Baptism

I want to apologize that I'm emailing like 3 days later than usual!  It's been a crazy past week! haha 

My companion, Elder Broulim, has had pain on his back so last Thursday we went to the doctors and they said he has 2 cysts on his back. We had to drive to New Mexico to the doctors and then to the west side of El Paso, TX. In 2 days between that and all of the appointments I drove 140 miles!  I haven’t driven that much since before my mission.  Elder Broulim had surgery on Monday morning. We got up at 4:30am to drive him to the hospital. 

Funny story...I was studying in the waiting room and I feel asleep for like 20 min and then all of a sudden I wake up and the hospital is FILLED.  There's a guy sitting right next to me and two ladies right in front of me staring right at me! haha So awkward. The surgery went well and I've been taking good care of him... or at least I hope I am. We have been in the apartment the whole time so I've been able to study a lot! In 3 days I've read 455 pages of “Jesus the Christ”. It’s the most sophisticated book I've ever read. 

SO... now to the awesome news!

Chris Martin was baptized on Saturday. His wife is a member of the church and they have a cute little boy who is 9 months old. He was open to the missionaries and after a few visits accepted baptism. I was so humbled when he asked if I could baptize him. This is my very 1^st baptism so far on my mission that I've been the one to baptize them. I was on exchanges with Elder Krebs the zone leader on that day and served in the lower valley which is right one the border of MEXICO. I got a picture by the fence actually!  ha It was cool hearing him teach in Spanish. Crazy thing is that I'm getting better at listening and understanding what people are saying in Spanish. From there I went to the church and raised my hand to the square and baptized Chris Martin. I was SO HAPPY. To see someone accept being a member of Christ's true church on the earth and to see him want to be a disciple of Him is amazing. He was so happy, I think his wife was even happier! haha I think it's because they want to be an eternal family and sealed in the temple so this gets him a step closer.  :)

I sadly will probably be leaving this area in the end of July because I'm finishing up training Elder Broulim and usually the trainer leaves. So there are two more people I want to see baptized before I go... so hopefully it will happen !

I  just want to briefly talk about the power of the priesthood. It truly is humbling to have the power to act in God's name. This past week I've literally given more blessings than ever before. Like, at least 10, and EVERY TIME my testimony grows. I can testify that it truly isn’t the words of who is giving the blessing but from our Father in heaven. Example: I gave some  blessings to a family who I felt inspired to ask if they needed some. The last one was their oldest daughter who hasn’t been to church for a long time!  I gave a blessing DIRECTLY from heaven. I had no idea why she needed a blessing or what's going on in her life but I felt her sobbing while I had my hands on her head and I spoke what came to me.  Afterwards she and her family were all in tears and said that’s everything she needed to hear. I then on Sunday saw her with her family at church!! SO AMAZING to see that God used us as a instrument in His hands to get one of His daughters back closer to Him and at church. People somehow heard about the blessing and came to me and said that whatever was said in the blessing was what she needed because she hasn't been back to church since who knows when. My testimony grew LEAPS and BOUNDS. I know God lives and that when we are an instrument in His hands we can and will perform miracles unto His children.

Thank you all for your letters and emails and support... it means the world to me!! Also I got to meet the new mission President (President and Sister Miller) and they are awesome. They both crack jokes but still throw down at the same time. They are so loving and personable and it is exactly what I need and this mission needs.

Lots of Love,

Elder Taylor