Katia . . . planting a seed!

May 17, 2014

In December of 2013 we were in Oristano for a conference and did a scambi (exchange) with the missionaries there in the evening.  They were meeting with a woman from  the English class whom they had started giving the missionary lessons to.  We helped with the English lesson and then stayed for the investigator lesson afterward.  She was a brilliant woman and we were very impressed with her questions and insight.  I was the only other woman in the group and felt like we established a bond in that short time.  Michael and I both felt like she would make a wonderful member of the church.   A couple of months later, we heard that she had seen some things on the internet and told the missionaries she didn't ever want to see them again.  A couple of weeks later, she called them up and told them she wanted to be baptized right now.  She had recognized the power of the adversary and felt the difference in how she felt when she wasn't associated with the good feelings she had when being around church members.  She was soon baptized and has become a powerful source for good and tells everybody she sees that she is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would they like to know more.  

Katia has always been a beautiful woman, but now she is a beautiful woman with a glow about her.  Her eyes just sparkle.  

I hadn't seen her since our meeting last December, but I have followed her progress and still felt there was a bond between us.  When she came to the baptism in Oristano and saw Michael and I there, she could hardly contain her excitement.  She came up to me and gave me a big hug.  She said last time we saw her she was just piccolo (small) but now she is grande (big).  She said that meeting with her in December had made a huge impression on her and how much it meant to her.

The moral of the story is that you never know the impact you might have in someone's life--even if the encounter is only for a few minutes.  Seeds are planted, but it takes warmth and nourishment to help them sprout and grow into beautiful plants.   I feel like I helped plant the seed for Katia.

(Katia's husband didn't join the church, but he is very supportive and comes to church with her.)