Well this last week was probably the craziest but most miraculous week of my mission! We had 5 BAPTISMS!! Ahh! Biggest miracle I have seen in my work here in Peru! So my companion and I had been working with a family of 5, a dad and 4 daughters. The mom had left them about 4 years ago. This family has had so many trials. The dad used to be a pastor for the iglesia adventista..(I honestly cannot remember for the life of me how to say the adventista church in English haha but I'm sure you all understand) and he was pretty set in his ways when we met him a month and a half ago. Well he had so many spiritual experiences and was not able to deny the truthfullness of the Book of Mormon. He gave his daughters permission to get baptized, but at first it was looking like we would have to baptize his daughters first and he would have to get baptized later. Because of some things that happened in the past it was up in the air whether or not he could get baptized with his kids. We planned out his daughters' baptisms and everything but a couple days before the baptism we found out that everything was clear and he was good to get baptized with his family! It is honestly the BIGGEST miracle considering everything that has happened in his life. Him with 3 of his daughters were baptized this last Friday (: His youngest daughter is only 6 years old so she has to wait until she's 8! At their baptism, the daughters were baptized first and the dad was last. In the moment he came up out of the water, he had the biggest smile on his face and began to cry. It made me and my companion cry haha it was the greatest feeling of happiness I think we've felt in the mission. I will never forget that moment. This gospel changes lives, but only if we let it change us. I will always look to this man as an example. He completely relied on the Lord and followed the Spirit despite all the other things that were happening in his life. God is SO good (:

We had another baptism last Saturday too, her name is Nayeli! She's 13 and her aunt is the only other member in her family. She had been going to church for years but never got baptized! She was so prepared before we even met her! I know there's people like her out there that are waiting to find the true and everlasting gospel that is found in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Weeks like this last one make all the hardships worth it. As missionaries we face a lot of opposition. But when we see the fruits of our labors, when we see people come unto Christ and enter the waters of baptism, when we see people truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it makes everything SO worth it. I will be forever grateful for the time I have had here in Peru. It has changed me. I'm also super grateful I still have 4 more months to work in this labor of love among God's children in the Peru Arequipa mission.

BE HAPPY this week because this life that our God has given us is so, so beautiful (:

Job 37:14

"...stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God."

¡Que se cuiden y tengan una bonita semana!

Hermana Celardo