Converts just get it

Ponta do Sol, Portugal

Dear everyone,

This week was good. It passed quickly. We were working with a man from Mozambique to be baptized, but it fell through. But, the miracle that we saw this week happened on Sunday. Irma Joslin and I decided to call everyone from our planners and the area book to invite them to church. And do you know what happened? Heavenly Father blessed that many people came to church. There was not an empty chair in Gospel Principles. It was full with recent converts, less actives, and investigators that we have been working with. There were 24 people in the class. Yeah, pretty awesome. The last time that happened on my mission, I was in an area where there were three sets of missionaries. The members came up to us and started getting really excited with how many people were there. Needless to say, we were excited as well. Lots of new experiences, so we ended the week well.

I am so happy to see the fruits of our labors in our recent converts, especially one of them: His name is Tenda. He is from Guinea Bissau. He has had a hard life. He was not living the commandments in any way. We helped him overcome addictions he had. Even on the day of his baptism, he seemed apathetic at times. But, after he has received the Holy Ghost, it has made all of the difference. He is addiction free. He did not have a house before. Now, he has found a house. He did not have a job, and now he is finding opportunities to work until he gets a steady job. His understanding has greatly increased. He could not speak Portuguese very well and instead spoke Creole. now he can speak much easier and it is a lot easier for him to understand us. He could not read before, but now our bishop is arranging for someone to help him every week to learn how to read. His whole countenance has changed. He now speaks and greets everyone at church, always comes in a shirt and tie, has a designation of being a receptionist, which he completes with great pride, and we are now teaching and preparing his friend that he brought to church to be baptized.

I am astounded and amazed at how different he is. He is not the same person he was a month ago. I can't wait to see how he progresses in the future. What makes me sad and regretful is that at first, I did not see his worth. I did not feel true love for him. I felt love out of obligation of my calling. I had to pray really hard to love, understand, and help him when he needed us most. I thought a lot about whether he would fall or not (yeah, I know, we NEVER have to worry about this--it is God who chooses and provides the way, not us...and also some of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon fell...does that mean they should have never have been baptized? Did Joseph Smith make a mistake? Were they really not ready?...of course not! That is what I discovered during this experience...)

But I am so glad Heavenly Father blessed us enough to see this miracle, it has definitely been one of the greatest of my mission--to see someone so desperately lost in every way find his way to the fold. He really is elect. :)

Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is don't judge a book by it's cover. But, in reality, it goes so much deeper than that. Don't judge a book by it's table of contents, it's chapter headings, the summary, the spark notes about it, or even the first couple of chapters. Just read it. All of it. Just give people a chance. Just give them your love. All of it. And you will be surprised and amazed at how much they change. You will be astounded at what a happy twist ending the future has in store for that book...I know I am, and I am even more excited to see what will happen.

Basically, that is all. I love recent converts. They just get it.

Have a great week. I love you all

Irma Pérez