are possible.

And so I mentioned last week that Graciela is getting baptized right? The miracle has continued to unfold this week. We had a lesson with her on Tuesday about the Plan of Salvation. Usually I have taught it in a couple lessons, because it can take a while. But we don't have much time before the 7th, so we did it in one. Also, SO COOL! I received a powerful prompting to ask how old her grandson is and if he worthily holds his priesthood. I didn't know if that would be too personal, and so I decided it would be better not too. But of course it came again, and so I asked. She said he is 16, and yes that he helps with the sacrament every week. I then asked if she would like her son to baptize her. (Priests, usually 16-18 years old, can baptize in our church as long as they worthily hold the Aaronic Priesthood). She got really excited, and when we visited her on Friday, her grandson, Jonathan, was there and he is very excited to be able to baptize his grandmother. He will be getting a recommend from his Bishop this week so he can baptize her on Saturday!

We also had to pack the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the "big three" commandments. We call it the big three because they are the commandments that require usually the most drastic changes in someone’s life. (Word of Wisdom (No coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco), Law of Chastity (abstinence outside marriage), and Law of Tithing (Donate 10% of all our income to the church). She understood, accepted, and committed to live all of them. The spirit was so strong.

And then yesterday happened….. Probably my most stressful sacrament meeting ever! The meeting started and Graciela wasn't there. I stood in the doorway so I could still see my companion, but greet her when she came. I started to get nervous, because if she didn't come to church that week, her baptism would have to be pushed back. Which would be fine, just not what she or we wanted. (She is so prepared and ready!). The sacrament hymn started so I took my seat, and prayed so hard that she would come. Just as the hymn closed, I closed my prayer, and there she was outside the chapel door! Problem was that the sacrament had already been blessed, and so the doors were closed while the sacrament was being passed. And usually, people aren't to enter the chapel while the sacrament is happening. Just because of the sacred nature of the ordinance. Well, poor thing, she didn't know that, so she went to open the door when the man by the door, somewhat harshly shut the door and told her "No puede pasar" (or "you can’t come in") after that, her face wasn't in the door way anymore. We had assumed she would sit in the lobby with the other late comers until the ordinance was completed 10 min later. Immediately after the bishop dismissed the Aaronic priesthood to sit with their families, we BOLTED out the door. She was no where to be found. We called her, and she was already on a bus halfway to Brooklyn because she knew she could go to church at the LDS church there. We explained to her that we were sorry for what had happened and that she was welcome to come back and if she did, she could still be baptized on Saturday. But she was embarrassed (which makes sense, that usually doesn't happen!) and said she would talk to us on Tuesday.

We got off the phone and I was devastated. Just like that, it wasn't going to happen. I was fine but it was just hard. I had wanted the opportunity to attend her baptism, and then it was taken away. I was praying so hard for a miracle. Just then, Braulio, a member in the ward and a recently returned missionary, came down the hall with his phone in his hand. He asked where she went (he saw what had happened) and we explained the situation. I then couldn't help it but started crying, just a little, but it meant a lot to me to be apart of it. He then had me dial her number, and he talked to her and invited her and through loving words convinced her to come back. We waited in the lobby this time. She came for the last 10 min of sacrament meeting  and she enjoyed it.

We explained to her the situation and she seemed fine with it. She just thought that the man meant that she couldn't come in for the rest of the meeting and she still wanted to go to church so she jumped on a bus to go to one she knew she could enter into. Also the man came up and apologized which was very sweet. It all worked out. She is still getting baptized by her grandson, and it will be a great privilege to witness a completion of 3 generations baptized in the church--all on my last weekend.

God really is a God of miracles. And even though it may feel like or look like it is going to work out, God always finds a way to remind me that all these things are really in his control. Just ask Dad, I have never been good at the "trust fall" game haha. I always put my foot back. But I am getting better at it on my mission. And maybe all this is just God playing that game with me too, he is my father after all. But it is working, and without fail, He always proves to me that I can trust him, and as He does, life doesn't seem so scary. Still got a lot of fear to curb (particularly about coming home and dating ahhh! haha), but He is with me and knows what he is doing, and I can trust that. I am so grateful for answered prayers, especially those answered in ways I didn't originally want.

 

 I love you all! Can't believe I am writing this but, see ya soon!!!!

 

 

I love you all! Can't believe I am writing this but, see ya soon!!