Alright,
So lots of people wrote me this week and I was reading for a while so this email will be a little short, but don't complain because I'll be able to tell you more stories soon enough! Don't worry, I'm still sprinting to the end of this race, obviously, but sheesh, I got my travel plans in an email today. Ouch!
Anyway, this week has been really good. We worked super hard and were running around to find new people and to help prepare Mayra and Ansberta for their baptism this Sunday. After working the whole week we saw some miracles and then we had the baptism yesterday of Mayra and Ansberta! Wooh!
As for spiritual experiences in the baptisms, can't get much better than this! It's a bit of a long story, let me try to make it short...
So, starting with about a month ago when Elder Palma got here. After a bit of time, we started seeing that we had lots of investigators and little time to see them, so we had to look for young men of the ward to help us. One day we ate with Sister Mery, who is a VERY amazing sister that reminds me of my mom. She and her family are converts that were baptized three years ago and her husband has since left her and moved in with another woman in Mexico City (in other words, far away). He thus left her alone with her 7 children to raise from 17, 15, 13, 9, 7, 4, and 2 years old by herself. (well, that's their age now, Mery was pregnant with the youngest one when she was baptized)
Anyway, it's miraculous that she is still strong in the gospel and goes every Sunday, also because she lives about 30 minutes from the chapel and has to take public transportation, which is expensive for 8 people.
So yeah, let me continue... When we ate with her, her son, Mario walked in. We have always gotten along with him, but he had been pretty inactive in the church since I'd been there. Anyway, so we talked with him and set up a time that he could go on splits with us to get him excited in the missionary work, we figured out things, and with his mom there pressuring him, he agreed to go with us.
So, he went with us and from then on we started getting along better and better, and he also started to come to church every Sunday. Then, a week and a day ago, we brought Mayra to church, and what was our surprise when we found out that they're really good friends! So, we started visiting her with him, we've started to help him talk with the bishop to get working on his papers, as he will soon turn 18, and everything was going great up to the baptism! He had an interview with the bishop and was authorized to baptize Mayra, and then when the moment came he was nervous. He got in the water and had to do it three times, but on the third try it was perfect.
I went to give him his towel, and as I did so I asked him how he felt. He told me that he didn't feel so great because he didn't do well. That's when I told him that he did amazingly and that, thanks to his efforts, his friend had just received one of the biggest gifts she could ever receive, and that I was super happy and proud of him. In that moment, he grabbed me in a hug and told me that he loves me (lo quiero mucho) and thanked me for the opportunity we gave him to baptize his friend. In that moment he was tearing up a bit and I was as well.
He and his family know that I'm leaving soon, but they don't want me to go. Especially him and his mom, him because we've invited him to make changes in his life and now he's happier because of it, and his mom because... Well, I think my mom understands how most mothers feel towards the people that help their kids make good decisions.
I'll really miss these people and I've made lots of friends and family here in Mexico, especially in Teziutlán, but I'm going to keep working my heart out to make a few last friends and family before I'm out of here.
I know the gospel is true, and I love it. I especially love living it. Those that read it that haven't been living it or haven't yet started to live it, I invite you to do it. Remember that ''wickedness never was happiness'', and come unto Christ, who is the life and the light of the world, the way to eternal happiness. Yes, that means happiness that isn't a daily battle to acheive. Something like a rollercoaster of good days and bad days. With Christ, a bad day can become good, it's just up to us.
That's my little message I share with you all, I love you a ton and hope you keep up the good work!
Elder DeFreese
1. The baptism of Ansberta!
2. The baptism of Mayra!
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