Miracles

Last night Irma Urgiles called me and told me the great news that both Helder and Christina were baptized!!!  This is such exciting news to hear!!  Remember Helder?  He is the man 40yrs old who was drunk when we met him the first 2 times, but when we arrived in his house (his mom is a less active many years) my companion beared powerful testimony about repentance... basically just forget about what happened yesterday, it already passed, and focus on what you are going got do today!  Helder struggled for 20 years with alcohol and the mom was tired of it, so was all the family. They were ready to put him in the street when we arrived.  The mom was baptized 14 years ago with another son, and over time they went inactive. we found them because we were looking for another reference but couldn´t find the house so we knocked Helder´s door to ask if they knew the reference, Olga. The mom, Adelaide answered and said no, but then told us that she is mormon. (but now is Jehovah witness)  Anyway, it was a miracle big time and he was baptized yesterday!!!!  one of the greatest miracles of my mission!!

The other person Christina is another great miracle!!!  She has a daughter Rute, and when i was serving with Irma Brown we passed one or two times, (we found them in the Area book/a list of people that other missionaries had written) but with irma brown it never worked to enter their house.  Then with irma Walker, we made a list of all the people in the area book that had gone to church and prayed about who was ready for baptism.  We felt Christina and Rute. We went to their house, but cristina works monday-friday until 9pm, so our time was limited. We prayed at the door a few times but never were able to enter their house.  Then Cristina came to church on Christmas.  THen when Irma Urgiles Encalada arrived, Christina was our "revelado" ou seja, she needed to be baptized that first, or second week, i can´t remember... and we went to their house and they let us in. We talked wiht them and invited them to be baptized, (soft invitation) and they both accepted and said they want to be baptized.  (Oh i forgot to say this... cristina is the sister of a member, Isabel chagas martins in the ward of setubal. she received all the lessons 4 years ago and her sister was baptized but she gave up and wasn´t.  Her other daughter silvia was also baptized years ago but became inactive).  Ok, then we returned the next day to invite them to be baptized for that weekend, but they were in doubt, (and i struggle giving pressure to people, so i was doubting too) Anyway, after the lesson, we were all unsure if they would accept.  The next night, we didn´t feel that we could invite them to be baptized right in that moment, so we instead just expressed our love for them and that we are here to help them on their journey that will begin with baptism and that when they are ready they will know.  We invited them to church and left.  That sunday Cristina was going to come to church but the baby of Rute got sick so they didn´t show.  ...weeks passed... and we felt cristina and rute again so we went back to their house. Cristina expressed desire to stop smoking so we bought tons of Vitamin C and gave her `cigarros de cristo` that is, a bunch of scriptures rolled up like cigarretes, and instead of smoking read a scripture!  She loved it and immediately stopped smoking!!  We passed varios times that week and she came to church on that sunday! Then came the last week of the transfer and we passed their house to invit them to be baptized this sunday that just passed, but they were eating dinner and invited us to eat with them, so we did and didn´t get the chance to invite her.  then the next day was my second to last day, we passed by at 9:10 at night, i was nervous because we didn´t have much time and i didn´t know if she would accept and the baby was a big distraction and and and, then we just sat down, said a prayer with her adn rute, then we basically just, i don´t even know but the spirit did his work and cristina jsut said, you guys want to invite me to be baptized right? yeah we said this weekend. Then she said, "okay, yeah, i woke up the other day and the thought came to me, i am going to be baptized in the church of Jesus Christ! And then you are inviting me so yeah i will be baptized this sunday!" 

My face was like, jaw drop, what, and YES! and Holy Cow!! and Excitement!!!!  Wow!  it was awesome!!  Then my companion invited Rute to be baptized wiht her mom, but she didn´t have an answer still but said she would pray. 

So em fim, Cristina and Helder were baptized!!!!  Miracles!!