All at once.

I'm still kind of shocked. I'm actually speechless. And that is super duper rare for me. But I knew I had to blog about this so that I will never forget this moment.

I have been crying, begging, fighting, praying, wishing, hoping and dreaming that David would one day decide to come back to church and become active and use his priesthood and go back to the temple. But I have to say I had kind of given up hope.

But then something happened. They couldn't find his record. To make a long story short, since they didn't have this information Natalie's baptism and confirmation weren't valid and most importantly our sealing wasn't valid either. We had to find that information or do the ordinances again. Now we had tried getting the info but we just couldn't find it. So what was left was to wait for David to decide if it was important enough for him to get active in the church again to be able to soon perform these ordinances again.

But to tell you the truth things weren't looking too good. He has his usual reluctant self. So I wasn't expecting anything. I had asked the missionaries who come to eat to be a little bit more pushy with him about this subject. Also around this time we had just found out that a sister from our ward who had moved to Florida had lost her 2 year old daughter in a pool accident. So this might have also got him to thinking about our sealing.

I really do feel like the missionaries were the one to make this miracle happen. They gave us such a wonderful and heartfelt message and let him know this was no playing matter. They actually asked him for a time line to get this done and to my surprise he said he would go to church on Sunday. I couldn't believe it. Many elders have talked to him before, many elders had given him heartfelt messages, many elders had asked him to come to church and he would always say NO. Here we were sitting with the elders and he had just agreed to come to church on Sunday. We were so excited and we told him that if he wanted we would tell the bishop to not give him any callings and to just let him ease back in to the ward. To which he gave me such a surprising answer, "No, how can I refuse a calling if the bishop gives it to me." I just don't get it sometimes. David is not one to share much with anybody even me. So sometimes I don't really know his feelings towards the gospel or his understanding of it. But at moments like that, with answers like that, make me feel confident and secure that he does understand the gospel enough to respect the bishop.

Now this all had happened last Tuesday. So from Tuesday to Sunday, there were still 4 long days in between. I didn't want to get my hopes up like I had done before and then be dissapointed on Sunday when he changes his mind. We didn't talk about it or say anything. Then Friday rolled around when we have to go to church for mutual and institute class and so forth. Now usually he would hide out in a room playing DSI or something but the past two Fridays he had actually gone to class. Now I don't know if this had to do with the fact that we had lost the DSI or that he actually decided to go to class. Whatever it was I'll take it. Well then the bishop got us for our thithing interview and I kind of gave him the heads up.

So we're in there talking and the subject of the lost records comes up and I let him know that we tried our best and we just can't find the information. So he goes on to tell us that what are we going to do. David then says come to church. I mean it still hasn't sucken in. I'm sitting here typing this and still can't believe how something I had been wanting and praying for over 3 years was finally happening without any warning that such a thing would happen. The bishop than says that he wants to give him the calling of first counselor in the Y.M. presidency to which I thought he would say no. But ofcourse guess what he says, "YES". Really? What's going on here. He accepts the calling and we end with a prayer. I hug the bishop, (who has been in our lives since the beggining of our relationship) and leave the office in tears. I go to the bathroom, clean my tears and walk out still in shock.

Sunday comes and I try to act normal. I get the kids ready and then ask him for his clothes to iron and I notice the t.v. hadn't been turned on. Something rare in for our usual Sunday routine. He did tell me there was a Bears game at 12 to which I start getting a little nervous but I go down to iron our clothes. When I come back up the t.v. is on and their watching the game. I know some of you may think this is horrible. I really use to think, (well I still do) that it should be all or nothing. But I've come to the conclusion that we are all different (duh), and that some people have such a transformation in their lifes that they do change everything, but others (like David) have become numb to the spirit. They know what they have to do, but it's been so long (or most of their lives) that for them it takes small steps to get back on track and build a testimony that was never there or that was too weak from the beginning. Especially because I don't know what made David suddenly choose to jump right back into church. I don't know what gave him the courage to just do what he knows is right even though he might not feel a full desire to do it, but that he's doing cause he knows it's right. So that's why I understand him, understand that he might not change 100% overnight. He might now stop watching tv on Sundays right away but atleast he's finally doing what he knows is right even if he's not sure he's ready to do it.

So we went to church and I have to say it was one of the best Sundays I have ever had. Y.W.'s class was so touching. Reminding me of my individual worth and reminding me that I have a special purpose in being here on earth on these last days. Then being able to sit in Sunday class with my husband. I didn't have to sit there alone anymore, I had my partner with me.

Then sacrament meeting was the most spiritual one I had been in in a long time. I don't think I had ever felt the spirit surround us all as much as it did this past Sunday. I had prayed that it would be that way so that David could feel it and be reassured that his choice was the right one. I'm sure he felt it, there was no denying it. It was very special having the bishop announce his new calling as Davis stood up. Everyones testimony was wonderful and especially Natalie's who thanked Heavenly Father for having her dad at church with her finally. She then came down and hugged her father and told him she was so happy and thankful to have him there with her. Afterward he was officially ordained by Brother Garnica, accompanied by my brother in law Omar and my brother Juan.

So you can imagine how felt, how I feel. Yes I'm nervous and scared. I know the adversary is going to work hard against us now that David has chosen to do the right. But I will not let it touch us, we will persevere. I know it's still a long path for David, he needs to regain his lost testimony and the love for the gospel that he knows is true. But I'm just so thankful that he finally allowed himself to take the first right step back to the straight and narrow path.

Now more than ever, I know that Heavenly Father knows when it's the right time for him to give us the blessings that we ask him for. And even when we are unworthy of them he showers us with them. When we least expect it, he not only give us what we asked for but plenty more. I wanted David to come back to church but I didn't know how that would be possible. Then H.F. finds a way to make a problem a blessing, and not only have him go to church but to accept a calling right away. A calling were we'll be able to work together, a calling were I know he will grow and bless the lives of the youth.

I couldn't have asked for a better gift this Christmas season.