2-22-2016

Hey everyone!
So this week I'm just going to tell you about the baptism. Her name is Teresa.
Missionaries have been teaching her here for about 4 months.  She is totally awesome! She was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day
when they found her. When I got here it was half a pack. We work it down to 0. The week before I got here she came to church drunk so I
heard all about her. I thought oh great. But because they was no judgement there we saw her for how awesome she really was. After she
got of cigarettes, she was reading the Book of Mormon everyday and reading a lot. Just over 10 chapters a day. Lots of great questions
too! She was so ready for baptism! She had some down moments but work through them. On Saturday we started off the day helping her pass out food for the homeless. We could only stay for a little bit because we had to go fill the font up. So we had someone pick her up and got her ready after the service. We get text from the person picking her and her sister up saying "her sisters drunk." Before we could say don't bring her they were already there. So the first word out of her sisters mouth was the F word. She was yelling and screaming. She was staying kinda calm as we prepared for the baptism. As we were taking pictures she started going kinda crazy and swearing a lot. Of course right at that time our mission president showed up to attend the baptism. As the service started she blurted out oh few comments. Still swearing but we ignored it for Teresa. Although there was that loud drunk lady you could still fill the spirit. It got crazy when we were about to go into the font and she rushed through the door yelling don't F word kill her!!! They grabbed her and sat her down. She calmed down and we did the baptism. That was amazing! I saw in Teresa's eyes,
as I pulled her out of the water, the happiness of the spirit. It was a great moment. While I was changing all I could hear was her sister yelling. They ended the service fast after. When her sister stepped out for a cigarette there was actually peace. Then when she came back it all went down hill fast! She really upset Teresa so Teresa went to take a walk. I went to comfort her when her sister started to chase after her calling her the B word. I lost it! I grabbed her sister and pushed her against the wall and walked her drunk butt out of the church. My zone leader locked the door behind her. Then her sister started throwing up everywhere. After they gave them a ride home. Then the worse case scenario happened. That night I called Teresa. She was not home. So Sunday rolled around and she was so pose to get confirmed. They went to pick her up and no one was there. We called
her like 30 times and she wasn't home. She went missing. Then last night we get a text from a random number saying its Teresa and she is sorry and will call us later. I think she was so mad and her sister
she could be in the same house. They live with the rest of her family.
I hope we get in contact with her ASAP.
Although things didn't go to well I know everything will work out. It's hard to see it now but I know the Lord has a plan even if we can't see it. I also know that Teresa knows this is true. Things go
wrong in life and missionary life is no different. One thing I have learned is to always trust that the Lord is in charge. The Lord told Joseph Smith that his afflictions were only for a small moment. I know that to be true with missionary life. Moments come where everything that could go wrong went wrong but they are only for a small moment. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to see first hand Teresa change through the Atonement. I can't believe how lucky I am to be doing the
Lords work!

-Elder Barney