March 5, 2012

Dear Family,

I think this has probably been one of the best weeks of my mission. It was incredible, mainly because of the miraculous experience we had on Sunday. So we have this family that we’re working with: the Ramos family. They’re a different Ramos family than the one I’ve told you about before that has two identical twins named Carlos Eduardo and Eduardo Carlos. This new Ramos family is incredible. Since the first visit we had with them we’ve felt the Spirit so powerfully in their home and they are just such willing, faithful seekers of truth. For example, this week we taught them the Word of Wisdom. Quite often when we teach that commandment the people protest saying: why can’t we have tea or coffee?? Gabriela, the mother, upon learning excitedly told us that she would give away her new coffee maker to one of her friends. They’re just awesome.

The only and main problem that they’ve had has been attending church. A few weeks ago, the whole family accepted the baptismal invitation, but since they hadn’t attended, we had to keep pushing it back. There was so much opposition for this awesome, celestial family to attend church. Somebody really didn’t want them to get there. At first it was that Gabriela was afraid of coming, then it turned out that she had to work on Sundays, then the family was going to go, but they didn’t wake up on time, then someone got sick. And there it went on and on. Well, this fast Sunday we decided to do a special fast so that Gabriela would have work off and they could attend church. We prayed for a miracle.

A miracle happened. We started our fast at 4:00. At 4:30 we passed by their house and Gabriela was just bouncing up and down to tell us that her boss let her have Sunday off and that they were all going to attend church. The only thing that could possibly go wrong was that their 10 year old daughter Sofía was pretty sick. We arranged with them to pass by their house Sunday morning at 8:45 to go together to church. We kept fasting and praying.

Sunday morning at 8:45 finally rolled around and we knocked on the door. Out came their 12-year old son and their daughter, miraculously better, and then out came the parents and... the whole family was wearing matching pink shirts! It was pretty much the cutest thing I’ve seen in quite a while. They live close to church so we went and took a tour of the church before it began. We showed them the sacrament room, the classrooms, and last of all, the baptismal font. We had the Elders Quorum President share with them the experience of his own baptism, and we all just kinda stared together at the font. The spirit was really strong.

Then, after Priesthood and Relief Society, Gospel Principles rolled around and Carlos (yep, we’re teaching 2 Carlos Ramoses) and Gabriela were sitting together. It was my turn to give the class, so before starting right up I had everyone introduce themselves. When it got to Gabriela she said her name and shared how awesome she felt and the beautiful tranquility she had felt from the moment she walked in. The Spirit was very strong. Carlos introduced himself and, almost breaking down to tears, affirmed what his wife had said and shared that he planned to come back every Sunday. The Spirit was even stronger. Every eye in that room was watery after that beautiful couple shared their simple testimony of what they were feeling. It was one of the more powerful spiritual experiences I’ve had on my mission. They loved Sacrament meeting (on top of everything, a beautiful testimony meeting) and left glowing.

In Alma 27:16-18 it talks about how Ammon was so happy he fainted. I always kinda chuckled reading that part, trying to imagine him collapsing from happiness. This Sunday I got somewhat close. What a beautiful, miraculous week. I don’t know what I did to be able to feel the spirit so much and so strong, but I probably didn’t deserve it. The church is true! The Gospel brings everlasting happiness! The Spirit changes hearts!

Love
-Elder Spencer