Week 77: A week to never forget
This week was one of the hardest and most amazing of my entire life. Doing the Lords work here we truly see miracles and we feel the Spirit daily. It is truly an extremely hard experience but it is something so special that it is all worth it. This week I only want to share one experience that happened this week but it was one that really made me think and changed my point of view on many things. Every since I have been here in Caborca, I have known a youth named "Ramiro" that is 16 years old. Every since I have been here in Caborca, I saw him spending time with the youth in the branch and to be honest, we thought he was maybe a member. One sunday, we ate lunch with the Branch President and he was there with his friends (after we all went to church). After lunch, out of nowhere, we started talking about the mission and the experiences we have had. Ramiro heard every one of our 4 testimonies of the mission and the youth there got really excited about serving missions. Ramiro even got excited and said he wanted to serve a mission. Little by little, we started to teach him and we could see that his testimony was growing. We also saw how strong Satan started to attack him. Out of no where, he started to work every day except sundays. He would go to church but we could never teach him during the week for work. We taught him over the phone and thought of everything we could do. After that, out of no where, he had to work on sunday. He had never had to work on Sunday. He wanted to get baptized but he had so many things in his life that were holding him back. One day, we were super down. My companion and I had fasted, prayed, and tried to get in contact with Ramiro the entire week and nothing. One day at night we were going to go to an appointment but we felt the impression that we needed to go to Ramiros house. We got there and knocked and he had arrived from work. We could talk to him and explain that Satan was trying to do everything that he could so that he wouldnt be baptized. He agreed and also told us that his parents gave him permission to get baptized but that they werent going to support him. In spite of the conflict, we set up a day so he could be baptized. We all decided that Sunday would be a good day. That sunday, his boss WITHOUT notifying him beforehand told him that he had to work. Then we set up the baptism for wednesday because every day he has a lunch break and we were going to baptized him on his lunch break. Out of nowhere, he had to work longer that day. Finally at 9 at night, Ramiro was baptized. It was literally the hardest baptism I had had in my entire mission. Satan literally was attacking Ramiro the entire time and the ENTIRE day. I had never seen Satan work so hard so that a person wouldnt be baptized. That night when my companion and I got back to the house exhausted. We talked and we hadnt told eachother but both of us had been been tempted and tried in that day. I personally had a really difficult day for some reason and I felt like Satan was throwing lies at me the entire day like "you arent a good missionary..." "He wont get baptized..." "Why are you even trying?" I felt a spiritual burden the entire day and I was struggling. My companion experienced something similar. We realized how true it is that we are in Gods work and He is real but something even scarier. That satan is really real. He doesnt only want us to feel bad but he literally wants to destroy our souls. That night we discussed a scripture and that I had found a couple days before hand. Its is found in 3 Nep
hi 1:20-23
20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.
21 And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.
22 And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord.
23 And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in the land.
Even though Satan is working hard, Satan will never have success. I want you all to know how important it is be shield against Satans attacks. Even though it sounds harsh and scary I promise and I say this of experience if you are not ready and those darts come and you are not ready and dont have a plan, you will fall. I promise you. You need to be built on the foundation of Christ (Helaman 5:12). The scriptures say that when man build on that foundation, they cannot fall. I know that to be true. This sunday, during Ramiro`s confirmation, President Jimenez said in the blessing, "I bless you that one day if it is the Lords will, that you will be able to serve a mission some day." Hearing those words, it was all worth it for me.
