Week 27: 6 Months!

November 17, 2022

This email is really long, but it holds a very special message. I stayed up till 3 writing it. Please set apart a little time to read it. I worked hard on it just for you guys.

Well, I've already been out here 6 months. Crazy, time literally flies by out here. Anyways. We had a lot of service opportunities this past week and we've been the busiest this week than any other I've had on the mission. But that's the way I prefer it. I want to finish saying I gave my absolute all; I don't want it any other way. I'm going to jump right into, not the highlight of this week, month, transfer, or even mission, but my life as of now. God is One of miracles, and He still blesses us today. Anyone who says otherwise is actively lying to themselves. I may be a child, 19 years of age, but I boldly proclaim to any and all without fear, doubt, or reproach: that God speaks to His children today. That He knows each by name, and loves them. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He gives us exactly what we need and more, right when we need it. God answers our prayers. This is a God given fact and no man can change that, no matter who you think you may be. My story that I'm about to share with you is given proof of this testimony, and will stand either with or against you at the Judgement Bar of God at the last day. If you chose to deny this testimony, I bid you good luck, knowing for a surety that luck will do you absolutely no good before the justice of an Almighty God.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will testify to the veracity of that which I bear, so that all of you may gain a testimony for yourselves of that which I do so testify.

When I first arrived to this area of Santa Rosa de Lima, we inherited two young girls with baptismal dates. Early in the transfer we went to meet this family in hopes of meeting them all and helping them along their journey. We quickly found out over time a few things. 1; these two girls (Gabriela 14, and Dayana 10) truly have the desire to be baptized. 2; Unfortunately, we also quickly realized that the mother (Angelica) was, for some reason or another, actively avoiding us. Seeing as she would be either the primary source of support or hindering to Gabriela and Dayana, we had to drop the baptismal dates until we could figure things out with Angelica. Well over the first transfer here, we were able to meet with Gabriela and Dayana many times, and we are the best of friends. They are so pure, happy, and innocent, but their mother has been actively keeping them from being able to invite the spirit of peace, love, and comfort into their lives. This has been a great source of difficulty for me. To understand why their own mother would go out of her way to hinder her own children's happiness. This last week, after having been here for two months, I decided I'm not going to watch these girls suffer the sins of their mother without having her understand the pain she's causing them any longer. This past Friday we paid them a visit. The two girls greeted us at the door as usual. We came in and told them, "we're visiting today specifically to talk with your mother." We've asked this before, but to no avail, so they gave us the "good luck look" and we made our way to their house further inside the property. We knocked on the door and said "buenas noches." Immediately we heard her grumbling on the other side of the door; discouraging, but my companion was gonna have to cut off my legs before I was gonna leave. I was getting my point across. She opened the door talking to us with a very poorly feigned kindness. Praying and fighting to muster every ounce of humility I could summon, speaking in the softest and kindest way possible, I said something along the lines of:

Me: "Hello! We've missed you in our lessons with your daughter's! We hope your doing well!"

Angelica: *lists off some genuine difficulties, describes difficult work schedule*

Me: "Oh I'm sorry. That sounds really rough is there anything we can do to help?"

Angelica: "No, but thank you."

Me: "Well if you need us at any time, message us and we'll be here in less than 15 minutes, promise! The reason we stopped by is to specifically talk with you and see how we could help you. We also wanted to set up a time when we could talk with the whole family together. Is there a time when we could do that?"

Angelica: "tomorrow (Saturday) at 3."

Me: "Perfect! We'll see you tomorrow at 3, have a good night!"

At this point I'm feeling like we're getting somewhere. I feel a little better, knowing that once we get her to feel the spirit, she'll be more open to us and the blessings we have to offer for her and her family.

Saturday at 3

Me: *knocks door*

Gabriela: *opens door*

Me: "Hey! Is Angelica home?"

Gabriela & Dayana: "No."

Me: *knowing that their mother has yet again sent them to lie to us (sins of the mother, not them)* *gives them the look* "Really?"

Daughters: "Yeah she's here."

Me: "Can I talk with her?"

Daughters: "Come on in."

We go in and sure enough she's sitting right there eating lunch. We completely ignore the fact that she just sent her girls to lie to us and ask how everyone's doing. Everyone's good, we look at Angelica.

Me: "Ok. We're not stupid, do you want us to visit you or no." *As kindly but straightforward as possible*

Angelica: "Well.. yes."

Me: *not caring if that's a genuine answer or not* "Great, we'll be back tomorrow at 3."

