What a stressful semana. I'll let
you all in on a secret, but you can't tell anyone. In the interview 3
weeks ago, President might have already mentioned he's changing me. So
all this last week I've been working my little tush off cleaning up my
area, fortifying my converts, and doing ALL the paperwork, I doubt my
comps filled out a single teaching record :P. But I did it because I
want to know I left the area better than I found it, and their blood
doesn't fall upon me for not doing the paperwork :). Sorry, because that
also means I still haven't finished the Christmas letters I was going to
send 2 months ago.. lol. So next week I'll send them.... I hope.
The
good part is that I'm leaving the area BEAUTIFUL. In all my time, ward
attendance has doubled from 88 to 172 yesterday. Not that I necessarily
changed that many peoples lives haha, but definitely did many activities
and Noches de Hogar (FHE), and mucho more. In total, I baptized 10
here, and am leaving my companion with 4 more dates. One of them
literally fell out of heaven too! A sister one night stopped us in the
middle of the road saying, "WOW you guys are EXACTLY the people I'm
looking for!!" I looked at my companion then said to her, "Yes we are!
;)" She then told us the story of how missionaries from the other side
of Lima have been teaching her all the lessons and doing all the work,
but she conveniently lives here in my wards little hill, so she's going
to get baptized here next week by us. HA! Score one more for Lima
NORTH mission!! But that was such a cool moment. Seriously, every
Elder wants to have that moment when some stranger stops you and tells
you it's destiny that you need to baptize them. There's no way my comp
can screw this one up haha. So I've left him all these bap dates in hopes
that he´ll actually work and be obedient. You're welcome. Don't mess it
up.
Well. Now for the best part. The most
beautiful part of my week was definitely the baptism of Luis. He's the
husband of the family I married in November, and after MANY MANY
stressful attempts to get him to attend church and frustrations and
moments when I almost gave up, he finally stopped working Sundays and
got baptized Saturday the 24th :). At first, it was kind of sketchy
because the other ward started the service without us. So we did our
own baptismal service, and it came out beautiful! We took pictures,
then went straight to the baptism. Entering the water, besides being
freezing cold, I felt a peace in my life that I haven't felt in months.
After leaving the water, we hugged and thanked each other for
everything. All of the ward friends of Luis came and gave their
testimonys. I wish you were all there. The part that hit me the most
was when Luis gave his testimony. The words hit me, "Gracias hermanos,
llenaron mi corazon con gozo." In English, "Thanks Elders, you filled
my heart with joy." It was the first time I've seen him cry. I couldn't
help but cry too haha. In all my time here in Peru, I've unknowingly
been waiting to hear those words. Before I left for my mission a wise
man once asked me a question. He asked me how many people in this world
have the power to take away someone's life? Everybody! And many
unfortuanatley use it. But how many... have the power to give it back?
Think about it. Very few people have such power and use it for good.
But 2 years ago, God gave me my life back and filled my heart with joy.
And last week, I was an instrument in God´s hands in filling that man's
heart with joy. I was able to give him his life back. And nothing...
has ever made me happier. Nothing has ever filled my heart with even
more joy.
Con Amor,
Elder Walker
"Found this last night above my bed . . . Had no idea they even existed in Perú."
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