6/29/2015

Hola a todos!

  The baptism that we had set for the 3rd of July was changed to the 5th of July. Maria, the 14 year-old girl getting baptised, is progressing so well. Since her mom is a member that is becoming active in the church again, her home teacher comes with us to all of the visits. All of the youth are so excited for to be baptised and are planning on singing a song for her baptism. 

   While I was on exchanges this week my companion and I had no visits that day so we were going to pass by some investigators and contact people in the street. We have one friend that works at the Churro stand. I´ve known this guy eversince I got here to Barcelona. He has read the Book of Mormon twice, but says he hasn´t received his answer yet. We try to help him. He did me free churros with chocolate so that made the long day of contacting people in the street a very good day. 

   Our recent convert, Shim from Korea, invited us out to eat and even brought his friend with him. He started to talk about church with his friend and his experience in learning the gospel. That was cool to see him sharing the gospel with his friends.

  After our lunch with Shim and his friend, we went to pass by a reference we received from a member. This lady knew that we were coming and brought her other catholic friends. That was a strange experience because they all tried to convert my companion and I to be catholic. We listened kindly, but shared with them what we know to be true. They didn´t know what to say to us after we bore our testimonies. We invited them to church and then left with a smile. 

  While I was in church this sunday I was sitting next to one of our investigators, Franklin, and my companion was sitting next to another one of our investigators. We had a goal to give Franklin a baptismal date and we only had time to give him a baptismal date during the sacrament meeting. So as the first speaker started talking, I leaned over and asked Franklin if he had been reading the book of mormon. He replied that he had been really busy and hadn´t found time. I told him that we wanted to help receive his answer that this church was true by giving him a goal. I showed him the baptismal calender that I had filled out and asked him to be baptised on the 25th of July. He would have to read the Book of Mormon and pray each day and come to church in order to receive his answer, and promised him that he would receive his answer if he did those three things. He accepted the  date to be baptised and we are seeing him on friday to teach him.

    I was reading a conference talk by Thomas S. Monson called "Looking Back and Moving Forward" from April 2008. He says "In the private sanctuary of one´s own conscience lies that spirit, that determination to cast off the old person and to measure up to the stature of true potential." As I´ve studied in the bible and Book of Mormon about the way we can become like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ I have found that the best way is through service. As we read in the bible that if we lose ourselves in the service of our God and fellow men, we will find ourseves. And we will be able to rise to our full potential. 

  I love you all!

Hermana Schmidt