Hermana Harkins had her first baptism this week :)
Surprise...
Elder Evans of the 70 visited Chile and talked to the 4 Santiago Missions this Saturday. Yes. Elder. EVANS.
Missionary life is so rad :)
So let us start with the miracle that took place this week- BENJAMIN GOT BAPTIZED! We honestly didn't think it was going to happen, he called Sunday night saying he wanted to change his baptismal date, and we set up a time to visit him Monday evening after p-day shenanigans to talk to him. We went in having truly no idea what we could do or say, relying entirely on the spirit and with a bold scripture in Alma to share on baptism if all else failed.
He cut right to the chase and told us that he felt that he wanted more time, a year AT LEAST to continue investigating the church, that he had talked to his family and they wanted him to take more time, and that he wanted more experiences of feeling the spirit to reassure himself of his feelings.
It is no coincidence that Hermana Velazquez and I both have strong fathers who converted, alone, at young ages, like Benjamin. It was not simply luck that we could testify of the power of one, not just chance that we could both share the story of our fathers to show him that it is possible, it is hard, but you can do it. The spirit was very strong, Hna V was crying, I was started to tear up, and Benjamin was started to lose it as well.
Then we said the opening prayer- so much emotion and the actual lesson hadn't even started yet!
Upon finishing the prayer, Benjamin informed us "I am going to be baptized this Thursday."
Wow, ok!
We asked him what the change was, and he told us simply that he could feel the spirit as we were testifying, that it was stronger than he had ever felt before, and that it was something that he felt was too big for his body- that if he didn't "take action", he would "explode." He said that it was something that he could not forget or deny, and that he couldn't NOT be baptized. There is literally nothing more that a missionary wants to hear from their investigator than "I know its true."
Before leaving, we told him that in these three days before his baptism, that Satan is going to do everything that he can to stop Benjamin from being baptized, and to please remember how he felt in that moment. He told us "I can never forget this feeling." And it turned out that Satan pulled out his big guns and did seemingly everything that he could try to convince Benjamin that this is wrong- his family exploded on him, he got sick the day before, all sorts of little things...but his strength amazed me. He kept saying when we would ask him how he felt that "Satan has got nothing on me." Seriously! AMAZING STRENGTH! After his baptism interview, we asked him how it went. He told us about how in the beginning, Elder Zivic, who was conducting the interview, asked him to describe himself in three words. His answer- "I don't need three, just one- happy-" OH MY HEART! IT IS SINGING!
And the baptism was beautiful...his family ended up coming (minus his father), there were so many ward members there to support him, mutual was cancelled so that all of the youth could come, he bore his testimony after being baptized about the power of the holy ghost, and that he knows that "God put the sister missionaries in my path, and it wasn't a coincidence. I am so thankful for them." OH MY HEART! IT IS SINGING!
Then Satan tried, one last time, to get to Benjamin. On Saturday night, he called us, very emotional, saying that he felt just terrible, and that he couldn't feel that it was true. In that moment, my comp was in the shower, I was alone, and I had that old, greenie fear of feeling that I had nothing that I could say to help him.
But I shared with him the experience of Joseph Smith- that, right before seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ, that Satan tried to tempt him. That in our lives, right before something wonderful is about to happen, Satan is going to try everything he can to stop it from happening, because he wants us to be miserable like him. That the next day, he would be receiving the holy ghost, something important and wonderful and necessary to endure to the end, and that Satan knows the power that Benjamin can be and he does not want that for the church of God. That if he prays, and reads his scriptures, and just endures to the Sacrament meeting the next day, that everything will be a bit more bearable, because he will have the GIFT of the Holy Ghost, the ability to have the guidance of our Heavenly Father in every moment of need.
The next day, he arrived promptly to church (in a suit, that's a first!) and received the Holy Ghost and MY HEART WAS SINGING! We met with him afterward and asked him how he felt- he told us that he felt calm, he felt peace, he felt joy, he felt absolutely in the path that the Lord has set for us. He kept saying "I'm not an investigator anymore, I'm a MEMBER. I'm a RECENT CONVERT." He is so proud to say that, to say that he is a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Sunday night we had a fireside for investigators and recent converts with President Bajeros, and when we introduced Benjamin to President, he proudly announced "I received the holy ghost this morning. Im a member now." Wow. My Heart. Singing.
Speaking of Singing, I sang a solo in the fireside. Testimony through music, its the bomb.
Story number two, surprise HUGE meeting of the 4 Santiago missions with ELDER EVANS this Saturday, 4 and a half hours of pure gold from a disciple of Christ and wonderful representative of the church. Through pure luck Hna V and I somehow ended up sitting on the stand and being able to sit so close to him. I was thinking "you don't know me...but I know you...you're my boyfriends Uncle..." Crazy stuff, this mission of mine. But it was wonderful. He talked about A LOT of topics, I hardly looked up, I was writing so much, but what I loved most was the importance of being a disciple of Christ and trying to know what it is that God wants us to do.
I want you all to know that I have a testimony of trials- that when we think we cannot go anymore, that we cannot endure any farther, in that moment, if we endure just a little bit more, THAT is when we are blessed. THAT is when we witness miracles. I can now testify of miracles because I have witnessed one. I saw an 18 year old boy change right before my eyes, I saw him set aside that natural man that is inside us all and make the choice, alone, to follow Christ.
And now, he will never be alone again.
And that is what I am here to do.
Church is true :) I just love it will all my heart, that's all :)
-Hermana Harkins
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