Daniel Gets Baptized

Hola Familia! 

This week was pretty crazy! It was super busy. Saturday we had the capilla abierta (open house) and then Sunday we had ward conference and the two baptisms, so this week we were super busy preparing for that and inviting people.

 

Wednesday we had Elder Ramos and Elder Beers come to our area. 

 

We had fliers  for the capilla abierta and ward conference and invited over 100 people! It was pretty sick haha. Then our Ward Mission Leader gave us a list of families he wanted us to visit and invite so we spent much of the week contacting them and inviting them.

 

Saturday we had the capilla abierta and we were pretty excited. A few of the people we invited said they were coming and when we asked if we could come by to teach them they said we can just talk Saturday so we were pretty confident we were going to have a lot of people and the members were all supposed to bring one friend. So, Saturday morning comes and we set everything up. Each group had a room set up to explain their program, like the Relief Society, Young Woman, Primary, etc. and Elder Durham and I had a room set up and we were going to teach the people the restoration. We had a pretty cool set up on the chalk board showing the pattern of dispensations and apostasy and the need for the restoration because of the grand apostasy, but literally no one came.

 

 

 

None of the people we invited came. We had Manuel and Claudia there and a couple recent converts but that was it. There were some members but really the only the ones that had an assignment. So for a moment we were discouraged but Elder Durham and I felt good because we felt like we`d really done our part. We spent a good portion of the week inviting people and stopping by less actives.  We asked the members to invite people and literally only one girl brought a friend. So the capilla abierta was more or less kind of a let down. We did have some members and recent converts come in and have us teach them so we did actually get some good practice in teaching the first lesson so now I feel a lot more confident in teaching the first lesson at least haha.

 

Saturday night we called everyone and invited them to the ward conference because we really wanted to meet our goal of 150 people and we actually have Priesthood first, then Sunday School, and then Sacrament Meeting which is probably good because it gave people more time to get there and we had the two baptisms and Valentin's family. So guess how many people came? 152 PEOPLE!!! WHATSUPPPPP!!! We were so flippin excited and content. It was just  a huge relief and weight lifted off our shoulders and one of the people we actually invited came! He actually lives next to our apartment and he said he felt really good and to stop by whenever we wanted to teach him. So we`ll see what happens! Manuel and Claudia came and a couple of the less actives. We did it!

 

So right after ward conference we did the baptisms and I baptized someone for the first time!!! For some reason Daniel asked me to baptize him even though I haven't been able to communicate much haha.  I was so nervous but it was such an awesome experience. I honestly can't even describe it. To have that opportunity to baptize him was such an honor and privilege. Words just cant describe the feeling and how strong I felt the Spirit and the joy of it all. Yesterday was just pure joy. Definitely an experience I will remember forever.

 

 

 

After I baptized Daniel and Valentin was baptized by his uncle. Then afterwards both were confirmed and Elder Durham confirmed Daniel. It was just an awesome day. I just pray that those two boys remember yesterday and how they felt. I love those two boys and I`m definitely going to keep in touch with them.

 

So that was my week. Doesn't get much better than that.  Life's pretty good right now. Nothing more important than the work I`m doing right now. It's the most important work I`ll do until I have my own children some day. Thank you Mom & Dad for teaching me and raising me in the gospel. Thank you for being such good examples to me. I miss you and I love you so much!

Love 

Elder McFarland