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