Ixtapuluca 9

Patricia's baptism, Elder Sanchez

So... this week was a little bit ridiculous. :D
Started off rather normally, lessons, contacts, lessons, meetings, etc.
Friday was the most craziest day I´ve ever had on the mission yet!

There´s a saying that says that obedience brings blessings, but perfect obedience brings miracles. So I decided to be absolutely, completely, 100% obedient to everything, starting this Friday. So I jumped out of bed at exactly 6:30, excercised until exactly 7:00, etc.

Then came the miracle. We got a call at 8:50 from a random guy who said that he wanted to learn more about our church, and that he wanted to get baptized. WHAT!?!?!

So we set an oppointment for 10:00 at the church. We met him there, and he was already talking with a Sister from the ward that had passed by, so we invited her into the meeting as well. We then commenced to teach him everything. He said that he had 2 hours, and wanted to know everything so we pretty much had 3 lessons in one visit. He read from the Book of Mormon, prayed, and received his answer right then and there. Then he told us that he had had a dream two nights before about this very moment. Sitting in a beautiful chapel with two jovenes with nametags that read Elder Sanchez, and Elder McDonald. He also said that he usually crosses the border to find work, and can get through without a problem, however for some reason he was not allowed through yesterday, and while he was waiting in the street for the guard to come tell him that he couldn't pass, he saw a book. A dark blue paperback book with the golden inscription, El Libro de Mormón. He took the book back home with him and found that the front cover on the inside was a number that read, if you wish to learn more, call this number.

It was our number. It was our book. How it got to the border, and into the hands of this golden investigator, I have no idea. But both he and I will be forever grateful for this miracle.

He will be baptized this Saturday. His family, the Saturday after that, when the get back from vacation.

Okay, so after this ridiculously amazing experience. We went to the chapel in Ixtapaluca to do interveiws. As we left the chapel, Elder Sanchez, Elder Vasquez, Elder Romero and I were walking down the street, and an old Combi drives up in front of us. Out hops 4 of the 8 men, with pistols aimed at us, yelling, "Give me everything you have!" So, we hand over everything: our backpacks, our cell phones, our scriptures, our pamphlets, our pens, they took Elder Sanchez´s agenda, my keys. Everything, then drove off.
Kinda sucked. Like the exact opposite of miraculous.

Then we had another miracle after that, during the baptismal interviews. All in all it was a very interesting day. Saturday, Patricia was baptized, and Sunday she was confirmed along with her mother (I confirmed her mother, whew was that tough) and the entire Palma Family. We had 10 confirmations this past Sunday, and after those, and after the Sacrament, the hour was already over. So they just had one person bear their testimony.

It was a great week. And Ill finish this off with a wonderful delightful story:

The was a boy that only had his right arm, however he wanted to learn karate. So he starts off and starts learning and after awhile he asks his master if he could participate in a karate tournament. The Master told him, "Only if you trust me, and do exactly what I tell you". The boy agreed, and the Master taught him one move, and had him practice that one move hundreds of times. The boy was a little hesitant, wondering how effective one move could be, but he trusted his Master.

The boy participated in the tournament, and won the first round, the second, every single match, and then won the whole tournament. It this moment of triumph he turned to his Master and said, "Master, how could a boy with only his right arm, and one move win a whole karate tournament?!" The Master, smiling at the boy said, "Because the only defense to that move, is to grab them by the left arm."

God gives us disabilities, weaknesses, at times he throws us into situations where we dont feel we can handle. In these moments you must ask yourself, "How much do I trust the Master?"