This week was really good. Time is moving by so fast I don't even feel like I can really remember what happen because it's always gone in a flash. This week was Fernandos baptism. I don't think I have ever told you all Fernandos story, so here it is...
We meet Fernando when we started teaching Cynthia. He is one of her friends from work. He was with her one day when we were teaching a lesson so we invited him to join. He very forwardly told us he would listen but he DID NOT want to participate in any way. . . .ok . . . He listened to at least three different lessons. All of them commandments because we were preparing Cynthia for baptism. After about three lessons he started asking questions. He found everything very interesting, but he made it clear he didn't want any of the attention on him. In this time frame he started coming to church. We got him a gospel doctrine book as well as a book of Mormon. He surprised us one day by telling us that he read the entire Gospel Doctrine class book. What! At Cynthia's baptism he really opened up to us. After the baptism he told me. I feel something, something strange every time I'm in the church. It's like electricity. . .what is it? We talked to him about the Holy Ghost and he told us that he might want to start taking the missionary lessons, but he needed some time to think about it. So we patiently waited. Fernando has a strong personally and isn't the type of person you push. But then one day he came up to us and said, "I'm ready. I want to have the feeling I have in church with me always. What do I need to do.?"
From there things took off.
The most beautiful lesson was when we taught him about repentance. We taught him about the concept and then he looked at us, with the most humility that I have ever seen in someone and asked in the most sincere manner. Can I really be forgiven for what I've done. Fernando has been involved in some bad stuff in his life, and he wanted to know if it really was possible. We both bore testimony of the reality of repentance and Hermana Lema shared the story of Alma the Younger. After that Fernando looked at us and said, "I want to be baptized".
Really serving a mission is such a blessing. I feel blessed that this is what the lord wanted me to do. Getting to be here and seeing the change that Christ can make in people's lives is really wonderful. Getting to help in this process is such a blessing!
Fernandos baptism was this Saturday and it was wonderful. I'm amazed by how humble he is. His desire to live right and do whatever the Lord wants him to do really is an inspiration for me.
Hmmm.... what else happened this week. . . . We had a door step stand off with some missionaries from a different church. We were knocking doors and waiting for someone to answer and these missionaries from another church. Not sure who. Come up and knock on the same door. . . Uh ok. . . . So we left. Contention is of the devil and the last thing I wanted to do was to have someone open the door and have four people bible bashing.
Funny thing about Peru. Here in Peru they call disobedient children Chucky's. As in the red headed doll with the knife. Chucky . . . yeah ha-ha. It took me forever to realize that this wasn't a Spanish word. I love it. Mostly because with their accent it isn't Chucky its CH-YOU-KEYS ha-ha.
Speaking of Spanish. My Spanish is getting better. I gave a talk this Sunday and was able to speak for ten minutes and for the most part I made sense. I could tell because this little old lady on the front row would shake her head yes when she could understand and then shake her head no when she couldn't. I don't think she realized she was doing it. But it helped a lot.
I'm constantly praying for the Lord to help me with my Spanish, and there really are moments where I speak and I can feel the lord guide my words . . .Hermana Lema mentioned this one day, she asked why it was that sometimes in lessons I could speak clearly with good grammar and in other moments I couldn't. I just laughed and told her sometimes I speak with the spirit and other times I don't ha-ha.
I got a letter from Hermana Boyer this week. That was exciting. She says her mom reads my blog! Hi Momma Boyer. It was funny in her Letter she asked if I had found my identity yet. It really is interesting. When you take away someone's language you really do take away their identity. Luckily I feel like myself. I just don't really have a sense of humor. . .well I do its just different then my sense of humor in English. In Spanish I can't make witty comments so my comedy has become really slap stick, three stooges like ha-ha.
Anyhow. . .that's about all I can think of to write. I feel like my letters are just jumbled thoughts all thrown together.
I love you all! Miss you!
Love Hermana Sadie Taggart
 |
| Fernando's Baptism |
No comments:
Post a Comment