Miracles Man!​

Hola everybody!

This week was so good!

Ok so first off we had stake conference so everyone in our middle third of El Paso all came and met together on Sunday and it was PACKED! Our stake was just created in February so it was the first stake conference and naturally it was super amazing and inspired. President and Sister Guffey came to speak and all of the talks and testimonies were just what we and our investigators and members needed to hear. We have the best leaders ever here!

​Most of the missionaries in the zone with President and Sister Guffey

So update on Nancy, Luis, and Jose (the miracle from last week's email). Nancy and Jose are pushing forward and preparing to be baptized on September 3rd! Luis had some complications that we're working with him to overcome but he's such an amazing son of God and we've already seen him grow and understand so much in our short time knowing him. Nancy was able to get a priesthood blessing two days ago and yesterday she told us how amazing her day was and how she's felt so much peace and comfort ever since the blessing. They are all so strong and without a doubt elect children of God!

Another incredible miracle, there's this super cute older man, Enrique, that we've been teaching for a few months (really my whole time back out here). He's super funny and has such a desire to learn! His wife passed away about 6 years ago and we know that she has already accepted the gospel and is just waiting for him because we've felt such a strong spirit and love whenever we teach him. He's been preparing for a long time now. So we set a baptismal date as a goal for him for August 28th (next Sunday) and we've been talking to him about it and he told us Sunday night that he absolutely wants to be baptized, that he knows this is the true church and he can feel the difference in his life already, but that he didn't feel ready yet and wanted to wait about 3 or 4 more weeks. So no problem, our job isn't to pressure anyone into the church, we're just here trying to help people come unto Christ. But as Hermana Bosch and I were trying to set a new baptismal date for him for September both of us got a really strong impression that no, it has to be August 28th. So we shared our feelings with him and just asked him to pray and ask God if he should prepare to be baptized this next Sunday so that he could make the decision for himself. That was absolutely the most beautiful and humble prayer I've ever heard in my entire life. He asked God if that was truly His will for him and even though he didn't feel ready, if God wanted him to be baptized on the 28th he would do it with pleasure. Hermana Bosch and I were both just bawling because the Spirit was SO STRONG and we know that for whatever reason and whatever plan God has for Enrique, he needs to be baptized on Sunday. And Enrique being the amazing and humble disciple of Christ that he is is now excited and preparing for Sunday. We seriously cannot stop screaming with joy. 

​With our stake president, President Sandoval (he's super funny and also an amazingly inspired leader)

I cannot and never will be able to adequately describe in words what it feels like when you get to watch the process of someone letting the Light of Christ into their lives and especially when they want to take the step to be baptized. And it's nothing about getting more numbers in the church, there's no way I'd leave California and my family and school and everything in my life to come all the way here to scorching El Paso, Texas just for numbers in the church. But watching people learn and understand and start actively walking towards God and the path to eternal life and happiness in this world and the world to come and understanding that families can be eternal and knowing exactly what they can do to have that promise, that's what true joy is. That's why I'm here and why I came back to the mission. 

There's a scripture in Alma chapter 29 that I absolutely love. In verse 9 it says

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

There is absolutely no better feeling than knowing that we were able to be an instrument in the Hands of God to help and bless one of His children. All we have to do is listen to the Holy Ghost, the thoughts and feeling we get to help and serve others. It's hard to hear sometimes, but listening makes all the difference in the world!

Being a missionary is the greatest thing in the world! Love you all, have a great week!

Hermana Martin