Hello!!!

WOW. This week was crazy. First off last week when we had the baptism of Carmen and her son, one of our investigators came. Her name is Alejandra. We taught her like 5 weeks ago but she just wasn´t progressing so we did not really focus on her. Then at the baptism I asked her partly joking ¨so your baptism is next week right?¨ Then she looked at me completely serious and said ok. So we had to reteach the lessons but she soaked them right up! Our lessons with her about the plan of salvation and temple work were some of the most spiritual lessons I can remember. We had her baptism Friday, and she just glowed afterwards. Really there is great cleansing power in the baptism; a flood washing out the sin dusted inside us.

So then Saturday William, the husband of the sister that was baptized the previous week was baptized!! I really had felt a connection with him. He reminds me of my Grandpa Tavenner a little. He seems really rough but deep down he´s a softy. He had to quit smoking but he finally did it, and on Sunday he so proudly brought his family to church in white shirt and tie ready to ¨get his gift¨ (the Holy Ghost).

This week really was a week of ¨waters¨. Friday night the storms hit and hit hard. Our lights went out, and I ran around the house searching for our candles. I finally found them and then lit one for my companion and I. Just as I lit them I felt something cold and wet on my feet. I moved the candle to see what it was. I then saw water pouring into our house and the whole ground was covered in inches water. I yelled for my comp and threw her the other candle. We were like chicken with our heads cut off throwing suitcases and books and clothes onto our beds and tables as the waters rose higher and higher in our apt. Finally the storm let up and we opened our doors and shoveled out most of the water. I was actually laughing really hard through almost all of the experience, it was quite fun wading through water in our house.

I think God was trying to teach me about the floods this week! Floods of baptism, of stresses of life, of houses.... they are here to cleanse us. If we let them the floods of our lives can actually help us. They leave us tired and drained, but they leave us clean and hopefully better people if we let them. So EMBRACE the water! The floods! The stresses and let God make of you what he will. I LOVE YOU ALL HOORAY FOR ISRAEL.......

Hna Tav