Blake in Guatemala: week 83 :Elder Young and Continued Miracles in Xela

So some miracles shall we:

First miracle: 15 minute Book of Mormon challenge. Read it for 15 minutes everyday and try to go inactive or not get baptized. You can't.

Second MIracle: Healing of a baby: So, we were just walking around and I got a very distinct impression that I absolutely needed to go visit the Molina family. We were walking there and found that the Zone Leaders were walking back. We told us they had just come from there and we almost thought against going but I knew I needed to visit them so we kept going. There we found the family perfectly normal. One of their friends was there. We talked a little and just before the friend left I asked if she could come over and hear a lesson with us. She agreed. She and her husband (and the cutest baby in the world) came over. We gave them a lesson and the man (giovani) started crying when we spoke of Joseph Smith. We gave them the baptismal registry and they SIGNED IT in the first lesson. Then we came back. I had a prompting that was so strong that I needed to talk about coffee. We did and it was a hard hard things for the woman (maria) to stop drinking but she said she would after I gave my testimony and felt the spirit. We lost contact with them and then came back 9 days later. We asked how she had done, expecting a negative response but then she responded that she hadn't had a drink AT ALL. Not one drop. We were stunned. So we moved on: Marriage

We challenged them to get married that week. The next day Giovanni went to the office building and attempted to pick up his birth certificate. He couldn't he didn't have enough money. So we called president and decided to help him out.

Then we came back the next day and her baby was extremely sick. They were scrambling for help and medications. They let me give the baby a prieshood blessing. In between coughs and crying I put my hands on his head and gave a blessing. It was so special and the mom felt the spirit.

We came back and the baby was completely 100% healed. His mom was estatic and ready to get baptized. Soooo. why not?

We set up here wedding and baptism for this Saturday and they completely agreed. We taught them about tithing and all the other lessons and they were 100 percent on board. I asked the Mom how she knew that the church was true. She said that she knew because she felt God blessed her baby through her obedience to what we had taught and Giovany said he knew because he felt God in his life for one of the first times.

We did nothing. The only good we did was get out of the way and let the spirit teach. They're getting married and baptized tomorrow. The gospel is true.

Thrid Miracle: Another baptism

You know that family that we (Elder Topete and I) found in Xela Centro pinos de lo alto. If you don't here's the story:

We decided we wanted to see a miracle. So we prayed and invited an Elder to go on divisions with us. We were SET in our minds to go a place where they had killed missionaries about 50 years ago called Almolonga. We were in the bus ready to go when we decided to pray. We did and all three of us felt VERY STRONGLY that we needed to go instead to a place called Pinos de lo alto. So we got off the bus and paid a truck to take us there. We contacted and talked with everyone. We prayed for guidance like 5 times in the street. I knew that God was trying my faith so I said "God give me a scripture to comfort me" I opened the scriptures and found: 3 Nephi18:20. I smiled, walked a little far off and prayed. I felt in my heart "THAT is the house". We went there and found, lo and behold a family of 8 less actives that had just recently decided to come to church. We talked and asked them for references. They said "why don't you visit that family over there!" They gave us about 4 families and Elder Topete and I knocked on the door of the house of.... Sofia and Jose.

We shared an incredibly spiritual lesson. The couple felt the power of the spirit. It was evident and the invited us back.

Three days later. We returned and walked through the opened door to give them another lesson. The lesson ended and followed by the inspiration of the spirit we invited them to church: that moment. Surprised, but willing, they took us to the church and received our improvised tour. It was so special. They, surrounded by the walls of Christ's church, committed to coming that Sunday.

I left the next day.

1 month later I get a call, inviting me to the baptism of one Jose and Sofia.

I went, obviously. They recognized me and Sofia, with tears in her eyes, thanked us for finding her door. Luis, the ward mission leader said "can you imagine brothers and sisters, what would have happened if Elder Young and Elder Topete would have decided to rest that day?" He paused and looked at us and said "Elderes gracías por su diligencia"

That complement was a nice email with a great attachment of the spirit. I felt all nice inside and couldn't contain my joy as I saw these people the Lord had led me to enter into the covenant waters of baptism.

What a feeling. Jesus said that He gives peace like the world doesn't. If you don't believe that, then just find someone, teach them and watch them get baptized and see what kind of peace that brings.

They were thrilled and will be very faithful, just like the other couple we will baptize tomorow.

Fourth Miracle: Seeing someone I baptized work in the church: My dear beloved friend Franklin was mentioned in our meetings with president Díaz that we have every week, as a member who could use a job. If you don't remember Franklin is the father of 2 little kids and a wonderful wife. The man who quit his job for the morals he held and decided to look for God because he knew he'd be blessed. I had the privilege of baptizing him with the spirit so to speak. (gift of the holy ghost). This guy is an angel in disguise. I told president about him and he came to the office excited to work and excited to see me. We took him to a house and he cleaned it all day. When we came back he made the comment: I don't even need to be payed, I just want to show God that I love to serve. Can you imagine that. This is the man who picked up the book of Mormon and felt a strange power that prompted him to read it. He prayed and got the courage and read it and was baptized. He has a special place in heaven. Anyways, it was great to see that the seeds we helped plant have grown and the harvest is so clear before my eyes.

Fifth Miracle: We servived changes: my friends, that is a miracle in and of itself.

Love,