Símia got baptized yesterday!! It was so great. Actually, in the process it was a little nerve wracking. She was set on having the branch president, who happens to be a skinny, little guy, baptize her. Símia happens to be a larger woman. That´s not normally a problem, unless of course there´s not enough water. Well, yesterday, for some reason, the font did not fill up in the normal 2 or 3 hours. There was so little water in the font that I wondered if it would be possible. The first attempt was obviously not good, and the same with the second. Luckily, Símia is a very light-hearted person and didn´t get frustrated- she just started to chuckle about it all. The third time, in answer to our fervent prayers, the baptism was successfully completed. (Those situations can be scary. There was a little boy in Tena that decided he wouldn´t do it after 2 unsuccessful attempts. He was successfully baptized the next week, though.) She was absolutely beaming. The best part is that there were 5 investigators there for the baptism, most of them being family members of Símia. Unfortunately, her sons arrived late. They did, however, make it there in time to hear her express her feelings. Símia told us that she felt so full of a joy and happiness, a happiness she had never before imagined and could not express to us in words. That sounds like the Spirit to me. As I think about that now, it reminds me of the questions Alma asks us in Alma 5. If we have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, can we feel so now? I think that is the more difficult part. We need to always seek revelation, seek to have the significant and personal spiritual experiences. That is what helps us keep the song alive in our hearts.
Speaking of singing, how many people will be there to sing on the 17th? If there´s a huge group, I´d say Because He Loves Us, but otherwise, I´d really like to sing For I Have Seen the Lord because it bears testimony of the Restoration. P.S. "You´re trunking me out of my mind!" haha (for those of you who don´t remember, that´s a quote from The Best 2 Years)
You mentioned new recommends, too. I´ve heard that in the US there are new recommends with bar codes or something due to many incidents of recommends being stolen and used to then get in and record temple ceremonies. Is that true? Is it already in effect?
I really liked a lesson we taught to a man named Oswaldo this week. Why? First of all, a member was with us to teach. Not only did she add her experiences, testimony of the Gospel, and a witness from a fellow townsperson, but she testified of the truthfulness of the message that we as missionaries share with people. At some point when we were talking about prayer, Oswaldo mentioned that he already had experience with Heavenly Father hearing and answering his prayers. He then told us about studying and having a difficult test (isn´t "examen" a normal word in English!? The spell check is telling me no…but anyway) ahead, so he prayed for help and was able to pass, even though the majority of the students did not. Thinking about it later, it was a reminder that our Father really is aware of all of us. Even those without the Gospel can feel of His love and will receive all the blessings they deserve. Our Father does all He can to help us come unto Him, no matter our background. We do always need to do our part and ask, seek, and knock, though. I´m grateful to know that if we do have the faith to act ourselves, He will answer.
Last night at about 10:20pm we found out about the death of President Hinckley. I was busy brushing my teeth when I heard Hna Lucas gasp and Hna Ramos cry "no!" with such a voice of anguish that I knew something was wrong. Hna Delgado called the Stake President to talk about a baptism and he told her about it. As it turns out, I´m the only sister in the house that remembers when Pres Hinckley became the prophet. Two are converts of less than 12 years and the other was inactive at the time. For all of us, though, he´s been the prophet for a good portion of our lives. As I thought about it, I felt at peace, knowing he could finally be with his beloved wife again, does not have to use the cane that he so despised, and is going to continue in the work there. He just got a transfer to a different mission, that´s all. It made me reflect on the changes that he made, the work that he did as a servant of the Lord. I´m so grateful for the legacy of temples that´s blessed the world, for the perpetual education fund that has helps and improves so many lives, for the leaps and bounds that brought the Church greater national and international coverage, and for all the teachings and testimonies that have guided and helped me personally. I will always remember him as the optimist that taught us to focus on the sunshine and not on the storm clouds. I´m grateful to know that we live this dispensation, that the work of the Lord goes on. The question is, will we be a part of it?
Thanks for your love, prayers and support. Pray for your own missionary opportunities, too. Support the missionaries in your own areas by opening your mouths and helping them to find the elect. It sure makes my week when members here do that. :D
"If it´s true, and I testify that is it, then the work in which we are engaged is the most important work on the earth." President Gordon B. Hinckley
Love,
Hna CS Henrichsen
Ecuabits: When we ate in the mall after meetings last Tuesday, I noticed movie ticket prices. The adult fare is $3.20. That´d be nice to go home to…
When I first arrived at the house here in Ambato, one of the first things I noticed was the interesting window décor-big packing tape X´s. Now I know it´s very common here and in the areas surrounding the volcano. That´s how you protect the windows so they don´t break as easily during earthquakes. Packing tape is so versatile!
pics..proof of my gozo upon receiving the packages and Hna Lucas and I with Símia
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