Hanna and AJ got baptized this weekend! They are so awesome! We are still working with the dad. He was so proud of them and had a big smile on his face during the entire baptism and confirmation. Their family came from out of town to support them and the dad's family even came although they aren't members! That is a great opportunity for them and anyone to feel the spirit and spark an interest in learning more. I am so excited to see this family grow and stay close with them. We were kind of stressed out because the building was reserved by another ward and we didn't find out till the day of. We were able to have the baptism anyway and the other ward was so gracious that they even invited everyone from the baptism to come and join in their activity! No one actually did but it was very sweet of them to offer. Through all the running around we forgot to get in a picture with the family!! Can you believe it??? We got pictures of them though :) It just slipped our minds to actually get in the picture haha.
This week has just been so eventful! I went on exchanges with Sister Burtenshaw, she is from Canada! She went to BYU-Hawaii and it made me want to go there really bad when she talked about it. Maybe you can pray as well to see if I should go there?? ;) We talked to a woman at the church when mutual was about to start (we were asked to share a thought at mutual, usually we don't go to that haha). She is recently coming back to the church after being baptized when she was 17 but lost contact when she moved from Mexico to the U.S. Her children aren't members but she is bringing them to church as well. She talked about how she is divorced and was abused... It's crazy how many people I meet on my mission who are in the same situation as everybody else! I know that my testimony is strengthened every time I meet someone like that and get to testify to them that the Atonement heals us.
On Wednesday Hanna and AJ were interviewed for baptism and they were so happy. I love the peaceful look on the faces of those who are softened by the Spirit. They looked so much happier that night than they did when we first met them. It's amazing how we all can think we are so happy at the moment and then realize that there are even MORE blessings ahead of us! Hope gives us the chance to have joy now and also later.
We came out of our apartment door one morning and halted as we saw five little kittens in the corner of our front door and the outside wall. They were way too small to have climbed the apartment stairs so we figure that the mom cat brought them up there cause she saw Jesus's picture on our door ;) Or maybe its cause its more secluded than the bush where little kids would run by that they used to be in downstairs. Either way, we now have some kittens sleeping outside our apartment and we don't know what to do with them! We will figure it out. The mom comes and feeds them all the time so maybe they will just stay there till they grow and can walk away ;)
Sister Breakall and I sang "I know that My Redeemer Lives" in Sacrament yesterday. We did better than we thought we would do! It was fun :) And we had 6 investigators at church! I was so happy to see them all there because we know the trials they are experiencing and how hard it must have been to come. One of them that was there was Crystal, she brought three of her kids and also her neighbor! She recently got separated from her boyfriend and lost her job. I am grateful though that God makes things happen so that better things can take place. It made me reflect on the time I got fired from my job and then got a new job a month later where I never had to work Sundays. I am so grateful that God fired me haha :)
Well, that's all for today folks, I love this work and I love my Father in Heaven. I read this morning about King Lamoni's father who was willing to give up half his kingdom, than all of his kingdom, and then all of his sins as he came to learn more and more of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What are we willing to give for joy in this life and eternal life in the next? The pride that we sometimes feel when someone offends us? The resentment that we hold on to? The stubbornness of waiting for someone else to apologize first? All of those are barriers that we put up for ourselves to halt our spiritual progression. Whether we are drifting away from God's presence or halting and refusing to go forward, it is still sin. Aaron tells Lamoni's father the way to "know God" is to repent and have faith. How wonderful and beautiful is the sacrifice that our Redeemer made for us. That as we practice faith in him we can repent and have joy now and for eternity. I know that my Redeemer lives! What comfort this sweet sentence gives. He lives. God lives.
Hermana Ally Hopkins
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