A Weekend of Baptisms

Our 12 year old investigator Allen was baptized this week!! He had already received all the lessons and was planning on being baptized even before I got here, so I don't really deserve any of the credit for helping him get baptized, but I was still so excited for him! Allen was one of the people we visited my first day here, and we have taught him pretty close to everyday for the past month so it was great to see him be baptized. And then the next day he was confirmed as a member of the church and received the Holy Ghost. The other Sisters Missionaries in our Ward also had a investigator baptized, so it was a double baptism/confirmation. Hurrah for Israel!!

 

It's neat that back home a baptism was happening and the same time. I'm so happy for Abigail. It sounds like it was an incredible baptismal service. It's been a long road to get her here, and I am confident our Heavenly Father is even more pleased than we are.

Our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to come unto Christ. We do that by helping people develop faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repent of their sins, make the covenant of baptism, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then endure to the end. I am so grateful that we are able to witness and help others to come unto Christ in this way. Seeing people make these important covenants reminds me of how important they are. It reminds me of those same exact covenants that I have made.

Fun fact of the week: I have not knocked on a door yet. Even though most of the people we teach do have a door, we don't knock on it. The normal way here to tell people you are at their door is to loudly say "Tao po" Tao means people, and po is just a word you add to sentences to make it more polite.

My Tagalog is still just slowly coming along. A couple of the people we teach speak/understand English, and I must admit they are some of my favorite to teach. It is so much easier when I am able to say the things I want to in a powerful way because I can say it in English. I cannot wait for the day when I can speak Tagalog powerfully also. Most of the lessons are in Tagalog and I'm doing my best to help my companion teach, but I still have a long way to go.

 

I've been here a whole month now! Time goes so fast. Thank you for your prayers and support, I need them both. I am happy and healthy and working hard and learning lots.

 

Love you all!!!!

 

Sister Abish "First Baptism" Curtis