THIS WEEK WAS A WEEK OF MIRACLES!!!!
FIRST
OF ALL!!! SISTER BOTT IS STAYING IN BAURU CENTRO FOR HER FOURTH
TRANSFER! WE WILL STAY TOGETHER! SHE IS GOING TO BE MY CO-SENIOR
COMPANION! I AM SO HAPPY! WE ALREADY HAVE SO MANY NEW PEOPLE TO TEACH!!
WE BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!!!
Long
story.... when I wrote to you guys last week, I was feeling really
nervous about not baptizing here with Sister Bott. This is considered one of
the hardest, if not the hardest areas in the whole mission to find
people- let alone to baptize- and this transfer we had so many goals in
the mission and in our zone to baptize.
We
have worked endlessly this transfer to use the Spirit to help us find
people to teach. When I arrived in Bauru and had knocked doors for a few
days, it was clear to me that regular proselyting would not be very
effective here in Bauru Centro- because there are many apartment
building and nicer homes and less houses to try. We prayed and fasted to
know how the Lord would have us approach this area.
We
were inspired to ask the Bishop for a list of incomplete
families-families with menos ativos or active members who had family
members living with them that werent members. I believe we received that
list in the end of our 2nd week here.
We were able to have some really cool experiences with our
visits. We werent finding anyone that could be a true possibility for
baptism, but we did find the F. family.
J., A., N., and I.
We felt strongly to keep going to their house and on this past Wednesday- Sister Bott said to me, "Do you think we should try something else?
Do you think we should go back to that house- they are never there...but I dont want to give up just yet.." I thought really hard about it... I
prayed about it, and then felt very strongly that we needed to go back
just one more time the next morning.
We went
back to their house on Thursday morning (July 27) and J. was there!!!
He told us that we could come back that night at 6pm
and that we could find his wife and daughters at home!!! (We had
already talked to his wife and daughters one other time when we had gone
by- but this was the first time that we had been in contact with them
for a few weeks). TENDER MERCY!!!!
Later that
night, we went back to their house and only N. (16) and I. (9)
were in the house. We were obviously wanting to find them with their
mom- but asked if we could go in. We talked to them for two hours, just
making small talk, talking about the United States, and talking about
cute girly stuff--- gaining trust and friendship... then their mom got
home. (both parents work non-stop-- their mom is a nurse and works many
hours).
A. (the mom) talked to us and
we explained to her that we could not find records of her and N. on
the church records-- meaning that we knew she had said that she was a
member of the church- they had both been baptized but that maybe the
paper work hadnt been filled out correctly. (I remembered that even the
Bishop gave us their family because he was under the impression that
only J. was a member of the church)--- I explained to her that we
would try to find the records again, but if not, she and N. would
need to be re-baptized and confirmed again. She was remarkably calm
about it and we explained that if that would need to happen, she could
be baptized with both of her daughters on the same day----- long story
short----- we told her we would look harder for her records and let her
know asap!
Anyways.... we explained to
A. and her two daughters that night that we loved them already
and knew that Heavenly Father loves them and so He sent us- His
representatives- to invite them to experience
the peace and joy of a family united in the Gospel. A. cried as
she explained that she hasn't been able to come
to church for a long time because of her work schedule. She said that us
coming was an answer to her prayers--a cry for help that she thought
wouldnt be heard. She cried and said, "I have been so far away from
Heavenly Father these last few years, but I have always tried to say my
prayers and ask him to help my family make it back to church--- I want
the Gospel in my home, but I need help--- I know that Heavenly Father
hasnt forgotten me because He sent you to me and my daughters. You guys
never stopped coming by these last few weeks--- GOD IS MERCIFUL- HE
ALWAYS COMES BACK."
MY HEART WAS SO TOUCHED!
This sweet mom just needed help!!! She signed the papers that hour to
have her daughter baptized-- I. (9) and we told her that we could
do it on Saturday (two days later). She explained that she wouldnt be
done working until at least 8:30 at night and we told her that we would
baptized her at 9pm
if we had to! We let her know that we would call the bishop to confirm
whether or not A. and her other daughter were members or not and
then plan the details of the baptism(s). She agreed and we left.
I
could she the hope in A.'s eyes. We werent just there to baptize
her youngest daughter... we were there to remind A., that HEAVENLY FATHER ALWAYS GIVES SECOND
CHANCES... or in this case, 20 chances (we literally went back to that
house soooo many times- almost gave up, and then went back one more
time!!!!)
THAT NIGHT OUR HEARTS WERE ON FIRE!! I
CALLED THE BISHOP IMMEDIATELY AND HAD HIM SEARCHING FOR BAPTISMAL
FICHAS/RECORDS. He got right on it and luckily found that A. and N.'s records had just got put into the wrong folder with another
family's records. So that is why we didn't know if they were members or
not.
