Ariel's Baptism

So wonderful!  A week full of wonderful highlights but let’s start with the good stuff!  First off I just want to say thanks for all of your wonderful prayers and the love you send this way.  Ariel Moringio got baptized yesterday!  Yahooo!!! Every baptism like I say is a miracle and it was a really beautiful service.  I really felt the spirit and everything fell into place.  I just love it how God listens to the tiny prayers as well as the loud prayers.  I have seen the atonement change the lives of many people on the mission but often times sin has a way of sneaking back into our lives and it gets discouraging.  I have seen so many people fall through the cracks when the reach the final stage before baptism.  Yet Ariel his intent was sincere and he didn't let doubt or discouragement weigh him down and he completed the task that he set out to do.  His conversion really has been such a blessing and a wonderful experience to be a part of.  The thing that I have really seen in his conversion is the Power of the Book of Mormon.  I know that power truly is the keystone of our religion.  I know that we study and feast upon its words our minds are enlightened and we truly center our minds for the day’s activities.  It is a shield and a protection.  I believe as people are trying to leave sin behind and experience a change through Christ the Book of Mormon is the thing that holds the whole thing together.  He pulled Sister Harry and me away after the baptism and just expressed his great gratitude for all that had transpired.  He actually thanked Sister Harry for nagging him every day to see if he was reading.  He has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and he knows that it is true.  What a great foundation to build your testimony off of.  In the last couple of months he has read and studied through Alma.  He's almost done and he is doing well.

Sister Fifield commented on how he just looked happier and lighter at the baptism compared to the first time she met him.  The funny thing is that Ariel was completely happy with his life before he met the missionaries.  He wasn't really looking for any real change.  He told us in our last cita antes el baptism that he wasn't actually planning on meeting with the missionaries until he opened the book of Mormon that they had given him and he started reading.  He felt something he had never felt before and he wanted the sisters to come over and explain what that was and why the book was different from the Bible.  Pretty cool huh?  From there on out Ariel completely changed his life.  He stopped smoking, drinking coffee, alcohol.  He had several other habits that involved breaking up with his girlfriend etc.  I also noticed a big old tattoo underneath the baptismal jump suit by his neck that he had always covered up for church and such.  It is just amazing to me to see how people will give up everything they know as normal because of the witness they receive of the truthfulness of Christ’s church and his doctrine in order to receive eternal life.  It means everything!  Without it life really means nothing and once you feel that your old life that was so fun just doesn't seem so full anymore.  I loved hearing Ariel’s testimony in our last lesson with him about how he felt the difference in his life.  He loves it and he knows it right.  It's hard and it takes getting used to but he knows if he were to go back it wouldn't make him happy anymore.  It is such a privilege to be a missionary.  I LOVE my mission.  I will always treasure the sacred experiences I have had in seeing the miracles of the atonement work in the lives of the people I teach and in my own life.  I know this is the Lords restored church on the earth today.  I can't tell you how many people asked me the question while contacting on the streets, well if Jesus established one church on the earth why are there so many o n the earth today?  That doesn't make sense."  Your right it doesn't so people let me teach you about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  The fullness of the gospel and it blessing to be received!  It was a great week.

Hermano Mite also got confirmed.  It's so wonderful to see the ward wrap their arms of love and fellowship around him as he takes this new journey in life.  He bore the sweetest testimony yesterday and I was just so happy to see him as one of the Lords newest church members.  I love fast and testimony meeting.

I had lots of really other cool stuff happen but not enough time.  Next time... maybe when I get home in a couple of months.

Hey mom you saw Breeane Howe!? :) How is she?  I hear she got married. How is she doing? Also Jael I'm glad you saw Emily Jewkes! Get her to go out with Spencer!  I 'm telling you it’s a match made in Heaven.  bahahaha. love you all have a great week