Ch. 44 The Light

Chapter 44: The Light

What a week. I can hardly believe it has only been a week with everything that has gone on! I don´t think I have ever been so exhausted after a week, but if you could only see the smile that I can´t seem to get off my face. As we started our week, we were desperately praying for a miracle. I want to see Cathy and Tony baptized with all my heart. I don´t know if I have ever felt so close to investigators before. We knew that the Spanish government is practically impossible to work with, but between the Spanish Goverment and God...I´ll put my money on God. (I am not so sure if gambling on God´s side is appropriate, but you get what I am saying. Haha) But, if we were going to get a miracle, I knew we would have to put some forth of effort of our own. We´ve been talking a lot about obedience in the mission field, and I always have thought of myself as a pretty obedient missionary, so nothing really stuck out in my mind... But I also knew that if I wanted a miracle, that it was through obedience that I was going to get it. So, I took a real good look at everything and realized something. There is something that all the missionaries do because everyone else in Spain does it....Walk on Red lights. Something so little, right? The thing is, it´s not really dangerous, because all the streets are practically one way and really little. But, it was a sacrifice we were willing to make. So, we stopped walking on red lights, and the day we did we went to go visit Cathy and Tony. They had two big grins just plastered on their faces. We sat down and they told us that they were finally able to get in and get the information that they needed. They said that they were told if as soon as they got their papers done, they could get married right on the spot. No agonizing waiting. Tony told us that it was an absolute miracle, and that he still doesn´t understand how that could be. I knew. But...there was a catch. To do the papers, Cathy has to fly to Romania and get her papers, and get them translated which will cost about $600 in total. Now, I want to remind you that they are so desperately in need of money right now that the bishop brought them by a ton of food to last them for the month. I feel like I had so much hope...and then bam!!  We walked a little slower home, heads down a little.  But hang on, the story gets brighter... So two days later we came back to talk with them. Cathy received news that the piso that she had in Romania owed her 500$ I could hardly believe it. The said they were working so hard to get all the money saved up so that they could go. They only needed a hundred euros. So, we talked to the bishop about it, and this Sunday was just incredible all around. We had a crazy Sunday morning, so we were in and out of the classes picking up investigators. When we walked into the investigator class, they were teaching tithing...the one lesson that we haven´t been able to teach them that we were kind of saving for last. Yes, I as afraid to teach it, I will admit it. You shouldnt´be scared, but I was. I just nervously looked over at their faces during the whole lesson. They both looked so serious....ah! Well, I didn´t get the chance to ask them about it until after church. I went and sat over by Cathy and asked her, “So, how did you like the classes today?” and she just looked over at me and said, “I understand why God hasn´t been blessing us. We haven´t ever paid tithing. I wish I would have known when I had a job because I know the Lord would have blessed us. I can´t pay any money now, but is there anything else I can donate? I could clean the chapel!” I just sat there in amazement. Could they possibly be this converted to the gospel?? The bishop said he wanted to talk to them after the meeting, so I sat there waiting with the outside the door, and they were just talking about how happy they were now. That they had looked their whole lives for this peace. Even Tony said, “I can´t explain it. I just can´t explain this inner peace that just makes me so happy. With all the problems we had, life just seemed dark, and now there´s light. The problems are still there, but now I have this hope.” I just could hardly believe it. This man who was slightly on the rough side when we first met him is a man of faith now! We were looking through of how it could possibly happen, and really it was the Book of Mormon. You just can´t not receive a testimony of Christ and His church if you are reading the Book of Mormon. Tony especially has such a thirst for the gospel. He is reading the gospel principles book, The Book of Mormon (he is halfway through 2 Nephi) and on chapter Genesis of the Bible. I was talking to Cathy and she told me, “A while ago I was praying to God. I told him that if Tony is really supposed to be my husband, then he has got to put him on the right path. Now I look at him, and he is reading more books from God than I am, and his faith is growing.” I just can hardly express how much I love them. They are so precious to me. The bishop found Tony work possibly and so it looks like that there future really is getting brighter. I can just see in their faces the change—they really just shine. We are still working on getting them to Romania, but with God, nothing is impossible. Not only them, but we had another huge miracle. Remember Husane our Muslim investigator? Well, he called me this week and he said, “Hermana Hopkins...I need to talk to you about something. When can we meet?” So we set up the appointment, and I was slightly nervous. We sat down and he says, “I have a really important question for you.” “Ummm yes??” “Are Mormons....Christian.”

Phew, an easy question. Hahaha “Yes, Husane, we are Christian. I thought you were reading the Book of Mormon...?” and he replies, “Well, I am. I am almost halfway done. I would be done by now, but I read every page five times to make sure I understand.” “And what does it talk about Husane?” “Jesus! That´s why I don´t understand why the people on the internet said you weren´t Christian!” Oh brother. Well after a good long talk, he said, “Ok, I want to be baptized.” WHAT! So, we will be working with him. I just love the Book of Mormon. It truly is the truth that you can feel in your hand! The day after we stopped walking on red lights, we got in contact with a Spaniard family that we contacted on the Three Kings Day. They are incredible. I actually was on a split and in an other cita, but my companion just comes back jumping up and down and says, “They want to be baptized, they want to be baptized!! AND they are a family of 6!!” I could hardly believe it. We really felt the Lord´s hand in the work this week for sure. When we met with them again, they believed in the story of Joseph Smith, believe in the Book of Mormon, but don´t understand why that means they have to change churches.....I don´t really understand that, but I am working on it.  It was like watching Satan work with them, but they said they would be baptized. We also have been trying to get into this family the whole time I have been in Castellón. The mom is alone trying to raise 5 girls. The two oldest are twins and 14 years old, and then a 6 year old, and then 2 twin 3 year olds. Their dad left them last year I believe, and she has hasn´t let us in to teach them. We have been teaching her best friend, and she said she would talk to her about it. Well, we felt like we should try a lesson with them both, so we got it all planned out. Well, the moms had a last minute work thing, but the mother of the 5 girls said we could come and teach the girls!! What!! It was incredible. The two oldest girls have been reading the Book of Mormon.  One of them suffers from epilepsy, and said that since she has been reading the Book of Mormon, she hasn´t had a single attack. So, if you can´t tell, I really love the Book of Mormon. Funny, but not so funny update on our Peruvian family. They called us and told us how much of an impact our lesson had on them and they want to get their family closer to God.....so they are preparing their son for the first communion. Not what I had in mind, and they cancelled on us this week.  We are going to teach them about the Restoration next and clarify a few things hopefully.  I really love this time here, and it just makes me so excited to see the light that the Book of Mormon and the Gospel is bringing into these homes.

Les Quiero,

Hermana Hopkins