Called to Serve : The joy you feel as a missionary is unlike anything I have ever felt before.

Welp, looks like I get yet another chance to actually learn Italian because I AM STAYING IN ILFORD WITH MY GIRL SISTER EPICOCO!!!!!!!! And I am SO STOKED about this right now you have no idea!!!!! I love the people we are working with SOO much and I am so happy that I get a little more time with them:) I am so excited to see what the next 6 weeks will bring! I thank God every day for this incredible opportunity to be a missionary. I LOVE IT SOOO MUCH!!!!!!

This weekend is one that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life..... Okay STORY TIME. So Rufina and Helders baptism was on Saturday and we get there to fill up the font like 2 hours early and everything was fine until we realise that the hot water going into the font isn't working...... Fantastic. Well we started doing what we could to fill it up with hot water from buckets.... Yeah it wasn't working too well as we would run out really quickly!

Meanwhile, people started coming and oh my days it was so amazing how many people came!! As we were standing outside the chapel waiting, my heart was so full of gratitude! Not only were Rufina and Helder going to be baptised, but SO many less actives that we had been working with and invited actually came!!! When the Ruckmal family all walked in, a part member family, I almost started crying. I LOVE this family So So much!! Looking around and seeing all these people made my heart fill with joy. Bishop was so excited as well that so many people he hadn't seen in a long time where there!

Well after we took pictures, it came time for the service to begin but there was just one small problem...... Rufina was refusing to get into the freezing cold water............... She wouldn't do it. So after 20 minutes of trying to figure that out we decided to start the program while the Elders kept trying to add hot water to the font. It came time for the baptism and Helder, bless his heart had to be baptised 3 times in that freezing cold water. His face every time he came out of the water... Hahaha:) he is so cool! Well after seeing Helder having to be baptised 3 times there was no way Rufina was getting into that water. Ahhh.... I felt really bad because she was a little upset and sad. AND her family was there! But there is a reason for everything, we just need to trust God! Well, we finally decided that we would have another little service on Sunday after church in Romford. So on Sunday after church, we went up to Romford with them and wow that service was so beautiful!:) Rufina was really sad on Saturday night, but on Sunday she looked so much happier:) it was such a crazy beautiful weekend that I will never forget!!!! It's amazing the love I feel for them!!!

The joy you feel as a missionary is unlike anything I have ever felt before. It's so true that when you forget yourself and focus on helping others, the blessings you receive are beyond comprehension. So if you haven't felt happy lately, focus on serving others and I promise you that joy and gratitude and the love of God will fill your heart:)

I know that sending Jesus Christ to the earth for us was the greatest act of love this world has ever seen. I love my Saviour so much and I truly KNOW that he lives. What a glorious truth that is:)

Click here for a video of the Baptism Song.

Onward and upward!

Sister Sara Ranck