We were able to get our investigator baptized and confirmed this week. It was a great experience and he has a lot of faith. Earlier this week, his brother-in-law (who he is really close to, and who had asked that we start teaching him and his family, was murdered in a hit and run. From what we know, he was hit by a truck while riding his motorcycle home from work. The people in the truck got out and stabbed him until he was dead. The men in the truck were drunk and they aren't sure if it was purposeful or not. However, I feel so bad. He had a wife (the sister of our recent convert) and a 2-year old daughter. My heart was broken for the family when I found out. The night before he was killed, he gave us food to take home and eat so we didn't have to cook. They were so interested in eternal families and I know he would have been a great leader in the church. I can only hope and pray that the same desire went with him in the spirit world. This shook up our investigator and his whole family pretty bad. However, he said he never doubted or second-guessed his decision to be baptized. He said he knows that is what Heavenly Father wants for him and now he has a lot of questions about baptism for the dead, so he can be baptized for his brother-in-law. As for the rest of his family, we are going to try and teach them. We are waiting until the end of this week so things calm down with the funeral and everything. But it is my hope and prayer that they will still want to listen to our message.
Death seems a little more real to me now. Just the night before we were talking to this investigator and the next day we found out that he had been murdered. It was a shock and it made me seriously ponder about the Plan of Salvation. It made me think about my testimony and if I truly believe what I tell these people I know about the next life. So, I have studied a lot about the Plan of Salvation in Preach My Gospel and D&C, and prayed a lot to know that it is true. I don't want to be put in the situation where it has an extra special meaning to an investigator and have any doubts. The "line upon line and precept upon precept" way of gaining knowledge and a testimony is coming to me right now, so I feel like I am heading in the right direction to get that rock solid testimony of it. I believe it, but its not good enough for me right now. I need to know it, so I will be able to testify with power to the people I am teaching.
We had a baptism on Saturday and a confirmation on Sunday, so that was the highlight of the week. However, there were only eight people at the baptism--including us and the convert. Nobody from the bishopric or the ward council was there. I wasn't too happy and yesterday during our ward council meeting I let them know. I pretty much told them that we will need more support from the ward if they want us to continue to work as hard as we can to bring new and less active members to church. I just told them, they will be held responsible for the less active members and recent converts that fall away after the missionaries leave, because we will leave and they will still be here. I am pretty sure they got the idea. Elder Paano was pretty shocked at how "forceful" I was. I wasn't too happy, but the bishop apologized afterwards and told me thank you. He said he has been trying to explain it to them, but they needed someone else to tell it to them to get the point across. I am hoping they got it!
One more week and then we get to talk! I am so excited. I need to make sure to work hard, so this week will go by fast. I am trying my best to become the best missionary I can. However, there are a lot of areas where I can still improve. But as promised in Ether 12:27, the Lord will make them strong! I love you guys! Take care and be safe!
Here are some pictures that President Lopez posted on Facebook of the Zone Conference:
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