Hellooo,
I could say so many things to you today, but i will try and be brief.
We've been cruising at about 105 this week, and El Centro got sick so we got kicked back onto the bikes. Hey look! Mexico! This is about as close to Mexico as i can get from my area.
The "S" and "C" family were baptized this week! It was a really special service. El Centro was teaching the Rosales family and they needed to be married so they could be living the Law of Chastity when they were baptized. A lot of the members of the spanish branch made some big efforts and put of on really nice event for them. I was afraid the marriage was going to be too overdone and outshine the importance of the baptism. That marriage was done after the laws of men and is nullified with death. The baptism was done according to the powers and authority of the priesthood of God and represents the first covenant needed to enter into the presence of God. I really wanted the power of the baptism to impress everyone there.
The spirit took care of all of that. It was very nice during the wedding, but as soon as we all got dressed in white and started to sing the opening hymn during the baptismal service I was done for. I was crying like 6 seconds into "Grand eres tu." The magnitude of what they were doing really hit me, and it was so gratifying, I really can't explain how gratifying, to be there sitting next to those two families as they made the choice to enter into the waters of baptism. I was fine after the first song, but I could really feel the spirit testifying of the ordinance the entire hour. I got a little time to think about all of the blood, sweat and tears (mostly sweat and tears) that went into helping these people live the principles of the restored gospel. I felt so spiritually full.
When I come home you can ask me about the dynamic of each person and what they did directly after being baptized, i don't feel like i should write about it right now. It was a really special experience to bring them out of the water and be with them in those first few moments as covenant bearing people.
Ella got a job this week. One of those blessing and a curse jobs... because she'd been looking for a job forever, and she got the perfect job she'd always wanted. She is taking care of kids in a foster home out near the kickapoo reservation. They scheduled her over the baptismal service and church the next day. She doesn't get her hours for the coming week until Saturday afternoon. I shouldn't really baptize her unless she's able to complete the second half of the ordinance the
Sunday following. So i have no way of being able to schedule a baptismal service for her more than an hour or so in advance.
She's the project this week. We waited to baptize Tad and Amilio until they could do so with their mom. Everything is going to turn out alright.
I studied faith this week. It challenged me to analyze my level of faith, what i needed to do to increase me faith, and then to change. Because I know that the Book of Mormon contains the word of God and is a pure medium for receiving revelation I can believe everything it says ... and it contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. I memorized D&C 4 in spanish and to believe that the entire field is white already to harvest really does influence the way I talk to people. Everyone is ready to receive this message, until they prove to me otherwise. There is so much hope in the Lord's work.
I love you!
I'm proud of everything you're doing!
Stay Salty!
Elder Tyler Meidell
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