I Will Go and Do : Week 87: Abilome's Baptisms!!

Hello everyone! It has been such an amazing week. I have been so excited and anxious to tell everyone that the Abilome family (from Bridgeport) was baptized this week! Saturday, February 24th, Caroline Abilome and her two daughters Alexcia and Brianna entered the waters of baptism and were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Their baptism was a wonderful experience. Brother Mitchell, the ward mission leader (and my dad from the mission) drove all the way to Boston to get me and drove me all the way back, a total of 10 hours in one day! He's the best!! Elder Warner baptized Brianna and I got to baptize Caroline and Alexcia. They were all a little nervous before their baptisms, but afterwards they were so happy. Alexica sang "Amazing Grace" after the baptism and the spirit was so powerfully felt by all in the room. The Elders had an investigator at the baptism who could not hold back her tears as we sang the closing hymn, "I Believe in Christ". On top of the great baptism, I learned that Emma, one of the investigators I taught was baptized last week in Bridgeport! I was able to see her and she told me that she is now wanting to serve a mission!! I love this work and know it to be the Lord's work.

Our transfer texts came in this week and I'm sad to say yet again I'm loosing my companions. Elder Pulu will be headed to Waterford, CT on Tuesday and Elder Halsell will be going back to Lynnfield, MA to train a new missionary. I learned a lot this transfer from both of these companions and I am grateful that I was able to serve with them. My new companion is going to be Elder Bingham. I do not know Elder Bingham that well, but I am super excited to have him as my new companion. From what I can tell he is a great missionary and I am excited to train him as a new zone leader.

Also exciting news from this week is that we had a special technology zone conference where it was announced that in the coming month our mission will be receiving Smartphones as a new tool to further the work. I was a bit hesitant at first, but as we have been trained and are now preparing for the new technology, I realize how great of an impact this will have on the effectiveness and efficiency of missionary work. Not only will we be able to find more people who are searching for the truth but those who are searching will be better able to find us! It is exciting to see how the Lord is hastening His work.

One of the new investigators we picked up this week is a 20 year old man from Nepal named Santos. We contacted him on the street and to our surprise he is doing awesome! He was able to come to church this week and by divine design in Elder's Quorum we watched a General Conference talk that talked about how a man from Nepal joined the church and helped translate the Book of Mormon into Nepalese. Not a coincidence! We hope that Santos will continue to progress.

I am very grateful for all the new and exciting things that are happening at this time. I have recently begun studying the New Testament and it has had a great impact on my discipleship. I have been focusing on how Jesus Christ showed love to those around Him. I have come to know that everybody feels love differently. For example, somebody you give a gift to may have felt more love if you were to give them a hug. Somebody you give a hug to may feel more loved if you were to write them a letter. Jesus Christ is our perfect example of love and showing love. I have marveled at His example of charity as I have studied how He always knew how to show love to those He served, in a way that would impact them the most. I know that He loves us all and that He will always be there for us to lift us up and encourage us to keep pressing forward to our Celestial home.

Love you all!
Elder Gutierrez

Bridgeport Mission Crew at the Abilome Family Baptisms on February 24, 2018: Elder Warner, Elder Gutierrez, Elder Fife, and Ward Mission Leader Daniel Mitchell with Caroline, Alexcia, and Brianna Abilome