Can I get an AMEN?!

Best pic EVER in IDMM history

HE IS RISEN Y'ALL!

Happy Easter!! One of the best times of the year. I think it is very fitting that Easter is the ultimate icing on the cake this year following March Madness, General Conference, and the Masters. What a time! We maybe had the most legit week out here so I'm gonna jump right into it.

On Saturday, Tiana and Max were baptized!! It was such a cool experience. It always is but to see a mom and her son take those steps together was something special. This has been a long time coming for the Christiansen family and it was a tender moment to see it all happen. It was awesome to see it as a big family effort as well. Gary, Tiana's father in law and Max's grandpa, baptized them and Jon, Tiana's husband and Max's dad, confirmed them. It was a special moment. You could tell that so many prayers were being answered as they both took those first steps toward an eternal family.

You think that would be enough excitement for the week but that is not the case. Buckle up for this story cause it is crazyyyyyyy. I mentioned last week about Carla and her desire to jump right into things but only until she gets this big epiphany about the Book of Mormon. We all know that that could take years, even a whole lifetime, and maybe not even at all, so coming into our lesson we had no idea what to expect. In the lesson, we went through the entire Restoration as usual. No real hiccups on her end, everything was making sense, but no epiphany. We then opened up to Moroni 10 and started reading his promise with her. She read it, then looked up to the top of the book to Moroni's name, and just lost it and started bawling. We all just sat there in shock, thinking to ourselves, "what in the world is going on right now?" It took Carla a couple minutes to compose herself and through her tears started telling us this story. She told us that about 2-3 months ago, she had a dream and in this dream she saw a man with white, blonde hair, wearing a white robe, glowing and floating in the air. And this man just stood at the foot of her bed and just pointed directly at her and that was it. Fast forward to after our first dinner with her and the Barnings. Elder Matthews had invited her to listen to the Book of Mormon when she had the time. Before our appointment on Thursday, she told us that as she was listening to Joseph Smith's testimony, the way he explained what Moroni looked like, WAS EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAW IN HER DREAM. I kid you not. And as we were reading Moroni's very own words, everything just came full circle for her. HER EPIPHANY. Right then and there, she accepted coming to church and continue to work towards her baptism. She then came to Tiana and Max's baptism and just loved it. As I was talking with her afterwards, our 1st Counselor Bro McPherson, who was there at the lesson with us, maybe the most down to earth, loving man, with the coolest Jamaican accent, sat down with us and joined in the convo. Carla expressed her desire to be baptized before the Barning's move out of town which is in a little over a month, and Bro McPherson right then and there just says, "Carla, will you be baptized on the second Saturday in May?" And she responds, "well yeah! Let's do it." And you can just picture me completely dumbfounded and trying to hold my excitement in that our member just totally set a baptismal date with her. BUCKETS. So I guess Carla is now going to start working to be baptized on May 11th! Words can't do the story justice. The 3 of us were talking and we were saying how none of us had ever been physically present when one had recieved such a powerful answer as Carla did. It was an unforgettable experience.

And if that's not enough for you, I have another crazy cool story about Jose and Susy, surprise surprise. BOTH Jose and Susy finished the entire Book of Mormon! They ate that thing up. It's the best sight when you come over and see their books just totally thrashed from using it so much. They have taken this Gospel and have just ran with it! They are actively sharing the gospel to their entire family and they have been seeing so many miracles from it. Their siblings, parents, children, and extended family are all hearing about the gospel from them and accepting invitations to learn more and come to church with them. THEY ARE AMAZING.

Christ lives. Death has no victory. CAN I GET AN AMEN.

Elder SPC

Pres B and his Boys

Tiana & Max ready for a swim!

The Christiansen family

My boy, MAX!

Team Jesus Stays Winning