Mariella is baptized!

It has been a really, really good week! Mariella is a 14 year old girl that we have been teaching here. Her mom is a convert of about a year and there have been a lot of missionaries that have been teaching Mariella since.I think that there were at least 5 sets of Hermanas that taught her before us, so she had heard all the lessons multiple times. The Hermanas before Hna Stewart and I said that she was going to get baptized on November 26, her birthday. She wanted to stop saying bad words before she got baptized and she decided that she would stop saying bad words on her birthday.  We were okay with that, we were just going to teach her until her baptism. But, on Wednesday we had the prompting to ask Mariella if she would be baptized on Sunday (yesterday). Our zone was holding a "noche blanca" where all the missionaries in our zone would bring those that are getting baptized and it is a super special program. We told her that baptism is not something that you need to wait forever to do, that she was ready (because she totally was)

and that baptism is a starting point. You only improve more after you're baptized! AND SHE ACCEPTED! We were so excited when she said she would. It was UNREAL. So Sunday came and we had so much anxiety that she wasn't going to follow through with her baptism. We went to her house and kept calling her to remind her haha. The "Noche Blanca" was super special. There were 6 people being baptized. A lot of people came, the whole chapel was filled! There were some really good talks by the stake presidency and other people. Not everyone could fit into the font room (Obviously) so they broadcast the baptisms into the chapel. (Hna Stewart and I got to be in the font room, though :)) I cried when she went under the water. It was one of the happiest moments on my mission thus far. I know that Mariella will be blessed because of her choice to be baptized!

So it has rained a lot here lately. One day we were going to Mariellas to teach her and our umbrella was pointless. The rain was pelting and we were SOAKED anyway. When we got to their house Maria (Mariella's mom) dried us off and gave us shower caps to wear on our heads so our hair wouldn't get wet. ALL the Dominicans wear shower caps or bags on their heads when it rains so their hair doesn't get wet. So I guess I'm one step closer to being Dominican now because I wore the shower cap :) 

Shower caps to keep our hair dry!

We have been teaching a lot of people. One of the people we have been teaching is Esmerlyn. She is 12 years old and the cutest thing ever. She really wants to get baptized, but her mom isn't giving her permission, but we haven't been able to see her mom since she said that! Her mom is never home. We pray that her mom's heart will be softened! We are trying to teach her mom as well, so I hope that everything will go well! 

I love it here and I love the work! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Lawrence