Caminando en Chiapas: Killing Rats, a Baptism & Conference is like Christmas for Missionaries!

I'm really sorry if this email has no structure....I have so many thoughts and miracles and only have ten minutes to share it all..so here it goes.....

First off a funny story...

We were eating in one of our favorite (and most humble) members house, when suddenly we see this HUGE rat (like a foot long...no joke) trying to sneak some food out of the garbage. I just go wide eyed.

The cute member looks at me, and says, "Es la rata, verdad? (it's a rat, right?)"

I nod my head slowly. Before I know it, this tiny, cute lady pulls out a giant butcher knife from the cardboard wall behind her...and ninja chucks it at the rat. Unfortunately, she missed, but it was the funniest, scariest, most unexpected thing on my mission!!! She just casually pulled a huge knife out of the wall!!!

Hahaha we were laughing so hard and she said, "Ayyy hermanas lo siento! Es que yo tengo mucho miedo de ratas y solo quiere matar ella!!" Jajajajaja (Ay sorry sisters! It's just that I'm afraid of rats and I only want to murder them!!)

So many miracles this week.... Hermana L. got baptised!! Not with us, but in the Barrio Juarez, in the same Zone I used to be in. So what happened is Hermana L. is dating Hermano A., a guy in our ward. They are getting married in August, and want to get sealed next year. We have taught her all the lessons. Even though she doesn't live in our area, we got special permission from the zone leaders to baptize her... because they are getting married soon and she will just be coming to our ward anyway.

But in Ward Council, the Sunday before her baptism, Bishop said she needed to be baptized in the ward where she lived. Since we already got permission from the zone leaders, I just wanted to disgregard what the bishop said and baptize her anyways.

But Hermana Yorgason was determined to respect our priesthood authorities... and so while we were on intercambios a few weeks ago she had "the talk" with Hermana L. and told her that she needed to get baptized in her own ward.

When I came back, I found out... and ayyyy I was so mad!!! I was like....Seriously?? We are the ones who have been teaching her....how can we just give a baptism away??? I prayed a lot, and tried to understand that this is God's will, not mine. But I was still a little uneasy about it.

Then, we received word that Hermana L. no longer wanted to get baptized, and wasn't going to church in her own ward. I was even more upset. So we called her, and set up an appointment with her the following week. We came to the appointment, determined to teach her obedience and try to convince her to listen to the missionaries in Juarez.

Well come to find out... it was all a ruse and a big suprise! She really had been meeting with the other Elders and going to church, and she had gotten baptized that day!!!!! She was a little upset at first, but she was determined to get baptized. So she didn't let a little hurt feelings stop her. It was all just a trick so us AND her boyfriend would be surprised!!

I know that it was the right thing to do to pass the reference, respect our bishop, and have her get baptized in her own ward. We were also able to provide a miracle baptism for the Elders of Juarez (imagine...getting an investigator who has been to church 5 times and ready to be baptized placed in your path!).

I now have an even stronger testimony that this really is God's work, not mine. I'm so grateful that God is watching out for us, and always humbling us and preparing our investigators. It really was a miracle!

Another Easter miracle....(or Conference miracle)...

We were walking to the church Sunday morning, when this random lady stopped us in the street. She asked, "Y de donde es ustedes guapas chicas?" (where are you beautiful girls from?)

Jaja we said, "Estados unidos! Somos misionaras de esta iglesia en frente!!" (United States, we are missionaries of this church right here in front of you)

She says, "Yes! I remember you, Hansen, you talked to me in a combi once! In fact, I was reading my bible in a park the other day, when a Mormon came up to me, asked me if I was looking for God, and invited me to General Conference. I was just on my way there! I'm looking for God in my life, can you guys help me?"

We just stood there shocked. Turns out a super awesome lady in a ward just hangs out in the park all day and contacts people and invites them to church. (Talk about being a member missionary!) She had been praying that she would find someone prepared, who needed the gospel... and she found esta M.

So, Hermana M came to General Conference, she loved it, and we invited her to be baptized. She said, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for!"

GENERAL CONFERENCE BRINGS MIRACLES. Christ was resurrected and atoned for us so miracles like this can happen. Through His atoning sacrifice, people who are suffering can find peace.

Conference was awesome. I watched Saturday's sessions in Spanish and Sunday's in English. Both days were amazing. Conference is like Christmas for missionaries.