Week 40: Semana Santa: semana de milagros April 7-13, 2022

 

Hey Everyone                                                                                                             April 14, 2022

The week started off as another week, normal, busy. And this week, the week before Easter, begins semana santa, holy week. It's cool and there's lots of traditions that go along with it here. You can tell whose super catholic because they have purple drapes on the windows and doors and some even have pictures of Jesus on the cross hanging outside their house. Most people go out of town though. 

Semana Santa begins with Viernes de Dolores, Friday of pain. As we were going to bed Thursday night/early Friday morning we could not sleep. We finally fell asleep and less than 2 hours later we got a call from an elder in the mission.  We had sent this Elder to the doctor earlier that week for possible appendicitis, but the doctors had said his appendix looked healthy. When we answered he could barely talk and could barely breathe. It was obvious he needed to get to the hospital asap. We called our mission president and his wife several times and they didn't answer. We then called the church doctor over the area. He authorized an ambulance and anything we needed to get the Elder to the hospital quickly. We made so many calls and I was so scared. Because of where he was the ambulance would take about 3 hours to get to him. So, we called the man in charge of travels for the mission, and he started driving to where the elder was. I called the elder back and talked with his poor companion who only has 3 weeks in the mission and explained what they needed to do/bring for the hospital. And then I asked if I could say a prayer with them. I just reassurance that the Lord will protect His missionaries and that He was with us. Miraculously Hermano José, the Uber, made it there in 30min which I don't know how. And then made it back to the city and to the hospital in an hour. The elder needed emergency surgery because his appendix had burst. Everything worked out OK, and he was released from the hospital yesterday. But man, that was the craziest day of my life. We only got two hours of sleep because getting him to the hospital and everything took the whole night, and we had a busy schedule the next day. I’m pretty sure I'm still recovering!

On Saturday I had my 1st baptism in Reformita! Andrea is 12 and she's basically a member and has attended church with her uncle her while life. But her mom has never given permission for the missionaries to teach her. My first week here we got permission and in 3 weeks she was baptized! It was kind of an odd experience during her baptism because her uncle is very grumpy and rushed everything. But when she was given the holy ghost, it was very beautiful. We had another investigator there and she felt the spirit strongly too. 

We also had exchanges with our stls. Our STLs are amazing! I thought I was going to their area while my comp stayed in our area. I still feel like I don't know the area good enough. Well, it ended up being that I stayed in the area. This actually turned out to be what I needed. I know the area a lot more than I thought! We also had a beautiful lesson with Cindy. We watched the restoration movie (we got permission don't worry) at a member’s house. And it touched her heart so much to see the suffering of the saints but specifically Joseph Smith. At the end she said the prayer and she asked for strength during afflictions and to know if everything was true. And then she said that how could it not be true because of their suffering, and they had nothing to really gain from it. She finished her prayer saying she knows it's true but to help her help her husband know it's true. Everyone was crying after! It was so beautiful! Please pray for Cindy and her husband! 

It's been a crazy, amazing week. I love serving. It's been such a hard experience but beautiful too! I know this church is true! I know Jesus Christ lives! He loves you; God loves you, I love you! 

♡♡♡ Hermana Snow