Calling All Priesthood Holders

This week was good. I can't believe how fast the time is going!!!! We are trying to take advantage of the pdays we have left and do fun things. Last week we went to TAXCO with Nestor and Ana...two members in our ward who are sooooo good to us! Literally, they are the best! We really love the members in this ward. 

Taxco was super fun. We took a cable car up to this awesome hotel in the mountains to see the really awesome view. The weather is perfect there and we had so much fun!

Today, Nestor and Ana took us and the other sisters to the GRUTAS! It is like this huge cave/cavern thing that is super cool! It was so much fun and we loved it!

We did divisions with the sisters in Tepotzlan this week so we were able to see Hna. Avila one more time before we meet up in the offices to go home...so weird. It was fun and Tepotzlan also has awesome weather and we didn't want to leave!

We visited Taurino this week and the first thing he said to us when we got there was...I want to go to the temple! We were like, ok! Haha. Adrian, the member that gave him as a reference told him about the Mexico City Temple open house and he said he wants to go. We explained what the temple is and we really hope that he gets to go! 

Friday was the best day ever. Literally we saw so many miracles. A member who never is in Alpuyeca just happened to pass by while we were just about to walk down the short cut to the centro to take a taxi to Miacatlan (a part of our area) and we saved a ton of money and plus he and his wife took us to a really awesome reference that they had to give us and he seems really interested in learning about the church! Then we visited Max and he is awesome. He is going to get baptized after he turns 18, but we are still teaching him so he will be super prepared for the new missionaries that get here after us.

We ate with the Bishop and I will tell you, I am very grateful for Bishop Montes. He is a really good guy and does what he can to help. I think we as missionaries always put really high expectations for the leaders of the wards and the members because we are dedicating 100% of our time to preaching the gospel and for some reason we expect them to do the same, but I have learned that if they do their best, even if it isn't "up to our expectations" that is enough. 

Then we went to Amada and Francisco's house because they were going to have their baptismal interviews and guess what? They invited a friend over to hear our message and she is super cool! She accepted baptism and was totally blown away by the message of the restoration. She was like, "So THAT is why there are so many churches! It all makes so much sense!" It was literally the best. Also, Amada is seriously so cool and helped teach the lesson. They both passed their interviews and are good to go for next week!

We had a baptism on Saturday! Allisson got baptized...it was a happy and sad experience for us and I will explain why. We invited a bunch of people to come to the baptism, including ALL the family of Allisson...they are a HUGE family that all live close by and we figured they would be able to come. We think/know that the parents don't have the best relationship with the other members of the family for problems that they are having, but it isn't the little girl’s fault so we figured they would still come. Well, it was supposed to start at 4 and nobody but us and the bishop were there. The bishop was going to baptize her but all of a sudden we were worried about having witnesses because you need two priesthood holders to be witnesses of the baptism. The father of Allisson doesn't have the priesthood but we thought for sure her uncle would be there. We called to make sure and he told us that he wouldn't be coming! We asked him to come anyway but he said they couldn't. So we started to call ANY priesthood holder we could think of that lives close to the church. No one could do it. We finally got a hold of Victor, a young man that lives close by and he agreed to come. Then we called Hno. Torres...the one I mentioned last week that we visited with his wife who are older? Remember? Well...he is still officially the best person in the world because I called him and said "Hno. Torres, would you be willing to come be a witness at a baptism?" He said, "When?" I said..."right now...?" and he said, "Give me 20 minutes, Hermanas!" I almost started crying I was so grateful. He also directed the service and did a great job. It was a happy day because Allisson was able to make a sacred covenant, but it was sad because we almost didn't have a baptism for a lack of priesthood holders. 

I am so grateful, though, for the priesthood holders that are ALWAYS willing to magnify their calling. I am so grateful for members who go and support. I am so grateful that I always had a worthy priesthood holder in my house growing up to bless me when I needed it, to serve my family and the church and other people. 

We had a scare on Sunday. We were waiting for Amada and Francisco to show up and they never came! Half way during the sacrament meeting, we called them and they were home and said they didn't come because it was late. They were acting weird and when I asked about their baptism, Amada sounded unsure. I was so worried! We went to visit them after church to figure out what was going on, and Amada had to go to the doctor for something in the morning and got back late and she said she was embarrassed to go to church if she missed the sacrament. We asked her how she felt about her baptism and she said she didn't think she could get baptized because she failed and didn't go to church this Sunday. We reassured her that she could still get baptized and that the Lord knows our hearts and that if she strived to be better, everything would be fine! She felt better after that and we planned the baptism and they both seem very excited! We are excited, too! I have come to love them so much! It is crazy how the gospel changes people. When we first met them, they were not very open and weren't very willing to listen, but with time, they have become some of my favorite people.

Well, people...my time is coming to a close! But Hna.Corriveau and I are working hard and trying to do all we can to leave this ward better than we found it. I know that the Lord is directing this work and I know that I am in the right place at the right time. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! I love the gospel so much. 

I love you all!!!

Hermana Durham

Our FAVORITE FOOD!!! Enchiladas verdes con cesina! And a coke. :)