Hey everyone!
Things in Tocornal have been moving pretty fast. It has been a lot of getting to know you's and getting things going with some of the members. From what I've seen, its one of the best functioning wards in all of my mission. It also has the highest assistance, with 134 people who came the week before. We are also trying out new ways of finding people, because for me, knocking is really boring, inefficient, and depressing. Instead, we are flying kites, drawing, and playing ping pong! It really is fun to be a missionary, you just have to know how to do it!
Yesterday we had a baptism (Wow!). A 21 year old named Fabian got in the water yesterday. He really is just a big ball of candy. He is really quiet, but you can tell he is always thinking about something. The other day was exceptionally impressing. We were talking about baptism with his mom, who is opposed to him getting baptized (surprise surprise). We tried to talk to her to show her that what he was doing was really important. Fabian stayed quiet, just waiting to see what would happen. "He doesn't know enough about what you Mormons preach to be baptized," she indignantly said. Then something miraculous happened. "But I know its true," he said timidly. She began again: "But you haven't even read that book th-" "I don't need to read all of it to know that's its true!" Fabian yelled. "It says it right in here that baptism is a commandment, so I'm going to do it!" Everyone was silent for a moment. "But that's their book," She said. "where does it say it in the bible?" "It doesn't matter!" said Fabian, saying more than I have ever heard him say ever. "You just don't get it! Its the same thing! I'm going to get baptized!". Fabians mother sat pallidly in her seat, stirring through what to say. after a few seconds of the most tense silence I have ever lived through, she got up and fumed out of the room, mumbling as she went. Fabian really was ready to get baptized.
Baptisms are a strange thing. I never feel the spirit when I expect. When we got down in the water and I said the prayer, all I was thinking about was how cold the water was, how his last name was pronounced, and how some other Elder should have been here. The ceremony was nice, and everything went smoothly. But oddly enough, I hadn't really felt the spirit too strong. I figured it was just because we had only been with him for about a week. Then, at the end of the ceremony, they asked Fabian to go up and bear his testimony. As I said, Fabian is a really quiet kid. He got up to the pulpit and just stared out, mumbling about something. I don't remember what he said, but what I do remember was much more important. As a missionary, I realized that we were given certain gifts of discernment. One of them is being able to tell peoples countenance. As Fabian got up to bear his testimony, I could tell so clearly that I was staring at someone completely clean. His face shone so bright up at the pulpit, I knew that I was looking at someone without one shred of sin or stain.
I love the power of the Atonement and the things it enables us to do. I know God loves us and wants us to be happy. This is his church and we are his hands.
Con amor,
Elder Westover
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