Well, miracle time. On Wednesday, we had a zone leader capacitating and I was asked a few weeks ago to write a plan about how to help the mission get to the next level. One of the 5 points that I had felt and written was obedience. Hold your horses, let me explain myself. The first day of my mission, President Laycock promised me that if I was exactly obedient, the baptisms would just come". I trusted in that promise and made check lists to help me be obedient. Everything I did was to be able to help someone receive the remission of their sins through baptism. I got up at 7:30 thinking about it, did pushups thinking about it...everything was to help someone be baptized. My first changes, when I was most focused on that, was the time I was able to participate in the most baptisms. 4.5 months and we participated in 9 baptisms. 2 baptisms each month. Since those first changes, my obedience hasn’t been focused like that. My conscious won’t let me be disobedient, but I wasn’t focused on it. Also, never since then have I been able to participate in so many baptismal blessings. I wrote this up and explained it to President a day or two before the capacitating, Elder Saenz randomly said in the morning. "You know what; I think if we were more obedient as a mission, we would be able to go to the next level". (Second witness). I was assigned to present this topic to the zone leaders. I know I had to do it in a way that would be attractive though. You know how sometimes obedience is taken to right? We made a plan with President and I made a paper that helped us explain obedience better. Rays from the sun can be centered in to a point and focused literally causing an actual change, a power that hadn’t even existed before. Just like the quote says, obedience is the same. If it can be focused into a point, it will cause an actual difference in the results that we get "power from on high". I pretty much explained what I just explained now with the top part as well. Elder Whitney came in with his part "Es Bakan ser Obediente". It means "It’s awesome to be obedient". It was a great capacitation. President Laycock hit it home as always with a wonderful teaching. He said, "when a missionary is perfectly obedient, when he follows all the rules and checks them off....I just want to hug him.” He then said, referring to us....but you zone leaders understand real obedience. You not only do it, but you do it because you understand that we follow all the rules realizing that each rule gives us more power to help a child of God that’s lost, be baptized."
Here is the miracle. That same day. A few hours later, I get a call on our cell phone. The Sister that we would be eating lunch with tomorrow has someone that will be there to hear the missionaries. When we got there the next day, the Sister and the lady that were there were just getting to know each other. They explained it was just put in their laps that we were in the very situation. It was just a miracle. We taught the first half of lesson 1 and invited her to be baptized. She eagerly accepted. She will be getting baptized in a few weeks. Her name is Gabriela. She lost her family in Argentina and has been lost looking for something. She is very educated and honest. She is about 50 I would say and needing the Gospel in her life. There is more...The next day, after fasting, we are eating lunch and we get a phone call. A man tells me that he is from our ward and he wants his daughter that is 14 to be baptized tomorrow. We were shocked. It is a girl that always goes to church, has a testimony, but has never gotten permission from her father. He gave her permission and she was baptized just a few hours ago. President Amado of the quorum of the seventy baptized her. It was one of the most beautiful and spiritual baptisms I have participated in. Her Dad was there and expressed his love and gratitude for us. He wasn’t expecting 20 people to be there on a Saturday afternoon. He felt so much love and it really touched his heart. It was one of those special moments on the mission. Wow. I’m trying to focus my obedience and expressing gratitude for these wonderful blessings that were are able to participate in. This week has been wonderful. I love the Gospel and those short sweet moments of incredible love and peace that can be felt with the company of the Holy Ghost. I love you family. Thank you for being so great. It is going to be fun helping people come to the Gospel. I love you and pray for you. Love Elder Tilley
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