"I Left a Better Person Than When I Came In"

The Beautiful Keila! The Newest Convert in Rosario

So after a week of craziness and a lot of hope and prayers, Keila and Oscar were able to be baptized on Saturday, May 20th, and confirmed members on Sunday. We are constantly amazed at the true conversion that has occurred in their lives over these past few week and the sacrifices that they are making to follow the Lord's will. 

Oscar with Hermana Schmutz and her companion

Oscar is 77 years old, and he sticks to his word, arriving by taxi, sometimes walking (a rather far distance for a man his age and on top of that he has leg issues,) to make it to our lessons. Upon teaching him basically all of the commandments in one lesson, he exemplified the attitude of Nephi-- "I will go, I will do."  He has lived many years on this earth and some of these commandments are new and require work and sacrifice. But he is so committed and willing to make the change necessary, big or small, to enter into the waters of baptism. Saturday we were at the church and the time was racing and Oscar still hadn't appeared. We had arranged earlier in the week with a member that he would pick him up, but the member didn't answer his phone and we were becoming pretty anxious. Well Oscar showed up, walking through the doors with a huge smile on his face, his face all frozen and red and his hair blown in every direction.  He looks at us and says,  "Vine en moto!!!" Haha the poor 77 year old man came by motorcycle with the member on a freezing night already suffering a cold.  He had this huge grin on his face which grew even bigger as he came out of the water in all white and was just glowing. 

Presenting Keila!

Keila is 18 years old and is so dang smart. We teach her a lesson then return to see if she remembers it and then she surprises us because it's as if she's got the info down better than we do!! She keeps up on all the reading assignments and is helping her aunt and cousin who were baptized about a year ago to remember the experiences they had and become more active in the church. She prays in all the lessons, and was asked to give about every prayer in church as well, and her prayers are so beautiful! She thanks God for having placed us in her path, for having taught her the truth and for the opportunity that she has to learn God's gospel, and how this is the happiest she has ever been in her life. She is the best!!! On Saturday she was just a ray of sunshine, beautiful and so happy! She shared her testimony on Sunday in the ward and amazed everyone with her knowledge and goodness. She has shown interest in serving a mission as well so that would just be a dream come true. She is like our best friend and we are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to teach her, and for God hearing our prayers over a month ago and bringing her back to Rosario to live with her family. 

So it was an amazing week. Oscar and Keila are golden and were just so prepared through it all. Oscar shares his testimony in the classes we have at church. In one of our first lessons, Oscar as he was leaving, stops, looks at us, and states,  "I left a better person than when I came in."  I have seen this in the two of them. They were already amazing, but God has been able to make them even better!!!! 

I love this gospel and this time I have to dedicate to the Lord and to help my brothers and sisters on this earth.  I love how the gospel can make bad people good, and good people even better! 

Love you all so much, share the gospel! Happiness follows. 

Hermana Mathis