#46 [Cidra - 22] Jan. 27th, 2014

Happy Marissa is Cool Day! (It's the 27th day of each month.)
 
This week was a good one, there were a lot of miracles. Yesterday was probably the best day on my mission so far because it was the ending of one of the most spiritual weeks of my life. I guess I just had a lot of "Aha!" moments about the Gospel, and I loved it.

Before I forget, I want to send a Birthday Shout-out to ASHLYN MARIE RIRIE!!! I dunno if she reads the mission blog anymore, but let her know I love her and thought of her the other day on her day of birth. I hope she got the card I sent...

ANYWHO... I want to include in this week's email the things I've felt in regards to two investigators that we have.
•    G__ S__ got baptized yesterday and it was a straight up miracle because we haven't even known him for a whole month. About three days after the very first lesson, his grandson called us and told us that he went to the hospital and some tests came back telling him that he has a brain tumor, but he wanted to be baptized!
    G__ is a very prideful guy, but with good reason, because he's extremely intelligent. He's never been into religion, he's always considered himself too tough for it. Obviously, he's a believer, but he's never asked very many questions because he knows that God exists and that He has a plan, but we are just all supposed to believe in what we have been told through the Bible. However, when his grandson, A__, came back to live here from Florida and started sharing things about the Church, that got his attention, and so we met him on New Year's Eve. Every time we've visited him, it's been difficult to teach him because HE wants to teach US. But ever since he decided he wanted to be baptized, he's been pretty good during the lessons and very receptive. I felt humbled to know that Hermana Archila and I got to teach such an intelligent person such as him, and I almost felt like I didn't know enough sometimes. But all the questions he asked have answers: answers that can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it has been amazing to see his faith growing. Even though he doesn't know everything about the Church, he knows it's true, and he was willing to be baptized yesterday. I really can't explain how it's been, seeing this change in him. And I always thought that he wasn't necessarily getting baptized because he really believes in all of this. But yesterday, it was incredible. His baptism was genuine, and I could see that in him afterwards. Hermana Archila and I have spoken about it since, and he really did "[become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things...even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19). This man, who refused all his life to ever be broken, bent yesterday as he submersed himself in the waters of baptism. And it was amazing to see.

•    W__ is another miracle we've witnessed this week. He is the most receptive Puerto Rican I've met so far on my mission. HE came up to US asking for a Book of Mormon and when I first met him, I was nervous about it because there are a lot of people put in our path who want to tear down our faith in the restored Gospel, who ask us questions to confuse us. And a lot of times, there are people who refuse to be taught, and even if they listen, they refuse to apply what they learn. But W__ isn't anything like anyone I've met here. He is genuinely searching for answers. The first thing he said to us when we first taught him was, "I want to know what you guys believe. Why are you so happy and what is it that you guys have that I don't. Why am I NOT a Mormon?" He knows a little bit about the Church; he knows about the Word of Wisdom, and has seen the temples, but that's about all. He came to Church yesterday for the first time and it was really funny because he said that it felt like everything wrong was happening before to inhibit him from visiting our Church yesterday morning. But he made it, and he even stayed to see G__'s baptism! Last night, we went to his house and taught the Plan of Salvation and he was blown away about the doctrine of Eternal Marriage and Families. He said he wants to know if the Church is true and he said he was going to be getting up every day at 5:30 a.m. to read from the Book of Mormon and take the challenge to ask God if it's true because he wants to know for sure. He said he's coming to Church next Sunday and also accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 9th of February. We are really, really excited about him. He is a very, very special soul. I'm thankful we found him and met him and have been able to share the Gospel with him. But the funny thing is, HE found US.

I know the Lord is working alongside us. I've seen His hand so much this past month. There are so many things that have happened that I know were tender mercies of the Lord and I am so thankful I've been lucky enough to see them and experience them for myself. I'm just very happy I came out here. I've become such a better person because of everything I've learned.

Just so everyone knows, the mission office will not be receiving our (the missionaries') mail anymore, so people will have to send me mail directly to my current address. As transfers are coming up in about two weeks, I want people to know that their letters need to be mailed to this address for the next two weeks. If I'm transferred, I'll let you know where I am the following P-day. My current mailing address is:

Calle Las Flores
#51 Parcelas Polvorin
Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736

Now I'll write back to this week's email from you guys. THANK YOU FOR EMAILING ME EVERY WEEK! I love hearing from you all!! (Well, I mean Mom and Dad)...

I plan to send some thank-you notes to the people who wrote to me from the ward Christmas party, too. Those will be coming soon. Also, I plan on sending a box of stuff home. Mostly a bunch of letters and other miscellaneous items I can't necessarily use while I'm here. So if you get a package from me, just put it in my room, please! :) No rush, though. I'll send it eventually.

I remember riding scooters to school with Madeline. I think we did it a few times. I also remember walking with a bunch of kids from the ward. Good times. That feels like another lifetime ago...

You are so very lucky that you get to go to the temple as often as you do. I definitely took that for granted while I was home and don't plan on committing that same error again. I can't wait to see the new movie(s), too!!! :)

Rach is a genius for sending a letter to S__! I wanna do the same, but probably do something cooler so I don't copy her idea and make her mad for it. :) Jeff, tell her to get excited.

Well anyway, I feel like that's really all I've got to say. I'm finishing my second journal on the mission. I am excited about it. I love reading my first journal entries and seeing how much of a child I was.

I will be attaching photos. I miss you all a ton and hope everything continues to go well in your lives! I pray for you every day and night and all the times in between! :)

-Hermana Erickson