Baby Blessings Lead to Baptisms

Yesterday I witnessed one of the biggest miracles of my mission. Even as I write, this, however, I realize that it's not going to have the same meaning for anyone who wasn't here and didn't witness the entire unfolding of events with me. So just bear with me and try to feel how miraculous and exciting this was. Vika, Maxim, and Galina came to church yesterday (as per usual now!). And Maxim was even wearing his white shirt and tie for the second time. But the astonishing miracles were that the family stayed for the entire three hour block for the first time ever, Maxim bore his testimony in Sacrament meeting, and their little baby Nika received her name and blessing. It was one of the happiest moments of my life when a kind, older brother in the branch pronounced a sweet blessing on little Nika. I was very moved as he promised her that she would grow up in the gospel and one day take upon her the name of Jesus Christ through baptism. I felt such peace during that blessing, and I suddenly knew that this little family was going to be okay. Yes, like all of us, they are going to have to continually work every day to keep the commandments and draw closer to God. But I feel like they are now safely on the path, and I can't express how grateful I am for that spiritual confirmation. Vika had told us earlier in the week that she was going to wait to get baptized until Maxim could receive the Aaronic priesthood and baptize her himself. I was slightly saddened by that, knowing it was going to take a month or so for Maxim to finish preparing, but I felt peace about that. I know that as Maxim continues his spiritual preparation, he is qualifying himself to righteously preside over his little family, and I know that he is going to be a powerful spiritual leader. The gospel truly is all about families, and I am so grateful to see the progress of this little family that I love so much. I am excited that soon Maxim will baptize his sweet wife and that in eight years, he will baptize his little daughter.

One night this week as we were walking home, we saw our old friend Leonid working in one of the underground crosswalks. We called a hello out to him, as he was busy with a customer. He ran over and stopped us. The conversation went something like this:

"Wait! Wait just one minute! I've decided that I want to be baptized. Here's my phone number - call me when the baptism is going to happen and I can be there within one hour. I have to go."

And he promptly returned to his little DVD stand and customers. Sister Esplin and I continued home, slightly shocked. We remembered the last time we'd seen him, about two months ago, when we'd talked in that same crosswalk and invited him to baptism. And in the meantime, he'd decided it was something he wanted. (For those of you who don't remember, Leonid is a wonderful Jewish man who has been reading the Book of Mormon every day for over a year. He loved the Book of Mormon, the church, missionaries, and the work we do as missionaries. He's basically wonderful.) The next day, we happened to run into him again as we were contacting in the park. We had a really good discussion with him about baptism and the Book of Mormon, and he actually listened to us a lot more than he usually does (I don't think I know anybody who likes to talk more than he does). He promised to meet with the elders, come to church, and be baptized on 31 August. I really pray that he will keep all those commitments! He is going out of town for a couple weeks, but hopefully we'll see him progress when he returns.

One of my favorite lessons this week was with two sweet Muslim women. Laresa (who absolutely adores us and calls us basically every day) invited us to her apartment and as we sat around the small folding table, her tiny one-room apartment was literally filled to the extremities with the four of us and the Spirit. We talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how they love us. Sister Esplin and I even sang "I am a Child of God," and the Spirit that we all felt was incredible. I don't know if those two wonderful women will ever decide to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I felt so much love for and from them that night and I know that Heavenly Father truly loves all of His children.

We had a couple conversations on the street this week with people who were stalwart proponents of the gift of tongues. These wonderful women exhorted us that we needed to receive the baptism of fire so that we could speak in an unknown tongue and thus pray to God in the language of prayer. During both of those conversations, I received a strong spiritual confirmation of truth that gives me to rejoice in the light of the restored gospel. I explained to the first group of women that we, too, believe in the gift of tongues, but that we understand it not to be praying in a language no one can understand, but in conversing in a foreign tongue in order to bless other people - and that my companion and I were living witnesses of the reality of that gift. And during the second conversation, I was struck with the beauty of the truth that God doesn't need us to pray to Him in a language that we don't understand - we can use our own, humble, common words to communicate with the Creator of heaven and earth. How grateful I am that our loving Father in Heaven hears my prayers and understands both my Russian and my English and is anxious to communicate with me. I know that our Father in Heaven lives and that He loves each of His children, wherever we live and whatever language we speak. I am so grateful for the divine gift of prayer.

-Sharisa