Hey Everybody!
It was a good week, but for sure the highlight was delivering Valentines to all the sweet, older Hispanic ladies we know. (Que Linda, mijitas!- If you know, you know…hahaha) One of those ladies, Josie, (the one in the red striped shirt in my attached pics) we were able to put on baptismal date right there. It was kind of funny. When I was on quarantine lockdown by myself in my bedroom late Dec/early Jan- all I could do was call people to teach them, but no one would answer the phone during the day because they were all working. So, in frustration, I put a filter on my contacts to only show people age 65+, ‘cause you know 3pm is their prime time (shoutout to ALL the super amazing seniors on this email list that I love so so much! 😊 ♥) So Josie was one of those that I met during this time. She is 86 years young! She was baptized as a baby into the Catholic Church and then a few years ago into another Christian church. So here is the conversation- which was in Spanish of course, we had that totally and unexpectedly led her to committing to a baptism date. (and don’t worry, Josie and I have been pals for awhile now and she enjoys good, dry humor 😊)
Josie: I’m so sad I missed church today, I woke up late and forgot it was Sunday. I feel bad.
Me: It’s okay, Josie, God knows your heart and that you wanted to be at church. Just get there this next time!
Josie: Well, all my Mormon friends keep trying to get me to go to church with them, but I keep telling them no.
Me: Why?
Josie: Because they’re Mormons!
Me: Hmmm well Josie, I’ve invited you before to come to church with me and you said you would. How about this Sunday?
Josie: Oh, yes
Me: *sensing obvious disconnect* Josie, what Christian church am I a member of?
Josie: I don’t know, which one?
Me: *laughing* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Some people call us the Mormons.
Josie: You’re a Mormon?!
Me: Yes. Are you going to kick us out of your house now?
Josie: *laughing” No, you know you’re my friends.
Me: Good. Will you let us explain to you a little bit about what we believe and why it’ so important to us?
Josie: Of course, You know I trust you and will hear what you have to say.
Well, it was awesome. We were able to teach her about the restoration and emphasized the importance of having the correct authority to perform ordinances like baptism. Authority that was given to the apostles by Jesus (and that authority was lost when they were all killed) and restored through Joseph Smith by those same apostles as heavenly messengers. Josie has two sons who were both murdered and have super tragic stories and it is really hard for her, even all these years later. She wants to see them again. After she’d heard that Joseph Smith had seen God the Father and Jesus Christ , she professed beautiful and simple faith in saying that she believed he did see them. At this point in the lesson, I felt impressed to say to her very directly:
Me: Josie, it is wonderful that you have been baptized…that is something we must to do return to live with God. But until you are baptized in a church that has the authority to do so, that baptism is invalid…you must be baptized by Christ’s priesthood in order to live with your sons for eternity.
Josie: Then I guess I need to be baptized gain. And which church has that authority?
Me: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the church that Christ, himself, restored and gave His priesthood.
Josie: Okay, then I’ll be baptized. Just as long as the water is hot. I can’t do it if the water is cold.
Even though there’s lots more to teach Josie, I love her faith. It was a neat experience. And don’t worry, Josie, I’ll make sure the baptismal font is calientito! (even if I have to fill it kettle by kettle Ecuador-style!)
So if you got this far in the email, thanks for taking the time to read it. I love you all. Hermana Miller
