As it always is, it was super stressful getting the baptism ready... But it was so wonderful. A re-lindo experience. Julia was baptized this Saturday. It was a really beautiful service, and a ton of the ward came to support her, including the setenta en nuestro barrio, the Krasnoselsky´s. She even got some of her family to come! She brought Marta, whom we were teaching but dropped us before, and then her bisnieto and his mom. The nieto, Albaro, was because he was walking by while we were teaching Julia (there´s always a ton of family there- now that Julia´s a member, looks like missionary work has opened up a bit more over in that neighborhood ;) ) and we kinda roped him in, hehe... We asked if he would help his bisabuela remember things, testified to him about his purpose, and he´s been helping us a lot. His mom came because she wanted to see what the heck her son was doing, haha- they really enjoyed the service and have asked us over to eat and teach them.
Missionary work is the best.
I had intercambios with the zone leaders this week- it was SUPER fun! Haha! Man, the missionary life is the most fun I´ve ever had. This investigator named Juan Bautista came out yelling at us that he was leaving home to Paraguay. We were like, uh, ok. Then he asked us if we wanted to talk to his wife. Innocently, we were like, yeah of course! We want to teach everyone! But then I guess he wanted us to back him up in a huge argument with his wife. She was crying and stuff, and he had all his bags packed and in the cart and everything. He started yelling at us and quoting the bible, saying his wife didn´t respect him- ¨Yo RESPETO a mi esposa. Yo RESPETO a mi esposa.¨He kept saying. I asked, ¨Do you love her?¨This sent him on another bible rage. It was pretty funny. Funny because he knows his drinking is a problem, and yet is super prideful about it when his wife asks him to stop. And he´s kinda drunk and very proud of his bible knowledge.
Finally, I asked if he knew about the first and greatest commandment, to love God. He said yes and then went and changed the subject, arguing with Elder Pruner (zone leader) about that Jesus drank wine and so it was fine that he did. Finally he stopped and I asked again about the first and greatest commandment. Then, I told him clearly and firmly, ¨Usted esta adorando a su bebida.¨ There was a silence. Then all he could say was, ¨Eso es la verdad. Eso es la verdad. Asi es.¨ I couldn´t stop smiling. Haha, he said to my companion that I had a hard face like a rock, that I was like another Paraguayan because of how I understood him and spoke to him. Eh, just listening to the spirit is all, haha.
Anyways, we continued to talk about Christ, and he tried to prove us on some things, and we just answered very simply. He kept saying things like (and everybody says this, I don´t know why they get so hung up on this thing) What´s the real name of God? And we got to this point where we simply said that Jehová is Jesucristo antes de nacer. At this he exploded- saying, That´s exactly what I found in the scriptures! But NOBODY knows it! Then he started going on about how the testigos and evangelicas and all those churches change the bible and stuff. It was hilarious, because we were like- yep. That´s what we came to talk to you about actually. Haha- at one point he said, Äsi me voy a unirme a su iglesia. Asi me voy a unirme a su iglesia. It was really quite the hilarious experience, I wish it had been recorded. He is 60 years old and has been preparing to bible bash us for about that long, and all that we had to do to confound him at every point was listen to the Holy Ghost. Pretty sure one of the funnest days I´ve had, that day haha. He asked if he could serve a mission like us if he joined, haha. If I wasn´t a missionary, I don´t know how easily I would respond to a drunk and angry man, but with the Spirit it´s actually no problem at all.
Anyways, funny how all we had to do was talk about Jesus Christ, and his marriage was saved. Made me think, because we didn´t even talk about marriage. A knowledge of Jesus Christ is the only thing that truly changes our persons, the one thing that everybody needs in whatever situation they´re in.
We threw together a musical number this last sunday, and I played the piano and everybody was overimpressed, it was pretty cool. Julia was confirmed and came to class and went to relief society, all awesome stuff. I´m out of time. Love you guys!
The district, baptism, general us being epic pictures, and a noche de hogar that the members did for Julia that was way extensive and super awesome. Members are way awesome. You members better be awesome to the missionaries.
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