December 19, 2011- Letter

Dear Mom and Dad,

Okay, first things first. Skype. I am pretty sure it is happening. If all goes well, that is what we will be doing in only a matter of days!!! I am thinking that I will be calling (for lack of a better term) around three your time. Don´t stress too much about running home from church, these things almost always take a little time to set up, etc, and Hna Israelsen will be talking to her family before I will be talking to you, so it may be a little later than that. But as of right now that is what we are planning.

Also, I was under the impression that the 12 days of Christmas was supposed to end on Christmas Eve. And as of right now, I am right on track. I think that the time difference is messing with your ability to count days. Hehehe.

This week was pretty crazy. First lets start with the sad news. Pedro did not get baptized. I don´t know what it was. He was pretty MIA all week. We couldn´t find him at his house, he didn´t answer his phone, he didn´t come to church. It was pretty sad. Yesterday night we finally made contact again, and we have a lesson set up with him tomorrow, so we are hoping that next week he will be able to have his baptism.

The good news. Marta got baptised!!! It was actually a crazy story. And I will give the (very very) readers digest version. Marta´s sister Norma is a member. Norma has been trying to share the gospel with her sister for who knows how long. Marta´s husband was actually investigating the church, and passed away 3 days before his baptism. Hermanas a year ago were trying to teach her, and she resisted just about everything. Hermana Israelsen passed by with her old comp and it was basically the same story. Marta said that they could pass by and teach, but that she wanted nothing to do with a baptisimal date. When we passed by the first day, it was pretty much a dream lesson. She accepted everyday, date and all. She progressed very quickly after that, and we were impressed to move her date up a week, we she also accepted very well, she would be getting confirmed on Christmas.

She then realized that she, her sister and brother in law, would all be out of town for Christmas, (just that day) and for New Years (also just that day). So even if she were to be baptized, she wouldn´t be confirmed for 3 weeks. Which is a really really really long time. So she asked if we could move her date up again. For that Saturday. Hna Israelsen and I were in complete shock. Of course we said yes, and inside I started to freak out a little. There is a lot that goes into a baptism, and I knew we didn´t have much time. So I started to make some lists, and get things figured out. One of the ward missionaries Franco, was with us, and when we left, he told me to stop being silly, the ward took care of all of those things. I went into shock again. So the ward took care of everything, and she had a beautiful baptism on Saturday, and on Sunday she was confrirmed!  From the day that Hna Isrealsen and I started teaching her to her baptism, it was only 10 days. We feel very strongly that we were placed here for her. As she has told us many, many times.

The other big miracle of the week is this. Graciela and Carlos have been waiting to find out when they will be getting married, and after their wedding, they will be able to get baptized. With how everything is here, they were looking at a date in April. Which for a missionary, and  I am sure two people who are wanting and waiting to get baptized, is forever. Franco knows someone, who knows someone, who does something that I don´t completely understand, and they said that they woud be able to get them a date much closer. On Wednesday we found out what that date was. Are you sitting down?!?! They will be getting married on Thursday. In three days. THREE DAYS!!!!! Is that not ridiculous?! And they will be getting baptized on Friday. And confirmed on Sunday. I am still in shock. When Franco told us what the days was (which was in a meeting with the ward mission leader and ward missionaries) I started to cry like a little girl. And proceeded to cry for the whole meeting. I am pretty sure that I have now scared all of them. But I am so excited!!! And Graciela and Carlos are so darn excited and cute. They will be getting married outside of the ward boundaries, so we got special permission to go to the wedding. I am SO excited.

We certainly are seeing so many miracles here. We are hoping for the miracle of new investigators this week. After the next two weeks we will have baptized all fo the investigators that we have. Which is great. But we need more people to teach. So that is the miracle that we are asking for this week. I have been so blessed in my mission. I feel bad. Sometimes I don´t think I am as grateful as I should be. And then I have weeks like this, and I ask why me? I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to witness the miracle of the gospel in peoples lives. It really does have the power to change. I am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for this very choice area in the new year!!!

I love you so much, and I am so excited to talk to you next week!!!!

Corinne!