First of all...I counted incorrectly...there were actually 8 priesthood blessing miracles...I forgot the lady, inbetween sessions, that came into the church. A member found her and brought her to us. She wanted a blessing....I couldn't even believe that she knew what a blessing was, and just her asking, a non-member with a problem from the street and we're the only ones that happen to be in the church...the biggest miracle of the day. How could I forget... anyways, that was the best one and I gave her a blessing as well...her husband was cheating on her with a younger woman and she had just found out----very common thing here in Mexico actually.
I just got back from the playing with some tigers in a mini zoo here, the backyard of some wealthy safarier. It was quite fun. yes. They did bite me, and yes, it did hurt, but at least they didn't rip me open, right?!!! Some of the other elders were bleeding...so awesome, there are totally no rules here in Mexico. I also caressed a baby jaguar in my arms...I'm getting one on the black market when I get back. Oh, best part of the zoo, I brought my gorilla mask and tried to speak monkey with my fellow monkey brothers. Some of them were totally scared of it, but I got this one monkey to kiss me...yeeeeeeeeeah, we got it all on HD video so maybe I'll give you the privilege of seeing it when I get home. It was like super romantic. Oh and the cheetah ...did NOT like the gorilla mask. He growled at me. They had grizzly bears too!!! HUUUUUGE ones and I fed it a carrot and then I also fed some of my favorite animals, llamas, a carrot out of my nose. Yes, of course I got a picture. After I did that, I moved away and the llama sneezed and nasty stuff got all over Elder Neubert and a couple other Elders and the Sister...not me though :)
Well, this week was absolutely hectic and I don't think I've ever been so tired in my entire life. First of all, we crammed to teach everything to Rosana 3 days in a row because she wanted to be baptized on Saturday and we weren't going to be in Tehuacan on Thursday and Friday. This hermana has a POWERFUL testimony, it's crazy, she is awesome, We met her the first day here and taught her everything...she didn't have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and wasn't sure about the prophet at first, and came out with that paper full of anti Mormon stuff---that I burned---but her testimony about the priesthood is strong, and that led to us helping her understand that if she KNOWS, because she knows, that the priesthood is true, it basically means that she KNOWS that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true, and we helped her out with that. We were going to push her date back until this next week but after talking to her on Tuesday night and hearing her testimony about the priesthood, you could just see the desire she had to be baptized, and how prepared she really was. She is absolutely solid, we are still working on her husband. She got baptized on Saturday, it was a small baptism, and she just wanted us and the bishop there, he baptized her. It was super spiritual and edifying...she'll remember it forever.
I rode on a moto taxi in teotitlan this week. It was pretty epic. It's like a tuk tuk and they are EVERYWHERE there, there are no taxis, just those. I got an epic video hah. I've been taking more videos lately...it's fun. We are going to huatula tomorrow...so amped.
So we were in puebla pretty much all day on Thursday in meetings, first was the new trainers and trainees meeting that we had to be in and after the leader meeting. They were good, that's all I'll say. Then we stayed over in puebla because of the zone leader council the next morning. It was sweet, and we stayed with Kenzcka and his companion and it was a party and we taught this great lady while we were there. The zone leader council was awesome too, from about 8 in the morning until 5 ish, then we headed back to tehuacan and I saw the STUPIDEST movie ever, it's up there on those "greatest movies of all time" with the singles ward too...that's how "amazing" it was. It was journey to the center of the earth, but this old version....you all should watch it to see just how bad I was tortured for an hour an a half on my way back. The way there we watched some other cool movie but the bus didn't have sound...lame. So I slept. The zone council was awesome though and pretty much the basis of it all was raising the spirituality of our zones and especially getting them prepared for Elder Bednars visit this Saturday. We have zone conference this Friday and Saturday is Bednar. I have to direct the zone conference, it is us and Atlixco together...it will be crazy. Anyways I love it here.
On Saturday we found this GREAT investigator. We went to teach some people we have never taught before from the area book and they had a friend over when we were with them so we obviously taught her too. The lesson was awesome. We read 2 Nephi 31 and paused in parts and talked about the doctrine of Christ. It was great and they were all really receptive. Her name is Sandra...like you mother. SHE CAME TO CHURCH. We invited her and she came...that's a miracle here I tell ya. It was fantastic though and I'm pretty positive she'll come next week too. She went to ALL 3 hours!!! My comp and I taught faith in principles del evangelio. Great day!
And I totally forgot it was Easter by the way because nobody spoke about Easter in sacrament meeting...I think. I was kinda out of it---noooooot gonna lie...it has been a super long week.
We fit 12 missionaries in the car going to the capu. It's a mini van that holds 7...it was aweosme hahah
Oh a couple interviews changed my life this week. They were the most edifying interviews I have ever done in my entire mission. At the beginning of an interview I always ask in the prayer that we can both be edified and I never really feel that edified at the end but THIS time I did. I can't tell you what the people said because it's totally confidential but it was seriously unbelievably cruel you could never imagine. The mom talked to me first, there were 4 of them in the family and I interviewed 2 of them, and she told me their conversion story and EVERYTHING and then the daughter after. Each interview took a little more than an hour. The young lady who was 20 years old was bawling though the entire interview and I got the opportunity to testify to her about seriously a good 20 times how she can use the atonement of Christ and be FORGIVEN though the miracle of repentance. It was something so powerful and heart touching everything that went on. I think that's how bishops probably feel all the time when people tell them things. The things that the mom and the daughter told me were things that only the mom and the daughter knew, and it was the first time they had ever told anyone. It was so amazing to see how much confidence people really have in you when you represent the Lord. It's such a blessing. I really feel like I got to help them out a TON and really explained the in depth miracle of repentance, forgiveness, and how God can aleve us of so many things that may be a burden to us our whole lives and really how the baptism that they were going to have the next day would change their LIVES and the way they feel and everything. Especially to the daughter, who I promised in the name of our Savior that she would be relieved of the huge burden she carried mentally, and how the Lord would take it all off and she would feel the love and comfort of God and feel forgiven. I had the opportunity to see them after the baptism and asked the girl how she felt and she just had this huge calm smile and told me she felt totally different and really felt a change in her life, something she has looked for, for the last 2 years carrying with her and in her mind the thoughts of what happened. It was such a comfort for me to see it in her, you could really see that it DID make a difference in her life. I told her just WAIT till next week when she receives the spirit, then she will REALLY feel the change. The spirit purifies us, purifies our sins. It's like the baptism is the car wash which washes us on the outside and then the holy spirit is the detailing and the inside cleaning, which cleans us of everything, purifies us. We need both for our salvation, both by the power of God. It's such a miracle to be in the service of the Lord and I love all the opportunities he gives me and all the miracles and tender mercies I see every day. I love you all. like. a lot a lot.
And read the talk by elder David A Bednar called "Seek Learning by Faith." it's epic and I've been studying this along with a bunch of other Bednar talks to get me all prepared for his arrival. I was going to share my favorite parts with you all because I know the majority of everyone who gets these will never take the time to go read it....but I don't have time. But come on---read it. It's awesome and will change the way you learn and seek learning. IT'S AWEOSME!!! It was an address to CES religious educators on February 3, 2006 in the Jordan Institute of Religion. It's an epic talk...actually I'm going to find it right now and send it in this email...yeeeeeah..now it's on there. Now you all have to read it :) hah
Love,
Elder Bertha.
ps. I also took this epic open shutter shot of my boiler exploding...its a problem I think. It EXPLODES when you take it off pilot...it's a sweet shot though.
