This week marked one of the most exciting weeks of my time here in Millcreek.
Since week one of my time here, we've been teaching a women named Karina and her two sons, Juan Pablo (8) and Brian (5). She's come to church each week and she knows everything that we've taught is true. Originally she told us she didn't want to be baptized yet because her mom in Mexico was very Catholic, but a few weeks ago she told us that it was more about her husband.
Her husband, Pablo, is a great guy. The problem is that he's been working in Idaho for weeks at a time and can only come home for a day or two before he has to go back. Not exactly an ideal situation for us to be able to work with him.
On Friday evening, we decided to stop by their house unannounced to talk with Karina for a few minutes. She had told us two days earlier that Pablo would either come back on Monday evening for a single day and then leave until Thanksgiving, or that he wouldn't come back until Thanksgiving. But thankfully Pablo decided to surprise the family and visit for the weekend, so he was home when we stopped by. To our surprise, Karina had been telling him on the phone nearly everything we had taught her, so he already knew quite a bit about the Gospel. We cleared up a few other questions he had and then invited him to church.
Karina told us that he probably wouldn't come, but come Sunday morning he surprised her again and was up and ready to go. And to top that, on the first Sunday of each month in our church we have what is called a "Testimony Meeting," which means that the entire worship service is comprised of members of the congregation sharing their testimonies at the pulpit.
This past Sunday's Testimony Meeting was the most powerful that I've experienced in my 19 years. Nearly 20 people bore their testimonies about their own personal conversions, eternal families, and the importance of the temples. One women in particular shared her conversion story of how odd she thought church was the first time she went because there were no paintings or statues of the Catholic Saints. It touched Pablo's heart and afterwards he came up to me and put his arm around me, telling me he loved church and wants to come back.
When we stopped by later that evening, Pablo was sleeping but Karina told us that his boss in Idaho has just called and told him that there was a job they needed done near Karina's house in Utah and that Pablo was being reassigned for a month. Which means that the entire family will be together for the next month. Heavenly Father really does know each of us.
-Elder Colton
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