can you believe I survived my first transfer? (and only with a few cacti scratches ;) ) It kind of freaks me out because everyone says your first transfer is your longest, and well....that happened WAY too fast. Because i'm still being trained for six more weeks, I'm still here in West Tucson. I'll actually probably be here for at least two more transfers since Hermana Wheatly goes home in May (I'll let you know when her homecoming is when she hears about it) Super happy to still be here. I love all the crazy people here, and we are meeting some incredible new investigators who actually have the gospel clicking to them!! I already know the month of April is going to be awesome, and it's looking like we are going to have at least 4 solid baptisms this month (fingers crossed)
One of which is Antonio. Oh Antonio, Antonio. He's the one I mentioned last email who is from Nicoragua and had the dreams about living waters.
Well...let me just paint a description of him for you, because I just crack up everytime I see him.
If you were to meet a person who spoke like Enrique Eglesias (sp?) sings...you know "I can be your hero baby", super cheesy, super emotional in every word, can't help but laugh at how dead serious they are about it...that is Antonio.
He is super into Christian music, he said it's the song of his heart, and Hermana Wheatley let it slip that I play the violin. Ever since he found out he's been asking me to play everytime I go over. But I don't necesarillywanna play outside in a trailer park so I told him when he had a chapel tour we would do it (which was supposed to be friday). We we show up for a regular lesson on thursday and he's in super nice clothes, newly polished shoes and had a new haircut. He said "I'm ready to go!" We freak out, 1) because we can't drive him 2) it's not the day we planned 3) I didn't have my violin. We run over to his neighbor (who is a member) he drives antonio to the church, we book it to the apartment to grab my violin. Everything else that may or may not have happened during that time is all a blur.
We give a tour of the church and he just stared at all the pictures of Jesus. When he saw a picture of Thomas S. Monson in the primary room I thought he was going to cry. (He's so stoaked for general conference.) Finally we get into the chapel, we teach the plan of Salvation and then I play How Great Thou Art on the violin as he reads the words. Hno Limon (the member) said, "it's no coincedence that you met these sisters. it's no coincedence they found you when they did, and that out of all the missionaries, sister waters is the one who can play the violin. you are where you are supposed to be".
Antonio stands up, and starts panting. Clutching his chest and hymn book. I just stood there with my violin. I really thought he was having a heart attack. He said, "I'm so overcome with the spirit right now. That melody, the melody of my heart it speaks to me. I feel the spirit so strong"
spiritual experience? yes. however I laughed the whole car ride to our next appointment.
then on sunday morning, he left a voicemail while I was still in bed. when I listened to it I was worried he was going to back out on church but the three minute message was "oh Hermanitas, thank you so much for everything....thank you...again. THANK YOU...because, well...thank you...and brother Limon...THANK YOU...again...thank you!"
*again, picture an enrique eglesias song* it's so much funnier is spanish
He came to church. LOVED IT. He was going to get up during testimony meeting but said, "he couldn't find the right words in his heart". He participated in sunday school, and was in cloud nine in priesthood. Can you say golden?
We went over again last night, and there he was, sitting on his porch waiting for us. He had bought us drinks and just was waiting to give them to us. We taught the Restoration again, because it wasn't clicking to him how the book of mormon/joseph smith/the authority was back on the earth all related to each other. by the end of the lesson we asked, "so if you read the book of mormon, and you pray and get the answer that it's true...what does that mean?"
he said "...that, joseph smith is really a prophet, and that we have a prophet now!" [insert long talk about general conference]
he saw us holding a picture of a temple (not planned for a lesson, just on the back of something) and said WHERE IS THAT? I said in Utah, and he got super happy because he knows that's where I'm from. Needless to say he's just super attatched to everything we say. Sure, a lot of it is because that's just his personality, but he's finally starting to put things together and actually doing them as well! (he had a huge problem of praying to the trinity, and he finally didn't yesterday!)
Just when we were at a super spiritual peak, and I thought it couldn't get any better he gets really serious and said, "forgive me for this question. But I really need to ask this. Forgive me. But are you allowed to get married?"
Oh missionary work. I love it so much.
I also got to attend a baptism on Friday. It was such a good reminder of how it's all worth it. How simple the doctrine is. How with just acting on Faith, so many things can be opened to us. Things that last, like Eternal life (I mean common, that's for eternity)
I've had so many people tell me this week, they are grateful that our Savior came and died for our sins, but the sins they have done are done...and they can't be forgiven. And it really made me sad, because that's basically saying we don't fully trust that God's sacrifice can save us. Who are we, to think that the ultimate sacrifice isn't enough to cover OUR sins? It is. Of course it is enough. The more we really understand the atonement, the more we will want it in our lives. It's not our last resort, our just incase or last chance. it is our ONLY chance. And even if we feel too far from the path, or unworthy...we still are part of those people who He saved. He saw our face. He felt everything. He didn't suffer in that Garden because it was the cool thing to do, He didn't suffer on the cross because He couldn't get out of it. He had every ability to NOT go through it. But He did. and because He did, He can heal us. Everything about us. Emotional, Spiritual, Physical. He rose from the dead, taking on the pains of the world and overcame death. How can we NOT BELIEVE He can heal.
As for Faith mum, read the story of the brother of Jared. His faith moved mountains. We can have that faith too. I believe that if I can have faith like that, I can touch people's hearts. We all need to have the faith that everyone, can be healed.
Enjoy General Conference. I'm counting down the days until we can hear from our Prophet. It's my glimpse to see that everything I'm really teaching is real. it's here.
Love you all, watch conference
FINISH THE ENSIGN CHALLENGE SIBLINGS!
love,
kaitlyn. aka hermanita aguas
No comments:
Post a Comment
send her some love!