WEEK 59: July 29, 2019 “YESSSSSS”

Maria Eduarda and Maria Clara that were baptized this week!!!

BAHHH!! This week was the best week of my entire mission!!! I am actually serious this week was AMAZING!!!

We had 2 HUGE MIRACLES!!!

The first was Maria Eduarda. So Maria Eduarda is a super stubborn 11 year old whose mom suddenly decided to come back to church. But she DID NOT want to be baptized. We couldn't even discover why. She just was super stubborn about it for like 3 weeks. Her baptismal date fell through 3 times! So we dropped her as an investigator. BUT. On Tuesday we felt really strongly like she really could be baptized. So we called the leaders to do her baptismal interview. They got on a bus and came to our area. We took them to her and our AMAZING LZ (Zone Leader) had the interview with her and she came out and said, "I am going to be baptized on Saturday!" WE CRIED SO MUCH! IT WAS SUCH A MIRACLE!!! but it wasn't all easy and everything. Because her mom said that she COULD NOT BE BAPTIZED without her dad there. And her dad just disappeared in the middle of nowhere without cell service. So we prayed a ton and on Wednesday, her brother was able to talk to him and marked the baptism for 5pm on Saturday. Great. We planned everything. Then on FRIDAY AFTERNOON I got a call from Maria Eduarda's mom that we couldn't have a baptism because her dad wouldn't come and she just started yelling in my ear and I started crying AGAIN! So we called Maria Eduarda's brother who talked to the mom and everything was okay. I felt better. Then on SATURDAY, 20 MINUTES AFTER THE BAPTISM WAS SUPPOSED TO START, I GOT ANOTHER CALL FROM THE MOM THAT THE DAD HADN’T ARRIVED AND THAT MARIA EDUARDA WOULD NOT BE BAPTIZED. Great. I was like tired and stressed and I just went into the bathroom and knelt down and started praying for the dad to show up. I prayed for a few minutes and walked out and WHO WAS WALKING IN THE DOOR? HER DAD!!!! He showed up and so we called the mom and also Maria Eduarda and everyone showed up and SHE WAS BAPTIZED!!! MIRACLE!!

Second miracle.

So on Thursday we were sitting in the district meeting and they were putting up the names of everyone who would be baptized on that week. I sat there and a name of another investigator popped into my head. So I shouted out, "Also Maria Clara will be baptized this week." Elder looked at me a little strangely but put the name up. And after the meeting we talked to our Zone Leaders to do the interview of Maria Clara. So they went to her house and she wasn't expecting us. But we went in. And instead of talking or teaching anything we just went immediately to the interview. Elder Allen did the interview and when we came in she said, "So what time will my baptism be?" I CRIED AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT CAKE AND DECORATIONS AND I JUST GOT SO HAPPY!!! She said that the thing she wanted more than anything else in the world in that moment was to follow God. She thanked me for showing her a new way that changed her life. She just was so happy and was baptized on Saturday for reals!

Me and my faith. Carrying around a CTM bag full of baptismal jumpsuits! 

These girls are so special and each knew why the baptism was so important. The baptism was super spiritual and everyone was crying and it was just such a special experience.

This Sunday I also had a really spiritual experience at church. We were sitting in the group and like everything that you would expect at a church meeting didn't happen. We didn't have sacrament cups so we all drank the sacrament from the same plastic cup. The bread was moldy so we all swallowed with lots of..... love.... also the recent converts gave talks that were not quite ready for general conference but were filled with faith and determination. Also a recent convert blessed the sacrament and started out reading "Blessing of the bread." instead of just reading the prayer. Another recent convert gave us our Sunday school lesson and the hymn was very unknown so it was difficult to get the tune right. But I realized that this church is so much more than chapels and perfect talks and perfect classes and clean floors. This church is where people unite to just try and follow Christ everyday with all of our souls. This Sunday I participated in the most spiritual sacrament meeting I had ever participated in a garage. It was amazing. I know that this church changes lives and I know that it is the Church of Jesus Christ.

My invitation for you guys is simple today and it is found in Alma 5. If you are a member. Go to church. Every week. Think during the sacrament about Christ and His great sacrifice. If you are not yet a member, or know someone who is not, invite them to get to know and find out that this is the way for them because it is the best and perfect way. With the end goal of living with God and Jesus Christ together with our families forever.

I love y’all

Com amor,
Sister Hammond

This is the rain we walk in everyday. It came out really ugly but i think this pic is slightly hilarious.

Sister Mahoney wanted to hide her zit so I told her to fake fainting and she did and I thought it was hilarious so I started laughing.