Monday, December 9, 2013

Life Couldn't Be Better!

wow wow wow! where do I even start?! We've had quite the week here in Windy mcWindy Ridge East! First of all lets start by last Monday night when we had our baptismal interview for Eladio.. haha We get to the church (after frantically finding a ride for him) and his ride takes off telling us they can come back if we really need them to. Then, our district leader asks for the baptismal record and we had no idea we were supposed to bring it. Then he asks for the key to the chapel.. what? Sooo we called the olympia sisters and they were kind to bring a record and elder romero just interviewed him outside. Our ride ended up coming back after a few minutes of waiting and all was well. Are we both new or something? I swear we read the pmg section and the paper in the binder, but there wasn't anything on bringing the key or record. Turns out that it's actually kinda funny and I learned for next time. Speaking of the next baptism!!!.. Our dear friends Carlos, Norma and Luciano. Norma is a less active member and has work on sundays. Carlos has never been a member but missionaries have been working with them for a while i guess. They've been so so sweet to us and feed us and just have the sweetest spirit about their home (apartment). This last week they had the divorce papers for Carlos to divorce his old wife so he and Norma can get married here soon. They have lots to fill out and everything but we challenged them to have them all finished by the time we meet with them this weekend. They're so ready to do it and we couldn't be more excited for them!! Carlos is still smoking a lil bit, but trying really hard. We are sending scriptures to them lots to help and his son is helping him quit as well. I really can't even describe my love for that family!!! I'm so excited for them to get married. Oh. AND we set a date for his baptism for Jan. 12! K now I want to tell you about the coolest experience on Saturday. So recently our district leader taught us how he weekly plans and nightly plans. WE. ARE. HOOKED. We're so converted to how much planning matters and changes everything. So we had been planning to go to a certain place on Saturday, but the day before received a media referral in a different place who wanted a spanish Book of Mormon. So we decided to head down there. We took the book to them (actually had a lesson with them this morning as well, but they speak english so we're passing them off) and then when we got back to the car to decide where to contact, Sister Allred mentioned the less-active families one apartment complex over. Wait, before we took the spanish book of mormon to the referral, I thought i'd put an english book of mormon in my bag (so odd cause we never give away english ones and weren't even able to contact in there or there was a possibility we could be arrested). So we knocked on the three less-active doors and on the last one they mentioned how they had lived there for 3 years and didn't know who the family we were looking for was. We proceeded to tell them who we were and immediately the lady calls "Michael, come here". He comes to the door and as we tell him who we are, he steps out, shuts the door behind him and starts telling us a story. He had been in an awful car crash the saturday before at 4 in the morning on a deserted street and when he woke up, he couldn't find a way out of the car. He found a broken window and some man showed up to help him out. He sat down and cried and the next thing he knew a state trooper was there and had happened to be driving by. He was on the verge of tears and told us he should have died and that he's never been a religious person until this experience and now he wonders if there is a God. We then testified to him that we were sent there for him and that our message was from God and could change his life. We told him that if he finds that this gospel is true and everything, he could change his life and asked if he would be baptized. He said yes three times and explained that he didn't even know what that meant but he would do it. I then pulled out the english book of mormon and told him about it. Then I happened to have an english restoration pamphlet in my bag as well! We handed him to the enlglish elders in the area, but I truly know that God sent us there at that specific time for Michael. It was the most powerful experience that I can't even explain. 
Ok, and now for yesterday.. Eladio came to sacrament with his brother-in-law, but his brother in law felt sick after so they left (bummer!). BUT he was there early for his baptism and so ready to go! However, sister allred and I got to the church an hour early to find that the font wasn't filled or being filled! The elders who were transfered from our ward this week were supposed to do it. So, with the elders and sisters at the chapel from another ward helped us run water buckets back and forth and we got it done in about 45 minutes hahaha. It was the funniest, but most stressful thing ever. The baptism was beautiful, and Eladio shared his testimony. It was the most sincere and sweet testimony of how he knows this is for him and everything. sister allred and i got to bear our testimonies toward the end and both lost it (not too bad, we held it together pretty well) but then our ward mission leader announces a special number by us which we had kinda planned on, but the elder that was supposed to sing was transferred and such.. soooo I had a solo while sister Allred played "Creo en Cristo". Oh my heavens, I could have died I was so nervous. I hardly even sing in groups, but it was just me in front of a large group of our ward haha. After it was over, one of the girls in the ward goes, "yeah, he was a supreme court judge in Venezuela, my brother in law recognized him from tv..." (in english) hahaha whaaat? Weird how the last few months of teaching him we never caught "supreme court judge" cause we only really know religious spanish words haha. We knew he was super smart and wrote a huge book though. Anyway, It was such a beautiful night, topped off with the Christmas devotional :) 
Also, I lied, it's not chilly here.. That was only a lil cold spell cause it's toasty here still! K gotta run, I love you all so much!! Thanks for all that you do for me and the examples that you are to me!! 
Con Carino, Hermana Jackson

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