April 16, 2018
“A Love Story: Evenly and Pastor”
Dear Familia, Amigos y Mundo
So, the best thing happened this week! Evelyn and Pastor finally got married and baptized! I would love to just give this story rapidito (quickly)! First off, Pastor and Evelyn have known the missionaries and the branch forever! They’ve been through about 3-4 sets of missionaries. I am so grateful that these missionaries found them because had they not talked to them, then none of this would have happened!
So, almost a year ago they got to know the missionaries, and the branch. Pastor said, when he entered into the church he knew that it was true, and he knew that this was the church of Christ! He felt something about the people that was just different. They received all the discussions and everything and they both attended church regularly! Basically, they were members without the covenants of being baptized. In order to be baptized, they needed to get married. Every missionary that has ever taught them has told them the same thing. If you get married you will be blessed and then you can have an eternal family and be sealed in the temple. It was the same for me when I initially started teaching them with my first companion Elder Espinoza. However, I remember the first time I entered into their home and talked with them. I felt something, and I said to myself I will not leave Barranca until I see them married and baptized! So, I set that goal and I worked hard and fasted and prayed for the Lord to help me accomplish this goal. When Elder Espinoza left I was determined to take control of the situation and help them in any way possible to get them married. Well, in our Correlation meetings the other missionaries told me I needed to drop them and stop teaching them, because they just weren’t progressing. That’s when faith was tested and I said the same thing to the missionaries that I said to myself. I WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL I SEE THEM MARRIED AND BAPTIZED and I WILL NOT DROP THEM!!! One day I was at lunch, sitting, thinking and praying in my heart about what in the world I was going to do to get them married and get the process started. Well, I had an impression to call Heidi who is a recent convert to the church as well as a lawyer! I called her up feeling a little nervous thinking that she wouldn’t have the time to help me but, to my surprise she was totally willing to help! We drove to Evelyn and Pastor’s house and miracles started to happen right after that. We said the prayer and the moment we started to talk about marriage the world went silent. The Spirit entered the room ,and in an instant, we were getting papers ready, meeting to organize papers, and get everything situated for a wedding. Along the way there were many trials and difficulties. There was relationship drama, health problems, spiritual problems, and even emotional problems. Satan did not want this couple to be married. Luckily, Evelyn is strong and so is Pastor. Over the course of a few weeks Evelyn actually proposed to Pastor! We started to pray that from that point on it would just be smooth sailing and to my surprise, it was! I am so grateful for that! The day of the wedding was something I won’t ever forget! As we sat in this room as testigos (witnesses) of the wedding and then listened to the not so fun stuff first (they seemed to be talking a lot about divorce).... Finally, they put the rings on and shared a few words and promises to each other. The Spirit flooded the room and my heart was touched as this couple completed a commandment of God. After that, we rushed them to baptismal interviews and then the FIESTA!!!!! Which was also very sweet. I will never forget the words from Pastor as he said, "And our next goal is to have an Eternal familia!" They aren’t getting married because I told them to, they are getting married because they have that goal in mind. They know that through marriage and then baptism that there is an even brighter future which is an eternal family! My heart was touched once again in the amazing baptism. The part I will always love and remember are their testimonies, hearing them say that they know that what they are doing is the right path. Evelyn expressed how it was a hard decision and how her head was hurting before the baptism. She also said that after the baptism the pain just went away. Pastor said something similar in that all of his doubts were washed away, and he feels more at peace! Then, Jacinto our mission leader, asked me if I would like to share my testimony. And man, I just couldn’t keep myself together! I felt the Spirit testify to me soooo strongly first that CHRIST LIVES! And that this is just a first step to a hurricane of blessings. And I told them about how the first time I stepped into their house I knew I would baptize them! Now, Evelyn wants to get sealed in the temple too. Maybe Bogota.... or Barranquilla... or USA!!! So, hey mom and dad after the mish please help a family out ;) I love them, and I am so happy that I was able to walk in faith and follow the Spirit to make one phone call that changed the lives of a whole family! I sure do love this gospel and what it does for people to help them become better and, to continually strive to become more like Christ!
Love,
Elder Weaver
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