Makin' Memories in Monterrey México: Week 41: A MamaRiches Chocolate Chip Cookie Miracle

Breaking news: Mamariches chocolate chip cookies have been made here in Monterrey! This week it hit me that I have not had a homemade chocolate chip cookie for far too long, so being the daughter of Melissa Riches I felt the need to incorporate baking into my teaching. Wanna know the trick to teaching teenagers the Restoration of the Gospel? You explain it using cookie ingredients: Butter= Heavenly Father's love for us, sugar= prophets, vanilla= priesthood, flour= Jesus Christ, the cookie= the true church with all the elements; etc. It was pretty cute. While we were baking, the 3 17 year old boys claimed excitedly that now they can "bake for the ladies"- hahaha my work has been done. They loved the cookies! The sugar, butter, and chocolate chips are different here, so it was not quite up to the mamariches status, but the people don't bake cookies here so they absolutely loved them. hahaha we were having a bit of oven difficulties, so a few cookies were made on the stove, few in the microwave...lots of experimenting going on. The cookie dough is the best part anyways :)

NOW ON TO THE MIRACLE. So remember how I mentioned there is a 17 year old boy who has been listening to the missionaries for 4 years? Isaac, best friend of the bishop's son has been listening to the missionaries and going to church for 4 years, and when hermana flores and I arrived here in the area we made ourselves the goal to see this boy get baptized. Many prayers and many fasts have been offered on our part, and after we made the cookies we decided to have a direct chat with him, purely following the spirit and asking him inspired questions to see where he was at with his decision to be baptized. Much to our surprise, he expressed to us how his relationship with God has been strengthened over the years and how he truly knows this gospel is true. he said he was ready and wanted to be baptized. We let him decide his baptismal date, and after a few minutes of pondering, he said with a smile..."before the month ends". He said he finally recieved permission from his parents, (they are very catholic and his older brother is Jehova's Witnes) and he will be baptized IN 3 DAYS!!! We were at the bishop's house when he made this decision, and the whole family was so happy and a little surprised that this day would finally come! Marco, his best friend (bishop's son) is going to baptize him. This sunday is going to be so great with so much support from the ward, as everyone has been waiting for Isaac to become an official member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Hermana Flores and I literally ran back to the house jumping for joy after this lesson we had hahaha because seriously it was PURELY the spirit that took control over the lesson, and I know with 110% certeza that prayers are answered, that God has his timing for everyone, and that MAMARICHES CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES PRODUCE MIRACLES :)

We have been so busy...this past sunday the elders in the other ward had a baptism. Hidai is such a sweet girl, and the service was wonderful as the elders sang "Come thou Fount" in spanish on the guitar...she is 18 years old and wants to serve a mission so we gave her a few of our skirts, and it has been great sharing with her the joy of being a missionary :)

We went to the temple this morning bright and early at 6 am, and it's always such a great time bonding with other missionaries. you feel so much peace on the temple grounds...I'm so grateful for the chance we have to go here in the mission every 6 weeks.

We all had interviews with Pres Bird this week which went well, and this sunday I am speaking in church on LA OBEDIENCIA...time is cruisin' and spring has officially arrived. I'm doing well and am very happy!