Samuel´s baptism and some miracles!

¡Hola!

This week was incredible! God helped us accomplish His work and there were many miracles!

Early in the week, we found some new prepared investigators, a young father and mother that are interested in the church. We found Valeria, the mother, on a bus on the way to Las Toscas. They have a 2 year old daughter. We are excited to keep teaching them.

 

Me and a cow.

On Friday, we went to Las Toscas again to teach Alejandra and her daughter Milagros. Alejandra is incredible. She reads the Book of Mormon whenever she has a spare moment, which is almost always because she doesn´t have a job and stays home most of the time. She has already read all the way through Mosiah and parts of Alma. But last week she got really sick. She told us something was wrong with her heart, and that the doctors don´t know what happened yet. When we went to teach her, we taught her about the priesthood, the power God has given to man to do His work on earth. We shared the story of the Book of Mormon when Christ visits the people in America and heals each of them from their sicknesses. We invited her to receive a priesthood blessing. We explained that what was said in a priesthood blessing was not from us, but from God, and that she could be healed according to her faith. I felt the spirit really strongly with her and we could feel how strong her faith is. I gave her the blessing. It was an incredible experience, and reminded me when I gave a priesthood blessing to my Mom right before she left on a long trip. I didn´t know at first if I was worthy to give a blessing, but the Spirit told me that I was and God filled my mind with what I should say. It was so happy to serve her!

 

A really big soy bean field. We use it as a short cut to one of our investigators.

Me, Samuel, and Branco (7), who wasn´t baptized, but wanted to be in the picture. He is the son of some of our investigators.

Then, on Saturday, we had Samuel´s baptism. We took him and his brother early to the chapel to get everything set up. That was when we started having problems. We wanted to heat up the water for the baptism, but the heater was broken and the gas pipes had a leak, so we couldn't get the stove to work either. We also couldn't make the chocolate cake we had planned. We ended up sending the cake to the other Elders to make and we left the water cold. We were all super excited and a little bit crazy before the baptism, but when the service started and we were all in white, I felt calm. I got to sit by Samuel and Jona, a 17 year old investigator of the Sisters who also asked me to baptize him. I really loved talking to them about the importance of the promise they were making with God and seeing how ready Jona was to be baptized. Agustin, Samuel´s brother, gave a short talk and then we all went to the baptismal font. 

Samuel´s baptism.

 

I got in first and nearly jumped right back out because of how cold it was. I started breathing really fast and felt like I was on fire. But I quickly overcame my fear. I remembered when I was baptized and how incredible it was it stand with my dad, as I stood with Jona and Samuel in the water. I baptized Jona first. When he came out of the water, he was so cold, but so happy. I could see how he had changed.

 

Jonathan (17), an investigator of the Sisters who asked me to baptize him.

Samuel was next and it was so cold, he jumped of the last step into my arms. He was shivering as I said the prayer. I felt the spirit strongly that what I was doing was right. I put him slowly under the water and he came out freezing and excited!

 

Samuel, right after his baptism. It was cold!

Jona and Samuel made a promise, being baptized, to keep God´s commandments, always remember Christ, and take Christ´s name upon them. I am so happy that I could be a part of their decision. It fills me with joy!

 

Samuel received the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday. He was at first nervous, but I could tell that during the prayer, just like I did when I received the Holy Ghost, he felt it. The Holy Ghost is a guide he now has for the rest of his life if he remains worthy. What a blessing God´s plan is for His children!

Have a happy week and make good decisions!

 

 Elder Cloward

 

Today, all four of us got a kilo of Ice cream! They had it on a good deal of 2 kilos for 100 pesos ($17.5).