Well this week not much happened until Saturday. On Saturday we had the baptism for Mara. She was the one who we almost dropped, but we fasted, prayed, and worked hard with her. By Saturday she was ready to be baptized and has so much faith. I was excited that she was going to start a better life and also excited because I was going to be doing the actual baptizing. I was happy the whole day and the baptism went well. It was just a really neat experience. Don´t worry about the picture, she hates pictures so that is why she is like that. At least we got a picture though.
So then Sunday came. We got her to church and were talking to the 1st counselor in the bishopric about the confirmation. Then a brother who has been in the ward forever talked to Elder Hatch and told him something. Elder Hatch then went to talk to the ward mission leader. I couldn´t understand everything they were saying but I felt it wasn´t good. Then the 1st counselor comes back with his phone and shows us Mara´s record. I was thinking ´´wow, they already have her record to go´´ Then they all looked at me and no one really said anything. Then they told me. Mara was already baptized 21 years ago. I was thinking no way this just happened. We then talked to Mara and she said she didn´t remember, even though she was 26 when it said it happened. So we didn´t do the confirmation. I was mad. I wasn´t mad at any one person, but I just felt angry. After all the disappointment these past few transfers. All the prayers and fasting. All the bad days. I finally thought our efforts were worth it. And then to find out it didn´t even matter killed me. It really made me discouraged. I was so excited to send this email on Saturday talking about Mara and showing the picture of me in white and just feeling good, but now nope. And the worst thing is that now for the rest of the 2 years I´m going to be known as ´´the elder who baptized a less active´´ and have already been the butt-end of jokes. I don´t know why I´m here in Soldati and who there is for us to find and it´s been hard. But Elder Hatch keeps telling me that we are going to have our miracles this week and I pray I have enough faith to enact those miracles with him.
But it´s good that we´re starting to reactivate her because in the end she needed to come to church. Speaking of reactivation, this other picture is of the Family Picavia. They were the first ever family we went to visit and I thought they were just normal members. But then a few days ago Elder Hatch told me they have been inactive for years and my first Sunday was their first sunday back to church in a long time. Now they are just so active and awesome and we really love them.
But it´s good that we´re starting to reactivate her because in the end she needed to come to church. Speaking of reactivation, this other picture is of the Family Picavia. They were the first ever family we went to visit and I thought they were just normal members. But then a few days ago Elder Hatch told me they have been inactive for years and my first Sunday was their first sunday back to church in a long time. Now they are just so active and awesome and we really love them.
-Elder Steele
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