The One Where the Love Story Didn't End

Mon 8/31/2015 12:31 PM

I know what you're all thinking,

"Hermana Robles, why are you thinking about love stories?" Or something along those lines and the importance of having a "locked heart" on my mission. 

Pues, si.

But, let me tell you about the greatest miracle EVER first. 

And basically, this may be all I'll email about today. Quizá.

 

Dylan. Oh man.. Dylan! So remember how I mentioned that he was just "so golden" last week? Yeah, well.. So true! Probably more gold than that calf people used to worship back in the days of Moses!

Dylan is literally the walking miracle of the enabling power of the Atonement. He has strengthened my testimony like nothing else. I don't even know where to begin. This last week was just the best. We taught him some of the best lessons this past week. The Spirit was evidently present, and the strongest. I can't even express how I felt in those lessons. So sublime. So sacred. Powerful, and filled with charity. The best thing is that he recognized it in the first lesson. He's so intelligent, and he's recognizing it more and more. 

 After our first lesson with him last Sunday, we returned Tuesday. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, and it just clicked to him. It was incredible how the Spirit taught him. He recognized it off the bat. He expressed that he was feeling the spirit so strong, and that he understood his purpose on earth and the purpose that God has for him. We spoke to him about the temple and Family History and put him "on-date" to attend the temple and do Proxy Baptisms for Oct 2. Right before Gen. Conference and the end of the transfer. He accepted and expressed how excited he was for that. We're helping him see his eternal perspective and looking towards a goal to work towards. Right now, and based off his desires, the Priesthood and the temple.

After that lesson, he expressed a few things regarding the Word of Wisdom. He's doing his best to completely cut cigarettes before the 12th of Sept. We had a few members with us and asked him if he wanted a Priesthood blessing.

Austen, our WML gave him such a beautiful blessing to help give him comfort and strength. I just love the Priesthood! It's been such a blessing in my life, especially on my mission. 

After Austen gave Dylan his blessing, Dylan expressed that as soon as Austen placed his hands on his head, he felt a surge of energy flow through his body. That he'd never felt anything like it before, and that he knew the Priesthood is real, and so powerful.

Since the blessing, Dylan's gone from 10 cigarettes a day, to 7, to 5, to 3, and is slowly but surely letting go of them. THIS ALL HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THE PAST WEEK! We've been at his place everyday giving him things to help him, and our members have too. The guys even brought him church clothes to wear on Sunday and just been in constant touch with him.

It's so great that the ward has been in unity to help Dylan quit. Such a huge testimony builder. I expressed to him that I possibly couldn't imagine what he's going through and the massive amounts of self mastery that he has. In order for me to support him, I was going to give up something that's been a struggle for me too, and that I just love so much- desserts. I found myself committing to that before thinking it through.. but not surprised. I would do such a thing. It's cool cause Sis Ballif also committed to doing it, and that 3 of us are keeping each other on tabs each night and sharing scriptures to help. 

 

Each lesson we've taught him this past week has been so great! I can't even fathom it. 

However, yesterday's lesson taught me and strengthened both my testimony and conversion more than I expected. 

We "homecourted" him at our Stake president's home. The McCombies are seriously my mission parents. They remind me of mom and dad. It's insane. After church, we all went to their home and had dinner followed by a lesson. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Easily the most powerful lesson of my mission. Wish I had time to really go into detail. We spoke about how living the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a lifestyle- the lifestyle to real happiness. The spirit once again stronger than ever. I remember just powerfully testifying and saying things I wasn't planning to say, or even expecting. I knew the Spirit was working through my companion and I to Dylan. When we checked for understanding, he in return taught us through the things he said that he learned. He recognized that without the Lord, we are nothing. That the best and most intelligent thing we could do is let God take hold of the steering wheel in our lives, and TRUST. He understood that repentance isn't an event, but a process. it clicked! Everything clicked.

 President McCombie asked him why baptism. Why does he want to be baptized. He shared the most touching testimony and my heart was just so filled. I bawled lie a baby. This man WANTS Christ and God, and he recognized that he NEEDS them. How they will help him and strengthen him throughout life's perils. He is deeply rooted in to the Gospel. He's tasted of the fruit, and has received a witness that it's good and delights him. He expressed, "Well, baptism would be a love story that doesn't end." Poet. He said that he knows how sacred and serious of a covenant baptism is and that he's in. His heart, mind, will, and actions. He wants it. 

 

 

THE ATONEMENT IS SO REAL. 

 I've been praying to find someone like Dylan that i could help bring closer to Christ, and the Lord has answered my desire. I recognized that sometimes we have to push further and be at that last point before our prayers are answered. That is how God teaches us. He wants us to learn something throughout the process. Proves how loving God is. 

 

This is something I have such a strong testimony of. I know that God loves each of his children and is working in their lives. That his plan is better for us than what we think ours is. That our wants and desires should always point to him. I love him with all I have in me, and he surely has the streering wheel in my life.

 

I invite you all to allow him in your hearts if you haven't.

 

Have a great week!

 Con amor,

 

Hermana Robles