Missionary blog of Sister Emily Heyer, Brazil Campinas Mission, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Deep Waters

Brace yourselves. 

Brazilian hot dog...Emily loves them...
This week was E´s baptism!!!! As usual everything was awesome and ready for her baptism and we were completely excited and floating on air......and then as usual everything got insane. E called on Thursday canceling everything because her boss wouldn’t let her leave, she was trying to move into her new house, horrible family problems, and she was scared. We cried about it for about 5 minutes and then went to work.....we went home from the zone meeting and prayed for guidance. We then prepared a really important message about baptism and perseverance. Then at 9:00 that same night I made Sister P call her (she is perfectly capable and needed to learn.....) and talk with her, share the message, and help her resolve her conflicts impeding her from this important decision she was so excited about just a few days before. It was so stressful. I had to banish myself to a different room and turn on Mormon Tabernacle Choir to stop myself from mouthing things to say to E to Sister P. Sister P talked to her for about 20 minutes (longest minutes of my life) and when she hung up it was left at E agreeing to "do everything she could with all her force to be at the church Friday night for her baptism interview". So we went forward like it was all happening. 

Friday night she CAME to the church (on time no less) and was interviewed and was HAPPY! :) Then she told us she would "TRY to be there for her baptism Sat. night". I almost died again. Sat afternoon Bishop called to inform me that (on one of the coldest days we have had here yet) the water heater broke and the water would be ice cold. I called Elder N (who baptized her) and we both agreed that E did not need to know that the water would be cold. ;P BUT a member brought a hair dyer. Sat. night... she was there. She had forgotten a towel but I had felt really strongly to bring one....so I did. Thank goodness. She was every excited. We shared a lovely message. Then we took pictures and everyone made their way to the font....only to suddenly find themselves standing in 1-2 inches of water....the font had over flowed. Bishop, bless his heart, forgot to turn of the water. So we paused the baptism for 1/2 an hour to drain the font, so she wouldn’t already be baptized on the stairs (-_-) and we took more pictures to distract her and make it still fun for her as the sweet members pushed all the water into the floor drains in the bathrooms. It was funny though....E said “I'm going to drown in this water. But that’s okay…I'll be saved. I was just baptized so I’ll go straight for the Celestial Kingdom!" (hehehe) Then after all was in order...Elder N got in first. I couldn’t see him because I was behind E to help her down the stairs but I did hear his giant gasp and exclamation as he got in the freezing water and held out a trembling blue hand to E and said "Come in! It’s not that bad!" (-_-) hahaha. E looked like she wanted to kill me a little but....she got in. They trembled and shook through the prayer and left the font blue....but she was so happy. :) It was beautiful. I sang "Where love is" from the primary book with Sister S as a stand in for Elder Sears at the piano....and Sister P gave a beautiful talk. It was lovely. And it all worked out. But I am convinced that I will never have an "easy" baptism. I am cursed to have everything fall through and I have to pick it all up again. Even Elder N said so. He laughed at me. He had reason....this is the 3rd CRAZY baptism that I have had in this ward. 
-_- Oh well. It works out. And I’ve learned….I'm a fighter. And Sister P is the best and doesn’t need me anymore. 

Touching experience with Sister P this week. She has been having a tough time saying the first vision because it was a bit rehearsed and she would get really nervous. Today I made her practice in front of the mirror for 10 minutes. Then she had to come in and say it for the other three of us. It was good the first time. But I knew she could do better. I asked her is she knew Joseph Smith was a prophet. She said yes. I asked her how she knew? She told me she prayed. I told her that is exactly what Joseph Smith did too. I told her to remember HER conversion story....and then put herself in Joseph´s shoes....seeing God and Jesus Christ....receiving a sacred answer to a sacred prayer. She thought for a few moments.....then she said it again. She cried through the whole thing. I did too. We all did. It was beautiful. It was powerful. The spirit was tangible. And the best part was....she messed up on some of the words. She even said a few Spanish words. And it made Absolutely. no. difference. It was perfect. 

Also this week with Sister P I was going crazy doing the 12 week training (AGAIN) and I could tell she was super bored of the routine. I told her she looked like Pocahontas....which inspired me to make her and I Indian headbands with feathers made of paper (decorated and everything) and get my red lipstick and printed clothing I have and we dressed up like Nephites and Lamanites (not politically correct but I mean....she is dark and I am white and it worked out perfectly) then we ran in to the other sisters room and reenacted one of the many Nephite Lamanite wars. It was great. She made our name tags. I was "Sister Mamãe Cavalho Durado" which means "Sister Mamma Golden Horse" and she was "Sister Filinha passarinha cara preto" which means basically "Sister little daughter tiny black faced bird". hahahaha. It’s less racist in Portuguese I promise. For my dramatic entrance she read the scripture "And those who were not Lamanites....they were Nephites." It was the best. It felt so good to be creative and fun. It’s been a while. :) Not so sure President would consider that gooooood training but.....it was memorable and she laughed.

Well that is about it for this week. <3 I love you all! 


Sister Heyer



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