A Years Long Awaited Baptisms

This was a week full of beautiful miracles!  After what seemed like every trial possible, Luisa and Jesus were finally baptized!  It's a beautiful story how it all happened!

Luisa and Jesus have been listening to the missionaries for over a year now.  They have had the desire to be baptized since the missionaries first visit but have had problem after problem in doing so.  The problem has been that they were not married and it was a very long and complicated process in order for them to do so.  But we have lots of faith and have never given up on them.

One Monday night exactly 2 weeks ago we decided we would do a family home evening with hermana Luisa and Jesus.  We invited our ward mission leader along with his wife and a couple who are ward missionaries.  During the family home evening we shared a message about the Family, a Proclamation to the World. We also did an activity comparing Alma 50 with the family and what we can do in order to protect it.  Afterward we asked for the members who accompanied us to share their testimonies.  As they did so we felt the spirit so strong and it was at that point that we challenged them to be baptized.  We told them we knew there were several obstacles and were aware that it would not be easy, however, with a lot of faith and the Lord on our side it would be possible.  They accepted the invitation to be baptized so we were going to make a goal with them of a date that they would be married.  They were doubtful and didn't think it would be possible money wise.  They had all their money saved up about 2 weeks before but their entire family suddenly became very sick and had to be hospitalized.  All their money saved up to get married was to used to pay hospital and other medical bills.  They were left without any money and went into debt.  We were very aware of their situation but told them to just put their trust that the Lord would provide the way and it would be possible.  So they did so and chose the 23rd of July (a week and a half) to prepare and to be baptized.

As they began preparing for their baptismal day it seemed like every trial possible came along, but they pressed forward.  We talked to the members to help us save up and donate money towards their wedding.  The day arrived when they had to pay for their marriage and we still didn't have enough money saved up.  My companion and I got down on our knees and prayed for a miracle and asked specifically that they could have the money sufficient in order to pay to get married.  About an hour later we received a call from one of our ward missionaries telling us that they had all the money needed and were able to pay for their marriage.  They wee then married Thursday at noon and baptized that same day at 5:00 p.m.

It was such a beautiful service and 58 people arrived to support them!  I am so grateful for these miracles I am able to witness here in the mission field.  With the help of the members and the Lord on our side there is literally nothing that is impossible.  I love this work and I love this gospel, it is a blessing in my life and the lives of so many others with whom we share it with!

I love you all, have a great week!
Love, Hermana Paini

                              Driving the combi

A bird left my companion with a present

Missionary Search and Rescue Party

Our backyard/ pond in the rain

Unplugging the drain to keep the house from flooding

 This week was great!  I love being a missionary:)  These experiences we get to live are unlike any other.  We had quite the surprise this week, as we became on the wards lost and found list...

So last Friday we came back to the house as usual at 9:00 p.m. and planned until 9:30.  After planning our district leader always calls us at 9:30 to check up on us and talk about our day.  So we sat by the phone and waited for him to call.  15 minutes went by and he hadn't called so we talked and made dinner as we kept waiting for him to call.  10:00 came around and he still hadn't called.  "Maybe he forgot us?" we said.  But since that had never happened before we both knew it was very unlikely!  As 10:30 came around it was time for bed so we laid down in bed and I checked the phone one last time to make sure we didn't have any missed phone calls.  As the phone lit up I noticed something...we didn't have any service!  "Oh no," I told my companion, "that explains why he hasn't called us, we don't have any service.  He's probably pretty worried about us."   Since there wasn't anything we could do we decided we would go to sleep and see if we had service to call him in the morning.  We were fast asleep when 12:00 came around and I heard strange noises from outside.  As I opened my eyes and woke up a little bit I realized someone was tapping on the window and calling "Hermanas, missionaries!"  I got out of bed and walked over to the window to see what was going on.  We live in a 2 story house and we sleep up stairs so I opened up the curtains to look down on the ground and see who was knocking on the front door downstairs.  To my surprise I heard the voice again calling for us and realized it was right next to my ear.  I turned my head to see a young man in the window looking at me.  I jumped and gasped waking up my companion who also screamed out of surprise.  "Hey, we're here with the bishop," he said.  I looked down to see a group of 6 or 7 people gather around until sure enough I saw the bishop standing there.  "Come down" he yelled to us.  So we both got up and stumbled down the stairs.  "What is going on?" My companion asked me.  "I have no idea," I told her.  We opened up the door as the group of people sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're o.k." They said.  As I looked at them closer I realized they were all members, the bishop, his counselors and their wives with a few others.  "What's going on?" I asked.  "Your leader is very worried about you two," they said.  He has been calling you since 9:30 and says your phone goes straight to voicemail, we've all tried calling and it does the same."  "Oh," I said, "That's because we don't have any service."  They all looked down at their cell phones and they didn't have any service either.  "Your leader is very worried," they said.  "He's called the assistants, the mission president and both the bishops from our ward and the other ward.  He called us and sent us here to see if you are o.k.'  "Yeah we're doing great"  I told them.  "We've been in the house fast asleep the whole time." They all laughed.  "But why did you have to have Adam climb up the house to tap on our window?" I asked.  "You almost gave us a heart attack!"  "We spent 10 minutes knocking on the front door and yelling for you but you never heard us," they told us, "And we had to make sure you were there to see if you were o.k."  We both laughed.  "It was a long day of work and we were so deep asleep we didn't hear anything."  After laughing about it we decided we should call our District leader and tell him everything was o.k. So we walked out to the corner in our pajamas until we had service to call him. He was so relieved to hear our voices and know we were o.k. that I thought he was going to cry.  We explained everything that had happened and that we were o.k. and just didn't have service.  We then said goodbye to all the members and thanked them all for worrying and checking up on us and went back to bed at what felt like 3 a.m. missionary time!  It was quite the event.

