Hola a todos,
I want to share with you an experience that may be one of the greatest miracles of my mission. As you all remember I was really not too excited to have a girl from the branch I am working in be my comp, but the Lord new better and he told me that she would know people who are ready to accept the gospel. As you know we had much success, but the success was the work of us two together and not people she had known. Towards the end I get pressuring her to take us to someone she knew who was ready to hear the gospel. But little did we know that we had already contacted him. Hugo Narvaez, was the non-member husband of my comps visiting teaching companion. Everything started going well with this family when she was my companion because she had already had their confidence. Many of you know that I have been now teaching him for a while.
About a month ago we had given him a goal to get baptised this weekend. And everything started falling into place. Our president of the mission came and was able to give him an interview and sneaky us didn’t tell him it was actually a baptism interview, he just thought they would chat because he still wasn’t sure about baptism (still didn’t feel he had received his answer about Joseph Smith). So they did, and President passed him but he still didn’t want to be baptised. This happened on Sunday and we decided to invite ourselves over everyday for lunch this week because his wife was going to be off work ;) So we went everyday, even p-day (oh by the way starting next week my p-day is going to be on Monday). Everyday he had some other doubt. We studied prayed and fast but we still were not able to get him to budge. By Thursday I was ready to throw in the towel but we asked them to join us in one last fast. We reminded his wife that she cannot drink MATE during this fast and she was not too happy about it. We told them that they had to do it for real, 24 hours without food, without water, without MATE. He accepted easily but his wife struggled more. So we fasted, that whole day I was praying the whole time, worrying, begging God to help me, never have I had to pray so hard for an investigator. Never had I had to beg God so much for understanding of why all this was happening and never in my mission have I learned so much about teaching others.
Friday morning we planned for him and decided to teach things more on a logical level, to show him the fruits of the first vision. When we got to his house you could tell his wife was not happy. She told us she knew that the devil had been working so hard on her this week and at one point she was so frustrated she just wanted to leave the lunch on the table and leave the house, good thing she didn’t. We started teaching right away as we were eating, the spirit then told me to tell him to believe that his son believed that he had the power from God. We shared D&C 20:37 and reminded him that baptism was about following Christ, not about whether he knew for sure for sure Joseph smith was a prophet. Of course that is important but sometimes we just need to have faith and that’s what he needed to have. We then asked him to be baptised this weekend and he said yes. The spirit was so strong. His wife jumped for joy and they began planning everything right away. On Sunday the whole branch was super giddy and after church Hugo was baptised by his son.
This has been such a wonderful experience and I feel so grateful to have been apart of it. The Lord knows his children He loves them and will not let them be destroyed. Now one more family has the opportunity to be together forever. There are so many more details that I would love to tell but don’t have time. I love you all so much. Thank you for your love and support. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that this is the ONLY way we can be cleansed of our sins and return to live with our Father in Heaven. KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!
Hna Redfern
I want to share with you an experience that may be one of the greatest miracles of my mission. As you all remember I was really not too excited to have a girl from the branch I am working in be my comp, but the Lord new better and he told me that she would know people who are ready to accept the gospel. As you know we had much success, but the success was the work of us two together and not people she had known. Towards the end I get pressuring her to take us to someone she knew who was ready to hear the gospel. But little did we know that we had already contacted him. Hugo Narvaez, was the non-member husband of my comps visiting teaching companion. Everything started going well with this family when she was my companion because she had already had their confidence. Many of you know that I have been now teaching him for a while.
About a month ago we had given him a goal to get baptised this weekend. And everything started falling into place. Our president of the mission came and was able to give him an interview and sneaky us didn’t tell him it was actually a baptism interview, he just thought they would chat because he still wasn’t sure about baptism (still didn’t feel he had received his answer about Joseph Smith). So they did, and President passed him but he still didn’t want to be baptised. This happened on Sunday and we decided to invite ourselves over everyday for lunch this week because his wife was going to be off work ;) So we went everyday, even p-day (oh by the way starting next week my p-day is going to be on Monday). Everyday he had some other doubt. We studied prayed and fast but we still were not able to get him to budge. By Thursday I was ready to throw in the towel but we asked them to join us in one last fast. We reminded his wife that she cannot drink MATE during this fast and she was not too happy about it. We told them that they had to do it for real, 24 hours without food, without water, without MATE. He accepted easily but his wife struggled more. So we fasted, that whole day I was praying the whole time, worrying, begging God to help me, never have I had to pray so hard for an investigator. Never had I had to beg God so much for understanding of why all this was happening and never in my mission have I learned so much about teaching others.
Friday morning we planned for him and decided to teach things more on a logical level, to show him the fruits of the first vision. When we got to his house you could tell his wife was not happy. She told us she knew that the devil had been working so hard on her this week and at one point she was so frustrated she just wanted to leave the lunch on the table and leave the house, good thing she didn’t. We started teaching right away as we were eating, the spirit then told me to tell him to believe that his son believed that he had the power from God. We shared D&C 20:37 and reminded him that baptism was about following Christ, not about whether he knew for sure for sure Joseph smith was a prophet. Of course that is important but sometimes we just need to have faith and that’s what he needed to have. We then asked him to be baptised this weekend and he said yes. The spirit was so strong. His wife jumped for joy and they began planning everything right away. On Sunday the whole branch was super giddy and after church Hugo was baptised by his son.
This has been such a wonderful experience and I feel so grateful to have been apart of it. The Lord knows his children He loves them and will not let them be destroyed. Now one more family has the opportunity to be together forever. There are so many more details that I would love to tell but don’t have time. I love you all so much. Thank you for your love and support. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that this is the ONLY way we can be cleansed of our sins and return to live with our Father in Heaven. KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!
Hna Redfern
Hello all!
Well this week was a good and hot one. And as usual it was great to be able to hear the voices of my fam! I cant believe how big Tyson and Gavin are talking and whatnot. Time is just flying by. Here in Poza Rica everything is going well. WE are in the middle of a 6week consecration act that the President has put toward us as a goal, and it really has been a unique experience, I'm sure the Lord has many plans for his missionaries here if we can put in the extra effort.. The opportunity to be here is just utterly ridiculously amazing. To serve the Lord and do nothing else more, i dont worry about bills and how ill pay them or food or anything or school. Just the lives of everyone else. It is the only time for 99 percent of us that we will be able to give absolutely all our time to the Lord. what a blessing. The fact that it has to end someday is not so cool. Watching the people learn and grow is better than any paycheck that Bill gates has received, and that's true. I hope to be able to continue serving with all my heart might mind and strength, and your prayers and letters ha are always appreciated. I love you all so much.
Elder Redfern
Well this week was a good and hot one. And as usual it was great to be able to hear the voices of my fam! I cant believe how big Tyson and Gavin are talking and whatnot. Time is just flying by. Here in Poza Rica everything is going well. WE are in the middle of a 6week consecration act that the President has put toward us as a goal, and it really has been a unique experience, I'm sure the Lord has many plans for his missionaries here if we can put in the extra effort.. The opportunity to be here is just utterly ridiculously amazing. To serve the Lord and do nothing else more, i dont worry about bills and how ill pay them or food or anything or school. Just the lives of everyone else. It is the only time for 99 percent of us that we will be able to give absolutely all our time to the Lord. what a blessing. The fact that it has to end someday is not so cool. Watching the people learn and grow is better than any paycheck that Bill gates has received, and that's true. I hope to be able to continue serving with all my heart might mind and strength, and your prayers and letters ha are always appreciated. I love you all so much.
Elder Redfern
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