Adventures as a Trainer...

September 10, 2012

Things have gotten a lot better this week.  Elder Botelho and I had companion inventory and he said he realized that I have experience and there are some things about the mission that he can learn from me.

Things have gotten a lot better.  This week was the marriage and baptism of Raquel.  It was so awesome.  It was like my sister was getting married.  It's really cool how close you grow to people after enough time working with and teaching them.  The baptism was phenominal.  We had several investigators there and afterwards three people came up to us and asked,"Elders what do I need to do to be baptized?"   I was so happy.  the spirit there was so strong.  Even the non-members could feel it and they wanted more.  The most surprising to me was Raquel's mother-in-law who has had members in her house for the past 12 years and she never wanted to talk to the missionaries.  But, after the baptism she told us she wants to take the lessons and now we've got a baptismal date marked for the 27th.  I hope everything works out with her. 

We also have been working with a man named Israel...he's like 38 years old.  He is addicted to cocaine.  His family has abandoned him because of his problems.  His dad is a baptist pastor and he said to us that God would never speak to him.  He felt completely abandoned by everyone.  But we invited him to come to church with us anyway.  There he said he felt something.  He told us that he prayed and asked God that if he had no purpose in life that God could take his life, but if God had a purpose for him to make it known to him.  There at church he said that he got an answer to his question.  We marked a baptismal date for the 21st of this month.  So, as long as he doesn't have any serious drug or crime problems he will definately get baptized this month.   It's so awesome to find and teach people that receive such clear and powerful answers to prayer.  I hope that with ours and God's help he will be able to abandon his problems and change his life.  The hope that the gospel has brought into his life is incredible.  I'm so grateful to have seen that change in him. 

Well, things are going much better these days.  I'm feeling really extra focused in the work and that makes everything seem easier.  I love you all so much!!!!

Elder Swinney