Faith precedes the miracle

Well we had an amazing and definitely hectic week. Our wonderful young couple were going to be baptized this weekend, originally Saturday, but then we decided to do it Sunday so that it wouldn't be after the general women's conference. But then Friday night, we realized that they would have to wait 2 weeks to be confirmed in Sacrament meeting because of General Conference. So we made a few phone calls (LOTS) and scrambled up a baptismal service and program and planned to have it 9pm after the General Women's Conference. Only the Louetta ward would do such a thing. I love it so much here. Our ward mission leader is so passionate about the work. He told us that we are going to have a baptism every weekend. Whether or not we have someone ready, the font is going to be filled. I think my favorite moment of the weekend was sitting in the Relief Society Room watching the English version of the Women's Conference with a bunch of other missionaries, hearing the ward mission leader sneak into the adjacent baptismal font from the men's bathroom and turn the water on full blast like it didn't matter at all. It was so funny. All the missionaries looked around really confused and I just grinned and stared straight ahead at the TV.  Faith precedes the miracle.

The baptismal service was really nice. We got special permission to stay so late. When the wife came up out of the water, 8 months pregnant, in the largest jumper we had, she squealed, "Ay! Que frio!" and then waited off to the side as she watched her husband get baptized as well. When he ascended the stairs to the men's changing room you could hear her say, "Quiero darte un abrazo!" (I want to hug you!) That is what all this work is about. Just helping families be happy in living the gospel, and have the promise of eternity together. They have been amazing examples of faith to us. We met them 2 weeks ago and they have not faltered in their determination to live the gospel once they felt the witness in their hearts that it was true.

 

The wife told us how she used to ignore the missionaries and hide behind her door when they came knocking and always was irritated by them: "WHY do they keep coming? I will NEVER be interested in changing my religion!" Our miracles are the result of the hard hard work of other faithful saints. And they may never know the fruit their work bore! Never get discouraged! Every effort you make leads to wonderful things!

I don't have more time this week, but I sure love each of you. I have a wonderful new companion who was sent to me to help direct me in what I should do in the future. She is a landscape architecture major. She loves baking and humming to herself, and has red hair and her family lives in Farmington and she is just spring personified. I love being on a mission.