Well it was a long week. We saw some miracles and worked hard, but it was just a tougher week. We moved Graciela's baptism back a week but that is for the better. She needs a little more preparation but she is doing amazingly well!! We have seen so many miracles with her.
We didn't get to Toledo today. We had no way of finding out bus schedules until last night and we just decided to go next week. So we will be heading down the final week of the transfer. Yeah, next week the transfer is over. It's insane.
Monday we had a lesson with a lady who is a Testigo de Jehova (Jehovas Witness) and it went really well!! She's the one we taught last week and it was the miracle cause we left early. It was sad though because she is not going to progress. She is too into the testigos and is not really willing to change. Sometimes I want to get rid of agency. like for real. but then I have to remember that is Satan's plan and agency is the greatest gift we have in this life, but it would be awesome if they couldn't reject this gospel. Tuesday, we had a good morning with Demiter and we are for sure going to be teaching his mother!!! He left for Bulgaria for the summer this morning and he told us the only thing he wants to see is his mother baptized when he gets back. So keep the mother of Demiter in your prayers. We are so excited for this one and she has SOO much potential!! We also taught a 20-year-old girl named Jessica. She is evangelical and is super deep into her church. But!! We taught lesson 1 and it was powerful!!! She is interested and we have been praying a ton this week that she will open her heart. She couldn't meet all week but we have a lesson with her tomorrow... and it's going to be amazing. We are extremely excited. Just need the faith and help her understand its all based on her desires. Other than that we haven't had many other investigators. We've found a few in the streets but its been a lot of 1 lesson and done type of investigators.
BUT!!! We did have the miracle of the century, we found him in the street this last week and his name is Rafael from the republica dominicana!!! We contacted him in an hour of contacting we had after we tried to have a lesson with this lady but she gave us a fake address. Yeah, super cool, but it took us straight to Rafael. We hardly ever spend time at this metro stop but we came across him at the perfect time. We meet with him every other morning basically and he is beyond ready. He is so open and basically said I'm here to learn about the word of God because I know you guys have it. He told us in the second lesson that, yes, the Book of Mormon is true. We asked him how reading was in it and he basically told us everything that happened in 3 nefi 11 and talked about how he gave nefi the authority and went over everything we wanted to review with him in the lesson and then said how he cannot wait to get out and preach this. His dream is to be in front of a bunch of people telling them he found the truth in this book and how he wants to share it with all his friends. What in the world!? It's a miracle we found him, it's a miracle, an absolute miracle. He has a baptismal date for the 22nd of June and it has been the most incredible thing I have ever seen. Angels are truly preparing their hearts. I do not doubt that one bit. I know it for a fact. We are not alone in this work and Rafael is the proof of that. We literally have to go with the spirit, teach and he understands. It's a miracle.
We have been working hard with Laura and Manuel and they are planning on saving the 100 Euros to get married and are trying to prepare themselves for baptism on August 3rd!! We are so excited. They are showing slow signs of progression and are doing what they can to follow the Lord rather than doing the easy thing. Slow progress, but that is what the Lord asks is progress. So they're doing awesome!! Graciela is also doing incredibly!!! She has dropped coffee!! She bought eco and she got rid of her coffee!! She then told us in a lesson, "You know, maybe I haven't recognized my answer yet because I'm not praying with enough faith or doing my part. I need to listen." The spirit was so strong and she is basically good to go for next week getting baptized. It was a long week but we saw the hand of the Lord so much in it!! I know this is His work and I am so grateful to be His servant. A representative of the Living God. I take it for granted sometimes.
Spiritual thought!!!! I have loved the theme going back and forth between us about positive attitudes. It really is the key to life. We are really agents unto ourselves to choose and it is true what Abraham Lincoln said, "Most folks are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be". This is so true. It is simply a choice and the key to making that choice is to remember what this life is about. This life is part of the Plan of Happiness, this gospel is the good news, our Father's entire purpose is to bring about the eternal life and happiness of us. We are everything to him and we simply need to remember who we are and why we are here. So smile. In every moment. Throw your head back and enjoy the rain. This life won't always seem as perfect as we want it and sometimes things happen that may not be enjoyable. But if we simply remember that things aren't really as bad as they seem, we have a loving Father in Heaven, and he wants us to smile. So the invitation for the week, is to wake up every morning this week with a smile, and find the joy in life. I love you all!!! and so does our Father in Heaven!!! Have an amazing week!!!!:)
Elder Anderson
¡El reino de Dios o nada!
Elder Christensen, Javier, Anahi, Elder Anderson
Javier (a recent convert) - Baptized his daughter Anahi
