In last week's email, I mentioned that I would be able to return to Mixquiahuala to attend the baptism of a sister that I helped teach. Backstory time! I apologize for the large cluster of words, but the pictures are further down, I promise! One evening back in Mixquiahuala, Hermana Davis and Hermana Rojas were headed home when they felt they should talk to a certain woman walking with her granddaughter in the street. The contact was made, said grandmother and granddaughter were very excited to hear the missionaries, and the appointment was set. The sisters began teaching them. They went to church and loved it, but for the weeks that followed, one event after another prevented them from going to church. I continued to hear reports on the grand desire this family had to be baptized, but due to their inability to go to church, they couldn't. After my first cycle with Elder Morales, the ward split, our boundaries changed, and the family of Irma, Marisol, Jaquelín, and Iliana became our investigators. The sisters were right; they were incredibly receptive from the start, and despite their assurances that they would be able to go to church that Sunday, something got in the way, and they were unable to attend. When the same thing happened the following Sunday, Elder Morales and I decided that to give them that extra motivation they needed, we would drop them. Best decision ever. We passed their house almost daily heading over to teach their neighbors, but never stopping at theirs to teach them. They felt so bad that they didn't miss a Sunday after that. You may recall Marisol and Jaquelín, the mother and daughter who were baptized while I was there with Elder Morales. Irma was unable to be baptized before due to some things she needed to work out with her marriage. She finally got everything worked out, and President Kimball gave us special permission to go back for her baptism this past weekend. When we found out at the Leadership Council, Hermana Davis and I filmed a quick video of us congratulating her for her being able to be baptized to deter her from suspecting the grand surprise. We arrived about a half hour before the baptism was scheduled to start (a little later than we had wanted, but we figured we'd be okay). We took an alternate route to the chapel (so no one would see us), snuck inside, and hid. No one found us, and the meeting started just as planned. After the opening prayer and hymn, Elder Espinoza put on our video. We waited... And then charged! No tears were held back at such a glorious reunion. Everyone in the room let loose a gasp when they saw us back in that chapel again. It was an absolutely glorious reunion for everyone as I was able to see many of my converts as well as investigators Elder Espinoza and I had found who are going to be baptized in these coming weeks. Let's see... On the left is the Aguilar Benitez Family (the purple door). To the right of me is a sister that Elder Espinoza and I found who will be baptized in 2 weeks. Irma's family follows with Lalo (one of the best young men ever) on his knees with the thumbs up. The sisters follow and then there's Guadalupe who Elder Espinoza and I also found and will be baptized this next Saturday. We're talking about some big moments here, folks. Lives being changed by the minute.
Honestly, this week was a bit of a tough one in terms of the missionarywork in our own area here in Tecámac; we made the clean sweep and started from scratch. Being able to attend Irma's baptism, however, was an incredibly fulfilling experience that filled me with that same enthusiasm as when I started my mission. This is the Lord's work. He's at the head of it and directs us. The gospel and the church are true, as no other thing on the face of this planet could give such hope and happiness in an ever darkening world as these do. I'm a Mormon. I know it to be the only true church of God. I live it and preach it every day. And I love it more than I could ever love anything. Iré y haré, Elder Groesbeck
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