•Milagros!!....2/20/2012

Wow, what an incredible week. I really feel like the theme over the past couple months has really been goals - staying committed to them and seeing miracles happen to make them possible. So earlier this month, Brenda Kirby got baptized and we felt that there were two more people who needed to get baptized this month. We prayed and we felt good about. We didn't know how it was going to happen or who it was going to be, but we knew if we did everything possible that it would happen. So I think I talked a little about Lois Smyth a little bit last week and how we met her. Well, this last Monday she came with us to a Family Home Evening at the McKendrick's house (they live in those same apartments) and she actually got there first. We were late as always, because the most random things always seem to come up Monday evenings. By the time we got there they had already done a quick lesson and she was just a part of everything, talking and laughing and just loving it. She seriously seems like she's already a member (even though by that time we had known her less than a week!), and teaching her is awesome. Anyway, that next day (Valentine's Day) we went to the Visitor's Center and it was quite possibly the best, most spiritual experience I've ever had there. We watched the new version of "Joseph Smith - Prophet of the Restoration" and it was incredible. The new movie shows everything from Lucy Smith's point of view and I feel like it's a little better and more powerful. So after the movie, Lois had to sit back a little and take it all in. When we came outside of the little theater and started talking about it, the emotions were just too much for her and she had to go to the bathroom with her fellowship.
It was funny in the meantime, we were talking to the McKendrick's and the people from Gilbert that introduced Lois to everything. Rachel McKendrick was saying how her husband told her to not think that all people will be like Jeff and Kendra when they go on their mission (they plan on serving a senior mission when they're older), and we think it's funny because everyone they've fellowshipped has either gotten baptized or will be baptized (you'll hear the story later on). So when Lois came out, we started talking about everything, especially the blessings of the gospel, and how much it changes lives. She had all these questions about baptism and authority, and it was awesome being able to answer those questions with confidence. When we asked how she felt, she just said she felt overwhelmed. Elder Twitchell said if she continues to pray, study, and go to church, she will know of a surety that these things are true. She responded and said that it was pretty overwhelming that it's true - no denying that. She just talked about not being sure how her family would react to everything. I guess her husband died a while back, but she has 2 daughters that have their own families. So at the moment, we didn't set a sure baptismal date, but we were all super happy and uplifted and Lois absolutely loved it - it changed her.
So on Friday we went by to have a lesson with her and we had to do splits, because we had all kinds of baptismal interviews to do out in Gilbert. It was also interesting because we had a lot of people come with us to that lesson, including my ride out to Gilbert. So a bunch of us showed up there and after a little bit, I took off to do the interviews. Elder Twitchell said about as soon as it all started, Lois said that she had made her decision when she went to the Visitor's Center to be baptized! He invited her to be baptized Feb. 25th (this Saturday) and she said yes! It makes the process a lot smoother when people make the decision beforehand :) So she came to church yesterday and loved it. She's already been super integrated into the ward, even though this was her first Sunday there. She told us that we had changed her life forever.... It was incredible. I love experiences with investigators where you're able to establish things right from the beginning. She knew exactly who we were and why we were there. We had super spiritual lessons where we testified of divine truths and she felt it. It has been one of the best experiences of my entire life. So that was our 2nd of 3 people to be baptized in February.
So...during this process we were also really focusing on Hugo and Johana, hoping that both of them would be ready to be baptized very soon. We kept going by and teaching them, and it was cool because we feel like Hugo is starting to take things a lot more seriously. He's asking TONS of questions, getting a lot more involved, actually coming to church, and reading in the Book of Mormon. He still hasn't decided or committed yet, but we had this thought the other morning that she could still get baptized (we're still going to have to marry them). When we went over there and talked about it, Johana actually said she was just about to ask us that very question! She was excited because I guess this weekend is also her birthday so it would be cool to have their marriage and her baptism right around that time. We taught her basically everything in the entire world this last Saturday... she asked us all these questions and it's just so much fun to teach people that listen and take it all in. She has been so prepared and absolutely loves the difference it's making in her life. The little girls (hers and Adriana's) will kneel down at night and pray all by themselves (even though you can't always understand what they're saying). It's way cute. When Johana came to stake conference yesterday, she said she was overwhelmed by that same feeling she always gets and it made her cry. They are so awesome!
It's been fun seeing President Howes at church the past two weeks (he came to both of our stake conferences, since our wards are in different stakes) - there is definitely a special bond between missionaries and their mission presidents. He is just so powerful, and the whole conference was awesome. All of the stake leaders around here just emulate the gospel and are fountains of wisdom. We also took Lois to the Mission President Fireside yesterday, and I got to do a special musical number. I did an EFY song that I've done before "I Will Not Be Still" and I don't know if I've ever had quite that many compliments - it was cool especially to hear some really good compliments from Pres Howes' parents, who were spending the weekend!
So that's mostly it for the week - we're seeing some incredible things and excitement in the ward! We've been continuing the member visits and all these members have been coming up to us and reporting on the people they're working with! They feel accountable for those people and cool things are happening. A young woman invited a friend to an activity (I guess they really like it) and another friend came up to her and said she wanted to get baptized! They may or may not be moving into our area, which would be cool. There's a lot of missionary excitement, and things have really just turned around. I love it!
So that's about it for the week! It's definitely been a good one :) best Valentine's Day of my life!
Thanks for all you do! love ya mucho,
Elder Carlson