Saturday Night in Badalona - What We Do

Yes, Badalona, the city just up-coast from Barcelona. We drove over to the chapel Saturday evening to attend the baptism of two wonderful new converts. Last December the ward mission leader called the Elders to say that he was inviting a family to the ward Christmas party and wanted the Elders to meet them. The Elders were able to set up an appointment for the following week and began teaching the Alpiri family of five, and they have been reading the Book of Mormon and praying together ever since.

In late January, the father returned to Bolivia where he stayed for six weeks. He continued reading while he was gone and returned home on Thursday. While he did not feel fully prepared for baptism on Saturday, he was happy to have his wife and daughter baptized. He came to service dressed in suit, white shirt and tie, and is preparing to be baptized with his son in a couple of weeks.

Elders Estrada and Corbitt with the Alpiri family

Elder Estrada flies home on Wednesday morning, so this was his last opportunity to baptize someone he had taught. He is working feverishly with Elder Corbitt to finalize a plan for the baptism of Bro. Alpiri.

This was a week full of miracles. In Bilbao, a young single adult who has been investigating for two years but has always declined baptism because of opposition of her parents, attended the baptism a new convert on Saturday afternoon. After the service she came up to Elder Kane, who is being transferred next week, and said, "Elder Kane, I am going to be baptized!" He said, "Great! Please have the missionaries send me some photos of your baptism, as I would love to see them." She responded, "I mean I am getting baptized tomorrow. I have decided to be baptized tomorrow." She was.

In Pamplona, Hna. Moulton, who is also being transferred next week, had a lesson on Thursday with a couple they have been teaching for some time but who were never willing to make the commitment to baptism. When Hna. Moulton mentioned she was leaving of Tuesday, they said, "Well, you can't go until we are baptized. Can we get baptized this Saturday?" They were baptized Saturday afternoon and confirmed today.

It has been a wonderful week, with 21 convert baptisms during the week. The Lord is blessing us with great miracles in this great "second harvest" in Spain. Baptizing worthy converts is what we do. And there are many more preparing for baptism. In Ibiza a week ago a woman with tears in her eyes stopped the missionaries in the street and asked where the Church was. They explained they had only been on the island for a couple of weeks and asked if she was a member. She responded, "No, but I attended Church for 6 years in Paraguay but my mother would never let me get baptized." She then pulled out her wedding photos, showed them pictures of her husband and said, "Don't worry, Elders, I still keep all the commandments and my husband and I were chaste before we were married." She and her husband are preparing to be baptized on March 24.

"Hoy es el tiempo y el día"

Now is the time and the day

Alma 34:31