So last week the email i sent was like 2 seconds long, and there was so much going on- and i feel really bad that i did not tell you everything wonderful thats going on, so today i'm just gonna bust as much out as i can in the 43 minutes i have left, because wow...this week...i can't even put into words how amazing it was!
KAYLA GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURADAY!!!! Saturday was probably one of the best days of my entire life! But before I tell you how wonderful it was, i have to tell you of an obsticale that obviously came up, (because lets be honest, Satan is going to try to do everything to get in the way right haha?!) Well we got to the chapel and were kind of crunching for time since we had just came from the temple, and went to start filling the font...but there was no plug...What do you do right? PRAY (after panicking just for a second) haha, anyways, i came up with the bright idea to grab a plate from the kitchen, and put it over the drain, have it suction itself down and then fill the font...did it work? Of course, becuase God will always win, and miracles happen! haha so, yes we used a big glass plate as a plug for the font and everything worked perfectly haha. Anyways, Kayla's baptism was soooo powerful and many of the other missionaries investigators even said how special it was. After kayla was baptized and she bore her testimony...It was one of the most powerful yet, simple testimonies I have ever heard! She just cried as the shared it, and of course my companion and I were just crying like babies too haha. Kayla is the one we met 2 weeks ago (referral from the bishop) and is just *golden! She also recieved the Holy Ghost yesterday too, and when the priesthood holders layed their hands on her head and the words, "recieve the Holy Ghost" were said, the spirit was just like dripping off of the walls. The power of God truly is manifest in the ordinances thereof! My heart has almost never been so full of happiness!
Not only was I so fortunate to experience the beautiful and sacred ordinance of Baptism, but also got to go to the TEMPLE and see 2 of Sister Parson's previous investigators recieve their endownments, just before the baptism (and we get to go back on Saturday for their sealing!!!) While sitting in the endowment room, i was just totally overcome with the spirit and felt so much peace and happiness as I was reminded of the beautiful covenenants I have made with Heavenly Father. While sitting in the celestial room I was again, blown away with the strength of the spirit...what a remarakable place to be while here on earth in this crazy world- temples truly are a piece of heaven here on earth! As missionaries, when we promise people there is more happiness awaiting them, I immediately think of the temple and how a lot of the happiness comes from within there. The temple truly is such a special gift that SO MANY poeple have NO IDEA about!!! Also, I always bear testimony of the reality of the spirit world and the fact that there are misisonaries there (and of course think of Chels, and Grandma/pa) and I DO...i know with all my heart that many are learning about the gospel...but along with that...many are accepting it, but literally cannot advance up to spirit paradise/receive more happiness until their temple work is done! PLEASEEEE make a special effort to become literal Savior's on Mount Zion for these people who have passed on, and help them with their temple work! They will fall at your feet one day, and this is not just something to think, "oh cute, thats awesome" but they will LITERALLY...FALL.AT.YOUR.FEET. in the deepest of gratitude, and thank you for SAVING THEM! What a special moment that will be! Try your best to go to the temple this week, and I promise you will feel an added peace to your life, and will NOT regret it, regardless of the sacrifices you have to make!
Bad news...Meemee's parents said she cannot get baptized...AHHH my heart just broke! She wants to get baptized soooo badly, but we obviously cannot do it without the permission of her parents. Sister Parsons and I have been praying really hard for her and been fasting, but all we can do is accept the fact that God knows best and will make happen, what needs to be done. It's hard to accept, but we just have to do our part. We are still teaching her, and she is still progressing, but just not towards baptism...(YET)...I have faith that her parent's hearts will be softened! So unfortunately she will not be getting baptzied this coming Saturday, but Bobkie, Malad and Blessing will be!!!! I am sooooo excited for them and cannot wait to see them make their very first covenant with God! My heart is just pounding thinking about it right now, seriously like these.kids.are.awesome! LIke SOLID! They are the pioneers of bringing the gospel into their's and their families life, and boy are they strong! The like follow up with us on activietes/assignments/church, everything! They love it, and nothing makes my heart happier than hearing them talk about how their lives are continuing to change for the better! They are also being missionaries themselves-I can't rememebr if i told you last week, but we also committed Bobkie's friend, Paul, to baptism!!! He is not in our area, but he wants us to teach him and our ward is willing to help him (even if it means helping him with transportation that may take nearly an hour) just so he can enter into his first coveneant with God, become solid, and then transistion over. Along with him we committed another one to baptism too...haha...her name is Kathleen. I wrote about her a little while back, but she committed as well- but unfortuantly her dad said No. But we have slowly worked our way in with her dad and are confident that his heart will be softened. They are such a sweet Maori family, and are actually related to some members in our ward, (but lets be honest, all Mauori's are "realated" haha) so we are gonna get them to all work together and then hopefully their whole family will accept the gospel. They really are so close, and I can already see them as a prime Mormon family haha. Anyways, so were working with her- and she too is being a missionary! She has been bringing friends to activites and stuff and has been telling everyone at school about the plan of salvation, and everything else she is learning! The work really is hastening, and it's cool to see our investigators doing the "HASTENING" not just the missionaries and members haha.
Angwain (the one who sent us that AWESOME text 2 weeks ago about her life changing and how God is working with her)- well this week we shared such a special experience with her! We got there and heard the best thing ever, her younger brother told us he LOVED church and that he loved how happy everyone was (and since he is so little, we were worried he was bored); and then Angawin told us how her LOVED it as well. She said the thought it was a bible study type thging, but how she was so happy to find out that she ACTUALLY could learn stuff! She also said, (in her words), "it felt like home"...my heart just melted...because sedriously, we CAN feel that sense of "home" when we go to church on Sunday's! Sunday's have been my favorite day of the week these past couple of days...mmmm i love 'em. We are also told to get our investigators to churhc, and let God work his magic with them there/dont worry about it...and it was so cool to see God actually work so much within her and help her soooo mcuh! She then basically opened up to us, and just hard out told us everything!!! She told us how she was really struggling and how one night she finally decided to pray and ask God for help...(as she is telling us this, she is just bawling)...well she then told us, how 2 days later we showed up, and how she believes God sent us! Again we were just bawling with her and testified that God DID send us, and that the message we have CAN AND WILL help! We spent the majority of the lesson talking about God being our loving Heavnly Father and oh man...it was soooo powerful! HEavenly Father seriously loves us SO MUCH!!! I can't even put my feelings of this statefment into words...but i know his love is deeper than any of us realize! he wants to help us so much, but we HAVE TO DO OUR PART AND EXTEND OUR ARM UPWARDS TO GRAB HIS HELPING HAND! I know Jesus Christ is real, and even more than ever- "oh what joy this sentence gives, I know that my redeemer lives!"
I love you all more than you even realize, i seriously pray for you guys like 2938473987 times each day...seriously haha!
Love always,
Your mate, Sister Ensign
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