Bold about Baptism

Well this would be the first week that I have ZERO emails from my family! 

No, really it's fine...now I have NOTHING to write back! :(

(Editor's note: Every week I email Nat and then she prints off my email and hand writes a letter back to me answering all my questions and commenting on things I wrote to her. Unfortunately, I was writing my email when she sent hers 2 hours earlier than usual!  The boys and Laurel had also sent her letters in the mail and apparently those hadn't arrived yet.)

It's cool though...I am sure you are really busy or something.

This week was crazy. 

Below is a brief schedule and then a story of the best part of my week...

Tuesday: DDM (District Development Meeting) it happens every week and it takes a big chunk of our day.

Wednesday: Trainer/Trainee Meeting. I was reunited with my MTC Distict. It was glorious.

Thursday: Weekly Planning. Also happens every week, but it takes 3 hours so it's more significant time lost.

Friday: TEMPLE...it was AWESOME! We attend the Redlands temple. It is small, but sweet. We went with our zone. I absolutely love going to the temple! Every time I go, I dream about all of us being there together one day. I CAN'T wait!

"Our entire zone"

Natalie and Sister Pack

Natalie and Sister Todd

"Sister Haycock and I at the temple. She is one of my favorite people of all time!
We are pretty much the same person."

Saturday: Transfers. 

We had a mission wide meeting/party which was fun because I was able to see Elder McCall for my last time! He got transferred out of the mission. I think he is now in the Carlsbad mission, but I could be wrong. I know he'll do GREAT things wherever he serves.

"Me and Jive Turkey" (AKA Elder McCall)

The meeting was incredible, but VERY emotional.

The opening hymn was "Called to Serve." Singing that with all of the missionaries would alone bring me to tears, but watching President fight back tears as we sang, sent me overboard. 

Then someone spoke about how we are each called where Heavenly Father wants us to be and that this has always been His plan. 

(Just to clarify I was in no way NERVOUS or WORRIED about transfers. I was ONLY crying out of love for President and feeling the spirit.) 

After that, we sang "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" which brings me to tears when I'm not a missionary, so singing it right before I am going to find out exactly where Heavenly Father needs me... no bueno. 

Then President spoke. I LOVE him so much. He is AMAZING and has so much love for all of us.  

Then he proceeded with the big announcement... 

I'M STAYING IN EASTVALE 1ST WARD WITH SISTER PACK! We are realllllly excited!

Sister Todd and Sister Gambling are staying too! Here's the catch though...Sister Pack and I have to move to a different home share and our duo is getting turned into a trio! 

We had a mini missionary for a week and it wasn't the best, so we are a tad nervous about it. Sister Pack picks her up tomorrow. I hope she is international. 

"Love me some Packy"

After that we sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again"...nuff said.

I am so grateful to be here. Honestly, I would have been excited about going anywhere, but staying in Eastvale 1st ward was what I really wanted. :)

This is a nightgown we bought for Nat to 
wear to BED while on her mission. 
Apparently, she gets lots of compliments on it. :)

Okay, now for a story... 

I was beyond BOLD about baptism this week! 

It's about Claudia and her family. I wrote to you about them last week in my letter. Just a reminder her kids are Danny (14), Eric (12), Giselle (10), Sarah (6), Andrea (4). 

Claudia is an investigator that has been taking the discussions for almost a year. She is in her 40's, Hispanic and single with 5 kids. She has had about 5 baptismal dates, but hasn't gone through with any of them. 

We met with her on Wednesday night and normally she rounds all of her kids up to meet with us, but this time she said she was too tired and she doesn't want to force anything on them. 

I was bummed, but it ended up being a good thing because for the next hour she was 100% honest about what has really been holding her back and what her kids have said after we leave each time. 

Satan is smart! He is getting to her through her kids and she knows it. 

So DUMB! 

After about an hour her 3 oldest came home and all sat down without being asked. We then studied 2 Nephi 31 (one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4 is high up there too) with them and it was awesome. 

Eric was so in tune with the spirit it was crazy. He had an answer for everything and was even answering his family's questions for us! He is the only kid who has an outspoken interest about the church. 

Everyday he is the one who gathers the family to have scripture study. He LOVES the Book of Mormon and takes it to school with him because it "lifts him up when he is down." 

He'll be an incredible missionary one day. 

We studied with them for an hour and only got halfway through the chapter before we had to leave to get back by curfew.

But then things got intense... 

I called out Claudia for not acting on the answers that she has already received and how it would be better for her to KNOW CHRIST than to deny Him. Luckily, she took it like a champ and then said that her kids were the reason she hasn't been able to follow through with baptism. 

She wants to be baptized, but wants the support of her family.

Danny (who were are pretty positive is making bad choices and has also told us he has no interest in the church) told her that he will go with her and if she wants to be a member then she should get baptized! 

He was so sincere and supportive of her which is exactly what she needed. He discussed with all of us a new monthly plan about church attendance (it was 3 weeks at Catholic church, 1 week ours). 

My comp continued to talk to her and I had the impression to talk to Eric (he was sitting next to me). 

I turned to him and whispered "Dude, you know you want to be baptized, just do it!" 

He laughed and said that he will pray about it. We had just talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost so I said "you know that having the Holy Ghost with you ALWAYS will be so sweet." 

He just smiled at me and continued to look down in his scriptures.

30 seconds later I said "Not to mention, you can have the Priesthood! I can't even do that." 

He promised that he would pray about it that night. 

Then we started to pick up our stuff to leave and I heard Eric talking to Danny. 

He said "I think I am going to get baptized." 

Danny responded "seriously!?" 

and Eric said "Yeah. There are just so many benefits!" 

Danny then turned to me and said "ERIC JUST SAID HE WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED!" 

Claudia was shocked and Eric comforted her and said "yes mom I really do and we all know you do too. Let's do this together!" 

We were FREAKING out! (Silently, of course.)

She asked when they could get baptized and our team up said they could do it on Saturday. 

But, then I said "you could do it tomorrow!" 

Eric said "Yeah! Let's get baptized tomorrow!" 

We planned for everything. Danny was really excited for them so I turned to him and told him that "he should try and pray about it again, then he could plan for all of this too." 

Danny nodded his head and then said "I can choose whoever I want to baptize me right?" 

I said "yes." 

Then he asked me "could you do it?" 

I was FLATTERED and obviously said no and explained why. 

We continued to plan, but sadly couldn't make it happen with everyones schedules. Hopefully, this weekend it won't fall through. 

Please pray for them.

Have to go! My time is up! Love you all!

Sister B

"Packy being silly while I'm trying to study"

(email received June 17, 2013)