Week 71: Let the Show Begin, #18

October 14, 2013

Week 71: Let the Show Begin, #18

Thursday, I had my last regularly-scheduled-interview that all missionaries have every 3 months with the mission president. The last until the REAL DEAL. After he reminded me I`m ¨#18¨ (#18 to go), I asked what advice President Klein would give me from now until my next interview.

He is so wise.

¨It is now more to do with those watching you than you. You have 202 missionaries watching you. You have more time than 190 of them. And you know now that this isn`t about you.

Let the Show Begin.¨

And indeed, the show has begun.

Saturday was Estella´s baptism. Oh, she is so amazing! I love this woman so much. Her faith fulfills me.

Of course, the baptism can´t occur without a little fun opposition. We finished divisions with some of the sisters Saturday morning, then came back to our area, made delicious nachos, and ran to the baptism interview with Estella and our district leader. Our ward mission leader, a young man preparing to leave on his mission in January, had taken care of the little details (baptism clothing, filling the font, talks, etc.) It`s such a blessing to work TOGETHER as a ward and not just have to do everything ourselves.

So, as we were starting the interview, the power went out (very common). What is NOT so common is filling a font for a baptism, and that when the power goes out, the water turns off, too. There was about a foot of water in the font, and an hour remaining. Uhhh.... that`s a problem.

We rounded up the troops and sent off to find buckets to take water for our ¨pilas¨ (¨Pilas¨ are a big bin of water that every house has to wash clothes, plates, etc.¨) We borrowed a bike from the security guard of our complex, and as we entered our house with all energyto fill the buckets, the power returned.

The MIRACLE was to arrive to the chapel and our ward mission leader, Kevin, told us that he had gone into the chapel and offered a prayer that the power could return so the baptism could happen. As he left the chapel, the power returned.

If the power had gone off for no other reason but to answer the prayer of a young man and give him the assurance that God listens, the purpose was fulfilled.

Estella´s husband, Porfirio, had tears in his eyes at his wife`s baptism, and the ward welcomed him so warmly. His heart was touched.

Carlos, an INCREDIBLE investigator, accpeted the date of this next Saturday. You will hear more of him next week. In the lesson where he accepted the date, he was crying, my companion was crying, and of course I was crying. :) It was soooo spiritual!

I just want to give EVERYBODY a hug!

1. sometimes we have to plan outside because our neighbors have really loud, obnoxious music on the other side of the house. (our study table is in our back porch, because the other 3 sisters that we share a house with use the inside.... yeah, we`re bursting at the seams, and I love it!)