BAPTISM TIME! "I Know That My Redeemer Lives"

Week 41, Transfer 6
Area: Yuba City (Tierra Buena Branch)
Compañera: Hermana Park

Highlights

Junior got baptized on Saturday! He was so happy and excited, and the confirmation was amazing on Sunday. Junior was thrilled to choose one of the songs we sang at his baptism—his favorite hymn—I Know That My Redeemer Lives. Also, the font may have drained a little bit right before he was baptized, but all was well in the end! I didn't know it was possible to feel as much joy as I did the morning of his baptism. I've felt joy from the gospel before, but my soul just knew how meaningful this would be for him for the rest of eternity. All I could feel was an undeniable, indescribable joy deeper than anything I've ever felt. I can testify that this gospel is joy, and there is a reason missionaries do everything in their power every day to help people like Junior experience that same joy. It is of eternal importance for each and every one of our souls.

Gladys is on date for baptism! As of now, it's a soft date for her to work toward, and we are so excited to help her and her husband work toward it!

We had an incredible lesson with our new friend Carolina! She is so sweet and genuine. Please keep her in your prayers!

One of our friends found out my first name from the other missionaries and called me by it during English class. It definitely caught me off guard because no one has said my first name to me in nine months!

Spiritual Thought
We had interviews with our mission president, President Basha, this past week! During our zone/district meetings, while we waited for interviews, Sister Basha had an object lesson for us. The zone split into two teams and hid five nutcracker figurines for the other team to find around the church. Everywhere was fair game except the chapel and bathrooms. One nutcracker ended up inside the dustiest vacuum bag you can imagine; another was in the attic next to a dead rat being eaten by another rat. Missionaries can be creative.

But the moral of the game was this: as missionaries, our work is to save souls—genuinely to save souls. We go out every day to find people to bring to Christ, to help them change, and to give them eternal happiness and exaltation in the next life. It was a powerful object lesson to see how diligently and urgently dozens of missionaries searched high and low through the entire building to find these little nutcrackers, and then to discuss afterward how we must be equally diligent in finding those people the Lord has prepared.

Even after you've "come unto Christ," having been baptized and made further covenants with God, there is still saving to be done. There's a reason the scriptures emphasize the need to "endure to the end." My invitation to you is to do some missionary work in your own life. Search your own heart and testimony as urgently and seriously as we searched for those nutcrackers. Figure out how you can either come unto Christ to begin with or make Christ more real to you.

God loves you! Don't forget that. You all are amazing! Hasta luego,
❤️ Hermana Ellis

Fotos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UtFZf4erpztBvg7x5

Notable Quotes

Brother Smith on the miracle Zoom call: "Don't worry, the Book of Mormon is a great cure for atheism."
Hno Evans: "There comes a point when he'll realize he has to change. So... get a girlfriend with a car and come!"
Elder Pugh: "His New Year's resolution is his baptismal covenant... but people don't usually keep their resolutions."
Hermana Morgan: "Why don't they make trucks like that anymore?"
Hermana Genzer: "Because men got gay."
Hermana Park: "Envy, hate, and despise-ment is a choice, and I choose not to!"
Elder Montilla in English class: "¿Qué es 'la fábrica'?"
Hna Ellis (quietly): "Utah (for missionaries)."
Hna Ellis: "Hermana! They have a Spanish ward there!"
Hna Park: "It's in Mexico... of course they have Spanish wards there."
Hna Ellis: "...Not only do I have the memory of a goldfish, but my brain is also comparable in size to that of a goldfish."
Hna Ellis: "Oh no, we were going to invite Gladys to get the daily scripture!"
Hna Park: "Oh well, we invited her to be baptized instead!"
Elder Pittman: "The second we become prideful is the second the Spirit has to leave."
Elder Garrison: "If the Catholics can get people to church, we can get people to church!"
Hermana Park: "I'm not angry; I'm just forcefully preaching."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Man, Some Men Are Weird

Image
Week 9 Area: Olive Branch Comp: Hna Tingey Tuesday Had some fire lessons, almost put two people on a date, and had cookie night with the Lequia's! Wednesday Went to district council! We talked about what life would be like without the gospel (hint, it'd be super sad). We talked about how, as missionaries, our line of work is saving souls. But we don't have the power to literally save souls, so our work and glory is to direct others to the One who can (Jesus Christ)--to the One whose "work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) Because of Christ's gospel, we know what's to come in the next life, so we've got to be bold in declaring the good news of the gospel. Despite what the world may think, our goal as missionaries isn't to force people to join this church--our goal is to help others feel loved through the love of Christ, prepare people a little better for eternity, and live life with a little more jo...
Read more

A Functional... Ward?

Image
Week 50, Transfer 8 Area: Auburn (Auburn 2nd Ward) Compañera: Hermana Griffin Anyone who makes it to the end of this email deserves a fist bump in six months. Highlights: First week in Auburn! It is a crazy busy area! I asked my mission president for one thing this transfer—to go somewhere where I could just work. And boy, did I get my wish! Three people just got baptized recently and all got confirmed yesterday! The gift of the Holy Ghost is such a blessing! We made the goal to put seven people on date this transfer. Your prayers for the people in our area and for us would be much appreciated! The ward is so... put together here! Everyone just knows what to do and... does it? I never thought I'd be able to serve in a ward because after the mission split last summer, the only Spanish ward got put into the Sacramento boundaries. But here we are in Auburn, integrated with the ward, doing translation every Sunday, trying to start a Spanish group! The Lord's truth is marching on! H...
Read more

The Goats Look Like People Coming Outside After A Natural Disaster.

Image
Week 52, Transfer 8 Area: Auburn (Auburn 2nd Ward) Compañera: Hermana Griffin Highlights, Lowlights, and Rollercoasters JOANA HAS A DATE FOR BAPTISM!!! Please keep praying for her; she's going to need some extra strength these next few weeks! Our friend Alex MOVED. She got notice two days in advance. She'll be gone for work training for 14 weeks, BUT she gets one call every Sunday, and since she doesn't have much family, she asked if we could call every week and have lessons over the phone. The missionary heart in me was SOOO HAPPY! She is the elect of the elect. PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR ALEX!! Had our first lesson with our friend Valentin!!! He had some crazy good questions. He wanted to know the differences between our church and his church, and we were able to testify so strongly of prophets and apostles, eternal families, life after death, the spirit world, and the three kingdoms. At the end, he asked us, lowkey out of the blue, "Why are there so many churches, and ...
Read more