Demormocrat: 11 Abril 2016

11 Abril 2016

This week was AWESOME! But I don't have very long so I'll write it really fast.

After two HARD transfers, we FINALLY are seeing fruits. Basilio got baptized yesterday after church (that's a fun story) and we had seven investigators in church!

First, Chayo. Elder Ninataype and Stockman came down early for the Consejo de Liderazgo and so we just had them work in our area for a few hours. They went and knocked a few doors and just found this great lady and invited her to be baptized and gave her a baptismal date. And then she came to church, which was the first time I met her. She seems really, super interested.

Second, Magaly. And her daughter but she's only 5. She was a reference from a couple weeks ago and we went to go teach her. We had an appointment with her on Saturday in the morning, but about two minutes before we got a phonecall from the sisters that Hermana Novoa was having a medical emergency and asked us to give her a blessing. So we decided to just invite Magaly to church and run over to the sisters' house (accompanied by Sister Lugo, the senior missionary). But when we got to the house, she started crying and it turns out that her husband beats her, she's thinking about leaving him and she wants to find a church to dedicate herself to it. So we decided to share a short message. We sat down and there was a lot of noise outside; someone was blasting music, trucks and vans were passing and lots of dogs were barking. So then my companion offered the opening prayer and asked specifically for the noise to stop. As soon as we said "Amen," a truck passed and for about two seconds we couldn't hear anything. And then once it passed, the dogs had stopped barking, the music was off and not one vehicle passed for the rest of the lesson. We told her that if she went to church, she would find the solution to her problem and we said we'd come by to pick her up to take her to church. And she said yes. Once the services ended, I went up to talk to her and she said "I just LOVED it here. I don't want to leave. I heard something about a baptism that's going to happen right now. Can I stay?" So she stayed. I hope the baptism didn't scare her off, but I'll get to that.

Third, Agapita and Basilio came! It was Agapita's first time. But we'll get there in a second.

Fourth, Mónica and Antonia. The Friday before General Conference, we received a reference of a less active lady who was sick and her family wanted her to have a blessing. We went and we blessed her. We invited the family to General Conference. On Tuesday we were walking near the house and we felt like we needed to visit her. So we went and knocked. Her daughter Karla came out and let us in. Her other daughter Mónica was also there. We ask about their mom and it turns out she died on Monday. So we teach a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and we give them the pamphlet. Turns out the family went inactive before Mónica was baptized so she never was baptized. So then we invite her to be baptized and she accepts it. Then we come back on Saturday and we find Mónica with her two cousins. Turns out Antonia and Angel have both been to church many times, their mom as well got baptized but went inactive and Antonia had even already been to EFY. We invited them to be baptized and gave them a date and they said yes. But it turns out they're from a different area. Oh well. Also, turns out Mónica is from La Paz, Baja California Sur. And that she's going back this next week. But oh well. As long as she's here, we'll teach her.

And then President Rodriguez's daughter Olivia brought a friend, Santiago. He's cool, but doesn't seem too very interested. At least he came. And he's also from the area of the secretaries.

Okay, now Agapita and Basilio. Two words: GOAT RODEO.

Reason #1: Filling out their baptismal records was a CHORE. They couldn't remember dates and not even their kids' names. They told us that they had five kids: 3 girls that are still alive, 1 boy that´s still alive and 1 boy and 1 girl that died. They insisted that they were only five. But then when they were telling us their names, they couldn't remember very well and as they were just kind of throwing out names that they were remembering at the moment, they mentioned ANOTHER girl that wasn't any of the other names that they had mentioned, but when we asked them about her, they couldn't remember her anymore. So it's possible that they had seven kids, but they SWEAR that they were only five, even though they gave us a list of six. But oh well.

Reason #2: Then our new Ward Mission Leader told us that he was going to do everything for the baptism. We just had to bring the clothes and the investigators. But then he didn't show up and wouldn't answer his phone. So we had to do everything on the spur of the moment.

Reason #3: The day before two other wards baptized, but because the water was leaving and coming back every once in a while, they just left the font full. Which means that the water was cold by the time we entered in, more than 24 hours later.

