The Blessing of Baptism - November 24, 2014

Hello Family: 

It was a week of miracles...

Elsa was baptized!!!!! Here is the story! One of my investigators from Fort Collins was supposed to get baptized on Saturday. I was talking with Hermana Stratford trying to get the information so I could attend the baptism, when she told me her baptism is being postponed for a couple of more weeks. She is waiting for her boyfriend to come so he can be there for her baptism. But then I was informed that Hermana’s Stratford and England went to see Elsa the previous week for the first time since I have left. They found out that Elsa's kidneys have completely failed and the doctors told her she has anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to live. When I got the news my heart just completely broke and I cried and cried. Elsa means the world to me!! She has been such a huge part of my mission!! So, Elsa really wanted to get baptized before she goes to meet our Father in Heaven. Her daughter, who was an Atheist, wanted to make sure it happened. The only thing holding Elsa back was that she had only been to church 2 times and she needed to come 1 more time. So, her daughter brought her to church yesterday and we had her baptism last night. I got permission to go!!! Which was a HUGE miracle!! Elsa asked that I give the talk on baptism, which I was honored to do :) When I saw her, we just grabbed on to each other!! She looked beautiful! She looks like she has lost about 50 pounds from all of her health problems. But she was just glowing!! The service was so unbelievable! It was the first baptism in the newly started Fort Collins, Alta Vista Branch :) It was just WONDERFUL!!! Elsa literally touched my heart the first time we met her and we asked if we could help her with clean up her yard and house after a huge hail storm hit the week of the 4th of July. So much has happened since then, and I know I heard the spirit that day. I am so glad I listened and that she found the gospel. It was also fun to see people from the Spanish Group in Fort Collins!! I love them all soooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!! They were so supportive at the baptism. Fort Collins has a very special place in my heart!! I know I will spend an excessive amount of time there after my mission :)  

We also did lots of service this week! We helped Adolfo with his homework for almost 4 hours this week. Well correction, Sister Mehner helped him. I haven't taken the math class he is in in 8 years... yikes, I am so old!!! :( So I was of no help! Haha! So I just played and entertained Vicki :) And then Hermano Monreal made us delicious Mexican food!! 

We had a really fantastic Zone Meeting this week! Brother Boss, from my ward came and spoke and gave a training lesson on Power. It was really wonderful. He talked about how many people desire power for the wrong reasons and many run from power and having any responsibility and how both are wrong. He talked about how power is everything! In order to be successful we need to have power. We should be striving to have it and using it for good. It was wonderful and very inspiring!

We met with one of our investigators that we have been trying to see forever this week! Finally! It has been so hard to get a hold of her. She's been working 12-15 hour days because of the snow etc. But the lesson went really well and she told us she is living the word of wisdom!!! Yay!!! :)

We had a dinner appointment with a member of our ward and while we were there her friend came over. The friend was saying things that hinted that she was a member and it turns out, she is! She has not come out for awhile.  So we taught the Plan of Salvation, LOVE lesson and it was wonderful, but she cried a ton! She asked a lot of questions, and at first I felt bad that she was crying and that maybe we should have shared a lighter message, but I actually think it was exactly what she needed. She seemed to be kinda mad a God because she had taken care of her dying mom for 8 years, while the rest of her family abandoned her, and she feels like she has not received any blessing from it in the last 3 years. I think we helped clear up some of her feelings and she felt the spirit, which made her cry so much. It turned out to be a really cool experience!

The Benson family really spoiled us this week!! Boy do I love them :) Sister Benson drove to Denver for something and actually brought us back Cafe Rio for dinner with an entire gallon of horchata!! Yay baby! Then Bro. Benson sent that pic to you Mom :) And then on Sunday at church, Ally and I were just crashing. Soooooooooo tired!!! We had a fiesta activity at the church earlier in the week, and it would not have happened if Sister Benson and the other missionaries were not there to help. They are fabulous people!!

As you can tell, It has been a great week!! Really wonderful!! And to top it off I am found out I am finishing my mission here in Boulder with Ally!!! Yay!! We are still the STL's and have to do 5 exchanges in 3 weeks, go to a leadership meeting, zone conference, departing temple trip, finish trunky papers, plan a baptism for the Elder's investigator that were in our ward(because they got swept out) and also get things ready to leave. It is going to be craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy busy!! But busy is good!! I am so excited :)

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

Love,

Hna. Hannah Mangum :)

THANKS FOR THE TRUFFLES, DAD!!!