November 12, 2013
Familia! y Amigos!
Yesterday was Remembrance Day here in Canada so we had to wait to email until today. In Canada, during the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, everyone wears red flowers (poppies) to show respect. Bro. Horton gave Sister Martin and me each a flower so we fit in with all the Canadians. It was nice to wear it right next to my name tag! I hope you all had a nice Veterans Day.
This week has been such a blessing. Delfino Sanchez Arellano was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! On Friday, Delfino, the Sheppards, and the two of us made an amazing authentic Mexican meal! Delfino taught me all kinds of tricks for cutting and cooking. I love learning new skills! After dinner, the District Leader and his companion came and interviewed Delfino. No worries: he "passed" and apparently when he bore his testimony to the Elder, the Elder almost cried because the Spirit was so strong. Delfino also told him that he wanted to give 10% for tithing and 90% to the missionary fund! When the big day came, Sister Martin and I were in charge of filling up the font. At 4:30 (15 minutes before they told us to) we started. But, just like every missionary's nightmare, the font was only half full as the baptism was about to start. So Sister Martin and I went into the janitor's closet and got buckets and (clean) trash cans and frantically started filling up the font. It all worked out and ended up being a big laugh later. (See the pictures included). The actual baptism was one of the sweetest, most spiritual experiences of my life. It felt so good to see someone that I love and care about make such a wonderful step in his life. Sister Martin and I sang a duet and many people were crying as Delfino bore his sweet and simple testimony. As we talked to him privately he kept saying over and over, "I'm so happy. I feel so different. I feel the Spirit." It's amazing looking back and seeing how the Lord put Delfino in our path. Sister Nuttall and I kept getting promptings to walk by Delfino's house because he lived next to a "potential investigator" that was never home and in the end didn't want anything to do with us. Until one day, Delfino stopped us and asked who we were. Throughout his life he experienced things that made him hate drinking and hate drugs. He had friends that invited him to church as a youth and even had a Book of Mormon given to him. The missionaries didn't have to do much but just help and encourage him. The Lord has been preparing him for a long, long time. When I asked him to get baptized on November 9th, he said that he couldn't because he had work and his boss never let him have Saturdays off even if he asks. I took a giant leap of faith and read to him 1 Nephi 3:7 and promised him that the Lord would give him Saturday AND Sunday off so that he could get baptized and confirmed if he prepared himself for that day. Well the Lord provided a way and he didn't have to work either day. The Lord takes care of his children. The confirmation was exactly what Delfino needed to hear. He has some concerns with his past and family and they addressed them perfectly and the man that confirmed him had no idea. I love the priesthood.
Well, we have a lot of work to do now that Delfino is baptized and we have a few beginning stage investigators that we are excited to start working with.
The missionary fireside of Saturday was really nice. We had the French couple (Dillworths) come and they really enjoyed it! And we got a couple of referrals as well. When I sang I felt the Spirit, and I knew that others felt the Spirit as well. The Lord takes our few fishes or our little, tiny ability and turns them into enough to feed hundreds.
Transfers are on the 20th and I'm happy to say that I'm going to be staying in Airdrie to finish training Sister Martin. So I'll be with my ward family for both Christmas and New Years. Honestly, I'm fine just staying in Airdrie for the rest of my mission.
Thanks for the love, prayers, and support.
Con Amor,
Hermana Gardner
No comments:
Post a Comment