Barev Dzez barekamnerus!
How is everyone?? I'm doing great.
As of Christmas day, when the last sister from this transfer left Armenia, I became the single, oldest sister in Armenia. Yep. THE OLDEST. So crazy. Sister L. left Armenia about two weeks ago or so due to health problems. So now I am the only missionary who is leaving Armenia in April. Isn't that nuts?
So, are you all ready to hear the miracle of the week??
It happened last Monday night.
One of the three of our soon-to-be baptizees had just finished her baptismal interview. Of course, we were super excited for her! I was sitting on the couch with E, the 15 year old who would soon be being baptized. As I'm helping her to fill out her information, her 19 year old brother comes up to where I was sitting.
This brother had not been very open to us. For one thing, he is painfully shy. When we first started coming, he wouldn't even come into the room because he was so shy. As we met with their family more and more, he would be on the computer or he would sit on the other couch for a little bit. However, he would throw out little comments here and there, challenging us about one point of doctrine or another. It was obvious that he was not interested. However, he really intrigued us because one second he would be listening really intently and then the next he would blow us off.
We would leave apointments thinking, "Okay, we do NOT get K."
The Saturday before last, we had an appointment at their house. We brought a member with us who was baptized last March. Our member, M, hadn't really come to very many appointments, and we forgot to prep him beforehand. (Our bad.) So to our chagrin, he started asking K some probing questions such as if he wanted to be baptized and things like that. (We had already tried to see if K would be interested in learning more/being baptized but he pretty much said, "No.")
Well, when M was asking all these questions, K said, "Overall, I want nothing to do with your church." Sister B. and I were thinking, "Crap. M, gently! Gently!"
So, two days later. Here I am helping his sister E to fill out her baptismal record. He comes up to us, and says, "What are you doing?"
I told him that we were filling out E's baptismal record. He said, "Oh, so when are you going to fill out mine?" I stared at him, scared that I was just misinterpreting what he was saying. E jumped in and said, "You have to be baptized in order to fill out this record."
He said, "Yeah, so when can I be baptized??" I continued to stare at him. I don't think I've ever been so dumbstruck.
I said, "Um...do...you want to be baptized?" And with a big smile, he said, "Yes!" I am fighting to keep my face composed. I said, "Okay...so you're going into the army in January, right? So you would have to be baptized before that."
He said, "No, no. I don't have to go into the army anymore, I was let go." *Side note: He has some sort of problem with his knees, and so he doesn't have to go into the army like Armenian boys have to do when they turn 18.
So I said, "Okay, then we'll put your baptismal date to be January 31st."
He said, "Okay, yeah, I just need at least two weeks or so to actually quit smoking (*Other side note: Just about every teenage boy and up smokes in Armenia.) But then I can be baptized." I said, "Yeah, of course." He smiled again, and then went out of the church with his friend.
All of a sudden it all hits me and my breathe suddenly gets taken away, and I start freaking out. I turn to Elder J to my left and say, "Do you know what just HAPPENED?!"
He, being taken off-guard said, "Uh...no. What happened?"
I said, "A miracle!!! A blinking miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I tell him.
He says, "Wow, that's cool."
I say, "No, you don't understand!"
I was so excited and so astounded that I didn't know what to do with myself. I think the last time I was that excited was when I got my mission call--where I was so excited I wasn't really breathing, and so I got really light-headed.
I suddenly remember that E is still next to me. I say, "E, what happened?!" In other words, what changed to make him suddenly want to be baptized?
She said, "Oh, I was talking about how I was going to get baptized soon, and how I was really excited. And he said, 'I think I want to be baptized too.' And so it was me that brought about this change." Then she smiled.
I was thinking to myself, "Bless your heart that you think it was just that." It was then that I thought about what it says in the Book of Mormon about the ministering of angels, and I thought to myself, "No. There was a lot more at work that just the influence of family." That was a huge testimony to me, so strongly, that miracles still happen in this day, and also that angels are among us, trying to help us to come unto Christ.
It was such an amazing miracle. I don't think I've ever seen such a big miracle before. And this family is such a family of miracles--from the phone miracle to the K miracle. It is astounding.
K has now turned into a majorly progressing investigator. He is amazing. He came to all three hours of church. At the appointment with him and his family last night, he was shooting off questions like NUTS. After a while, I said, "K, these are great questions but there is no way that we are going to be answer all of these questions right now. You need to write them down for us." He said, "Okay, but can you answer this question?" And he would shoot one off.
Finally, E (who was just baptized), said, "Hey, I'll write them down." So we were roped into staying at their house for another 45 minutes where they all were just asking questions and writing them down.
At the end, E gave us the paper, and we said that we could help them little by little answer all these questions. But K objected by saying, "Hey, but I want all of them to be answered right away! Maybe tomorrow, before Young Single Adult Family Home Evening, you can answer them for me." There were about 10, and they were all super in-depth questions such as, "Why did your bishop say that there was only one baptism? In the bible, it says that there's a baptism of water and also a baptism of fire." Or, "Why are kids baptized at age eight in your church? Why aren't they baptized at age eighteen when they're more mature and ready to be baptized?" They were all super great questions that could NOT be answered in just 20 minutes before YSA FHE.
We said that there was no way that we would be able to answer them all. So he then said, "Hey last week at FHE, we played that one game with all the blocks (Jenga), do you remember?"
"Yeah."
"If I win, then on Tuesday you have to answer all the questions. But, if you win, then you can do what you want." I said, "Okay, but you should know that I've been playing this game since I was 5."
Challenge accepted.
Match-off 7:30 tonight!
So this week has been great!
On Christmas Eve, we made a bunch of cinnamon rolls. That night we went with the H's to go and surprise the two sets of Elders with them. The Elders took FOREVER to get home though, so we looked like creepers on the stairway, waiting for them to get home. It was pretty funny. But as we gave them the cinnamon rolls, we caroled, "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" and "Joy to the World". So much fun to bring a little Christmas spirit to Vanadzor.
Luckily, the other elders were home by the time we got to them.
The Christmas call was SO much fun. It was like being at home! I mean, when I called on skype, the whole family was suddenly caroling, which was so confusing to my 6:45 am brain that I was all like, "Um...what the? Hello?! I'm here! Why are you caroling right now?!" When I hung up, I watched some Christmas movies on lds.org. But it was so fun when we were talking. Yay for family!
Love you all!
Sister Fielding
Pictures: Me opening presents, and the cinnamon rolls!
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