21 de mayo, 2012
This week Beatriz was baptized and it was perhaps one of the most spirit-filled events of my mission. It was great! Beatriz is the most ready investigator I have worked with on my entire mission. She easily accepted the Word of Wisdom and the decision she made to quit drinking coffee wasn’t even difficult. She is so great and was definitely chosen. Before she found the gospel she was sick and unhappy with her life. She has done a complete 180 and she kept saying over and over again in her testimony at her baptism, how happy she is, how she knows this is the true church and that the Book of Mormon is true. She is also the only investigator I have ever had who completes all of the reading assignments we give her without a problem. Reading is not a past time here in Paraguay. In fact, many Paraguayans don’t even know how to read. This makes it very difficult to learn in the Gospel. But Beatriz is super great and reads a ton. I think baptisms are a lot like weddings. A lot of the time the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff seems to be going wrong and falling apart but the person getting baptism (or the couple) is blissfully unaware because they are so happy about this next step they are about to make in their life. At her baptism we sang the Primary song about baptism and the President of the branch baptized her. Apparently the door that leads to the font was locked and the brethren were thinking of all sorts of ways to hoist our little investigator over the panel of glass and drop her into the font (crazy huh?). Thank goodness that they figured out how to open the door. It was a wonderful service. It puts everything into perspective and makes everything worth it when someone accepts Christ through baptism. Her confirmation was equally wonderful, blessing her with the strength to have a calling and that her three children would be able to experience the blessings of the Gospel as well.
Yesterday at Church I spoke about temples. It was so easy for me to talk for 10 minutes on a Gospel subject in Spanish that it’s ridiculous. I wish someone would have told me that it would be this easy when I was freaking out at the MTC (Well, I guess lots of people did.) lol
We have been watching “The District 1” dvds as part of the training program, which are based on the lives of missionaries on the states. They show lessons they have taught and how they work with the ward... Every time I watch it, I laugh at how organized they are in the states!! South America is not like that! The church is pretty new down here, only about 30 years old, and our branch council this week (when we have it) consists of the branch president, the ward mission leader and a hermana who works in the primary along with my companion and I. That was the attendance from the entire branch. The funny part is that I was thrilled we were finally having it and that attendance is actually better than what I have had in other branches. I would just like to say that missionaries in South America have different trials than those working in the states. I appreciate so much the openness and faithfulness of the people here to accept us into their homes. I am sure it’s not like that in the states.
When I think about leaving South America it makes me really sad and even more so when I think about leaving my beloved people of Paraguay. I’ve been talking to Hermana Greer who served in Colorado for a bit before arriving here, and I keep asking myself, “Since when did America become atheist?” A country founded on the very right of religious freedom now cringes at the sound of the word God (unless they are using it in vain). People strive to forget about the very Creator of their souls who has given them everything, our Heavenly Father. I am not trying to be negative. I love America and have never been more proud of the freedoms and advantages we enjoy as Americans, but I have gotten use to a different type of society here which is a society based on the faith of a creator bigger than they are- who they rely on for food, health and happiness. When we ask people if they have faith in Christ, they openly reply, yes! Some people even have a tone of ‘duh, who wouldn’t?’ in their voice. I love the Paraguayan people and their faith, some of it misplaced, but nevertheless, they are believers, young and old. It was something that surprised my companion when she first arrived.
Sara Crase, you are engaged!!!! Wowwww I am so excited for you! Thanks for the last dearelder and I hope to hear more about your engagement!! Pictures please. I am really bummed though, because although I will arrive in the states in mid August, I will have just returned and I will not be able to attend. The good news though is that you will be living in Provo still. So no worries there.
Love you all,
Hermana Brittner
This week Beatriz was baptized and it was perhaps one of the most spirit-filled events of my mission. It was great! Beatriz is the most ready investigator I have worked with on my entire mission. She easily accepted the Word of Wisdom and the decision she made to quit drinking coffee wasn’t even difficult. She is so great and was definitely chosen. Before she found the gospel she was sick and unhappy with her life. She has done a complete 180 and she kept saying over and over again in her testimony at her baptism, how happy she is, how she knows this is the true church and that the Book of Mormon is true. She is also the only investigator I have ever had who completes all of the reading assignments we give her without a problem. Reading is not a past time here in Paraguay. In fact, many Paraguayans don’t even know how to read. This makes it very difficult to learn in the Gospel. But Beatriz is super great and reads a ton. I think baptisms are a lot like weddings. A lot of the time the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff seems to be going wrong and falling apart but the person getting baptism (or the couple) is blissfully unaware because they are so happy about this next step they are about to make in their life. At her baptism we sang the Primary song about baptism and the President of the branch baptized her. Apparently the door that leads to the font was locked and the brethren were thinking of all sorts of ways to hoist our little investigator over the panel of glass and drop her into the font (crazy huh?). Thank goodness that they figured out how to open the door. It was a wonderful service. It puts everything into perspective and makes everything worth it when someone accepts Christ through baptism. Her confirmation was equally wonderful, blessing her with the strength to have a calling and that her three children would be able to experience the blessings of the Gospel as well.
Yesterday at Church I spoke about temples. It was so easy for me to talk for 10 minutes on a Gospel subject in Spanish that it’s ridiculous. I wish someone would have told me that it would be this easy when I was freaking out at the MTC (Well, I guess lots of people did.) lol
We have been watching “The District 1” dvds as part of the training program, which are based on the lives of missionaries on the states. They show lessons they have taught and how they work with the ward... Every time I watch it, I laugh at how organized they are in the states!! South America is not like that! The church is pretty new down here, only about 30 years old, and our branch council this week (when we have it) consists of the branch president, the ward mission leader and a hermana who works in the primary along with my companion and I. That was the attendance from the entire branch. The funny part is that I was thrilled we were finally having it and that attendance is actually better than what I have had in other branches. I would just like to say that missionaries in South America have different trials than those working in the states. I appreciate so much the openness and faithfulness of the people here to accept us into their homes. I am sure it’s not like that in the states.
When I think about leaving South America it makes me really sad and even more so when I think about leaving my beloved people of Paraguay. I’ve been talking to Hermana Greer who served in Colorado for a bit before arriving here, and I keep asking myself, “Since when did America become atheist?” A country founded on the very right of religious freedom now cringes at the sound of the word God (unless they are using it in vain). People strive to forget about the very Creator of their souls who has given them everything, our Heavenly Father. I am not trying to be negative. I love America and have never been more proud of the freedoms and advantages we enjoy as Americans, but I have gotten use to a different type of society here which is a society based on the faith of a creator bigger than they are- who they rely on for food, health and happiness. When we ask people if they have faith in Christ, they openly reply, yes! Some people even have a tone of ‘duh, who wouldn’t?’ in their voice. I love the Paraguayan people and their faith, some of it misplaced, but nevertheless, they are believers, young and old. It was something that surprised my companion when she first arrived.
Sara Crase, you are engaged!!!! Wowwww I am so excited for you! Thanks for the last dearelder and I hope to hear more about your engagement!! Pictures please. I am really bummed though, because although I will arrive in the states in mid August, I will have just returned and I will not be able to attend. The good news though is that you will be living in Provo still. So no worries there.
Love you all,
Hermana Brittner
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