17 November - Felicidad y Gozo

This last week was crazy. We literally did not have enough time in the day to do all the things that we wanted to... But it was such a good week. Juan Jose and Kimberly were baptized on Sunday. Truly miracles. They are amazing. For only being 9 years old they know so much and they have such a strong desire to follow our Heavenly Father. It is truly amazing to see. And it was also very unique to see their families. Juan Jose is the grandson of a member and his father is a less active member and his mother is not a member. But he was going to be baptized last year when he was 8 but he had an accident and was unable to be. But his grandma gave a talk during the baptism and she was just so thankful that we had found them and that we had helped to teach him and he has such an amazing desire to follow his Heavenly Father. And Kimberly is the daughter of a less active as well. She was absolutely a miracle. Because we found her in the Church through a member and we started talking to her and she wanted to be baptized. And we got to teach her and literally every single day last week we taught her a lesson and she just absorbed everything so quickly. And her mom said that she would just sit down and start reading her pamphlets and her Book of Mormon after we left to prepare and I just thought that was the cutest little thing. So it was so fun to be able to watch them come into this gospel. And right now we are preparing 5 other people for baptism. We hope that at least 3 of them will be baptized this week but we really do not know. One of them is a 24 year old named Yuri and the missionaries firTst contacted her in January but she has not been progressing a lot but in the last 3 weeks she has been progressing so well. And she is really coming to know that this Gospel is true and she has the desire. But she has been investigating with her boyfriend Carlos and Carlos wants more of an answer before he is baptized. So last week we were all set on Tuesday to have her baptized on Sunday but then the next day we went to visit her and Carlos was there and she was back on the fence. But we are really hoping that she will have this desire and knowledge to be baptized this week. It is truly amazing to see this Gospel change peoples lives for the better. And it is so crazy. But I am loving every minute of it. Some days I struggle a lot but I know that the Lord is on my side. And I have really felt Satan working at me. He knows are weaknesse and he does not want us to be happy. And so when we are happy and when we are experiencing success he attacks us. And I have felt that this week but I am really trying to focus on the work and helping people and especially praying like no other. We have changes this week. What??? I have already been in the field for almost 6 weeks crazy! But we are having them a little early (Friday instead of Wednesday) because of Thanksgiving next week in the states and so it is hard for them to find flights for the missionaries going home. And we do not know for sure yet but we are pretty sure that we are going to have a change in our companionship. This makes me so sad because I love Hermana Wong and I want her to finish training me but we will do whatever the Lord needs. And I really hope that atleast one of us stays here in Petapa because we have so many people that are getting so close to baptism. And we just want to help them! But we shall see what happens. I think that is all for this week.... Hope you all have an amazing week. I will try to send pictures of the baptisms later. Thank you for all of your support prayers and love! Les amo mucho!!!! Hermana Stewart