Miracles

This week was the coldest week I've had so far. We got through December with hardly any snow, but this week there was snow on the ground almost every day. The worst is walking home at 8:45 at night when it's 11 degrees outside with a wind chill making it feel like zero. But I can handle it!

More importantly, this week was a week of MIRACLES!

So Cristian is the cool Argentine hippie/skater/vegetarian/yoga master that got baptized at the beginning of November. Two weeks later he moved back to Argentina and I hadn't heard from him since. I had been wondering how he was doing and if he was still going to church there. This week I heard from Sister Galvan that her mom had found him on Facebook and found out that he is indeed alive and well living in Salta, Argentina, and is going to church on his skateboard :) It made me so happy to know he is doing so well! He is also planning on coming back to Union City on March 5th.

The other companionship of sisters here in Union City have had this investigator from Guatemala for about 6 months now. He was going to be baptized in August but because of some crimes he's committed in the past he had to get interviewed by one of the mission leaders, who then had to send in his baptism request to Salt Lake City, where President Monson himself had to approve whether he could be baptized. Meanwhile, he had faithfully continued to go to church and meet with the missionaries. His request had been being processed for so long and none of us knew when or if we would ever hear back. Well last week the sisters got a call from President Taggart saying he had received a letter signed by President Monson saying this guy can finally get baptized! So now his baptism is this coming Sunday!

This transfer our zone's focus is "binding the Lord" based off of D&C 82:10- "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." Each week we are to pick one thing we want to do better, and to "bind the Lord" and ask for a certain thing in return. Our Zone Leaders had chosen that they were going to get 10 contacts a day without fail, and in return, they wanted a baptism this transfer. Last week there were only 2 weeks left in the transfer and they didn't have any progressing investigators or anyone on date. I'm sure they were getting pretty discouraged and wondering if they would actually get their baptism this transfer. But then another miracle happened! A Mexican lady showed up at church and told the Zone Leaders that she had received all the missionary lessons in Jersey City but because of her job has moved to Union City. She said that she wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. So they picked her up and now she is getting baptized this Saturday, two days before the transfer ends! If that's not a miracle I don't know what is!

And finally, yesterday was probably the most rewarding day of my mission. Carlos, who was baptized two weeks ago, received the Priesthood in church, and then an hour later he baptized his 16-year-old son Sebastian! It all went perfectly. The baptism was packed! The Young Men and Young Women got involved, and so many people were there! This ward already loves Carlos and his family so much! We only first met Carlos six weeks ago and now he already was able to receive the Priesthood and baptize his son. Seeing them in the font together was the best moment ever. I have so much love for that family!! Carlos was just GLOWING with happiness yesterday, and knowing that Sister Stone and I were able to bring him that happiness was just priceless.

Carlos and Sebastian

Carlos has one more son, Argus, who is 13. He never participates in lessons because he has a hearing problem, and our gringa Spanish is hard enough to understand anyway without having hearing difficulties. But he is getting surgery on the 21st to have a Cochlear implant put in, so Carlos is hoping that will help his hearing and make him feel more comfortable listening to us!

I am down to the last week of my fourth transfer in Union City. This time next week I will know for sure whether I am going or staying, but I know the odds are against me. I am trying to make the most of the short time I have left here because I have so much love for this place, this ward, and the people who live here!

Miracles are all around, we just have to look for them and acknowledge them!

<3 Hermana Harris