Hello People!
Hey, Happy Pioneer Day on Saturday! Glad to see all was celebrated in classic Mission Viejo Stake fashion. Miss those days. Lots of wedding celebrations happening. Congrats to Jenna and Andy! Even though I haven't talked to you in over a year, I'm way happy for you guys and always knew you 2 would get married. :) Melany Stransky congrats as well!!! Wish I could've been there to congratulate you in person but oh well :)
So even though I wasn't home to celebrate weddings and take pictures with the brides in their white dresses, I was able to take a picture with XIMENA in a white dress, celebrating her baptism!!!! Oh what a wonderful night it was. She brought tons of friends with her (who unfortunately don't live within our mission boundaries) and her grandma and sister came too. We tried talking her mom into coming for like a half hour but she didn't want to. No matter what we told her about how she should be there to support her daughter and how she's now changing and she should help her change etc, she just kept saying no, Ximena has done this and that and she thinks she can just get baptized in some church and everything will be ok? No, I'm tired and I don't want to, etc etc. It was way sad to see a mother being the immature teenager. like really???? The whole time I was talking to her I just thought of the stark contrast between her and my mom. No matter how mad you would ever be at me Mom, I know you would never in a million years not go support me at something I really wanted you at. Ximena was crying because she asked her mom to come and her mom said no and then lectured her on all her faults. Seriously so sad. But man how I am grateful for my mother, who I know will always be there for me no matter what. I love you Mom :)
So we left to go to the baptism sad but when we got there, there were tons of members there to support, and her friends that she made at institute came too. In fact, her institute teacher baptized her! When she bore her testimony afterwards, she just started crying and said that she can't even begin to express the joy that she feels, and how much her life has changed since having the gospel in her life. Not necessarily huge changes, because she didn't drink or do drugs or anything, but just how she felt restless and sad before and now she feels at peace and content. That's what the gospel does people. It's a miracle to see it work within someone so subtly. The next morning too, she sent us a text message just saying thanks for all we've done to help her and that she woke up feeling happy and content. I LOVE THE GOSPEL!! and I love Ximena so so much.
Well that's all i got this week folks. The pictures will consist of celebrating Ximena's sisters birthday earlier in the week, her baptism, eating Chuzos with a member who helped us do visits this week, and lots of other random things that I shall find on my comp's camera as I scroll through them all to do uploads. haha Thanks to all those that emailed me this week and for the words of love and encouragement as always. :) I know this church is true, I'm Mormon, I know it, I live it, I love it. Catch you all later....(don't know why I said that lame phrase, but what's done is done. haha)
Love, Hermana Harper
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