Omar's Baptism

Okay that's enough I will start with my email now.  Basically I'm just going to talk about the very best thing that happened this week. OMAR GOT BAPTIZED!!! Omar is 26 and from Mexico. He was an investigator that Hermana Phillips and I taught all the lessons to in Sarasota, one of the ones I mentioned that I knew would be baptized soon when I left. His story is a miracle. Ill tell it again so I can tell it all together. So maybe in June, we received an online referral from a member that was living in Ohio that we should go teach this guy named Omar who lived in our area. There wasn't much information though, just his address. and no contact information for the member who referred him. So we went by several times, trying different times of day to see if we could catch him at home. No luck. We left a few notes and pamphlets different times but didn't hear anything back and so deciding we had done all we could, we dropped the referral and stopped trying to contact him. Days after, our phone rang during studies and I picked it up and it was this Mexican lady from Ohio saying that she knew someone in Sarasota named Omar that we needed to go teach! This lady's name was Betty, and Omar was her sister's boyfriend. But her sister lived in Mexico so she put Betty up to finding the missionaries so Omar could be taught. So she gave us his phone number and more info about his schedule and when we could go by. It was so crazy to us that right after we had dropped him, Betty happened to find our number and give us more information. Heavenly Father always finds a way to get those who are prepared to the missionaries. So we met with Omar for the first time and he knew absolutely nothing about Jesus Christ. He had never even seen a bible before. He had never prayed before. That first lesson with him, we taught him about the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we taught him how to pray. It was from that first lesson on that I have seen his faith grow so much.  First, he started praying every night on his own.That first lesson with him, we taught him about the gospel of jesus christ. And we taught him how to pray. It was from that first lesson on that I have seen his faith grow so much.  First, he started praying every night on his own. Then he and his girlfriend started praying together over the phone. Then he finally got comfortable enough to pray in front of us. He works two jobs as a cook and works crazy hours, so didn't read the book of mormon the first week after we taught it to him. but after we showed him how to download it on his phone he read the book of mormon every day!! Every spare second on work breaks he would read it. He said his coworkers would look at what he was doing and say What is that? The scriptures? Omar, reading the scriputres? What has happened to you!  I've seen him change so much, he has so much faith now. He had a hard time being able to come to church because of work, and when we suggested doing a fast with him to get work off he did a full 24 hour fast with us and refused to stop even one minute early. When we taught him about the word of wisdom, he stopped smoking and drinking coffee IN A WEEK.  After leaving sarasota, the elders have been continuing teaching him and trying to help him get to church. He was baptized on Saturday and asked that I come to speak at his baptism. I got permission to go and it was such a great experience. He came in a white shirt and tie, the full get up. And know what else? He said he had broken up with his girl friend, the member, a few weeks ago. So his decision to be baptized was completely his own and between him and God. I feel so blessed to have been able to be a part in helping omar gain faith in Jesus Christ. It's people like him that make everything worth it.