Week 34..... Opposition before Baptism!!

Since we lost our home in Los Sauces, we have been staying with the Elders in Puren.  It has been really fun, but it really does suck having to travel every morning and every night. It was a really weird week for us, we weren’t able to get much done because we were so occupied with cleaning all our clothes, finding houses, and getting everything back to normal. But the end of the week was by far the best.... FRANCISCA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

It was so spiritual. I was so happy. Elder Miller and I were so happy to help Francisca in this decision to get baptized. We know she is going to be a great member and really help bring people into this church, because we have never seen so much opposition in someone’s life/ experience before baptism. There was seriously so many things that went wrong leading up to her baptism, it was hard for us to keep strong and continue to help her. I don’t know if I told you, but about a week or 2 ago her mom told her she couldn’t get baptized, but she finally convinced her mom to let her be baptized. Also she started to have a lot of problems in her life. Then our house burned down so we weren’t able to visit her as much. Then about 2 days before the baptism, our zone Leaders told us it would not be a good idea to baptize her, because she is still pretty young and doesn’t have really good support. Her only support is her sister who is 17 and she was recently baptized about 2 months ago. Through much fasting and prayer we were able to help her overcome all these challenges, and she became stronger through all these trials. The last and final trial came on the day of her baptism. We had spent all day with her, setting up the church and filling up the font for her baptism. When it was time to start her baptism, her Dad, who doesn’t live with her because her parents are separated, showed up. I said hi to him and try to be all nice. But he totally gave me the cold shoulder. He was furious. I knew he was here to try and convince Francisca not to be baptized, and that is exactly what he did. He marched into the church with fumes steaming from his head. He comes in the church and takes Francisca outside. I don’t know what he said, but they were out there for a while. She finally came in and was so happy. She had overcome the last and final trial. She stood up to her dad and said... "DAD, I AM GOING TO BE BAPTIZED!!" And that is what we did. The spirit was so strong in this baptism, a lot of less active members and investigators showed up and everyone came up to us after talking about how good they felt; especially the mom of Francisca. She now wants us to teach her because of what she felt at her Baptism. It was by far one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission. I know Francisca is going to change the lives of so many because Satan would not have tried so hard to destroy her. 

There is a scripture I want to relate to this, it is in Joseph Smith History 1:20:

Joseph Smith says this after he had just been attacked by Satan himself and then saw God

the Father and His son Jesus Christ.

He says: It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?

I know that Satan knows all of our potential, and he wants to attack us just like he attacked Joseph Smith and Francisca in these experiences. He wants to stop us from progressing. That is why when we are about to do something good, we face hard times, or difficult paths. I testify that if we continue to press forward with firmness in Christ, if we pray to God with a real intent; We can overcome all temptation and one day we can look back at all our challenges and see all the progress we have made. It is my testimony that as we face and overcome challenges, we will gain extra strength and a testimony through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We will be able to overcome all of lives challenges, and live in a state of happiness. This I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.