11.24.2014

week 16 . BATISMOS. holla

UPDATE 11.25.14 [mom note: the day after calling Megan out for never sending pictures (see below) we woke up to 22 pictures in our email this morning. Happy Day! I've added the new pictures to this post]

Links in red (click for info)

TWO BAPTISMS THIS WEEK. You read that right, TWO! Grenda was baptized (the picture that I sent), and I love this girl. She is the sister of the Elder's Quorum president in our ward and she is obsessed with Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games and is just the best. 




We've been trying to help her get baptized for a long time now and it finally all worked out! Her baptism was so sweet, her brother is so happy for her, and obviously I am too! 








Our other baptism was a man named Augusto who I think I mentioned in my other email. He is living proof that the gospel can change lives. There is a young woman in our ward who loves doing "contacts" about the church while she is walking around Mossoró everyday. (she is basically a missionary already, just needs a name tag). And she met Augusto drunk in the street one day. She asked him if she could bring us by and got his address. We went to his house, taught about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon and gave him a Book of Mormon. We kept teaching him: the Plan of Salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc. And the day came to teach about the Word of Wisdom. When we mentioned that we don't drink he told us that since the day he met us he had not drunk alcohol. This man was addicted to alcohol. He was always drunk in the street. But he stopped because of The Book of Mormon. He told us that every time he felt the desire to drink (and smoke too!), he read the Book of Mormon. He stopped drinking and smoking solely through reading the word of God. People, miracles happen today too! Christ did not just cure people in biblical times. His work continues. Sister Marcelino and I feel so grateful that we got to witness this change in Algusto. That we have been so privileged to know this man who was prepared by the spirit to make a grand change in his life. I love Algusto so much, he is so sweet and has so much faith in God. Seeing him be baptized and make this sacred covenant with the Lord was such a beautiful experience. I'm so grateful to be here serving a mission right now! 




This week we taught a woman named Ivaneide who's so great. She met Elders some years back and has a tender spot in her heart for missionaries. We were preparing to teach the Restoration and she stopped us and said, "I just have a couple questions before you start. Why are there so many churches if there is only one Jesus Christ? And how will I know which church is right?" I think I almost fell out of my seat I got so excited. So we started teaching the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. I'm bouncing up and down in my seat so pumped to get to the part about Joseph Smith having the same question as her. But her nephew showed up. And #minhavida He decided that this was a good time to talk about how the world is going to end in flames and also some nonsense about how he's never going to get married because there's some mention of a bunch of men/virgins in Revelations. I don't know. But this kid would not stop talking. And Sister Marcelino with her sweet quiet little voice was trying to jump in and teach but he just kept going. And there was a friend of Ivaneide there listening to the message but she got freaked out and went home because this guy was practically yelling about how we're all going to go up in flames any day now. I was trying real hard to have Christlike love for him, but mostly I just wanted to strap duct tape over his mouth. But when we finally got to explain about Joseph Smith, Ivaneide got so excited. She told us that she had never thought to ask God which church was true! We left her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read the introduction and pray about it. Hopefully her nephew didn't do too much damage and she can remember enough of our message and she can ask God for an answer. 

scripture :: I was reading in Alma this week and today I read Alma 50. Verse 23 really stood out to me. [mom note: Megan often shares scriptures from the Bible and Book of Mormon in her letters. If you'd like a free copy of the Book of Mormon so you can reference what she's talking about send me your name and address on the contact form in the side bar titled "contact meg's mom" and I'll drop a book in the mail to you. I'm assuming people are more likely to have a Bible but if you don't and you'd like a Bible as well just let me know and I'll send that too. No charge.] Even though the Nephites are in the middle of a time of war with the Lamanites this scripture says that there "never was a happier time" among them. And this because they were being obedient to the commandments of the Lord! The Church was strong so the people were happy! And this reminded me of a quote that Charlotte Leavitt (my ancestor) said that I found in that book of conversion stories you sent.

She was talking about when they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after the hard journey across the plains. She said, "We arrived in the valley...not to a place of comfort and plenty, but to a howling wilderness, but the Lord never forsook us, but gave us His Holy Spirit that we had joy in affliction." Our life doesn't have to be perfect to have lasting joy, we just have to rely on the Lord and follow His guidance for us! [mom note: Are you interested in finding out what bits of wisdom YOUR ancestors might have to share? Family Search is a great site for figuring out your own family tree and it's free.]

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week and that you can feel the presence of the Lord in your lives!
Miss you. 
xoxoxo
Tchau
Sister Baker

[mom note: below are pictures I've "stolen" from various members or other missionaries because my own child fails to send very many pictures. I'm not bitter though haha]




Megan's zone from last transfer
We now move from stolen pics to Meg's pictures...

Sister Garcia, Meg, Sister Porter and Sister Olla


Sister Garcia...Megan's sweet trainer and friend.


Rain in Mossoró which I don't think happens very often
I wonder if these two are "painha and avo" that she talks about in this letter 

The daughter of a member family in her ward. If I know Megan at all she is in love with this cute little girl.
Megan's #minhavida injury 
Grateful that these two patched her back up 


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