well this week was literally full of miracles everyday. i told you about what happened last sunday when we got the message from the family perez. well monday night we went over to see what the story was and what happened. we had thought that the experience had happened to hno iturbide (the dad). walking up to the house i was talking to my companion. what are we going to do to help the wife (irma) so that she will want to get baptized too. she was the one we were most worried about. we got there and they greated us very warmly and we sat down. then the hna irma came out of a room and began to tell us that it was her who had received the answer to her prayers. she said the sunday night her daughter named isis naomi (5) came up to her and told her she was scared and couldnt sleep. she told her daughter to go to bed and she would sit outside the door and watch her. she had been thinking about the invitation we had extended to them to be baptized on the 12th of July, and was thinking about how she could get an answer to know that she should be baptized or not. she grabbed the book of mormon that we left with them and she sat down. she opened it up, but didnt read for a while. she then looked down and was about to flip the page when she said she remembered something that i had said walking out the door before we left the day before. i said, "open pray and open up the book of mormon to whatever page and start reading, and there you will find your answer." it isnt something that i say to everyone, in fact it is the first time i think i have ever invited anyone to do that, but i felt prompted to say it right before we walked out the door saturday. she said that right before turning the page, she looked down where she had opened up and started reading. she opened up to alma 6. she read the first two verses that say, 1 Y sucedió que después que hubo concluido de hablar a los de la iglesia establecida en la ciudad de Zarahemla, Alma ordenósacerdotes y élderes por la imposición de sus manos, según el orden de Dios, para presidir la iglesia y velar por ella.
2 Y aconteció que de los que no pertenecían a la iglesia, quienes se arrepentían de sus pecados, eran bautizados para arrepentimiento y recibidos en la iglesia
she said that she read those two verses and was in shock. she re-read them a few times to make sure that is what they said. she then grabbed the phone and sent us the message that she had received her answer and knew that the church is true and that her and her family needed to be baptized. when she said that i was in shock at the miracle that god had done. it is the perfect scripture and she opened right up to it after praying and pondering and having a desire to know if it is all true. her husband was already ready really for baptism and the daughter Zulmy had a dream and also was really excited to be baptized. they all passed their interviews for baptism which was also another story of miracles. and then the day of their baptism they were so excited. they shared with us the spirit that they felt. Friday night we went to their house and talked about the confirmation. i at the end of the lesson said, "im really excited for you and your family to receive the gift of the holy ghost", hno iturbide said, "no hno, i think im even more excited." he was literally like smiling ear to ear. I got to baptize Zulmy and confirm Iturbide. It was one of the most amazing and gratifying experiences i have ever had in my mission to be with them sunday. we talked about temple marriage in the class and they accepted the date to be sealed in the temple this week of july next year. hno iturbide paid his tithing (which is a huge sacrifice for their family) without us saying anything that he needed to or anything. after church he read about and learned all of the offices of the priesthood and is excited to receive the priesthood next week. and the bishop and the ward are super excited for the family and the hno is going to be called as the sunday school president. when we went at night to their house hno iturbide thanked us for everything we had done to teach them and help them to change. it was one of the most special moments of my whole mission. it is a very very special family, that i know will be sealed in the tmple in a year. they have learned so much and have an eternal vision. they act on faith not worrying about the consequences and recieve the blessings from god. he told us of a miracle or how last week they were without money almost where they didnt know how they got by, but that somehow, everything they had lasted them. blessings of faith and tithing. i love this family so much and i cant believe the blessings that god has given me to be a part of their conversion. this is long i know, but it was just really really amazing. it fits very well with the scripture in d and c 18:16.
this week i also got to see yuridia and norma, some converts from tierra colorada. they are doing great and progressing really well and it was nice to see them and talk to them for a little bit. they came to the baptism of the familia perez.
well there are a ton of things that happened, but that is basically all. i love you all and miss you a ton. it will be weird and nice to be back, but really i cant imagine it too much. it still seems like im just going to have transferes again and go to a new area, it hasnt hit me yet that im actually going home. have a great week.
love
elder smith
fotos: yuri and norma, baptism, bad english translation
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