Willmer is Baptized!

President,

WOW!!! Week of miracles here in Riverside North. It was so awesome to watch the Lord take over his work. As I introduced you to Willmer in last weeks email, i wanted to give you a recap and tell you a little bit about the Willmer today. The Willmer that came to know christ and followed in his footsteps into the waters of baptism! I love him to death president! His testimony is just amazing. Here is a guy that basically FOUND us. The Lord knows what needs to be done but anyways.. So this week we taught Willmer. Basically everyday we would go over and teach him about how he is going to be able to get his life on the path that he wants. Which is following christ so that him and his family can be happy and recieve blesings. So all week we had baptism in mind for this sunday. Each lesson we would bring up baptism. He was always super excited until thursday. He told us.. Hey guys this is an important decision I am making in my life and I want to make sure i'm 100% commited to the Lord when I do it. I read in 2 nephi 31, that chapter you guys left me, about how when were baptized we have to be commited. Well guys I drank a little beer last night and afterwards I felt like crap and I don't want that feelings again. So I am going to stop drinking and I want to be baptized but I just don't know if i'll be ready this sunday." We'll we testified to him through prayer and through the scriptures he would know for himself. Also we testified of how we knew he was ready. He had showed his faith and desire and its what got wanted him to do. Well after all this we commited him to read and pray that night.

The next day we went over there with an amazing lesson plan on repentance and the Atonement. We taught him that even after baptism we wont be perfect but throught Christ, Repentance and the Atonement we are able to be forgiven and our sins will be washed away as if we were baptized again. When we explained this to Willmer his eyes lit up with tears. Here we have a gangster that's lived on the streets his entire life, in tears. The spirit was so strong so so strong. He understand the atonement and repentance and exactly WHAT the saviors role was in this great plan! So the next day Elder Samuelian and I went over for the interview. We did it he was commited. He told us to come inside his house right after the interview as we watched him dump his last half bottle of wine down the drain. "No more my home boys, I don't need that" he said.

Well he went on to get baptized yesterday and even brought his entire family along with him. He wanted them to share this special day with him! It was awesome and I know god made it possible. It was a miracle in his hands and we just happened to be the pencil as he wrote out this week for Willmer! I know that god knows each of us and knows what we need. I love you president and was super excited to share this great miracle with you!

Love Elder Ovard

 

Wazzup Fam!!!!

Man what a week!!! haha SO WILLMER GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!! haha as you read! It was so awesome! That guy is a stud and I love him to death! He was by far the fastest baptism I have had and always probably the one that has changed the most to get to that point. Just 2 weeks ago he was basically a gangster. Doing things on the street that he knew wasn't good but he just had no motivation to stop. Well haha that was until he called out the missionaries on the corner. JUST ASK THE MISSIONARIES hahaha jk. It was super awesome. I had the honor to baptize him. So here I was.. the guy that said a prayer as we were walking to him because we thought we were going to get killed but 10 days later am standing in a baptismal font with him! :) something else huh!! It was awesome. I had some of the most spiritual lessons of my mission with him! As we were changing into our baptism clothes he kepts saying "dang my boy i look good in white!! You just gotta have that lil swag man.. gotta have the swag." We were walking down the hall and he just walked like he was all that haha he's like "Man this is big step.. big big step so ima show it off" hahahaha oh boy ONLY IN MIAMI BABY!! It was awesome haha

I had some time earlier this morning to look back on some of the wonderful children of god that I have been able to help get into the waters of baptism this morning! It was the best feeling. The spirit just testified to me that this mission at this time is where i need to be. No better place then this. I am so blessed to have these people here in miami and to be able to work with them. So blessed to just be having baptisms and success. Our mission has 123 baptism this month. So in 3 weeks. We still have two more weeks to go so we are wanting to pass our goal of 150 for this month. I am so so blessed. I love my mission.

 

So onto the WORLDLY fun that all yal are enjoying right now!!! haha MIAMI is the party. I have said that since day one right!! The world baseball classic was just CRAZY here. People from all over coming to support their countries. Yelling Screaming Fighting hahaha oh man. It was crazy around the stadium all week. I was able to drive through there a few timesk as games were going and I tell you what.. It just about killed me hahaha Dang. It was so hard. I haven't seen that or heard a sound of a wooden bat hit a ball in idk how long!!! haha I was able to watch Nelson Cruz ground out to third though ;) That was in one of the afternoon games I think. So in left field of the stadium they have like a bar area with a swimming pool and stuff. So a few times I was able to look past all that and watch the game. haha I saw some players and a few people hit and man I just miss it haha. I do but i completely understand my purpose here right now and completely understand what my purpose will be when i get home. And yes the purpose at home may involve baseball a lil bit haha! All and all it was super exciting and i'm glad I was able to be here for it! One day while driving through the stadium a taxi was going through the gates. Well bikes can go through the gates anytime so we went. While passing the taxi I heard the guard person say "hey theres some players in the taxi... let them through" hahahah So we slowed down and followed the taxi. There were 3 players that got outta the taxi. IDK who they were. I should've stopped and gave them a christ card of something haha idk I was stupid, BUT we did ride our bikes right passed them haha it was cool. Also remember Lore and Lazaro? Well someone gave them 4 free tickets to the game so they invited us haha I text the APs and they said well I would love love to approve that and say go but i would have to get president permission on that one but i'm almost positive that he would say no ;) hahaha but i'll ask anyways if you want me to. hahaha I laughed and laughed at that. I figured it was prob just better for them not to ask hahaha

 

There another huge party downtown these next couple of weeks for spring break! I'm talking huge party and crazy one haha probably more crazy then calle ocho. I'm glad you guys look calle ocho up haha its so cool. This other party is called ULTRA

 

Mom haha just be glad you don't see what i see in the streets okay ;) It's so much fun haha you just gotta look past what their all doing because everyone can change. Just as willmer did. He went from being one of them gangstas to being a follower of christ. We learn all about gangs and stuff from willmer haha. MC13 baby!!! Crazy gang like the worst in the world. hahaha does that scare you mom? okay okay they live here in miami too!!! hahahah ok i'm mean. No worries though they respect people from god. Because in gangs they have to be 1st loyal to god 2nd loyal to their families and 3rd to their gang! So no worries!!

 

Love  you all have a good week! I'll try and send a pic of willmer!! Glad you all liked the pics last week. And my new hair style!! haha

 

Elder Ovard

 

 

Willmer and his family at his Baptism.  March 2013

 

 

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