We went to an amazing baptism on June 19,a Saturday morning,in Tierra Blanca. The missionaries had found--were referred to--a family of ten, six of baptismal age. A man named Pedro--cool name, huh?-- and his wife were baptized a while back. They went inactive for a period but reactivated and are now very strong. He is the ward mission leader.


Pedro has a little shop on the main highway. He does fiberglass repair. He noticed a man pass by his shop most days and thought he should talk with him about the gospel. He put off the prompting for some time, but finally did it.


The man, a carpenter named Javier, knew of Pedro and thought he didn't like him but had never met him. They talked and Javier felt something inside tell him that he should accept Pedro's offer to go to church with him. He and his wife had been looking for a church and didn't like the TJ's (Testigos de Jehová or Jehovah's Witnesses). So, he went. Then the missionaries were invited in. They taught him and his family.


They were always nervous to go to church because they can't lock up their house, but the missionaries promised them that the Lord would protect their very humble home--no lights and no water, if they would do His will.


After a couple of weeks, they were baptized. The service was incredibly spiritual. The 8 kids were 100% reverent. They also don't know how to read. School is essentially free in Mexico through junior high. After that there is tuition. But, to attend school, the family has to buy uniforms for each student. Javier has barely enough money to provide tortillas y beans. So, the kids have never been to school. But, they loved to sit and hear Book of Mormon stories from the missionaries.

The missionaries are Elders Tryon and Schilhabel who were the gospel teachers, and Elder Hernandez Diaz who interviewed the family for baptism.