Testifying in Tucson: November 2nd - Mercedes was baptized on Saturday!

It has been a crazy, awesome week! I am going to talk about the best part first. Mercedes's baptism on Saturday was so special. A lot of members in the ward came to support her. She kept saying that she couldn't believe that the day was finally here. She was just glowing!! After she was baptized, Hermana Evans and I just hugged her. I am so proud of her and the decision that she made.

At her baptism, I spoke on baptism and Melissa spoke on the Holy Ghost! She did such an amazing job! She is already a missionary :) I bore my testimony in both the Spanish branch and the English ward since it would be my last time as a full time missionary. Melissa went up after me. I had almost cried both times when I went up, but then when Melissa went up I just lost it. Between Merc's baptism and Melissa being so amazing, I am just cried out haha. All done.

Saturday was also Halloween. We went to the big Halloween party. I wore, on top on my missionary clothes, a nurse's cape from the 1950's that Tiffany Rios's mom let me borrow. Hermana Evans borrowed a hawaiian dress which could still have been worn as a missionary. Everyone really liked it. We were the judges of the chili cook off. I don't want to have chili again for a while haha, but it was really good! These people know how to make good chili.

Let's see.....so many things. The nursing home here is closing in December which breaks our hearts. Many are going to be transferred over to the 2 nursing homes in Benson. This upcoming week will be our last time playing Yahtzee and Dominoes with all our favorite ladies.

We had exchanges this past week and I went to Pomerene with Sister Walter. I went on exchanges with her in January down in Sierra Vista and I also did exchanges in Pomerene this past January. Major deja vu haha. We had a good time. The highlight of the day was seeing Amy and her daughter Hailee. I taught them both when I was in St. David. Hailee was baptized in January and her mom is marrying a recent convert in the Pomerene ward and they are going to Utah for their honeymoon to pick a temple to be sealed in next year. Makes me so happy to see how much they have grown since I saw them last in February.

Oh Wednesday, I spoke at Young Women's in Excellence at the church. The young men were there as well and there was a big carnival. I spoke first and talked about how doing Personal Progress helped me to grow and what I've learned doing it this time around. I have nearly finished and likely will before I come home! I have a lot of work to do though!

That may be it....yea I'll leave it at that haha. Love you like crazy! Know that I am doing great and am loving every minute of the work. We are working hard and seeing miracles every day!

Hermana Martin