Week 24: Solid Week

Familia!

So good to hear that everything is all good with dad and the wreck. It is amazing how we truly are protected in this life. God truly does watch out for us and it has been something that I have seen more and more of on my mission.

This last week was one of the most successful weeks that I have ever had on my mission. We were able to have 24 lessons, put three people on date for baptism, and then have a baptism. We truly have been blessed the last couple days. I love being on the Lord's errand.

Yesterday we had a pretty awesome experience. As I have been serving in the ward the past couple months I have gained a lot of really good friends. One of them is named Mark. He is a recent convert of 6 months and we hit it off right away. Yesterday Mark was ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. It was a powerful experience to be a part of. It has been amazing to see people's lives change while being on the mission. I didn't know Mark before he joined the church, but yesterday when I was able to see him receive the power and authority of God to work miracles and bless the lives of others, it truly hit me how powerful of a work I am doing out here. I am here not only to help others come unto Christ, but once they have come unto Christ I am here to help them help those around them. It truly is a blessing being out here.

This week was Lindsey's baptism as well and I was able to learn a lot through it. Her original baptism date was last Saturday, but that day she had a ton of things to do. There was some sort of cheer thing in the morning and then later on in the day she had to figure things out with school and then she had work. Elder Niederhauser and I thought that it would be a good idea to move her baptism back to the 2nd of February and so we did. Later on we found out how big of a mistake that was. As Lindsey was preparing for baptism this extra week, several trials popped up in her life. Several random things came into her life that were really trying her faith. As we met with her and she told us these things it really hit Elder Niederhauser and I how big of a help it would have been if she had the Holy Ghost as a constant companion in her life throughout these trials. The spirit really chastised us letting us know that she was ready the week before, and even though her day was super busy her baptism should have been a priority. It was a mistake that I will never make again. I think sometimes I don't realize how big of a blessing it is to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we literally have a member of the God Head with us guiding our lives. If Lindsey had been baptized a week earlier, she would have had this necessary help in her life through this trial. Even though it was a struggle to push through these trials that came, we were able to do it, and her baptism was something that I will never forget. Lindsey asked me if I would baptize her and so it was an amazing opportunity. It was the first chance that I have ever had to baptize someone and joy is really all that can explain it. When Lindsey came up out of the water she had the biggest smile on her face, and I couldn't help but to smile either. As I went back to the changing room thinking about all that had just happened, I just continued to smile. You know, days like those are what the mission is about. Sure it may be hard getting up at 6:30 every morning, and sure it may be hard having days where we don't teach much at all, but when you see someone enter into the waters of baptism, all of those other things fade away. You truly get to see the importance of the work and how amazing it is to be a part of the salvation of someone's soul. The mission truly is changing my life for eternity and it will be something that I will forever be indebted to.

I truly do love this work, and it is something that I will be doing for the rest of my life. I hope you all know how much I love you and I hope all continues to go well.

Con amor,

Elder Jurgensmeier