Surprise Baptism!

Ok, that Halloween party beats all, can they put that on again next year???

Well this week was one of the best and yet most stressful weeks of my mission!  Monday night when we visited with Nefi and his family (nefi is a niño, 10 yrs old, his parents are starting to return to church after many years)  Nefi has had a baptism date for Nov 7th for the past month. when we visited with them, his parents told us they both work that day and it´d have to be a different day, when we asked Nefi when he wanted to be baptized he said as soon as possible.  So i look at my companion, the wheels spinning in both of our heads, and we ask, ¨do you want to be baptized this saturday?¨  He eagerly agreed and the adventure began.   So we made sure with our District president and LZs that it was ok and started planning the baptism.    

    So, then 2 days before the baptism, after our district meeting our ZLs tell us that they talked with the APs, cuz the mission is being very careful about baptizing kids when their parents aren´t active in the church, and they told us that his parents have to be completly reactivated in the church for him to be baptized and the 3 requirements for that include 1. They have to have visiting and home teachers, 2. They have to have callings and 3. they have to pay their tithing.   So they tell us this 2 days before the baptism, (i was about to murder them, they knew 1 month ago that Nefi was preparing to be baptized, why they didn´t tell us weeks ago i´ll never know)   So as they tell us this we kinda just sat there in shock for 3 minutes, me imagining how we were supposed to tell poor Nefi that he can´t be baptized this week.  Then Hna Sambrano and i left to room to conspire and figure out a plan, we both agreed that Nefi sí o sí was going to be baptized in 2 days and that we could figure those 3 things out in 5 hrs (we literally had 5 hrs before the planned baptismal interview so we had to figure things out fast)   So we re-enter the room where the elders were waiting, but we entered completely changed, now smiling and happy, only filled with complete determination.  the elders were super confused as we calmly said goodbye then turned and ran out of the church, me snatching 2 tithing slips as we left,  to get going on things.    So to make a super long story a bit shorter, that whole day was filled with running around, calling people and after doing everything in our power to complete the 3 requirements but failing with the 3rd one cuz we don´t have power over that, i called the AP (which just happens to be my X-ZL) and convinced him to let us have this baptism.  After all the stress, he finally gave the ok.   We had talked to our district president and he truly believes that nefi´s parents are reactivating in the church so he was on our side (that helped a ton). 

So After the crazy week, we had a beautiful baptism!  Nefi´s sister, cousin and I sang, and all of Nefi´s family was there. 

Today was transfers but Hna Sambrano and I both stay here.  we couldn´t be more excited, now its 99% sure that i´m going to finish my mission here cuz this is Hna Sambrano´s last transfer so i obviously have to stay when she leaves.  There is so much work in this sector and we are finding so many amazing familys.   

Random fact, I have a new dream for my life...I want to move to the country, (or maybe Coyhaique) and live out in the rolling green hills, surrounded by snow-topped mountains and have a beatiful garden and animals and just be a farmers wife ;)  its so tranquilo and beautiful!

whelp, that´s my week :)  Life is great!  Mom, dad, you have to come to Coyhaique some day, there´s no place more beautiful!

love,

Hna Aubrey Hebdon