This past week was the best week ever. For christmas eve, us office elders and the ayudantes went to the Hinckleys and we did a nativity scene with them and another family in our ward who´s from the US. Presidente Hinckley told the story as us missionaries and the little kids of the family acted out the scenes. It was super fun. Then after we all went to our piso and watched Mr. Krugers christmas and slept over with all the office elders. Then in the morning we made some french toast and went to church and then i talked to the fam!! It was a great first christmas here in the mission field.
So this whole year we´ve been working towards our goal of 450 baptisms and this last sunday was the last sunday of the year. Sunday night we did all the numbers with President and we had............................................................. 448 baptisms!!! Just 2 off!! But there are 3 other people in the mission who have dates to be baptized and confirmed before the end of the year so we can still hit 450!!!!! The Lord has blessed us so much during this whole year and is still blessing us with miracles. I know revelation is real and President Hinckley set this goal according to the Lord´s will. Last year we only baptized 340 and the most that´s ever baptized was 403 in this mission. And this next year we´re going to baptize EVEN MORE!!
We saw so many blessings this past week and had 2 miracle baptisms this last saturday. This is the story of Sebastián...
2 and a half weeks ago, the sunday before i got here to the office, Sebastián walked in to church with his wife Piedades, who is a member. Sebastián is from Spain and his wife is from Bolivia. The missionaries here in this ward had never met him but he came to church and said that he wanted to change his life and be baptized by his friend José Luis who is a member in our ward. He has been taught all of the lessons before but never progressed to baptism. He and his wife had plans to move back to Bolivia before the end of this year so he wanted to get baptized before he left. We started teaching him and found out that he never learned how to read and he smoked... so we knew it would be a huge miracle for him to be prepared to be baptized before he left to Bolivia. After the first couple of visits he had almost completely given up smoking and his wife would read to him in between visits from the book of mormon and the pamphlets. This last week he gave up smoking completely and said he would never smoke again and he would be ready for his baptism on the 24th. He was baptized this last saturday and confirmed on sunday by his friend José Luis. The very next day, monday, he left with his wife to Bolivia. It was a miracle to see him progress so fast and change his life to be baptized within 13 days. He was so prepared and had the true desires to receive the blessings of the gospel. They both promised us that they would keep going to church every week when they got down there to Bolivia and now they are progressing together to go to the temple in a year. I love this gospel and there really isnt any greater happiness than to see someone come into the gospel and start a new life in Christ.
Our other investigator who got baptized was another miracle but i dont have time to write about it. But just really quick her name is Cindy from the Philippines and she´s 15 years old. She lives here with her sister and her parents are still in the Philippines. She had a date to be baptized about 4 years ago but her parents didnt let her. Elder Krasnoselsky and Call found her in the area book and we got her parents permission to baptize her. We were praying and praying before she called her parents so that she would get permission. Her parents said "we want you to think deeply about this before you make a decision and make sure you are doing the right thing." When we asked her what her decision was about baptism she said "why not?" Heavenly Father heard our prayers and softened the hearts of her parents so that she could be baptized.
I love you familia. Im so grateful for your prayers and your fasting for me and for our investigators. Ive had so many experiences and blessings because of your prayers. So keep praying for me and happy new year!! 2012.... wow this is going way too fast. Is anyone going to the rose parade? and who´s playing in the championship?? Yeah im still kinda interested in sports.
Elder Reeves
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