Merida - Week 12

¡Hola!

So we just had cambios (exchanges)  and lots has changed! I'm the senior companion, but not training (thankfully!). My companion, Hermana Torazno is from Mexico and doesn't speak much English, so I get to teach her lots, and learn lots from her. I'm super excited because I get to stay here another transfer and see through to some baptisms that Hermana Ludlam and I found. The last couple weeks leading up to cambios we could hardly wait to see what would happen, so I'm excited to know and be able to write home about it! I didn't expect cambios to be so much anticipation haha.

This week we had a baptism! María (23 years) got baptized, and both of her parents came. Her mom wants to get baptized too, but someone always has to tend the dad, who can barely talk. For a while he was a big impediment, but he actually came to the baptism, which was a miracle! Right now we have lots of really great investigators. Jesus we found more at the beginning of getting here, so he's basically done with the lessons, just waiting for a baptism date. He talks a LOT, so getting through the lessons took a long time with him. He loves the church, but we were worried he wouldn't get baptized on the date we set because work has been crazy for him. He finally had a lightbulb moment this week that he was letting work interfere with what God wants for him, so I think he'll be baptized really soon. He is one of our investigators that Hermana Ludlam and I really love. And I think he loves us even more. We had a lesson Sunday and he told us how much he cared about us and how we've changed his life and his eyes got all teary. Coming into the mission, I expected to have lots of love for the people here, but it's surprises me how much of a friendship I've developed with them. Even though I feel like I barely speak Spanish! Gift of tongues is real though.

Juvencio is another golden investigator. He's a lawyer and we teach him in his office, which pretty much just looks like a house. All the little buildings here are the same, haha. He finally came to church Sunday and only had planned on staying for an hour or so, but he was so touched during the sacrament that he had to step out to dry his eyes. The spirit hit him really hard during sacrament. He ended up staying the whole time and we even had a quick lesson right after the services. He would get baptized tomorrow if we would let him, but his wife is Jehovah’s Witness and doesn't want him to change religions. He's really worried that it will hurt their marriage if he tells her everything, so I'm waiting for him to meet with the mission president to sort things out. Since the church won't break up marriages, if his wife doesn’t agree with it, he can't get baptized without a divorce, and if he gets divorced to get baptized, but won't support his family, he still can't get baptized.  His situation is a little messy

Our family that we're teaching is doing really well though! Their problem is they have to get legally married first. They want to start right away though, so hopefully in 3 months or so we can plan for them. Their cute 9 year old wants to get baptized sooner.  She is super adorable. She's come to church twice with her mom and the last lesson we had with her family, she gave the closing prayer and got all teary afterwards because she was so happy. I think kids can really be good examples for their parents sometimes. Her name is Monica, the same name as her mom.

Things have been going really well here. I'm super excited to finally be the one in charge, haha. I have a feeling my new companion and I are going to have a great companionship and help lots of people learn the gospel!

Until next week, Hermana Harper