After so many years (roughly 18) and several sets of missionaries, my mother in-law decided to get baptized. Julio knew she had been taking the discussions but, we thought it would be a long time for the big day to come, however, at the beginning of April, my sister in-law called me from Nebraska, she told me they had some news for you, we don't really talk much and for her to be calling me to say "they had some news" they had to be really good news and to my surprise, she said her mother had prayed and received the answer that she wanted and needed to get baptized, I had to ask several times if it was real and she said yes, my mother wants to get baptized and she wants it to be a surprise for Julio.
My mother in-law wanted to get baptized on Julio's b-day (the 19th) and I said it wouldn't be possible to do it on his birthday but, we could do it some time around it. I was the one that chose the day, I said let's get everything set up for the 23rd so I can say we had been invited to spend Easter with the family in Nebraska (we never been in Nebraska for Easter so it would be a new idea/thing to do). Since I was the first one to know of the exciting news, I had to keep the secret for about 3 weeks, it was definitively not easily but it was worth it. Throughout the 3 weeks, I experienced so much opposition in all things, Julio gave me a hard time that he didn't understand why I wanted to go to Nebraska for Easter, I said your sister invited us and everybody is going, he is always excited to go visit his family and spend time with them but this particular time he was not so, things started to get complicated.
As the days started to go by, I kept on trying to get him excited to go to Nebraska but it wasn't working, then one of my sisters in-law from her had to tell her husband the reason why they needed to go to Nebraska (I was afraid that Julio would find out because they work together and I that at some point his brother in-law would say something about the baptism). Then financially things were working as planned, so I started to stress out, I had committed to take Julio there one way or another and I was getting worried that the day that we had to leave would arrive and we didn't have the means to go. I did a lot of praying to ask our Heavenly Father to provide us the opportunity and blessing to attend this magnificent and unforgettable event, Julio got paid and we were set to go, I packed Thursday night and while he was still at work I prepared my talk on Baptism. So finally on Friday, we were able to leave to Nebraska and on our way there, Julio started to ask so many questions, why is my sister Dora going if she normally doesn't go to Nebraska and she went for Christmas and she went in February for our nieces and nephews baptism and she is going again? He also asked me why I was so excited and determined to go if I never get that excited, of course I had to stay firm and say well, you said it if your sister doesn't go that much and she is willing to go I said we would go as well. I had to tell him but if you really don't want to go, we can go back and he said you should of told me when we weren't half way there. He said "I know there is something fishy going on in Nebraska", I had to pretend he was wrong. When we made it to Nebraska around 1:00am, we were having Menudo for dinner or breakfast and we were talking to my mother in-law and she said "I have been taking the discussions and I love everything, however, I'm not ready but if I ever get ready, I will ask you to come baptize me". Julio got all excited and he said of course, just let me know 2 to 3 weeks in advance and I will make sure to be hear, I had some tears come out but I didn't want it to be too obvious, good thing my mother in-law kept so serious and calm that he wouldn't suspect anything. The following morning we got up somewhat late and I asked at what time was the activity that we were attending at their ward (my mother in-law had told Julio that they were having a special Easter activity and that she wanted all of us to attend), she said 3:00pm (the time the baptism had been scheduled), I started to get ready and Julio wasn't that excited to go to the "activity", he was coming up with a lot of excuses, he said "I rather go to Winter Quarters to see the visitor center and the temple, we never been there". I told him we should go to the activity for just a short period of time then we could go to the Temple if that's what he wanted. He then said he was going to wear jeans to the activity and I told him "the Bishop had said we had to wear our Sunday clothes" (it was the only way I knew I could get him to wear his Sunday clothes), he said that's too weird, I have never heard of something like that. I said regardless, we have to be obedient and dress accordingly, he wasn't very convinced but he still dressed up. Another thing he said (as he really didn't want to go) was that it would be no big deal to go at 3:30pm, I told him we should go on time that way we could leave as soon as we finished eating. Everybody left the house so we were the only ones there (he then questioned why was everybody on a hurry to go to church on time), I said we better hurry since everybody is gone and we don't want to be the ones getting there late (he said it wouldn't be the first or last time we were late for something). I was more than ready for it to be 3:00pm for the big moment to arrive and for him to find out the reason why I was so determined to go. When we got to church, everybody was already there and my mother in-law had already changed, they were all waiting for us, when we went to the Relief Society Room, the whole family was lined up behind my mother in-law, when we got there they shouted very loudly "SURPRISE"and he didn't even see my mother in-law, he focused on the rest of the family, he then realized what was happening and he hugged his mother so strongly that they hugged each other for the longest time, then my sister in-law asked him if he was ready to baptize his mom and we were all crying. We then went to the foyer to take some pictures with my mother in-law and him dressed in white, Julio hugged me so strongly and he said "now I understand everything, this was the reason, why we needed to come, thanks a lot baby". We then proceeded with the baptism, it was such a special number, I talked about Baptism, my sister in-law Dora talked about he Gift of the Holy Ghost, the kids had a special musical number - they sang a Child's prayer (coincidently one of our favorite child's hymns) and my sister in-law bore her testimony.
It was such a special moment that we will never forget. It is just amazing how his side of the family is growing in the Gospel. Now the majority of the family are members of the church, hopefully soon, my other 3 brothers in-law and 1 sister in-law join us and receive the wonderful blessings of the amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Tía Dora & Braiden
(a sweet hug before leaving church)
Then entire familia that attended the baptism
Miguel Jr, Miguel Sr, Rosalina, Karen & Suegra
(all members, except for Miguel Sr, just waiting for him to join the church,
we have faith that he will in the near future)
Madre e hijos
(Reyna was the only one missing)
The three of us with suegra!
Jocelyn, Lorena, Kevin & Suegra
Grandma & the majority of grandkinds
(missing 4 from Colorado)
Claudia, Suegra, Julio & Dora
Claudia, Suegra & Julio
Julio & his mom!!
Elder Shedden, Suegra, Julio & Elder Ragsdale
Suegra, Elder Shedden & Elder Ragsdale
Surprise...
