Baptisms & Confirmations

So the baptisms AND confirmations happened! It was such a weird feeling to be there seeing it happen. I had anticipated feeling a little relieved or something, but this was not the case. Believe me, I enjoyed it...it was very spiritual and very stressful. Mostly because we had been sick with fevers all week, a ton of crazy things came up and right before the baptism we visit Claudia, a recent convert who opens the door and her baby Paloma is hacking like a 50 year chain smoker with boogers in her eyes and screaming bloody murder...she was so sick. Claudia keeps her cool and tells me that she has been sick like this for a week and it has gotten worse in the last 2 days and she has tried everyone she knows to give her a ride to the clinic in town and nobody can help her  (She has no family, she has no car, she only speaks spanish and she can't read.). Then she began to stream tears and I told her we were there for her and that we would get her a ride asap. My heart pounded with worry for them as I was asking God what to do..."The Enriquez baptisms are in an 1.5 hrs. Heavenly Father; I know that Paloma needs to see a Doctor NOW because this is serious. I know you know what to do. I am listening; please tell me." We start calling anyone we can think of that would be willing to take Claudia...after plans A-Y fall through, Z works 50 minutes later and a Spanish speaking RM, Sister Jenks takes her which was an even bigger mercy because she could at least translate some. The baptism begins, tons of people show up...so cool. Great spirit there (I'll mail the program.) the talks were rockin and Karl Bleazard is the most humble man...you could feel the power of the priesthood so strong through him when he baptized the Enriquez family...like the Lord could use him for anything...someone totally ready to be the Lord's instrument in His hands. The Bleazards love people so much...he had to dunk Aneth 3 times because she was so nervous she stiffened up like a board and did a suicide fall back or "Threw a Raven" in slow motion if you will. Good times...she kept making the joke afterwards that she was the cleanest because she was baptized "Tree Thimes" (Mexican accent...so dulce.) HAHAHA! The minute the room clears for everyone to go get refreshments I call Claudia and Sister Jenks to see what's going down in town. No worries, Paloma is just in the Emergency with an ear infection, throat infection and bronchitis. Calm down whoever is reading this...it all worked out, because God's always got it under control...but it was scary. After several other events, Paloma is now
home, doing better and President Whitby gave her a blessing yesterday and Claudia even showed up with her 2 girls (Diana 4 and Paloma 2) to sacrament because she felt that she needed it and then took Paloma home...to say that Claudia is "full of faith" is not enough...she is bursting with faith is more like it. Ok, now that you know that part of the story you can see why I did not feel any relief after the baptisms...So yes, the Enriquez family is baptized AND confirmed. It was such a weird feeling to be there seeing it happen. I had anticipated feeling a little relieved or something, but this was not the case. The Enriquez was so ready and so happy...but the relief for me as a missionary did not come until sacrament meeting yesterday when they were confirmed. Duh Hermana Alard...of course you did not feel peace until they received the Holy Ghost. Baptism is just water without the fire. (The exact scripture we chose to put on the program, 2 Nephi 31:17!) Baptism is incomplete without the Spirit of Promise and I could feel the power of godliness when each of the Enriquez was confirmed...I loved feeling what saving ordinances feel like for others. I have felt that being proxy in the temple...but this was different. I could finally breathe knowing that now they are safe...that the Holy Ghost will guide them, that they will feel the difference....that they will endure to the end only if they have the complete Doctrine of Christ. Saturday night they all said that they felt clean...after sacrament yesterday Aneth said that she felt like an emptiness inside of her had been filled after she received the Holy Ghost...like it was even more of a physical experience than being baptized. The counsel and blessings given in their confirmations was such a testimony that the Lord knows them. I will remember all of this forever.


TRANSFERS:
The mission is receiving 25 new missionaries tomorrow...4 spanish speaking Elders and 1 Spanish speaking sister. President Greer has asked me to train this new sister...no I do not know if I am nervousor excited like everyone keeps asking. I just pray that she is happy and healthy and ready and willing to serve the Lord running, because you all know how even my walking pace is like the Bionic woman. ;)Plus, there's a lot of ground to cover out here in the Basin Boonies. Quite honestly, I am just praying that I will be what the Lord needs me to be for this Sister to begin her mission well and that I will learn and love what she has for me to continue my mission well. Sister Hovorka is off to serve in the Columbia River Temple Zone with her MTC companion, so she's happy about that, but really bummed to leave the Basin and spanish work. I love her and we'll be Hermanas parasiempre...so Onward I guess! Pray for me...I know I am.
Roger Merrill startled me at church yesterday! Big old bear hug...only he could get away with that. :) He was happy...it was good to see him...it flashed me back to Riverside ward, to Marva and then of course to all of you. I love love. Sorry I didn't get a picture...plus I forgot my cord to even send pics, so I'll make sure to bring that next week!
What the BYU game...the Utes crows is ALWAYS nuts. The play by play I heard sounded just like the Lamanites fighting with the Nephites.

Con MUCHO amor,
Hermana Alard