have 5 more weeks here, we have a shorter transfer to make sure
missionaries get home for the holidays and whatnot. Which means
there's only 6 weeks after this transfer, which would be a little lame
to leave Naples for only that time. Ah! 11 more week, what the!!? Make
it stop!!!!
Anyway...
we had a strange week, so we had things lined up to get lots of member
present lessons, but most of them fell through, from members canceling
to investigators bailing. So that was hard. But! It gave us more time
to walk around and find some people that are ready to receive the
gospel. One in particular, who was excommunicated from the catholic
church. When we asked him if he was baptized, he said he used to be
baptized. It broke my heart! It lead me to study a little more about
excommunication in our church, and how the point of excommunication is
to start over! When someone is excommunicated, it's not meant to be
the end! We hope they'll go clean up and come back better. I love
that! This investigator's name is Fransisco, and he's progressing very
well! We met him on Wednesday, I think, taught him Saturday and
Sunday, didn't get to make it to church because of work, already met
the best missionary couple in the ward, and we might see him again
tonight! He's getting baptized on the 23rd :)
We also have been focusing on keeping our eyes "single to the glory of
God" (D&C 4:5). We've been having problems feeling like baptizing
robots, and not feeling particularly successful at that. But then we
realized we were doing it wrong! We were focusing on the glory of God
without really knowing what His glory is. And then one day in comp
study it just clicked! The glory of God is to "bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man"(Moses 1:39). We're not just
baptizing people, we're helping our lost brothers and sisters receive
the blessings of eternal life! That changed everything! I can't
believe it took me 14 months to get it! I think people have even told
me that before, but just because I had never learned it for myself, I
didn't get it. Now, I'm good to start the mission over, please?
Even though it was a hard week, we still saw many miracles, from rain
stopping when we needed it to, to having to courage to stop people on
bikes to ask if they've been baptized. I can't remember if I wrote
about that, we just go up to people and ask if they've been baptized.
We had a couple hours one day that we walk around and ask everyone
that. Most people said yes, as babies in the Catholic Church. But when
we asked them what baptism meant, or why they got baptized, they
didn't know how to answer. Usually the reason why they got baptized is
because their parents did it for them, and they have no idea what it
means. Oh! Another part of evaluation we got this week, primarily
through Hna. Paulsen, is that when people get baptized it's as if
they've opened a picket fence gate and are standing on a stone pathway
to the house. But without the knowledge or priesthood to do everything
you need to after baptism, you just wait in the front lawn! The house
belongs to our Heavenly Father, and he has cookies on the counter
waiting to welcome us home. But most people never get inside The House
of The Lord and get the cookies! Baptism is not the end! You have to
get to the Temple!
Ivis got baptized! We went to get clothes for him and found the closet
mostly empty... He had to wear a jumpsuit that was too big, but it
still worked! He got confirmed on Sunday, and is on tract to get the
priesthood with Ernie and Alberto in two weeks! Everyone's doing
awesome :)
We visited the Lobaton's and the dad sat in! He's kinda deaf, so he's
never really wanted to sit in and listen, because he doesn't hear
anything that's going on. But he just got some hearing aids, and we
just asked if he'd come to church with the girls, and he said yes. And
then he actually came!!! We wanna start teaching him. I'm so coming
back for when they can all go to the temple and be sealed together :)
I love his family SO much!!!
We had a part member/inactive family show up at church, and we haven't
been able to contact them for 2 months! We're having FHE with them
tonight. Women's conference was amazing, and I'm so excited to get
more answers this weekend!
This is the one and only true gospel of Jesus Christ. There's no other
way, there is only one way. So if you're not on the right path, or
you're riding the shoulder, stop what you're doing and fix something!
Talk to your bishop, the missionaries, a youth leader, whoever! Use
the atonement and claim the blessings that are raining down. Do not
keep the umbrella open!
I love you all! I hope all is well :)
Cuídense mucho!
Hermana Despain
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