Letter #22: Wonderful Things to Talk About

there are too many wonderful things to talk about this week that I don't even know where to start!!! THIS WAS THE BEST WEEK EVER.

okay I decided to start with Toi. His name is actually Antonio lopes but we call him Toi because that's easier. HIS BAPTISM IS THIS SATURDAY!!!! and he had his interview yesterday with elder maldenado and he passed. so he's all set to be baptized! we spent the week finishing teaching him the things that he needs before baptism and then went over the interview questions with him several times. he has memory loss because of an accident he was in so its hard for him to remember a lot of things. like we re-teach him how to pray everytime we go. he knows he just needs to be reminded. i think ive told you all of this but im telling you again! his wife is a member and then have a son and now they are going to be a happy family all going to church every sunday together and i am SO HAPPY FOR THEM.

OKAY TIME TO TALK ABOUT ZA. i should've started with her cause literally we had the most amazing experience with her! so she's been an eternagator aka investigating the church for eternity and like every missionary that has come through has taught her and gets nowhere. and so this week we went to her house and brought Daniella who is one of our more stellar members and we sat down and said alright Za here's the deal. We're gonna pray and we're not leaving until you get your answer. cause this gospel is either true or its not. like there's really no other answer. its either yes or no. so i started it off with a prayer and then s. carone prayed and then daniella and then it was za's turn. and so we all prayed that she would receive her answer and then she prayed and asked. and then we sat there for two hours and it was the most physically/emotionally/spiritually draining thing of life but it was SO WORTH IT BECAUSE SHE GOT HER ANSWER. we set her baptism date for march!!!!! oh my goodness sister carone and i were like bouncing off the walls excited when we left that appointment it was INCREDIBLE.

side story: daniella drove us home after and we were parked in front just talking and some guy pulled in and rear ended us and started screaming and swearing you don't know how to drive! and we were like uhhh literally we were at a dead stop you were the one that hit us. but we were super Christ like about it and apologized and it didn't even matter cause NOTHING COULD BRING DOWN MY SPIRITS AFTER ZA

okay other awesome moment of the week. so we have this investigator DJena who was supposed to be baptized the same day as toi but then she dropped off of planet earth and we didn't hear from her for 2 weeks and it was breaking my heart. but this week we FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF HER. and i collapsed in joy! she's been crazy busy at work and her schedule is nuts. but still its like don't do that to me djena! so we decided to push back her baptism to the end of February so that we have more time to get her prepared.

lets see what else.. we have the haitianaries in our district now! (Haitian missionaries). its just one set of elders but they're awesome and teaching us the Haitian ways. we played soccer at the chapel this morning for district workout. also we wen to dinner at ihop all together a couple nights ago to celebrate e. starley, e. maldenado, and s. harris only having six months left of their missions! oh also that day s. cope locked us out of our apartment and the lady bridget that works downstairs isn't there on the weekends and so we were totally locked out. but then e. Christensen did some magic thing with a bobby pin and got us in.

anyways. sunday was good this week! because it was Sister Carone's 21st birthday!! it kills me not being able to surprise my companions with anything on their birthdays but its also pretty darn impossible seeing as how im with them always. but i kept her busy going to visit people for a couple hours while the other sisters made her her favorite dinner. so i took credit for that too :)

sister hileman sent this to me this week: "Be still, there is a healer. His love is deeper than the sea. His mercy is unfailing. His arms are a fortress for the weak. Let faith arise! I lift my hands to believe again. You are my refuge, you are my strength! As I pour out my heart these things I remember. You are faithful, God forever... Be still, there is a river that flows from Calvary's tree. A fountain for the thirsty. Your grace that washes over me. Let faith arise!"

Every day I am reminded of the unfailing mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Every moment that I feel weak or incapable I know that I can lean on Him and find strength.  "Let faith arise!"

I love you all. 

com amor,

sister tantillo