So this week was very stressful but very rewarding! It has been a crazy ride getting the Manzano family ready for baptism. We had planed to baptize the next Saturday but for various reasons we decided to bump forward the date and it has been such a miracle. On Monday we invited them to be baptized that Saturday they said that they wanted to be members. They were surprized when we told them that we had prayed about their date that that we felt that they were ready to be baptized. They did not realize their own progression and growth. But the happily accepted the date and it was a very spiritual experience for all. We received a firm confirmation that God wanted them to be baptized on the 16th.
Then on Tuesday we were reviewing some of the baptismal questions with them and we realized that Antonia would have to be interviewed by president Goates. Well it just so happened that President Goates was in San Juan doing interviews that week (which only happens about once every 3 months) and he was able to fit the interview in with his busy schedule. It was a miracle because if we had waited to have the baptism net week we would have found out that pres Goates had to interview her too late and we would have had to wait a few weeks more for him to find time to travel to San Juan to interview her! Well the whole family passed their interviews and president Goates said that it was a pleasure to interview her and that she is a great woman with strong faith.
After that we were running around like crazy chickens finding baptism clothes (especially hard for Antonia and her pregnant belly) and organizing all of the details. (It was very stressful on such short notice!!)
Finally Saturday came and many ward members were there to support them. It was a great spiritual experience and hna Matamoros and I just couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole thing. It was just amazing. This week there were 6 baptisms here in San Juan!! A white weekend!
Analia also came to the baptism. She was the woman who gave us the reference. She went to the Manzano´s house one day to by a direct tv antenna that they were selling and she started to talk with them about the church. Well she took down their information and gave the reference to the elders in the ward. For one reason or another, the reference never made it to us. Analia felt very strongly that this family needed the gospel and she insisted that the elders send the reference again, marked as urgent and that is when we received the reference. It all started with Fernando loosing his job and selling the odds and ends in his house (the direct tv antenna) to make money to survive. This whole chain of events just proves to me that the Lord works in mysterious ways and that He truly prepares His children to receive the gospel in His time. This family is so special and they were truly prepared by God to accept the gospel now in their lives. Antonia on Sunday asked us when they will be able to go to the temple to be sealed. I feel very blessed to have been able to play a role in their conversion and their process of becoming a celestial family.
Then on Tuesday we were reviewing some of the baptismal questions with them and we realized that Antonia would have to be interviewed by president Goates. Well it just so happened that President Goates was in San Juan doing interviews that week (which only happens about once every 3 months) and he was able to fit the interview in with his busy schedule. It was a miracle because if we had waited to have the baptism net week we would have found out that pres Goates had to interview her too late and we would have had to wait a few weeks more for him to find time to travel to San Juan to interview her! Well the whole family passed their interviews and president Goates said that it was a pleasure to interview her and that she is a great woman with strong faith.
After that we were running around like crazy chickens finding baptism clothes (especially hard for Antonia and her pregnant belly) and organizing all of the details. (It was very stressful on such short notice!!)
Finally Saturday came and many ward members were there to support them. It was a great spiritual experience and hna Matamoros and I just couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole thing. It was just amazing. This week there were 6 baptisms here in San Juan!! A white weekend!
Analia also came to the baptism. She was the woman who gave us the reference. She went to the Manzano´s house one day to by a direct tv antenna that they were selling and she started to talk with them about the church. Well she took down their information and gave the reference to the elders in the ward. For one reason or another, the reference never made it to us. Analia felt very strongly that this family needed the gospel and she insisted that the elders send the reference again, marked as urgent and that is when we received the reference. It all started with Fernando loosing his job and selling the odds and ends in his house (the direct tv antenna) to make money to survive. This whole chain of events just proves to me that the Lord works in mysterious ways and that He truly prepares His children to receive the gospel in His time. This family is so special and they were truly prepared by God to accept the gospel now in their lives. Antonia on Sunday asked us when they will be able to go to the temple to be sealed. I feel very blessed to have been able to play a role in their conversion and their process of becoming a celestial family.