Austin: 8/25/2014 - It was a good week

Hola Familia!

 

Like the subject says, it was a good week. We had three baptisms! Michael, Patricia, and Lalo all got baptized! I´ll get to the story of all that in a sec.

 

We worked all week, got all the people to have their interviews and everything and everything was ready. On Friday, Michael and Patricia were going to get married. The wedding was a giant wedding in the offices of the mission (it´s a stake center). Here in peru, they have giant wedding, in the municipalidades (no idea what that is in english). But the mission, like 4 times a year, plans a giant wedding for the families that need to get married to be baptized, and they have the wedding in the church, and the municipalidad comes to the offices of the mission. So on Friday, the marriage started at 11, but all the couples and their witnesses (I was one of the witnesses for michael and patricia) had to be there at 9. So, we went to pick them up at about 8:15. We live about 20 minutes for the offices in a taxi. When we got there, michael wasn´t even dressed yet. In fact, he hadn´t even picked up his suit yet. He rented a suit, and he still hadn´t picked it up. So we went and picked it up with him, and then we went back and he got changed. We finally left their house, after he was ready, patricia was ready, and their kids were ready, at 10:30. Let´s just say the zone leaders called me about 100 times telling us to hurry up and get their, because they had to get married. But thanks to the beautiful and ugly hora peruana, we got there and they still hadn´t started. So we were alright. But let´s just say I was pacing because I was so nervous as we were waiting. And I don´t pace. But I was pacing! But they got married!

 

Then on Saturday, it was the baptism!!! We had a massive baptism of 13 people I think from the entire stake! It was AWESOME! It took a long time to get everyone there, but they all came and got baptized! My bishop gave a talk and he started saying "In all my years in the church, I have never seen so many people, in white, ready to be baptized at one time" It was so powerful, to be there. It really strengthened my testimony of baptism. I already knew that it was necessary, but it reminded me of how powerful it is. One investigator of my zone leaders had A TON of sins. Let´s just say his interview that I did was one of the hardest things of my life, because I had to follow the spirit so much to know if he was ready to be baptized, if he had repented, but he was. He got baptized and when he left, he put his fist in the air and said "I´m clean!!!!!!!!" He, and so many people, completely changed their lives and were able to start over, and now just need to endure, and they will have eternal life. It´s not the end. I know that. It´s just the door, it´s the start, but It´s a door that will let them follow so they can be saved. I am so grateful for the chance that I had to help these people choose to follow the path of Christ, so they can be happy in this life, and have eternal life, with our Father in Heaven. I know, without any doubt, that this church is true, and that it is the only church that has the authority to baptize, and that if I follow the path that I am walking, I will have eternal life. And I know that my joy is more full because I am helping more people come unto Him.

 

Mom - so as for your question...what I´ve learned and what are my goals. I already said what I´ve learned, but I´m going to repeat and throw in some more stuff and my goals.

 

What I learned in year 1 of the mission

1. God´s power and His hand in all things

2. The importance of the "limonada" (the importance of reading the BOM, praying, and going to church)

3. The power of the BOM

4. The importance of the little things

5. The importance, power, and blessings of obedience

 

Goals for year 2

1. Return to how I started my mission. I started my mission, doing what I should do. Obeying completely, and enjoying the work. I want to return to that.

2. Become the 4th missionary. Sacrifice my heart and learn to love the Lord more than myself. Learn to do only His will, not my own.

3. Read the Book of Mormon 3 times

4. Focus on the little things

5. BE HAPPY!

 

That´s the answer from last week.

 

I love you all! I know that this is true, and that Christ invites us to come unto Him, to be healed by Him, and enter into His rest. And I know that I will be albe to, if I only endure to the end.

Love

Elder Schouten

 

ps. I´m about to read the other letters.