Dear the family,
Esta semana ha sido una semana
hermosisima [This has been a most beautiful week]. We were privileged to presenciate [witness] the baptismal service of
our friend Savino Mayta. It was really really especially pretty because
we were able to plan with a member of the sumos [High Priests] who sang with his wife
and he played guitar a hymn. Also that a there were quite a few people
there (after this picture, an activity ended and a bunch of people
came). It was also very pretty because afterwards, his two children were
able to talk. I was a little unprepared for what they shared. His son,
who has 26 years, shared the history of the church in his family. He
shared about how his mom was baptized about 30 years ago and how he was
baptized 2 years ago and how for a year they were going with their mom
and his sister who was baptized at the same time.
They had fallen away from activity a year ago, and
like I wrote last week, had decided as a family to come back to the
church, even with the Dad who still wasn't a member. He had been thinking
that he should be baptized "the day Christ was born, the 25 of
December," or that's what they told us. He had held firm that view and
thought until last Sunday. Last Sunday was fast Sunday. His daughter had
talked to the bishop the week before, and the gospel principles teacher
had also mentioned the power of fasting.
His daughter, who is about 30, when she talked at
his baptism told of how she had met with the bishop and expressed her
desires that in the next trip the ward does to Lima (a 22 hour bus ride)
she wants to be sealed with her family. Our marvelous bishop told her
how great that idea was, and that it would be important that he can be
baptized this month, so that he can complete the one year preparation
before the ward trip next August (the whole ward is really excited for
the trip of this year, which is going to be the 27 of this month!).
She told us that she became worried, and mentioned
to her dad that he should be baptized this month to be able to make the
ward trip and be sealed all, he resisted and stayed with the idea of
December for his baptism. So, was quite worried. But she remembered the
counsel of the bishop and of our gospel principles class teacher. She
decided to fast. She said in that baptism that she had never fasted
before, and she knew it was going to be hard since at 6 she always gets
really hungry. So to keep her fast, she decided to go to sleep. haha. In
the morning she said she woke up with a strange sensation. She wasn't
hungry, she just felt good. They went to church, they ended their fast,
and we went to visit them in the night. That was last Sunday.
While there, just like I wrote last week, we read
with him some scriptures, and had planned to invite him to be baptized
for the 11 of August.
We read Alma 7 and analyzed it, and the spirit started to work in him. He decided to be
baptized and now we know why his daughter was so emotional about that
decision. Her fast was answered. They will be able to go to the temple
with the ward next year!
Telling that story she got quite emotional and
expressed her great great happiness. It was amazing to see that we had
been involved in the Lords answering her fast. Good to be worthy of
being part of answering a fast.
After his baptism, he invited the 30 or so people
who were there to his house to share some food, and they were really
worried because there were way way more than they were expecting. But it
was somehow more than enough.
Also, Sunday, we were
in the sacrament meeting praying and praying that the Lord could bring
his chosen children to church. The two ladies who were going to be
baptized next week didn't come for some reason. We have got to find out
about how to help them. Anyway, after talking with an investigator who
is struggling to get married to be able to make his cohabitation
relation after the manner of the Lord and be baptized, we went to the
Gospel Principles class. The teacher came up to us excitedly and said:
"Elders, this is Sandra, she wants to be baptized." I about fainted.
God answers prayers.
She is
the friend of a member. She went to church years ago but never was
baptized, and stopped going at some point. But she came yesterday with
the desire to change her life once and for all and be baptized. It
should be soon her service.
That's all the time I've got.
Love you all,
Elder Johnson
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