I explained everything to bishop and told him that we would probably be having a baptism two days later at 9pm
in the evening! He laughed and told me that he would be happy to come
and help us baptize regardless of the hour. He is so great- older man-
already was a stake president and is just amazing!!! He said something
that made my heart so happy, "Sister Tyson, I want you to know that I
trust you and Sister Bott. I know you work so hard and I know that the
Lord trusts you to do everything in line with His will. So, if you want
to baptize a little girl at 9pm
on a Saturday night- I will be there and will bring the whole ward with
me! We are here to support you and we are so grateful for you!"
The
next day- Friday- was a rush! We went and picked I. up at her
house to take her to the chapel and show her the baptism font. I thought
it would be a good idea for her to have a chance to see it and practice
before the day of- especially in such a quick situation like this----
she was nervous but asked lots of cute questions- I even walked down
into the dry font with her and explained everything to her. It WAS
PRECIOUS! She hadn't been in the church for years so it was cute to see
her face light up as memories were flooding back to her.
SATURDAY WAS EVEN CRAZIER!!! I HADN'T RECIEVED FULL CONFIRMATION THAT THE BAPTISM WAS GONNA HAPPEN UNTIL 6PM!!!
I HAD BEEN CALLING MEMBERS ALL DAY TRYING TO ARRANGE EVERYTHING, SISTER BOTT
AND I HAD OTHER COMMITMENTS TO FULFILL, AND THE BISHOP WAS WAITING FOR ME
TO CALL HIM AND TELL HIM THAT WE WERE FOR SURE GOING TO HAVE A BAPTISM
THAT NIGHT.
I had talked to A. that
morning and she said that she didn't know if we would be able to baptize I. that night. SISTER BOTT AND I WERE PANICKING AND ON OUR KNEES AND
FASTING ALL DAY LONG!
I DIDN'T HAVE
CONFIRMATION FOR A., SO I HESITATED TO MAKE FORMAL PLANS WITH
THE WARD-- BUT AT 6:30, I FINALLY CALLED OUT TO EVERYONE. I TOOK A LEAP
OF FAITH---- Rosivani and Valci and Lisley went to the store and bought
cake and drinks to bring, the elders were on standby with the jumpsuit
and getting to our chapel, and bishop was getting to program ready.
Before we had even had a firm go-ahead from A., Sister Bott and I had
so much faith and went to fill up the font!!!!!
I
was about to call A. again, when N. called me at 7:30 and
said, "my mom happened to get off from work early and is going to change
her clothes and drive us over to the chapel--- we are all ready to go- I. has her towel and is excited-- can we come over there right
now?" I agreed to meet them at the chapel and then hung up and started
screaming!!! I LITERALLY WAS BOUNCING OFF OF THE WALLS!! I WAS SOOOO
NERVOUS THAT EVERYONE WOULD SHOW UP FOR THIS BAPTISM AND THAT IT WOULD
BE CANCELLED!! SISTER BOTT AND I RAN AROUND OUR LITTLE APARTMENT SCREAMING AND
THEN DROPPED TO OUR KNEES AND PRAYED-- JUST WITH GRATITUDE FOR THIS
MIRACLE!!!!!!!!
Sister Bott finished I.'s KitKat cake and we ran to the church---- we had an incredible turn out from the ward!! 9pm
at night we had 21 members there to support us! We had only told people
that there would be a baptism only 2 hours before but everyone was
there!! The whole primary presidency even came with a gift to welcome I.!!!! Some primary kids even
did a musical number during the baptismal service!!! Full decorations,
food table, desserts, and other snack food was brought by the members
and set up for after the baptism!!!! The members even went and picked up
my district leader and his companion so that they could arrive on
time!!!! I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN HOW MANY TENDER MERCIES WE SAW THAT
NIGHT!!! OUR WARD WAS INCREDIBLE!!!! We ate lots of great food after the
baptism and I could tell that I. felt soooo special!! She was
beaming!!!! She was sweet and helped me serve cake to everyone in the
room! She told us later that she was so excited to have found her "new
family"!!!
WE BAPTIZED CUTE
I.! I. WAS
CONFIRMED YESTERDAY. N.- HER SISTER IS ALREADY SIGNED UP TO GO TO GIRLS CAMP THIS
YEAR!! WE ARE SOOOO THRILLED.
A. wept
at the baptism and yesterday at church. She said that she had never felt so much Christ like love in
her life-- and felt a peace come over her that we were there to help her
family to be together forever and happy!!! MY HEART WAS ON FIRE--- IT
STILL IS!!!!!
Bishop already has interviews
marked with A. and J., and we
will be doing lots of family nights over there at that house!!!
MY
HEART IS SOOOO FULL! THIS IS WHY I AM HERE--- I MISS EACH OF YOU
TERRIBLY-- BUT I AM HERE TO UNITE FAMILIES HERE IN BRAZIL!!!
I
have truly seen the hand of the Lord this transfer and so much this
week. I am sooooo grateful for a great companion who I am able to feel
the Spirit with as we work. We worked sooooo hard this transfer and we
fasted and prayed endlessly--- we went back to these houses soooo many
times and after all of the effort we put in--- all I can say is that
HEAVENLY FATHER LIVES. He made this happen. He is soooo merciful to all
of us, and HE MADE THIS HAPPEN!!!
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