Christmas and Catalina!

Feliz felicidades!

  

So many things have happened this week! I had a great Christmas and was so happy to Skype home and get some happy Christmas packages from family too. Thank you! We opened things with our roommates in the morning, did a zone activity, and had dinner at a member family's home that night too.

The best feeling for me, though, was just walking those streets of New Jersey with Sis. Willis, singing and caroling to whoever would listen to us, and realizing that we are literally representatives of Jesus Christ. We are the light of the world! And we have been given so much that everyone around us needs to know about Christ. I feels good to be serving him so completely right now!

CATALINA GOT BAPTIZED!!

So Catalina has been investigating the church for about 3 years! She went to church almost all of the time, and has seen lots of missionaries. She is from Mexico and has two daughters, and two little sons who always run around like crazy monkeys in their underwear when we come over to their house! The father of the boys is a member from Brazil. They aren't married. My companion taught Catalina last transfer, and our first week together in Elizabeth we set a baptismal date with Catalina for Dec. 29. She has always been really nervous and hesitant about baptism, but as we taught her about Christ and the commandments, encouraged her, and as she kept commitments to read the Book of Mormon, pray, and attend church, and live all of the commandments her faith and confidence really grew! She even gave up coffee and tea and fasted. We told her that the gospel is there to help her progress in her life, and that is something she really wants!

President and Sister Jeppson came to our Sacrament Meeting and the baptismal service. Afterward, Pres. Jeppson asked Catalina what made the difference. From what she said, a huge part of it was my dedicated companion, Sis. Willis. When she came, and me too, she finally felt ready. I have seen the faith that my companion has had in Catalina's progression, and how she was bold with her in teaching the commandments and expressing love and encouragement towards her. We asked our whole district to kneel in prayer for her after our meeting, too. Sis. Willis promised her that as she kept all of the commandments, she would not be afraid to be baptized. We reminded her of her baptismal date and the promise we'd made her, and kept seeing her more and more often. She stayed strong, and a change took place in her and she felt at peace, "tranquila." It has been exciting to work with her. We hope to help her go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead soon and keep progressing with her life and family, get involved in Relief Society, and all of those good things! I'll send pictures of the baptism day.

I love you all! Do you realize that this is the RESTORED church of Jesus Christ on the Earth?! I love you.

Love,

Hermana Martin