"Buckle up!" -Bolerjack

Today I start my final change as a full-time missionary. Rounding 3rd base. Last week was maybe one of the best weeks of my entire mission! 

I'll just get straight to the point. Remember how I said to pray for Alberto, Cristian, Leslie and Alondra? Yeah, here is why. This is a family of 4 that Elder Hall and I found my first day in this area. How did we find this family? By asking a contact if she knew of anybody else that we could teach. She told us that her dad had been visiting the church a few years ago and could maybe use the help. So we went! Alberto is Cristian's dad, and Leslie and Alondra and Cristians's kids. Cristian is a female and Leslie is a boy hahahah. But since the very first day they committed to going to church and went every week, without us having to take them! We knew from the beginning that it was gonna be a family of GOLD. From the first time they visited, Cristian was saying, "this is our church, and we are never gonna leave it." She has always commented on how she can feel the true Spirit in our church way more than in any of the other 45331231131 churches that are here in Nicaragua. However, they have had some desafios! They always went to church and planned on continuing to go, but didn't feel like it was time to get baptized, and Alberto was a Coffee addict. As I have seen so many times though, the Spirit worked through them and they were able to overcome their problems. Alberto MIRACULOUSLY stopped drinking coffee and they committed to being baptized on the 16th of April.

Alberto, Cristian, Leslie and Alondra

 

With family friend, Marcos

 We also had another golden investigators named Jose Luis. He is about 60, and we found him through just normal contacting. He decided that he was going to experiment our church, and from the first time in church he loved it. He had had some serious alcohol problems in the past and felt that he needed to completely clean himself from them. His fecha was for the 23rd of April, but we felt like he was ready after going to church 3 straight weeks. Alberto is actually a good friend of his, so it was working out perfectly. We invited him to be baptized on the 16th, and he said, "the earlier, the better!"

Jose Luis

 So on Saturday we had 5 baptisms! It was so fun, but it was very spiritual. All 5 were super pumped and super ready, knowing that they were making an incredible decision, the best of their lives. Alberto, Cristian, Leslie and Alondra had all changed to their baptism clothes, and they went into a separate room and said a family prayer, holding hands. It was awesome. They are a super funny family. If they were American you would for sure think they are from New York. Have a strong accent, are really blunt, awesome people! The service was awesome, and they all showed up early for their confirmation. It was great.

 

5!

I have been really trying to focus on the Spirit recently, and I was able to see how the Spirit worked through these 5 amazing people and helped them understand the Restoration and the concept of Baptism. They quit doing things, but started doing even more. The Spirit is extremely important. We were at the church on Saturday night helping out with some Sister's baptism and some youth were in a back room listening to some music. It was a song that I often listened to before the mission. It isn't really a bad song, but I could feel it take away from the Spirit, and I didn't like that. It was just weird. I know the Spirit on the mission is different, so I am trying to take advantage of it while I can. Let's find ways to search for the Spirit.

We had 14 baptisms in our Ward last Saturday, which means 14 confirmations on Sunday.... it was long but an awesome experience. I didn't confirm any of them, but was in the circle and it was humbling to see all those people that I have worked with make this great decision. I am grateful to have been able to get to know them! We also had a massive week in the Zone, that was a miracle. I love the Spirit!

Silly Jazz... always breaking our hearts.

Love you all!

Elder Merrill