Monday, October 3, 2001

Hello all this week was awesome! First off, Conference anyone? Heck yes, twas glorious. Also, We had a Baptism! This girl Jessica finally got permission from her Parents to get baptized. Many prayers and sacrifices through fasting have been answered with great miracles here for us. The Lord really does answer the earnest prayers of his servants who seek his will. We had some very spiritual meetings with Jessica and her family. But they still wouldn´t go to church. But, after fasting and praying for Jessica, she developed the desire to know for herself if the book of mormon was true. And she got a powerful answer. Then after that we focused our prayers on helping Jessica to talk to her parents about baptism. She told us she wanted to but that she was afraid to argue and fight with her mom, because her mom didn´t want anything to do with the church. She just liked us missionaries. Anyways, We told her we wanted to fast and pray for her when she was going to talk to her mom, and that we needed her to tell us when she was going to do it. She agreed to tell us. The week passed on and no word from Jessica. But on Friday, I felt that I should fast after lunch until lunch the next day. So I did, and I prayed that Jessica would have the spirit with her and that she would speak boldly to her mother and that the spirit would testify to her mother that this was right. Saturday night, after breaking my fast Jessica came over to the member´s house we were at. She told us she´d talked to her mom. Not only that but she said a little the night before and then that morning. Exactly when I was fasting for her. She received help from the Lord when speaking to her mother. Because that next monday night we were over at the same member´s house, and Jessica and her mother came over. The mother was excited to tell us that she was going to church with us the next sunday. She told us like 5 or 6 times thoughout the visit. That next saturday I felt the need to pray that Jessica would invite her father to church the next day too. Sunday morning came and to my dismay both of her parents were not at church. Little did I know though that the Lord had been preparing to answer my prayer and there was a fireside that night as well as a baptism and choir practice. Jessica was in the Choir and she got her parents to come and watch her sing. After that she got her Father to watch the Baptism. And then after that she got them to stay for the Fireside, which was all about the savior. Her father cried 3 times during the meeting. It was very spiritual and the speakers bore powerful testimony. Was amazing. Then the next Thursday my companion did a division with one of our zone leaders. Visited the Family with the specific intent on getting permission for baptism. It was a very spiritual visit. The next day Jessica asked her father again if she could be baptized. He said he´d think about it and let her know later that night. He came back a few hours later and told her she could. And because of all of this Jessica was finally able to be baptized. Also yesterday her parents came to the sunday morning session of conference. Which was awesome. Perfect for them and their situation. Awesome. Our God really is a God of Miracles. I love this gospel and the true church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Elder Bender

A baptism Spencer and his companion had a couple weeks ago.

Spencer and his companion with Jessica and her family on the day of her baptism.