At this point I'm baffled as to why Angelica is acting like a child. I'm praying pretty hard for a miracle.

Sunday at 3

Me: *Knocks on door*

Daughters: *open door*

Me: "Is she home."

Daughters: "She told us she's not home."

Me: "Awesome, can we talk to her?"

Daughters: "Yeah, come on in."

Me: "Can you fetch Angelica for us?"

Dayana: *checks on mother* "She has company right now."

Me: "Ok we'll wait." *waits* "What about now?"

Gabriela: *checks on mother* "She's showering."

Me: "She knows we're here right ?"

Daughters: "Yeah."

Me: "Awesome." *waits* "And now?"

Dayana: "She's sleeping."

Me: "Fan-freaking-tastic. We'll be back, we don't know what day." *leaves*

This night I'm just sad. I can't come to any conclusion as to why Angelica is being the way she is, we can actively see the sadness it causes these poor girls. In tears, I pray with every ounce of strength I have for God to bless us and this family with a miracle.

Monday around 3

The next day one of our lessons fell through. We hadn't planned to visit Angelica, but I felt a distinct prompting to go visit them. So we go to visit.

We knock on the door and the girls answer. Their mom actually isn't there this time (I'm just downright sad at this point) but we're already there, we might as well teach a lesson. We sit down and are about to start, when Angelica walks through the door. I'm so freaking excited, I try to greet her and she hustles away to her house. I look over at their daughters, with their heads down, their smiles gone. Excusing myself (already physically and emotionally drained, but spiritually, just getting warmed up), I walk over to her door and I knock calling her by name. I wait 3 minutes in silence. She comes to the door and tells us she'll join for the lesson. With a grin on my face I tell her "right this way."

We all sit down and I'm excited as can be. My fatigue had disappeared and I could run a marathon; this is what we needed: the whole family together. Not even knowing what we should share beforehand, my companion and I look at each other and say, what better topic than baptism. We start with a prayer and the spirit is already strong within the home. We share in Matthew how Jesus was baptized. We share in 2 Nephi how if Jesus, who was perfect was baptized, how great is our need, being imperfect, to be baptized. My companion shares a scripture quoting Jesus, to repent and be baptized. The room goes quiet, the spirit is strong. I ask, how do you all feel. The girls with big grins on their face say "I feel good!" Even Angelica's boyfriend said he felt pretty good. I look Angelica dead in the eyes, to the very fiber of her being and ask, "How do you feel?" With a look of spite and pride she says, "bad." The smiles on the girls' faces turns to a look of sadness. The boyfriend even slumps just a little. I'm thinking: "Woman what the fetch is wrong with you, got down sat on a bench!" I quickly humble myself, never breaking eye contact. "Why?" I ask. With the most unnecessary sass ive ever heard she says, "just because." I'm not even surprised at this point. I hit her with the, "but you know what we teach is right, and just before God." More matter of fact than question. She, now trying to break eye contact, seeing my unceasing resolve says, "well... yeah." My companion asks, "If Christ were here right now, would you follow Him, and do as He asks?" They all reply yes. My companion looks at me, and I look at the family. I turn to Gabriela, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized?" Unable to hide her smile, she replies with Yes. I turn to Dayana, "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized?" Unable to hide her smile as well, she replies with a Yes. I turn to Eber, boyfriend of Angelica (mind you this is the first time we've met this guy), "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized?" He even smiles, and says Yes. I turn to Angelica... her countenance has changed. She no longer sat proudly, head up high, with a smug look in her eyes. After 2 months, we had finally achieved the impossible. She sat a little lower, with a softer look to her eyes. This, is the power of the Holy Ghost. She looked at me, and I asked: "Angelica Rebalorio, will you follow the example of your Savior, Jesus Christ, and be baptized?" She humbly replied: Yes.

I walked out of that lesson with tears falling down my face. My immediate want after closing the door behind me, was to buckle to my knees, exhausted in every possible way, and to cry, giving thanks to my Loving Father in Heaven, my God of Miracles. But somehow, I was able to keep walking, humbled, yet empowered by what we had just witnessed, and we were able to complete the rest of our work that day.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, brothers and sisters. I testify to you, with no possible ounce of doubt; with every feeble strength I possess, that luck doesn't exist. Everything happens for a reason. If we ask our Loving Father in faith, He will give and bless us. This is a given fact that no force of good or evil will ever possess the capacity to corrupt. I add my testimony to this simple truth, willing rather to die than to deny it, in the sacred name if my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.

This is why I'm here

~Elder Owens~

Pictures

Dayana and I