I'm going to have to type quickly today!!!
It
sounds like you are having a very enjoyable summer! You are right, it
is hard to believe how much has changed since just one year ago when I
was getting home from Italy and getting ready to leave for school. I'm
so different now! And I never imagined that I would be on a mission so
soon. I was just thinking in church yesterday how different my life
would be right now if I hadn't decided to come on a mission. To think of
all the experiences I wouldn't have in just 3 months and all the people
I wouldn't have met...I'm just so glad that I am here!!!
I
remember that yellow house! That was the same trip where I same in the
frigid cold ocean for hours and swear that I almost got Hypothermia
haha. I do love to swim :) The dunes trip however, was not as fun
because that is when my ATV fell on top of me...an experience that I
wouldn't have minded if it didn't happen! I laughed out loud at the
names that Chris calls the baby. Haha she is so funny :) I'm glad that
you got to spend some time with her. I'm also very glad to hear that you
are taking good care of my computer! I appreciate you telling Ben that
he's not going to be able to take her to school. Thank you :)
Random
question, have you ever heard of Granite Falls, WA? There is an Elder
in my Zone who lived there when he was younger and I had never heard of
it so I was just wondering if you had.
This week was pretty busy
preparing for the baptism...teaching the last little bits of the
lessons, getting the interviews done, etc. Tuesday we went to teach two
of them and didn't finish before we had to leave so we came back again
later that night. Two lessons in one day!!! That's how ready and
prepared they are. At the end of the lesson I reached for my scriptures
because she had been using them, but she thought I was trying to shake
her hand so we shook hands. Then I said something about my scriptures so
she started to hand them to me and then realized that I had been
reaching for them in the first place. We had a pretty good laugh about
that one :) We still joke about it each time we shake hands :)
On
Wednesday we had the baptismal interviews. Two and half hours and
8 detailed forms later, all of them had been interviewed and were ready
to go for Saturday :) We were so excited and couldn't believe that it
was all happening! Elder Bond (our district leader) said that as soon as
the dad of the family walked into the room, he knew that he was ready
and prepared to be baptized. How cool is that?! He said he knew that
about all the family, but especially about the dad. They are the
greatest!
Then
along came Saturday. One of the best days ever. We got there early
to fill up the font and set up chairs and to run through the special
musical number that I was accompaning. Then we went and took pictures
with them. They looked so beautiful in their white jumpsuits and were
smiling so big. The program started and went well. We were in the chapel
because there were so many people there. We moved to the Relief Society
room for the baptisms. Sister Chavarri and I knelt down in the front
with all the kids so that we sould be able to see. It was simply
amazing. It isn't often that you get to see 8 people be baptized and we
felt very blessed to be there. Then we all went back to the Chapel. The
musical number started out well, but then the singer started crying and
remained unable to control herself so it basically turned into a piano
solo. Good thing I practiced! Afterwards, everyone gave hugs and
congratulations and Erica and Adriana were both crying and so were their
family members (who happen to not be members yet). It was so great!
Adriana gave me a great big hug and thanked me for teaching them. It was
so great! They told us to make sure that we keep visiting them and to
stop by whenever our plans with investigators fall through.
Then
yesterday during church they all got confirmed. It took up most of the
meeting...like we went over 15 minutes and didn't end up singing the
closing hymn...but they were beautiful blessings. They were smiling so
big and so were the members in the congregation. They are already a part
of the ward and everyone was so happy for them.
A
few other little things happened, but the baptism was the best part so I
will share about the rest in another e-mail. I am so happy to be here
and take part in this wonderful work. I love you very much!
Con mi amor,
Hermana Baria
