"Baptism"-- One of the Greatest Gifts We Can Receive!!

                                                                                                                            Dec. 9, 2013 
Ahhhh!!! It's almost Christmas!!!! I am so excited to see all of you! How are you all doing? I am so proud of you and the missionary work you are doing. I wish I could be there for the family home evening tonight, but I know everything will be perfect. Just pray for the Spirit to guide what you say, and then open your mouths and the Lord will guide you! Thank you for each of your letters! This week was amazing!!! 

First off, on Monday we went to the barbeque that a sister in our ward invited us to. It was her birthday the day after mine and so we celebrated together. They had a cake and we took turns lighting the candles and blowing them out for our birthdays. Afterwards they started chanting for me to bite the cake. For birthdays they always have an activity where the birthday person tries to take a little bite of the cake before their family and friends can push their faces in the cake. I knew what they would do so I didn't want to do it, but Sister Andrea promised me that no one would push my face in the cake. I went to take a bite, and Sister Andrea pushed the cake in my face ha ha it was so fun and I am so grateful for the cute members of my branch.

Guess what??? CRISTIAN WAS BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was so amazing and the members really helped make his baptism special. There were a lot of trials to get everything ready. Hermana Amaya and I started the font and the water was hot when we left to go to lunch, and when we returned a half an hour before the baptism was supposed to start, the water was freezing and really low. The elders came to help us, and I boiled water as fast as I could so it would be warmish-coldish and not freezing.


The baptism was beautiful and Cristian shared his testimony about how he felt so clean and that he had been born again. He will receive the priesthood hopefully this Sunday!!! The Ward is really supporting us and helping us.

This is a picture of Cristian and his cute wife and baby. We know that the gospel will bring so many blessings to his new family!! Baptism is truly one of the greatest gifts we can receive. We are so happy for Cristian and his family and know that his choice to be baptized will bring eternal blessings!!

 

     We have seen so many miracles as we were able to help less active members, and investigators, and as we prayed for them, the Lord really blessed them in their individual needs.

This week we found some more new investigators!!!.We found Lester and Katy who are married and have a little daughter named Rosa. They are so cute, and Lester has been in the evangelic church since he was little but he wants to know more about our church. We also found Yicet, Verónica, and Estephani. I am so excited about Estephani. She is a young mother of 3 children, who has a story very similar to Joseph Smith. She was really searching for the true church when she was 15, but never felt like she received an answer. She said that the missionaries always knocked on her door and asked if they could share, and she always said no. But when we came, she said yes. She says that maybe the fact that the missionaries always came is an answer to prayer. She is so amazing, and I am so excited to teach her!!! Camila was out of town this past week, but this week we really hope to help her have a baptismal date, and to come to church. Speaking of baptismal dates, Ramon and Maria are preparing to be baptized this Saturday, the 14th of December. Ramon has stopped smoking!!! Please pray for him that he can keep going, and that he can have strength and that they both can be prepared. We are still working with Marcela, but she struggles with the Word of Wisdom and needs many prayers so she can keep progressing. Thank you for your prayers and the love you have for them!! They are so precious!! 

I am so excited for Christmas!!!! The members are so good to us, and have already invited us to come, as well as our investigators haha. Next week we have transfers, so maybe I will get transferred first, but I will go where the Lord needs me to go. Next week on the 19th or 20th, we are going to have a special mission conference for Christmas. I am in the Choir and also in a trio!!! We are singing, "He sent His Son" (in Spanish), and "Silent Night," (o Noche de Luz,) and in the trio we are singing "Mary´s Lullaby." I am so grateful for Christmas and for the talents the Lord has given me to be able to sing. The song of the heart truly is a prayer unto the Lord and I can´t wait to praise Him for Christmas. We have been singing Christmas songs in church for the past 4 weeks haha They don't celebrate Thanksgiving here so everyone had their decorations up in early November. It is amazing!!! Why can't we have more time to celebrate Christ´s birth!! We should celebrate all year round. Rachael, I am so proud that you are going to give Books of Mormon to your friends. This is the challenge that I want to give you all this week. For Christmas you can give Books of Mormon with your testimony written in them, to all of your friends. The members of Frutillares are going to do it, for the Olimpiada misional and also for Christmas. We can all be united as we give Books of Mormon to our friends in Chicago and in Chile!!! The two Chi-towns! hahaI love you all!!! I love my mission!! I love our Savior and our Heavenly Father!!!! I hope you have an amazing week, can´t wait to hear from you soon!!! Love you!!!! Hasta luego!!!