Sacrifices bring blessings

March 28, 2016

Hey guys! This week went well!

SO, we had a baptism yesterday!!! Her name is Lucia and she is 19 years old! She was suppose to get baptized a couple weeks ago, but when we went to walk with her for her baptismal interview, her sister told us she was cutting her hair and could not see us. Well, I could see over their fence through the open door and saw the person cutting her hair was holding a razor. I was wondering what the heck they were doing cutting hair with a razor. I then watched as the hair cutter shaved the sides of Lucia's hair off!!!!!! We waited patiently for about 5 mins until she was done. She walked out with both of the sides of her head shaved and the part on top long. She had also bleached her hair. I was so surprised, i just started laughing! I felt so bad but I couldn't hold it in anymore!! I know I am in no place to say anything, especially because I have bleached my hair before too (and laughed at myself!). 

She then said that she had to work and  couldn't go to the baptismal interview. So, we decided to wait until we saw she was more committed. I thought it was pretty funny that 30 mins before her baptismal interview she decided to shave her head. Anyways we waited another 3 weeks and she kept coming to church, reading her scriptures and everything so we decided that she was ready. The interview went well and the day of her baptism arrived. We had one of the members baptize her. He is a convert of 7 or 8 months! It was his first time baptizing and Lucia was not sure what to do. She had to go under the water 4 times, but they finally got it right!!! It was so good to see them keep trying and stick to it!! Lucia was especially happy and excited!!! I am really happy for her!! We now have to work more with the members so that she feels good and loved and welcomed and  so that she becomes "a fiel miembro" (a faithful member)!

Other than that, the week has been good! We have been working hard trying to find new poeple to teach and we are see blessings from that! When sacrafice is made, blessings are given!

We have a family that we are working alot with! We have been working with them for more than 2 months and they have not been able to get over their obstacles in the way of going to church. Well, yesterday after many phone calls to wake them up, they finally agreed to come!! We were waiting for them outside the sacrament meeting, which is the last meeting, at 11:00 am. The meeting started, the hymn was sung, the prayer was given, the business part was taken care of, and still, no family. We came back in to confirm Lucia but then went back out to wait for them. Now, the sacrament hymn started. The first verse, then the second, - I was actually getting nervous and worried. I was starting to lose hope that they would even make it to sacrament. Well,  at the begining of the third verse, they walked in! We quickly greeted them and shoved them in to the chapel. Hahaha!!  I felt bad because there was like 8 of them and the 2 of us and we made some noise! We finally got our seats seconds before they started to bless the sacrament! I just laughed becuase it was so crazy! But it was so sweet that they came!!! Three members of the family are non members and we are really excited for them!!!!

Thanks for everything!! I hope I did good with the details in this letter!! 

Love you

Elder Carter