Baptismo!!!

Last week was sweet! We finally got to baptize the family we have been teaching for awhile. It was a really cool experience what happened too. But first, last week we had our zone meeting on Wednesday and I ended up staying over with our zone leader in his area while the other Elder came to my area until Friday. It was really cool to help him out and get to know Elder Meilerries. He is from Brasilia and will end up going home in January.

Saturday we planned to baptize this family but ended up only baptizing Max and Robison, the two kids of Lielda. Lielda didn't have enough courage to be baptized because she has a really big fear of water. She couldn't even sit in the front row to see her kids be baptized, if that lets you understand how scared she is. But the baptisms when well.  Max is special and really doesn't need to be baptized but he really wanted to, so we talked to our President and he said we could.  He said it would be a symbolism and plus the Holy Ghost can help him when he receives it.

But then Sunday we talked with everyone to try and mark everything for Sunday when they would receive the Holy Ghost. Lielda said she wouldn't beable to come, so we were pretty bummed about that. So that night we fasted for her and the next day a member who lives near her passed by her house and she was ready to go to church with her kids. During church we were really talking to her alot about baptism.  She still wasn't wanting to at all, so we left her for a lil bit. Then the member who always helps us (shes also a recent convert) was talking to Lielda and she finally committed to be baptized.

It was so cool, she went up to the the pulpit during sacrament meeting and bore her testimony.  She shared what a big a miracle it was to meet me and my comp and to have this opportunity. So right before she was about to enter the waters she started crying so much because she  was afraid. Me and my comp tried to help her and practice with her outside so she felt more comfortable but I've never seen someone so scared. We got this member dressed in baptism cloths too so she could enter with her. Lielda entered the waters super slow and almost turned back 3 times. I can really say that the Lord was there helping her all the way. I prayed about a thousand times for her and we also gave her a blessing of comfort. She ended up getting baptized. 

This was another really cool experience in my mission that I will never forget. It really helped my testimony about fasting.  Everything is going good here, until you sent me those pics of you guys in London.....and then I got a pic of Chase in Hawaii. So I'm super mad now. We are definitely going on a trip like that after my mission. 
But I love you guys. Thanks for everything. 

Elder Mauter