Reason #4: Agapita and Basilio came to Sacrament Meeting and then went home so that Agapita could rest before the baptism. But then a few minutes before priesthood, just Basilio came and said that their kids showed up and started the party, so Agapita wasn't going to come. We ran over to try and convince her to come anyway and bring her kids (and maybe verify how many there were). So we got there, met her son and her daughter and a few grandkids. We asked her if she was going to get there to the baptism (which was kind of an awkward question because her kids were there and many times families oppose it). She said no, because she had diarrhea. Her daughter looked up and said "What time is the baptism?" At three. "We'll take her." Her son speaks up: "Yeah, it'll be good for her." Wow, that was easy. So we went back to the church.

At three-thirty, we decided that we couldn't wait anymore. So we took a few pictures and tried pouring in hot water, but not a whole lot came out. And then we're about to start the baptismal service when we hear Agapita come running in, announcing her presence from the main door. Basilio rolls his eyes and puts his head in his hand. While I'm in the water with Basilio, they throw a white dress on Agapita and Elder Flores changes really fast. We'll come back to this point.

Reason #5: We're sitting in the baptismal service, about to go into the water and the Bishop's three-year-old twerp son comes up behind me and grabs my shirt. I'm going to put this conversation in Spanish because it's more funny and then also in English.

Huerco: "¿Qué es esto?"

Yo, susurrando: "Ropa."

Huerco: "¿Por qué?"

Yo: "Pues, no más."

Huerco: "¿Te vas a meter así?"

Yo: "Sí."

Huerco: "Mi mamá no me deja. Ella me mete encuerado."

Translation: "What's this?" "Clothes." "What for?" "...well, ya know." "You're going to go in like that?" "Yep." "My mom doesn't let me. She bathes me naked."

Magaly, the other investigator sitting behind him, thought it was super funny.

Reason #6: I baptize Basilio. He goes in, comes back up, everything good. He wipes his eyes, looks around and says "Is that it?" Yes, that's it, hermano. You can step out of the font if you want now.

Continuation of Reason #4 or Reason #7: Agapita and my companion go into the font. "Carry me, my son," she says and clings onto his neck. He sets her down once they're down there. "Nope, never mind. Carry me out." Out they go. "Yes, yes, I'm going to be baptized." In they go. "NOPE. No way." "Hermana, we're already in the water. It'll just be a second." "Nope, carry me, my son." Out they go again. Meanwhile they realized that she didn't bring a towel. So, because there isn't anywhere else, I change in the girls' bathroom and dry off really fast to hand out the towel for the hermana. Nothing makes you change faster than think that a crazy and frantic 76 or 80-year-old (we never really found out how old) lady might walk in on you at any second.

Reason #8: Everybody's leaving and Agapita walks up to my companion. "I promise you by the Virgin of Guadalupe that I will be baptized next week." Yep.

So it was fun. Needless to say, I suddenly felt a whole lot less stressed once it was over.

Yesterday as we were eating, the sons (1.5 and 4) of the hermana were running around and making funny noises. So we started making noises as well. My companion started making a really good dog barking noise and at one point as the 1.5-year-old was running past leaned down and barked right behind him. That kid freaked out and burst into tears and ran straight to me. He wouldn't let me go for about five minutes, just screaming his head off. It was SUPER funny.

BUT...I'm leaving. I'm going to Bellavista Ward in Monclova. I will be in the same chapel with Frontera, which will be lots of fun because I really love the members there and have converts there. The only thing is that there's not a whole lot there as far as investigators. Only two baptismal dates, but they haven't gone to church. Normally this ward baptizes about an average of once a month, but they haven't for a while. President Rodriguez wants me to go and rescue the area and the junior companion Elder Del Angel. Apparently he thinks that I can help. I hope he's right. These last two transfers were super hard and we're just barely seeing the fruits of all our efforts. I hope God blesses me a lot this next transfer, and if not in baptisms then in other ways.

Well, that's about all. Have a great week!

Elder Taylor