The One Where J Got Baptized

February 17, 2014 



Hermana McOmber, Hermana Hoj and Hermana Burnham
February 15, 2014

Hermanas Hoj y Burnham, "J", and the gentleman who baptized "J"
February 15, 2014

Hermana Burnham y "J"

He refused to smile for any pictures, haha.

 "I dont smile. I'ma g."  Those were his exact words.

February 15, 2014

 WHHHHHAttttt a week. I thought of a couple different names for this email, but the one that won OBVIOUSLY took precedence over the others.  

The other names I thought of were: 

The One When I Saw a Road Runner

The One with Training Round 2 

Let's explain them, why don’t we: 

1. The One When I Saw A Road Runner. You guys, real life, I saw a Road Runner.  I chased it. They are called Road Runners for a reason--those things are stinkin’ fast! I didn’t initially know it was a Road Runner.  I just thought it was a very colorful, fancy type of bird; and so, clearly, being the person I am, I needed to try and catch it.  So I did, but then, it ran away from me—and then I was a little frustrated because it wasn’t flying, but it was running and it was out running me! That little bird was out running me! But, I got some sweet pictures. Then a man in a car informed me it was a Road Runner. I am so thrilled that I saw one of those in real life. Wile E. Coyote where you at? 

2. The One with Training Round 2. Surprise! Hna Hoj and I are trio training! We got our baby on Thursday and she is great.  Her name is Hermana McOmber.  She is 5'10" and from Orem, UT. She is probably one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen in my life and people like to come up to my companions and ask if they are twins and then proceed to tell them they should be on Miss America. Then they turn to me and ask me what part of Mexico I'm from. Hey, maybe I’m not Miss America, but I will TOTALLY take people thinking I’m Hispanic. Anyway, yes, both my companions are beautiful. Hna McOmber was, like, a real life model. She is also a ballroom dancer. We love her! She is great. I am excited to be training again. Last time I trained I gained one of my best friends ever, Miss Lizzie Koch, so training is a good thing in my mind, haha.  

3. The One Where J got BAPTIZED. This happened people! My thug of thugs got baptized and it was so fabulous. Man, I love this kid so much. He will be a forever friend. One of my favorite experiences actually came BEFORE his baptism though, in our last lesson with him before he became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was Friday night and we were in the home of Hna R. It was the first time Hna McOmber had met him, and so he was telling her and Hna R his story. Halfway through our discussion Hna R's tenant walks in and begins to move things from her car upstairs. We invited her to join us, but she kindly declined and just continued to pass through the lesson as we were talking. She would say little things every now and then, but for the most part kept to herself. After the lesson, Hna R invited us to stay and eat as long as we were willing to help her a little in the kitchen. We gladly accepted and she invited me to say the closing prayer. I did so. When we ended the closing prayer, her tenant, J [female J, different from J, the young man, who was baptized on 2/15/14], was standing in the kitchen crying. We all immediately run over and hug her. Through her tears she says that she has separated herself from God a lot lately because of some things that have happened in her life, but seeing us all gathered together talking about God and then hearing us pray in Spanish (we had been speaking Eng before that) just helped her to realize that she needed to go back to church (She is Catholic).  The best part of this whole night, though, came next. We started just talking like normal and started to prepare the food to eat.  Hna R, the other hermanas and I are cutting some food and J is finishing making her food on her other counter where J [him]  is standing.  I stopped listening to our conversation and made my ears pay attention to J [him] as he says to J [her]:  "Hey . .  . have you tried praying? That really helped me." I could’ve died.  I was SO proud of him! Oh man! I can’t adequately express the joy that filled my soul in that moment listening to Mr. J. R. be a little missionary! It might sound like a small thing, but it was a BIG thing. It was the coolest.   

I love being a missionary! The longer I am here, the more I fall in love with it. It is such a privilege to help a new missionary along the way as they begin THEIR journey of falling head over heels in love with missionary work. I am so grateful that I was able to take part in the baptism of J.  If I spend the rest of my mission working as hard as I can and no more baptisms occur, I will leave my mission feeling like I have done the work that the Lord has given me to do, just because of him. I love him so much.  

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!"  D&C 18:15 

I love you all, 

Hna B 

P.S.:  In addition to some birthday mail, I also got my mail from Waller this week (Christmas cards)!  The following people deserve a big shout out:

The Thompsons!

The Mosses!

The Young Women!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

The Hammers!

The Browns! 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU EVERYONE!