So as it turns out, we probably won't have any baptisms this week. We stopped by Janet's house a few days ago and she was in tears because she had just found out a day before that her father in Nicaragua is dying. She told us she was flying out there on Sunday to be with him until he dies. So...her baptism is temporarily postponed. I feel like a lot of our investigators got sick this week. Speaking of being sick, yesterday I woke up with the worst headache. I felt like I was in constant motion and felt like throwing up every time I looked at something for more than a minute. Anyway, we had ward council at 9:30, but we let them know we wouldn't be able to make it because I wanted to rest and try to recover before church started. I did feel better and so we went to church and to our pleasant surprise, Juliana came with her 3 little boys! Just as we were walking into the chapel to catch up to her, Isidro comes walking out of Hermana Roby's jeep. Isidro was actually walking to church when she passed by him on the street, pulled over and offered him a ride. And he stayed for all 3 hours! Jorge took him to priesthood and gave him a ride afterward. Hno. Lopez even came up to him after church and also offered him a ride, but he was already leaving with Jorge and Aracely. That made me happy that the branch was really reaching out to him. I was proud of him for walking to church, too! that shows a lot of self- motivation. He apologized to us and I explained to him that we still are here supporting him, but that the elders will continue to come by and teach him because it's safer that way and they can go inside whenever they want. He asked me if he did anything wrong, which made it kind of uncomfortable because technically he did, but that's not why we're not stopping by anymore. I hope he understood what I was explaining to him, because he doesn't always comprehend things right away. Another thing that might be good about the elders teaching him now is that it will show he's in the process of conversion to the gospel and not to us. Apparently he's been known to refer to me as HIS Smith before... we just feel like the way it is now is best. I'm still on his side and care about him, though.
Juliana stayed for 2 hours, with her boys in primary, which was an achievement because they did not want to go. We stayed in nursery with her and her littlest one until he got distracted and we made a run for it to gospel principles. Haha. That little boy is 2 and just CLINGS to his mother. She had to leave after that, though, because of work. She told us outside that she's going to pray very hard to her Heavenly Father to get Sundays off. That was so awesome to hear, especially since church hasn't been the most pleasant experience for her in the past. The 2 times she stayed all 3 hours, she fell asleep during relief society and her youngest son, Uriel, always tries to rip her clothes off during sacrament meeting. But she has this whole new determination to make her kids sit and listen and stay all 3 hours. It's really cool to see. A couple weeks we brought the 2nd counselor in the primary to a lesson with us to talk a little bit more about all the activities, including boy scouts, and Juliana told us in that lesson that she had been praying for a way for her kids (especially the oldest, Noe) to get involved in something and make good friends. She believes that what the church has to offer is an answer to her prayers. Noe went to boy scouts once and really liked it, and he wants a uniform and everything.
Thursday was out Zone Training Meeting, which was a little embarrassing because they asked me to share my testimony on prayer and I got awkwardly emotional. Why? Pues...
One time when I was with sister Holland I just had like a breakdown, feeling like I had so many things to work on and just feeling overwhelmed in general... we went to the gas station and I said a prayer in the car out loud while sister Holland pumped gas..she stayed out there until I was done because she knew I was praying. I wasn't able to think of anything I was thankful for because I was just frustrated. I started expressing my frustration and asking for forgiveness out loud and in tears the entire time. eventually, my mind filled with things I was grateful for and the prayer ended on a positive note. Afterwards I felt this overwhelming sensation of peace....like suddenly anything was possible. The first thought that popped in my head said, "I love you and I'm proud of you." It was a really cool moment, but I don't know if I've ever even shared that with you before. Anyway, I shared that experience in my testimony at ZTM.
don't have much more to report. Just that I love you all and never forget the power of prayer! Seriously, I've seen so many miracles with prayer. Too many to count!
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