The Miracles from the Trials - September 10, 2016

Wow this week was so awesome to be able to see just all of the blessings of the gospel in this work. To start off with, Eloy was baptized last Saturday right after I wrote my last letter. He was so ready to be baptized and ready to start his new life that he had lost after all of the trials that he went through. Honestly it was a miracle to see him baptized and see the humble way that he went about being who he was afterwards yet at a sense of peace and happiness that came from this long process that he has gone through. He had gotten into a drinking habit a few years ago, and he lost everything, including his house, family, and work. He found a friend who is a member who offered him a room to stay in and live in and he gave the reference to us. Anyways it was a long struggle but he learned the true principle of repentance and the ability to turn towards the Savior and away from the things of the world. It was so humbling to see the way that he was willing to be a part of the Church and follow the Savior. We have come to have a great love for him and his willingness to learn and change his life. The other amazing thing that happened this week was that we were able to see another amazing change in the life of a Sister in the ward here. Her name is Adelina, and we found her and her neighbors contacting doors. We started teaching them and we all thought that they were investegators. After the 4th lesson Adelina decided to tell us that she is a member that was baptized about 25 years ago. She had some bad experiences with the ward and told her neighbor that she was never going back. That is when we showed up. (Adelina is actually the neighbor of our investegator Gil who we have been teaching together during this time). At first Gil was the one that seemed like he was the most interested but we have had a hard time helping him get to church. We continued trying to testify of repentance to them and asked them to please come to church with us. We told them that we would stop by this last Sunday and we did. But when we got there Gil didnt want to come to church, Adelina was ready to go and we went walking to church in the rain and the mud. When church got over Adelina came out with a smile on her face and said that she was going to give us lunch for the next week, and that she was going to go talk to the bishop. We were so excited that the spirit had wroght such a mighty change of heart within her. When we stopped by this last Wednesday, Gil asked us if we noticed anything different about Adelina because he said that he could see a light in her eyes and a pure smile that he had never noticed before. That is when Adelina told us what had been happening. She said that for the last 3 months she had been battling severe depression and that she had completely stopped eating. She would get home from work and go straight to her room and not come out until the next day for work again, and that she had never felt anything worse in her life, that life didnt matter to her anymore. She said that after she left church she still felt this same sadness and wondered why she wasnt recieving those blessings that we had promised her. She continued on with her life until Wednesday is when she woke up and she said that she felt the spirit of the Lord upon her and that she had been forgiven of everything that had happened in those past few months. It is something that I realized as we were able to continue to find so many more people that were willing to hear us this week, all looking for happiness. And the happiness in Gods plan is the happiness that we can recieve as we are able to repent of our sins each and every day. That the pain of our sins is nothing in comparison to the happiness and peace that comes from being willing to humble ourselves and realize the power of the Atonement in our lives. On Wednesday we were able to share the epitomy of this principle with Adelina and Gil, that comes in Alma 38 8 And it came to pass that I was three days and three nights in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul. 9 And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness. This is what Adelina experienced. And as we continued to go by this house and see the sadness and literal dispair that they are going through, for the first time in 2 months we heard her testify of this promise of peace unto our souls. We heard Gil and his mom Victoria tell us that they hadnt sold anything for the past 3 days and that they didnt know what they were going to do for food. I felt moved upon by the spirit to promise them that if they went to church this week, they wouldnt have a shortage of food or money. They doubted it, until Adelina told them that this is true and it is what they needed. The spirit testified through the peace and joy that Adelina had recieved this week to help others begin this process of peace to them. To see this family was one of the greatest blessings that I have seen in my mission, only because the greatest miracle here was that they could repent and open their hearts to the spirit to bear witness to them of the love that our Heavenly Father has for each of his children.

Eloy's Baptism