los aguas bautismales 🌊🚿💧

 Week 40

SALEEEE PUES. THIS WEEK WAS A GOOD ONE. GET READY. 

To be honest the last few weeks have been kind of a drag. We kinda hit a stall with the people we've been teaching and there just hasn't been a lot going on. Buttt it was all worth it because a lot of good stuff went down this week and the Spirit was so present. Patience brings fruits for sure.

First and foremost: VANESSA GOT BAPTIZED POR FIN 🎉🙌🏼🌊

This one has been a long time coming. If you've been reading these emails, you know we were fighting tooth and nail to get her dad's permission for what seemed like weeks on end. But, he finally caved and we got the signature we needed. She was baptized by her brother, a convert who up until now has been the only member of their whole family (who was apparently Jacob Bingham's mission companion?? The world is tiny). It was so tender to watch them hug in the font afterward and just see the joy that comes from eternal families. Only missing their mom now (coming for you Emilia 🫵🏽🌊)

WENT TO THE TEMPLE WITH TANIA FOR THE FIRST TIME! ⛪️

Its always a special experience to go with a convert you taught to the temple, and this week was no different! Her daughter came with us and once again brought to my attention the pure joy and happiness that comes from living the gospel as a family. It seriously changes lives.

ZONE CONFERENCE 🕴

sooooo gooood. We are so blessed here to be guided by an inspired mission president. He is the goofiest Argentinian man I have ever met, but he really has a lot of love for the missionaries and he and his wife have been such an example to me. We talked a lot about the difference between TALKING to people about the gospel and TESTIFYING of the gospel among other things. It was a mindset shift for me. Shoutout Papi Paz your a real one 🤝🤝

(The A.P.’s never send us the pics smh)

This week I've been thinking a lot about baptism. You might be thinking "duh… you are a missionary of course you think about baptism a lot", but this week it was different. We changed up a few things with the baptismal services where we left the doors of the font open the whole time so that the people could see the person descending into the water, and it totally changed my perspective. It is so beautiful to witness the last few moments a person has as they enter the covenant of baptism, because it is so symbolic of Christ. He himself descended to the waters of baptism, even though he was perfect. And even though we might enter the waters of baptism and the sacrament every week tripping, falling, limping, barely making it, He descended below ALL things, and makes it possible for us to be perfect through Him. I love being a missionary and feel so incredibly privileged to serve where I do and help His children learn these things for themselves and see the change that happens. I don't know what I did to get so lucky, but I know God knew that Oaxaca is where I need to be 🫶🫶

Transfers are next week, and my time with mija is slowly coming to a close. Don't ask me about it, I will probably cry.

LOVE YOU ALL

- Hermana Stephenson 🤍