Cutting lemons for lunch

We were also able to witness several beautiful miracles this past week that I am very grateful for.  It was such a great week!  I am so thankful for all of the love and support we receive as missionaries. Thank you all for all that you do.  You guys are so great!

I hope you have a great week!

Love, Hermana Paini

My companion decided to leave the house with both our name tags on

Miracles and Missionary Work

Hey!  This week was awesome:)  My new companion is great.  I already love her so much and feel like we have been companions forever though we actually have less than a week together.  Her name is hermana Monjaras and she is from El Salvador, which is in central America.  It is funny because we are both extranjeros.  (I didn't know what that word would be in English) but we are both from different countries outside of Mexico so there are several Mexican words we don't understand and just look at each other with a blank look on our faces.  It is great!:)

The work is progressing so well here in Chiapa de Corzo.  We were able to see several miracles in th work here that I am very grateful for.

The mountain group of Seyalo continues to be such a great blessing in my life.  Hermana Flor's husband has work again and is saving up so that they can get married so that is GREAT NEWS!  When we went to Soyalo yesterday I got to talk to hermana Flor about their progress as a family and how they were doing.  She looked at me as a big smile came across her face and said, "Very well hermana."  Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me and said "We have started praying together as a family each morning and night and it has made all the difference."  I was so happy for her and so grateful for my Heavenly Father and the hand that he has in their lives.  When I look at this family I don't imagine them how they are.  I imagine them all dressed in white as an eternal family.  I know that's what they can become and is not only mine but the Lord's desire for them.

I love this work and I love these people.  Their progress makes me happier than any other thing in this world.  I sure love you guys.  Have a great week!

Love, Hermana Paini

Last picture with my old companion

My companion is afraid of cows!

Time is flying!

Hola Hola!

This week was great!  This morning we received transfers, my companion will be going to cacahoatan, my first area.  Yay!  She will love it there.  Though I will miss her a lot I am comforted by the fact that she will be going to the very best area that there is :)

The mountain group are progressing so well!  They officially bought a house of prayer to start holding their Sunday services in.  We are going to go and see it this Sunday when we accompany them for Sacrament meeting.  Hermana Flor's husband who is an alcoholic that we have been working with went to sacrament meeting for the first time yesterday in Soyalo.  We are so proud of him and his progress.  It is an answer to several constant prayers.  Hermano Jesus Santiago continues to progress so great as well!  He teaches us more than we teach him every time we go to his house.  He takes his pamphlets and Book of Mormon to work with him to read whenever he gets time.  At home he watches mormon messages and church movies and reads different talks on LDS.org He's practically a member...I see him as a future teacher of Gospel Principles :)  We are now just hoping and praying for his boss to give him Sundays off of work so that he can come to church.

The work is coming along so great here, but the time is flying by so fast!  I can't believe the 4th of July already happened.  I completely forgot all about it but looking at my calendar it says that day has passed.

Well I sure love you guys and I'm so grateful for all that you do for me.  I pray for you every night and know that the Lord hears my prayers and is taking care of you all.:)  Have a great week o.k!

Hermana Peine

Progress in the work!

This week was awesome!  We have been working so hard and are seeing the miracles that come from it!  The mountain group are progressing so well.  There are two sisters that are so close to being baptized they are just waiting for the money in order to get married.  We are hoping either this week or the next they will be able to be baptized.

We had our ward family home evening on Saturday that turned out to be quite the success!  Two speakers came and talked to us about the family and the importance it has and how to strengthen it.  It is such a great lesson and I personally learned so much.  There are 3 phrases I learned that I really liked: "Those who don't show their love don't love."  "If the parents are o.k. their kids will be also."  "Happiness is not a condition, it is a decision."  Well these were my translations to English... I don't know if they made sense or not, but I really liked them.  They are very true!

The work is progressing very well here.  We have several great investigators that are future members.  I can see it in their eyes.:)  One of our investigators in particular is named Jesus Santiago.  He is the best investigator I have ever known!  When we first started teaching him he said that he had been trying to talk to God and make a change in his life but he didn't know how.  He said he was always trying to talk to God but never felt like his message was getting through to him.  After we taught him how to pray he said that he felt such a difference.  "I now know that I am talking to God and feel that he is listening to me," he said.  He has come to love the Book of Mormon as well.  In his own words he says, "I love this book and I just know that it's true."  He is currently looking for another job so that he won't have to work on Sundays and can go to church.  He also says that he will be baptized, he has the desire and the goal to do so and he is going to complete it.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to get to know such wonderful people.  Sometimes I wonder if I am the one who is actually doing the teaching of the one being taught.  I learn so much everyday from all those that I am surrounded by.  They are life lessons that I will forever be thankful for!

I love you guys.  Have a great week:)  Love, Hermana Paini

New Shoes=Blisters!!