Week 57

Una Meta Lograda...Las Aguas del Bautismo!!

Takiya and Tina's baptism

   Well this week was just an awesome week!!  It always is when preparing souls to enter into the waters of baptism!   There was a lot of miracles in this process of teaching Tina y Takiya!  About 12 days ago we set the baptismal date with them, and it was the first baptismal date they had actually accepted.  It was set only ten days before the baptism was planned to be on.  After setting the date some thoughts came into my mind like "maybe we can just set it back a week when we go back next".  But then I realized I had made it a goal to really work towards this date and prepare them in Faith.  The next visit we went back before I even got the chance to ask Tina said "well you can come by every day next week".  So that is exactly what we did.  Almost every day last week we were able to go over there, and teach them with a member every time.  They had received the majority of the lessons, but a lot of it was review.  We also decided that we needed to bring some Women over from the ward to help us teach.  The time before we were going to do that Tina asked us if any women were going to come over! She was just one step ahead of us.  

Elder Ceron, Tina, Destiny,Takiya and Elder Geddes

  The next day we felt like we needed to bring the Bishop and his Wife over to come teaching with us.  It went super well ,and Tina was able to get some clarification on some answers by talking with Bishop's wife.  Even though it was some of the same questions, there was just that connection there!  And then the coolest part about that lesson was when Tina was telling us how her mom was a member in the Blytheville ward in her later years before she passed away, and how she would always talk about the missionaries.  I remember her mentioning that her mom had talked with missionaries before, but I didn't realize that she was a faithful member!   That was cool and Tina & Takiya had been up there to church a few times as well.  The coolest part of that was Bishop & his wife lived in Blytheville before moving here, and they knew Tina's mom!!!  That was just super awesome, and I know that they were meant to be there at that lesson for sure.  It amazes me how the Lord works through the spirit, and guides certain people to cross path's.  Tina said that she felt a lot better after talking with the Bishop's wife, and it helped her fill in those missing pieces.  She was still a little unsure about he baptism on Saturday, so the next day we went over with another family from the ward and had a great lesson.  Tina promised that she would have an answer for us by the next day (Thursday).  The next day we went back, and she told us she had prayed and she felt that she was ready to be baptized this Saturday.  She had told that to her daughter before we came, and Takiya told her she had been feeling the same thing.  We were super excited, and we were able to go over the details and get the baptism all planned out.  The baptism went super well, and the members said that there were about double the members that are usually there for a baptism.  It helped a lot that we brought a ton of different members over there to teach.  They are such an awesome family, and it was so awesome seeing them enter into the baptism covenant.  Apparently while we were changing after the baptismal ordinance Destiny (Tina's 6 year old daughter) went up in front of everyone and bore her testimony of Jesus Christ in front of everyone. She talked for a couple minutes how happy she was for her Mom and Sister.  Cutest thing ever, wish I could have been in there to see that!  

  The next day Tina y Takiya were confirmed, and they received a way good welcoming into the ward.  Tina even called into her work, and told her that she was going to be late so she would be able to make it to all of the last hour of church.  This week the Youth have a baptismal trip to the Memphis temple, and Takiya might be going with them!  It's so amazing  seeing them progress so fast already.  They have been awesome, and they feel like family here in Jonesboro. The whole experience was a testimony builder to me on the importance of real Faith, and the miracles the Lord will provide as we truly believe that something will happen.  This requires putting in actions of Faith as if you already know that it will happen for sure. In Moroni 7:33 it says it back.   "y Cristo ha dicho si teneis fe en mi, tendreis poder para hacer cualquier cosa que me sea conveniente"  Sorry I only had it memorized in Spanish!   Overall great week here in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and training Elder Ceron has been going really well.  I have enjoyed being his trainer and being able to help him to become a successfully missionary!  He teaches me new things every day as well. We were truly blessed this last week in the preperacion for the baptism.

        Have a great week!

        Love, Elder Geddes