Transfer news first, Sister
Heck is going to Paradox. It's a town of like 130 people and there are
only 12 members in the branch there, all of them over the age of 60.
It's mostly service she'll be doing over there. I hear the Sisters in
Paradox wear jeans cause all they do is service all day long!
I'll still be in Farmington, and I'll be training! Crazy, right? I
could cry! But the Lord knows I'm ready to take on a new little
missionary, so I'm sure everything will work out if I rely on him. I'm
trying not to think about it though because I still have no idea what
I'm doing and where anything is in this area so I'm terrified!! But I'll
find out my new companion tomorrow. Prediction? Little white girl from
Utah or Idaho. Give me your prediction if you have one.
Also, I'm 90% sure that you can still use the same address to send me things since I'll be staying in the Farmington Zone.
Okay, that's out of the way.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
^
Still cannot properly express my EMOTIONS right now. We have a
baptism!!! When? TONIGHT! What?! Yes! That's right. You heard me.
Tonight.
Let me start from the beginning.
Using codenames for people involved.
Dodobird
is a recent convert. She's so tender and wonderful. We met with her at
the end of last month just to have an active member lesson. She told us
her amazing conversion story. She has a crazy kidney disease and was
extremely ill in the hospital. She didn't tell many people about it, but
she called her friend Aladdin and told him. She was in an awful state
physically, in a lot of pain. He asked her "Do you trust me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just answer. Do you trust me?"
She said yes.
He
told her to get online and read Moroni's promise out of Moroni chapter
10. She looked it up. She read the promise and asked him "So... what you
want me to do is to pray about what I read? Is that right?"
He told her yes. She thought he was being weird and crazy but, she tried it anyways.
She
prayed. She asked God if the Book of Mormon was true. She also asked
for strength and comfort and I'm sure many other things. At this time it
was 3 or 4 am. In the morning she woke and the nurse told her it was a
miracle, all of her tests came out great. It was like her body has
stabilized almost completely overnight. That was her answer. From then
on, she knew.
She went to YW for years. Her mom wouldn't let her join. Strict
Catholic. It broke her heart but she continued to go to church and
awaited her 18th birthday. Her mom on several occasions dragged her out
of church. Once while she was receiving her unofficial YW recognition
award. She had the cops pull her out of church when she was 16 or 17.
She spent 3 days in Juvi just for trying to go to church. Her mom was
opposed to her being baptized, to say the least.
Despite the opposition, she was baptized on her 18th birthday. She
had been taking the lessons for years and was practically a member. She
was kicked out of her house for 3 months.
FLASHFORWARD! (sorry this email is so long)
Dodobird has a twin sister, Shanaynay. Shanaynay had
no interest in the church. Especially after all the conflict it caused
in the family. She came to activities. She came to church but refused to
wear a dress. She sat with her arms crossed, in her yoga pants. Little
by little, week by week, her heart was softened. When we met with
Dodobird we asked her to set a date in faith, on which she could ask her
sister to meet with the missionaries. February 23rd was the date we
set. One week later, Dodobird picked up the Book of Mormon for the first
time. She started reading on a Wednesday. By Saturday she was desperate
to know whether or not the things she read were true. Saturday night
she prayed. She asked God if the Book of Mormon was true, if the church
was true. Sunday, last fast Sunday, she showed up in dress for the first
time. She was fasting for her answer. As one of the speakers bore his
testimony, she felt the spirit so strongly. Tears went streaming down
her face. "I never cry" She told us later. The RM sitting next to her
whispered to her "You're feeling the spirit. That's what this feeling
is."
That was her moment. She knew. It was true. She asked to meet with
us. Thursday we met with her, and she told us her story. By the time we
met with her she was on 2 Nephi chapter 15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN! Our jaws
dropped so hard and so fast I bet the earth shook. She practically
taught us the first lesson. We asked her if she wanted to be baptized.
We asked if March 8th was a good date. She asked if we could do it that
Saturday. Jaw drop number TWO. We explained we had to teach her all the
lessons. We agreed that Monday would be a good date.
Sister Heck and I must have screamed for ten minutes
straight once we got into the car. This is not a miracle because we are
good missionaries. We did nothing. I wish I could say it's because we
are amazing teachers. But we did nothing.
We've taught her every day since Thursday. As of
yesterday she had finished Jacob. I have spent almost every night on my
knees, crying to the Lord in gratitude. She has taught me more than I
can ever teach her. Shanaynay... Man. That girl has changed my whole
testimony. To have such faith, to believe that one answer. She says she
feels the spirit so strongly when she reads that she just can't stop
reading ever. She taught us the second and third lessons better than we
ever could. Her Sister helped us teach Law of Chastity. She passed her
baptismal interview with flying colors. And yesterday she told her
mother about her decision to be baptized (not a good reaction). And yet,
she's so strong. She's so ready. She knows God and recognizes his
answers more than I ever do. I am grateful for her example. I am
grateful that the Lord blessed me with this experience. I am excited to
share this experience with Sister Heck before she leaves tomorrow. It's
been an amazing transfer. It's been an amazing three months.
With God, nothing is impossible.
I know that's true.
I know that the church is true.
I love you all and I'm so sorry to unload such a long email this week.
I have wanted nothing more than to call home and tell you all about the miracles I've seen.
Stay strong,
xoxo
pinch pinch
- Sister Valdez
No comments:
Post a Comment