Buueeeeeenoooos!
Wow what a week! Where do I start... Well we
worked really, really hard this week and ran everywhere to find a miracle
baptism for this coming Sunday (the 22nd) and we found a lost sheep! If you
remember I baptized Eddy in December. We found out through a member that his 12
year old older brother has not been baptized or something wrong happened with
his records and so he has to be baptized! He has been going to church so he
will be able to be baptized this Sunday! There is always, always, always a
miracle like this in Rio Santiago! When we are working like crazy and doing
everything we can, the Lord will bless us and the ones we serve. I have tried
and proved Him time and time again. The windows of heaven are always open!
Dad, you mentioned something about service and
this new website that came out for the church - I learned a powerful lesson
this week concerning service. We have a convert in the ward that was baptized a
little under a year ago and has fallen into his old ways and drinking and
smoking and wasting his life away. I saw him at church one time on my first Sunday
here. I have taught him so many times about the Word of Wisdom and the Atonement
and the Sabbath Day and all the Doctrine and with Elder Raudales and Elder Palma
saw zero success with him. But that is why Elder Martinez came - to teach me
and to change this man! This week we saw him working on a hill by a member’s
house cutting weeds with his machete. We walked up the hill and shared a
message with him. I (in my heart) had given up on him, but Elder Martinez felt
impressed to ask him if we could do something for him. He asked us to help him
the following day cut weeds and clean up this hill so that the owner could
plant beans and squash and stuff. So we did. And it changed EVERYTHING. 3 hours
in the Guatemalan sun with a Guatemalan machete changed everything. I gave him
a white shirt and he went to church. He has stopped drinking and has limited
himself to 1 cigarette a day. The power of service and the spirit of charity
can change any heart. The best part of my week was walking into the church lot
and seeing him out front greeting every member as they walked in. He is
now our friend and will be born again as we teach him the Atonement of Christ.
Elder Martinez has taught me a ton; especially
in regard to loving those we serve. And truly serving those we serve. We are
always laughing and joking and smiling in the street and the members and the
people have noticed. They ask us why we are so happy. We ask them if they know
anyone we can baptize. But really, this is and will continue to be a fantastic
change. We are being obedient and doing all we can. I love what I do know and don’t
want to leave this area. I have grown to love them with all my heart.
Con todo mi amor,
Elder Smith
Jacob and Elder Martinez - no idea where:)
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