Scared of Water
Wazaaaaaap
Update on life here:
I'm about to complete 14 months in the mission.
Three days ago I got transferred to the area Casa Blanca, where I got my new companion Elder Harward, who also just got to the area at the same time as me too. He's really great, he's from Rexburg Idaho/Provo Utah. Another cool thing is this is his first time being zone leader, and he has the exact same amount of time I had when I became one too. It's been a little crazy with both of us being new to the area, but we both have an eye of faith looking forward to good things to come.
Probably for this email, I'll mostly just finish up some stories I never wrote from when I was in El Congo
Waterphobia
I know i've talked to my family when I call about the Lemus family, but I don't know if i've ever written about them here. But to make a long epic backstory short, the Lemus family was found when we knocked on a random door on our way out of a tiny colony in a corn field, and it ended up with them all coming to church. They are awesome. The family consists of three sisters, Vanessa, Isamar, and Nubia, and each of the sisters has some kids: Allison and Cloe, Brandon, and Daniela. But the grandparents of the family were taken away a little over a year ago with the emergency regimen that was put in place to get rid of the gangs. The regimen worked because it got rid of the gangs, but sadly that also came with the cost of many innocents being taken as well.
The three kids got baptised within the first 3 weeks, but the three moms were more hesitant. We continued teaching them for a few months, and challenged them to be baptised 3 times, but they kept rejecting so we ended up having to not pass by as often. But then after a month of not passing by too often, we came by to do a service project painting their house, and Vanessa and Isamar were like "alright when are we gunna put the baptismal date" So that was a miracle.
There was just one little problem, Vanessa is scared of water. She can't stand being under water or anything that means water touching her face. That's a little bit of a problem when baptism requires being completely submerged in water.
So what we ended up doing is for her baptismal interview Wednesday afternoon we filled up the font, and prepared to do a practice run after the interview. Just let her get in the font, maybe practice going under, and that way on Saturday it wouldn't be as scary hopefully.
But when she came out of her baptismal interview she had felt the spirit, and she just looked at us, looked at the font, and said "I don't need to practice. We have the water, we have the white clothes, let's just do this right now. I've waited long enough for this"
She almost went in right then but her daughter Allison convinced her to wait until the evening when more of her family could be there.
That Wednesday evening was one of the best baptismal services I've ever attended. The talks were given by some old high school friends who she found out were members when she came to church, and it made everybody cry. She was shaking scared before she got into the font, but she stepped in anyways, held on tight, and went completely under and came back up super smooth and easy.
And after the baptism, she came up to us and told us that somehow, after the prayer was said and she went all the way under, she didn't even feel the water touch her head or face at all, and she felt completely peaceful.
God knows you. He knows your desires and he knows your fears. And He gives you opportunities here to choose to follow Him even though it's scary sometimes. And if you choose to follow him, He will prepare the way that you can overcome what stands in the way.
PUPUSAS: Almost 500. I forgot to bring my count with me today.
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