Week 96 Maria's Baptism

Maria´s Baptism

Saturday at around three I told my comp that we should pass by for Maria´s house just to remind her to bring a towel and extra clothes to change into after. We passed by a member's house first (where we have taught her all the lessons because she spends more time in their house than her´s) and they looked at us all worried. "We haven't seen Maria all day! She didn't even show up in the morning to drop off her daughter." Elder Molina and I went off running to her house only to find all the doors locked with padlocks and no lights. We spent the next 2 hours looking all over Flores, asking everyone if they had seen little Maria. At 4:45 I was feeling like we were going to get stood up and was about to call the guy with the bus and tell him not to come. When the other elders called us and said that they had found her sitting on the side of the church building with all her stuff. I laughed a little and asked Elder Molina where the ONLY place we hadn't searched, and he is like the church. We both laughed and everything turned out well. The baptism was so full that almost half of the people who came had to stand outside the room.

Last night I had one of the most precious moments of my mission. At about 7:45 last night we were feeling really tired and our last appointment had fallen through. My comp wanted to visit these less actives but I said no because it was too far away and we would waste the little time we had left. I could tell he was really bugged and so I knocked on the closest door I could. The family invited us in and just happened to be a nephew of one of the most active members in the branch. The lesson was horrible. But when I say horrible I mean horrible. I was so happy when we finally finished the prayer. I could tell my comp was frustrated with me and the choice I had made. We got back to the house and planned. After planning we talked for awhile and he expressed a lot of things he had wanted to say. I waited a second and asked him why he hasn't been studying (for this past month I have been studying alone and spend most mornings waiting around until he showers and gets ready). I expressed my concern about the people we were teaching and how our study as companion effects everything we do. After talking I felt better but found myself thinking this isn't how I want to finish my mission. After calling the district and noting some datas I walked into our little room to find my companion kneeling and crying in prayer. As I sat looking at him for a moment I saw things from a different perspective. My mind became full of all the times I had wanted to do better but felt inadequate. I knelt down and prayed with him. After quite sometime we finished and said our nightly prayer. I felt so different then earlier that night or really how I have felt this whole month. All of my frustration and bitterness changed to compassion and love. I really feel like we are going to have some amazing baptisms these coming weeks.

ELDER THORN 

 

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