So, this week we had a baptism... Two actually! Alexey Orlov and Maurina Orlova. They are a Russian couple. One of the more recent converts in the ward brought them. After coming to church for almost two months, they finally agreed to take the lessons. We taught them everything in like a week. Just met every morning for a week and they were baptized yesterday. It was kind of surreal. Like it was a baptism, so it was way cool, but it just didn't feel like I could claim them as mine. Which you know, I can't because it's all the spirit, still, it's a strange feeling...
Next sunday, we are going to baptize a lady named Hoda. She is of Iranian descent which makes it really tricky. The Iranian government is so crazy, if they find out that you have converted from islam to christianity, they will find your relatives in Iran and torture\kill them. Even if you're no longer a citizen of Iran. so with Hoda, we have to be very careful. She technically lives around 30-40 K's away from the chapel, so she takes a bus to a member's house (same member who gave us Alex and Marina, Brother Rizi, who is also Iranian) and he drives her to church. We have met with her twice and taught her everything she needs in order to be baptized. All we have to do is interview her, and because of her situation, President Scott has to do the interview. we've been talking to him a lot on the phone lately to figure things out with her. (when I say we I mean I, since I'm in charge of the phone.) We extended the invitation at the end of the first lesson, she accepted. Then we told her that we thought she could be baptized on the 30th of June and she flipped! She was freaking out! She said "I had already decided that I wanted to be baptized and I was trying to think what day I wanted to do it on. My birthday is July 1st and so for some reason the 30th popped into my mind." She took it as an answer to a prayer, and so, so did we. How's that for a cool mission story?
Funny story, a few days ago, we were out contacting maybe 1\2 K from home, it was getting close to quitting time, President called, so I stepped aside to talk to him, then after a while I looked at the time and we had 6 minutes to get home. So, we ran and I had a conversation with president Scott while running to be home on time. Fun life eh?
Transfers are at the end of this week, so we participated in a mission tradition and bought "Kinder surprise eggs" basically a chocolate egg with a small toy inside, you're supposed to interpret from the toy what the transfer holds in store for you. I picked a "Cars" egg and got Doc Hudson. Elder Binford thinks that that means that I will be put with an Elder who is on his last transfer, I disagree. I don't know what I think my toy means, but I get the feeling that I'm leaving Aurora...
Only time will tell.
This last week was awesome as far as food goes. I think I told you about eating Galupsi (Stuffed Cabbage Leaf) basically meatloaf wrapped in cabbage with a yummy sauce. Then on Monday night we had a nice pork Goulage. (as opposed to the hedgehog goulage in sherlock holmes) loved that.
We had Zone Conference on Wednesday, I think Elder Binford and I are growing on President's good side. He loves us. It was such a good conference and I learned so much. I'll have to mail my study journal home so you all can look at all of the learning I've been doing. So awesome...
Our area has exploded in the 3 months we've been here. Going from next to nothing, to having 10 investigators who we are teaching, 4 of those are moving toward a baptisimal date, they will probably all be baptized. We've done some good work, I think. Makes me not want to leave so I can see the fruits of our labors...
I love you all and hope you are doing well. Stay tough and power through the bad, There's nothing but gold at the end of the rainbow, but you have to climb up the one side before you can get down the other. (Just made that one up)
Love you,
Love,
Elder T
No comments:
Post a Comment