Letter 49 - Amo Guatemala

Hola mi querida familia!


I love Guatemala. Seriously.


This week on Saturday we had 3 baptisms! A mom and her two kids. This was such a crazy experience! The moms name is Mariola and she is married to a member named Vinicio! She got married to him 13 years ago and has been taking missionary discussions since the day they got married. But, she never wanted to get baptized because she is really catholic. When I got to Chiantla we started to teach her again and asked her to be baptized like 100 times! She always told us that she knows the church is true.. but, was scared of what her family would say. Well, her two kids, Mauro and Carlos wanted to be baptized. They were coming to church every single week and going to mutuals and doing it all! Finally the mom said that they could be baptized, but, she said that she was not going to be baptized. We brought her baptismal clothes just incase she wanted to change her mind. But, we met with her in the morning on Saturday and she said she still wasnt sure what she was going to do. But, we met with her in the afternoon like one hour before the baptism of her kids and she said she wasnt sure! So, we read some scriptures with her and her kids both said that they wanted her to be baptized so that they could be an eternal family, so she decided at the last minute that she was going to be baptized, so we called our district leader so that he could give her baptismal interview! It went so well! They were all baptized. Mariola got baptized first and she waited off to the side of the font for her son carlos to be baptized and I was by her side.. When Carlos left the water, he gave her this HUGE hug and they both were crying! It was such a tender moment. After the baptisms, Olga, the grandma of Mauro and Carlos gave me a huge hug just balling and told me that she was grateful for my patience and my love for her family. We were both balling at the end of that hug.


On Thursday I woke up at 4 in the morning with a terrible stomach ache! Seriously! I have NEVER had a stomach ache like this one in my life! I was uncomfortable laying down AND standing up and I was just crying! Finally at about 10 in the morning a member from our ward came over and gave me a blessing. I love the priesthood. Seriously. Right after the blessing I was able to sleep and my stomach didnt hurt as bad. I slept for all the afternoon and I had hermana Arellano go on divisions with some hermanas from the ward so that we could teach our investigators. 2 different women came to our house and watched over me!


On Saturday night when we got to the house Bryan, one of our ex investigators called and started to confess his love for me jaja. He said What are the chances of us being together if I get baptized? and he said that he will probably live in the states one day and wants us to meet up. jaja It was on speaker phone and my companion was DYING laughing. seriously. jaja He said How about you convert me to the gospel and I convert you to me? haha It was so funny. I told him that I am a missionary and that I didnt have time to think about things like that. When I hung up he kept calling, but we just didnt answer haha


Then on sunday, Mario he is a member that has schizophrenia (Spelling?) He asked me to marry him! In front of a bunch of our investigators! haha He said it in spanish first.. so I pretended like I didn't understand and turned to my comp and said What did he say? haha But, hermana Arellano started laughing and said I don't know.. but we both knew that we both knew jaja so then he asked me in inglish!!!! Haha That made it even funnier. I told him I would think about it... but, don't worry dad, it was obvious that I was joking.


We are having so much success lately.. I have gained such a strong testimony of fasting and prayer. seriously. It works miracles! Hermana Arellano is a really good missionary and will do so many great things in her mission! I hope that I can be with her just one more change here in Chiantla.. but, unfortunately I think that my time is about up here in Chiantla.


I love this gospel! I love it when people can feel the spirit testify to them that this is the truth! I love Jesus Christ. I know He lives and that He loves us! I love in third Nefi when He is about to leave the people, but, they were sad, so He stays a little longer and cries for the people. He cried for them.. and He cries for us.


I love you guys!
Love,
Hermana Natalie Paige Bullough