Baptism

HELLO!!

It has been a crazy week!!!  Fun, stressful, exciting, etc. and lots of prayer has gone into it.  To give you the first news...

OUR 81 YEAR OLD INVESTIGATOR GOT BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!  Hahaha I still can't believe that it actually happened.  But it did.  We have been teaching her since January or so, and she didn't really understand a lot of what we taught her but believed what she did understand.  In order for the branch to be able to help her more, and of course so she could feel the spirit and be happier in her life, the branch president really wanted her to get baptized.  We weren't really sure if she could or not because she can't understand everything, but after talking to President Gilbert about it, he said that if she believed what she did understand and would continue to attend church, she could get baptized.  So we invited her to baptism last week (I think I mentioned that it my email last week) and she got baptized yesterday at Stake Conference in Daegu.  So we spent a few days this week going to visit her (I will send a picture of her little house in the middle of nowhere) which was always fun.  She tells everyone that I eat very well (only because Sister *** has to talk and teach because Sister *** can't understand my Korean pronunciation very well so I eat faster than she does haha)  Friday, we went with the elders (our district leader, they were on exchanges) so that they could interview her for baptism.  We took some rice cakes and strawberries with us so that she didn't make us food again haha.  Then Sunday was the baptism!!  Satan was working really hard on us.  Like REALLY hard.   First of all, we got to the church and the elders said that Brother ***, who would be giving Sister *** a ride, called saying that she didn't want to get in the car (which we were worried about because she told us like 20 times that riding in the car is very hard for her) but we called her house and she didn't answer so we kept praying and took that as a good sign.  All during stake conference, we kept looking back to see if she was there because oh yeah- we found out that she was in the car along with Sister ***, the member who refered her to us, but the tire of Brother ***'s truck burst on the highway, so they had to figure out how to fix it.  Still not sure what really happened, but they made it before the intermediate stand up hymn at stake conference, because we saw them during the hymn and ran back and gave her a big hug.  I could feel the big smile on my face and knew it was an answer to prayers.  The after Stake Conference,  we started helping her get in her baptism clothes and all that good stuff, and she kept saying, "No, not today.  Next time.  Next time I'll be baptized."  So we had to explain over and over that she already made it to  Daegu in the uncomfortable car and she knows why she is getting baptized--because she loves Jesus Christ.  It was seriously like convincing a 5 year old who had already  made up their mind about something.  So we were pretty convinced the baptism was not going to happen.  One of the Elder's investigators was getting baptized too, so we told her that she could watch him get baptized and then  decide.  I honestly can't remember a crazier more stressful moment in my life.  We were trying to just love her and explain it to her calmly but loudly since she can't hear well (even  though Sister *** was very firm with her) but I couldn't understand everything that she said.  (Apparently she swore pretty loudly while the Branch President started the service......hahaha) It is a good thing that Sister *** is an angel and did a fabulous job.  So she saw the other person (the branch president's daughter's boyfriend-that's a good story for later) get baptized and decided that she was ok with it.  I didn't even see the baptism because I was outside the door to the font praying haha.  But, she wanted to be baptized and did it, and was SO happy afterwards.  She still has lots to learn, but we are SO happy for her!!!!!!

I guess that's the most exciting part of my week!  Stake Conference was great.   On Saturday it was all about missionary work, and Sunday was focused a lot on the Book of Mormon, which are our two focuses right now, so we were excited for the whole stake to hear it.  There was translation, but I listened to it all in Korean.  My notes are all in Korean actually because I couldn't think fast enough to listen in Korean, translate in my head and write in English, so I will have to sit down and translate them all later.  I was pretty excited about it though.

We met with a few other investigators and did a few other things of course, but that is basically my week.  It was so neat to see this woman, who has had so many trials and hard things in her life, soften her heart and enter the waters of baptism.  As we have met with her over the last few months, I have seen a physical change in her countenance.  She smiles (especially when the elders come with us) and shows so much love to us, even if it is in kind of a different way haha.  I love this gospel and the change it brings to people's lives.  That is the purpose of the gospel--the guidelines, the HOW to become like Christ so that we can progress daily  through our small acts.  I love being a missionary and getting to share this love and joy with others!!!  I am grateful for our family and that the gospel is such a big part of each of our lives!  

Em