What a fantastic week! It certainly is a blessing to be a missionary at this time. My Companion and I have been working really hard and although we haven’t always had as much success as we have desired, the Lord is blessing us through our daily efforts to do the best we can. This week we found a couple of great new investigators and also ended the week with a baptism.
As I stated last week. Our investigator, Marcia, has progressed incredibly well and although we were met with difficulties, she was baptized this Saturday. Now before I tell you all about her baptism, I would like to start off by telling you about some of the difficulties we faced. As her baptism approached, we were faced by opposition from her parents. Although they had previously supported whatever decision she made, for whatever reason they were a little hesitant to allow her to enter the waters of baptism. Neither of them are religious at all and don’t understand the need for baptism and were even more confused because last year Marcia was baptized into the Catholic Church. Not really knowing the difference, I had the chance to talk to them over the phone and explain to them and share my testimony with them about how important the decision Marcia had made was. After concluding the call, we were relieved as Marcia spoke with them once again and they allowed her to make her own decision.
As Saturday arrived, Marcia arrived early to her baptism (arriving early in Peru is not something that happens for the Peruvians) because she was so excited to be baptized. The program started and we had very few Ward member presents but her Aunt and Uncle were able to accompany us and it was a very spiritual service. She asked me to baptize her and I know I always say this but anytime I have the chance to baptize anyone, I am beyond grateful for the privilege to do so. Perhaps the greatest blessing of seeing someone baptized is the smile on their face as they leave the font. The Spirit is so powerful and you really can feel that the person has changed.
Other than Marcia´s Baptism we met with several investigators who are all struggling with various different things. We are still trying to help Luis out with the problem of him wanting his Dads support. It has gotten very complicated but we have been praying a lot. He has a testimony of the church and I know the Lord will help him see the importance of the decision he needs to make.
Also this Saturday we continued with our Mutual activities with all of the youth. This Saturday we had a service activity which was deep cleaning the church for Stake Conference in 2 weeks. There were few youth that showed this week but at the end, I prepared brownies as sort of a reward for those who had come to help (brownies don’t exist here in Perú). One of the biggest things I have learned by doing these mutual activities is how much our Heavenly Father cares about each and every one of them. You truly can feel it as you serve them.
In closing this week, I just want to close with my testimony of how much serving here in this area has blessed me. It has been quite a challenge having to constantly lead the Ward and members and carrying the big load that comes with that along with the load I already have of training a new missionary and just plain out being a missionary. It has been beyond difficult and at times I have asked myself why I have to be the one to do it. I have come to the conclusion that it is to better teach me the load that our Savior Jesus Christ personally carried for me. I know without a doubt in my mind that as he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane that there was a moment when he was thinking about me. Thinking about all of the adversities, temptations, pains, and afflictions that I would go through throughout my life. So many times we always ask ourselves, “Why me”. As I have thought about it we are all so selfish to think that thought for even a second. The greatest man who ever lived suffered on behalf of every soul that would ever live. Literally everything that every single one of them would someday feel or go through. We cannot even begin to comprehend what he went through on behalf of each of us. It is for that reason that whenever I have that thought come to me, I replace it with a prayer of gratitude to him. The one and only pure soul that there ever was and ever will be. I love you all and hope that this week is great for each and every one of you.
Love,
Elder Fawcett
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