Amber's Baptism Was Amazing

December 16, 2013

Oi minha querida Familia!!!! 

This week has FLOWN BY!!!! I feel like every week flies by faster and faster!!  It's already been 3 weeks of the transfer!!  I hit my 6months mark this week... the Year countdown begins... and I still feel like I just got out here!!  I can't believe how fast the mission goes!!!  IT'S KILLING ME thinking how SOOO soon, all of this will be GONE!  :( I can't wait for April's General Conference when they announce that Sisters can extend to 2 years!! :)  yay! hahaha.

Anyway, this week! wow!!! 

Amber's baptism was the most amazing, spiritual experience I'd ever had in my entire life!  I can't even express how strong it was! Unfortunately, our investigators couldn't attend.... Darn Adversary starts putting other things in the way and distracting them with work or school or friends..   :(  Only becuse he KNEW how life changing this event would have been for them... sigh, but keep pressing forward.

So, as you all know, her 4 years of investigating on and off all of a sudden she is here at this big day!  We had an AMAZING lesson with her the day before the baptism and talked about how this step would be that light and shining example for her present and future family and how much they are thanking her right now. She already knows everything an investigator and a longtime member knows about the gospel but I think this hit her more than anything since she's having a hard time with the fact that her mom is not even interested in learning about the church, however she is now very supportive of her decision :)  Anyway, at the baptism, we had amaaaazing musical numbers and talks and then it was time for her to be baptized and she practically skips to the font.  She's soo excited!  Then she gets in the water and as they get into position, she just starts bawling!  Man the Spirit was so strong I tear up just thinking about it.  You could just tell what was going through her head right then.  All of her investigating and studying and learning and praying culminated to this one amazing, life-changing moment. Then she took a breath and he said the prayer and baptized her. Wow. what an amazing experience seeing her there coming out of the water, knowing that she was born a new person in that moment. We talked to her after and asked how she felt.  She simply said, I feel WHOLE.  Man, I'm so excited to have her come with us to other lessons and share her spirit with them.  It was amazing.

Last experience:  We received a training last Thursday on the Blessing Contact. This is where we meet people on the street and tell them that we're here to bless the people here in Las Vegas like Jesus Christ would. We offer to leave a blessing in the form of a prayer in their home with their family.  When we do, we pray a blessing on them to invite comfort, peace, and the love of Christ into their homes and lives. It is seriously the most amazing, inspired contact ever.  People are not threatened because it's just purely to bless them.  And every time we left a prayer in a home, the Spirit is sooo strong and the people feel and recognize the spirit so easily, because their walls are down and they are looking for it.  It's sooo amazing. wow.  I will never do another contact without that blessing contact.  It is truly inspired.  Do they do that in SJ? because they should do that everywhere!!

Anyway, in the Training, we learned that and after the training there was a Christmas Program thing with some missionaries talent showing ish and then at the end, President and Sister Neider dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and came in dancing to Jingle Bells and stuff hahahha  It was sooo funny!!  Then they let us take pictures with them!  I sent it!  It was sooo fun hahahah!  I LOOVe our mission parents! hahahha. 

Anyway, I got the package!  Woo hoo!  Thanks so much!   I'll open it at home!  It's like Christmas early!  yay! :))  I will be sending some Christmas cards and stuff soon! haha.  I can't wait for Christmas!!!   I get to SKYPE!   How cool is that??   Fancy!  I remember getting the phone call when Keilyn and Travis were on missions.   Now, I actually get to see your FACES!   Then if Em goes out, it'll be like Hologram calls!  hahaha. 

Anyway, I Love you all soooo much and am soo grateful to be out here and for all the sacrifices that you make for me to be here.  I truly appreciate all you do for me and the prayers and support and love. it goes so much further than you can imagine.  I love you all and pray for you every night!

Com Muito Amor!!!!!1

-Sister Yoshimoto