2 December 2013

Dear family,

It's starting to look like Christmas here! People are starting to decorate their houses and put out trees and Christmas lights. And yesterday in Sacrament Meeting we started singing Christmas songs :)

On Wednesday, we went out to work with the Relief Society president, who had a job that kept her really busy for the first few weeks of this cambio. But she found some time to take us around and introduce us to some of the inactive members in our area and give us a few references. Ever since she did so, we've had more people to visit than we can get to. So much better than having a hard time filling the time productively. I'm grateful that our area is keeping us busy, because in a week we are most likely dividing it. 

This last week we've had a few amazing moments. I am adding the story I sent to President Klein in my weekly letter.

Five weeks ago when I was getting ready to head off to my new area, President Klein told me there was a sister in my area who would get baptized if sisters came to her house. I think he must have been talking about Hna Lesly. 

We were guided to her house in our first couple days of contacting, even before her sisters-in-law could pass us the reference. Lesly has been a dry member for years, decades. In the past, the husband didn't want missionaries to visit his wife. But miracle of miracles, he has soften. He has let us teach his wife, and now, he will even stay in the room when we teach. Friday, we had a really good lesson three (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, endure to the end) at the end of which we invited Lesly to be baptized, knowing she already wanted it. She affirmed that she wanted it and just needed permission. The husband was relatively open, and when we extended the baptism invitation to him, he just said he wanted to learn more first. Softening!

Sunday we returned and had one of the most powerful lesson ones that I have taught in the mission. The Spirit was there for the whole lesson, but as we started to explain the Restoration through Joseph Smith, the Spirit became almost tangible. (Also, when the Spirit comes into a lesson that strong, my Spanish skills instantly jump from ''relatively good'' to ''excellent, bordering on articulate.'' It's one of those moments that you know that the gift of tongues is available when it matters.) After we taught and testified to the first vision, we invited Lesly, crying, to share her feelings. She announced that she was going to get baptized and set her own baptism date! And her husband said yes! Miracle! I feel so grateful and privileged to have been sent to this area right now!

After that experience, my comp and I were just all smiles for the rest of the day. 

Love,

Hermana Davis