Una Respuesta

This week was full of fun and exciting experiences! The mission Bahia Blanca and all the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Bahia Blanca got to be part of the "manos de ayudan" "mormon helping hands." Mormon Helping hands is a priesthood directed church program to provide community service and disaster relief to those in need all over the world! This was probably one of the best service project experiences I have had yet in the mission thus far. It was fun to work with so many missionaries and also members from all over Bahia Blanca, but not only that, the people we got to help serve! 

So my companion and I have been teaching Juaquin the less active family whose family came to church last week. Juaquin is 10 years old and loves football and is the sweetest little boy! For the past week and an half we have been preparing him to be baptized. He even got permission to be baptized a week earlier than his original date. Once the date was changed we ran into a few bumps along the way. We would have only 2 days to prepare a baptism, and we still had many lessons we needed to teach, permission from the bishop, and a patient mom with 6 kids. Not only that but she was worried that Juaquin wouldn't retain or understand the lessons taught in time. Many phone calls and prayers were said Wednesday night and Thursday morning. We needed an answer and we needed it fast! After my companion and I spent hours on the phone and trying to find a solution, I started my personal study and I was guided by the Lord and found some amazing scriptures! 

Daniel 1:17, 20 

17 ¶As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

Matthew 6:31-33

 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Moisah 4:14-15

 14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

 15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

Proverbs 22:6 

 6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

All of the scriptures I found right after another! God had not only answered my prayer for Juaquin but for Juaquin's mother also! As we have been teaching Juaquin he has remembered everything we have taught. At times he has shocked me and my companion about his intelligence in the gospel. These scriptures are true, the world that we teach come only from the Lord. Juaquin remembers them because it's all God's words and it's His power working through us and Juaquin. Juaquin was ready to be baptized and was prepared for it. 

The next thing we knew we got off the phone with the Bishop as he had an answer and felt the same! My companion and I looked at each other and said we have 2 days to plan a baptism! After that, the next two days we were literally running to and from finding baptism clothes that would fit little Juaquin, making invitations, teaching the last few lessons, etc! As Saturday came around the corner in a flash we had a wonderful baptism with many members, family, and friends, with smiley faces! 

I learned so much from the experience, one was I really had to listen to the spirit, the still small voice. What decisions we had to make in so little time and getting the work done! At times it is frustrating when there is so much on our plates and we don't know what to do, what decisions we have to come across, and trying to make the best decision. But I know that when you pray with all your heart the Lord will answer your prayers not always suddenly but listen and all things are possible with the Lord's help! 

Homework: This coming week is General Conference, invite a non member friend to come watch it with you at home or even better in the live conference! 

We finally got a washing machine!!