January 27, 2014
¡Hola!
So as the title says, after almost 6 weeks in the mission
(MTC doesn´t count), we finally got our first baptism! Her name is Miriam, and
like I said last week, she has problems remembering things. But when she had
the interview with our District Leader, Elder Johnson, she remembered
everything, and was able to explain why she believes what she believes
perfectly! So Saturday was the baptism, and it wasn´t the most normal
of all baptisms. So we got there, and the water in the baptismal font was a
little low. It was probably barely over halfway where it was supposed to be,
and the Branch President, Pres Malagon, said it had been filling for 5 hours!!!
The church had some problems with the water a few weeks ago, and maybe that is
what was causing it to fill so slow. Oh well, we are missionaries! That can´t
stop us! So we started filling buckets in the utility closet of the church, and
one bucket at a time, got the water where it needed to be! So then the service
started, Elder Garcia and Miriam got dressed in white, everything was going
smooth, but as Elder Garcia and Miriam were walking to the water from the back,
Miriam stopped and said, "That´s a lot of water!" (in Spanish,
obviously). She had a crazy fear of water! So after a few minutes, we talked
her down into the almost-waist-deep water and got ready to do the baptism.
Elder Garcia said the prayer, and then... she wouldn´t go down! She was really,
really scared. Then after a few minutes, one of the Zone leaders came into the
water to help, but she was still having problems. SO after over half an hour of
trying to help her overcome her fear, one of the members that wasn´t able to be
there, a close friend of Miriam, called her and talked to her on the phone for
a couple minutes, and then bam! The did it without a problem! It was a unique
experience, for sure.
Yesterday was the day that we find out who is being transferred,
and...... Elder Garcia and I are staying in Tintal! Which means, Elder Garcia
will have SEVEN months here in the same area, of the 9 and a half months in the
mission. Crazy, huh! Though we don´t always get along perfectly well, I am
looking forward to doing more work!
Sorry I don´t write too much about my investigators, but we
have a lot right now, and they all share similar problems of being busy often.
Everyone here in Tintal is busy with work a lot! They don´t have overtime laws,
so people can work 12 hours a day without getting paid any more than the normal
wage! It is crazy.
So everyone that has sent me letters: Thanks you soooo much!
They really mean a lot. I have written several letters here with the little
time that I have, but the problem is that the nearest place to send letters is
in another zone! Which means, I don´t even know when I will be able to send
them! But I will ASAP!!!
And to Chantel and Sister Rathbun: Thanks you sooooooo much
for the gift! It is incredible! :)
So I realized I start almost every paragraph with so. Sorry
about that ;). But next week the missionaries will be having training with a
Seventy, Scott C Grow (I think), so I will be writing you all on Tuesday instead
of Monday!
I know this Church is true, and my testimony has been
growing so much here! To anyone thinking about serving a mission, if you can,
do it!!! There are hard times for sure, but it is worth it!
Love,
Elder Toombs
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